Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

Catholic Wedding Ceremony

Signia by Hilton San Jose

Luncheon

Bharat

Hindu Wedding Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Wedding Reception

Joshua and Mansi Wedding

Josh was working at UC Irvine for his Post Bac research and Mansi recently graduated UC Irvine. They met at the University Town Center at Peet's Coffee. Mansi was meeting her friend at the coffee shop and Josh happened to her friend's friend. After they kept running into each in the same coffee shop. Mansi loved Josh's humor and so they started studying together and eventually dating.

How We Meet 

Our Story

Photos

Our Wedding Day will be celebrating both our cultures with the recommended attire to be western or south asian clothing. Colorful is always appreciated and get ready to dance!!!

Catholic Wedding 

Given this is a fall wedding, please wear a dress appropriately for the weather. In California, last year the weather ranged from 50-65 degrees in November. For women, the church doesn't allow cleavage and please do not wear sequin, white, or champagne. For men, we suggest wearing suits not a tuxedos.

Hindu Wedding

The Varma family loves when Indian culture is celebrated so we are happy with anyone wearing Indian attire. For women, we suggest dressing in any formal attire such as western dress, lengha, or a sari. Please don't wear red. For men, formal attire is necessary such as tuxedo or suit. If men want to wear Indian attire we suggest wearing a kurta.

Please reach out to the Williams family, and we will see if we can make arrangements for Indian attire.

Attire 

Q + A

We suggest booking with Signia since all the events are in the church and in the hotel. The room price is discounted given you all the wedding guests.Please use this website link to register for the hotel:<a href="https://book.passkey.com/e/51028669?utm_source=478&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=297222126&amp;trkid=597170327&amp;linkid=3641562924" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://book.passkey.com/e/51028669</a> The special rate ends next Thursday, October 30, 2025.

Hotel Booking

There are many funny activities to do in San Jose. There are historical sites, good food, hiking, and shopping. Below is a list of places you can go to around San Jose: -Winchester Mystery House

Things to Do

Registry

Learning more about Hindu Weddings 

Background

In India, we say the bride is not marrying the groom, but she is marrying the family. Much of the Hindu wedding ceremonies involve many family members from both the bride's and groom's sides, including cousins, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles, to symbolize the creation of a new family. The Hindu Wedding Ceremony consists of several key parts. Mansi's family is from North India, so their traditions will be rooted in their region and social class. Three important parts to know about Hindu Weddings are the Bharat, Kanya Aagman, and the Sat Phere.

Bharat, The Groom's Procession

A Bharat is when the groom's family enters the altar. Oftentimes, the act of going to the altar involves dancing, singing, and drinking. Traditionally, the groom's family would walk from their village to the bride's village to get married. The singing and dancing were a way to keep the groom's spirits up on the long journey to the marriage altar. Also, it signifies the journey the whole family takes to build a new family.

Kanya Aagman and Jaemal, Bridal Entrance and Picking the Groom

According to ancient Indian royal family traditions, before a man could marry a woman, he would need to ask for the woman's father's permission. However, instead of being a yes-or-no process, there was a feat of strength test. Many qualified potential grooms would line up to compete for the bride's hand. Test activities included archery, fighting, weightlifting, and more. Often, when the testing was done were several eligible bachelors. Then the bride would enter with all her friends to support her in picking the right man. This entrance process is called the Kanya Aagman. After the bride picked the groom, she would place a garland around the groom, which is called the Jaemal. Even though, in modern day there is only one groom lined up, this tradition honors the ancient Indian customs.

Saat Phere, 7 Rounds around the Fire

After the Jaemal, the bride and groom do the Sat Phere or the Seven Rounds around the fire. The husband and wife are tied together and walk around to symbolize commitment. Sometime the male leads the walking around the fire and sometimes the women leads. This symbolizes that sometimes in the marriage the husband will need to take the lead and other times the wife will. Each round represents different vows to marriage.

Hindu Wedding 

Catholic Ceremony

Time: 11:45 am- 1pm The Catholic Wedding officially starts at 12:00 pm, so everyone needs to be in the church by 11:45 am to be seated properly. Address: 80 South Market St. San Jose, 95113 Basilica St. Joseph is in Downtown San Jose, near San Pedro Square and across from the San Jose Museum of Art. Below is a map and image of the Basilica.

Lucheon

Time: 1:30 pm- 3 pmFeel free to arrive before 1:30 pm so that you can get checked in for your meal. Once seated, toasts and prayers will be offered promptly. Address: 170 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113 Second Floor, Crystal Ballroom

4:00 pm-4:30 pm The Williams Family and Josh's close family will be parading into the Hindu Wedding Altar. Address: 170 S Market St, San Jose, CA, 95113Outside in Paseo Plaza This Bharat will be at El Pasaeo Plaza. Please, if you do get lost, use Bijan Bakery's address. ( 170 S Market St #110, San Jose, CA 95113) to find the general waiting area for the Bharat. The Bharat will enter the hotel through the main entrance and proceed through the lobby to the Club Regent, where the wedding will take place. Below is a map showing where the Bharat will start.

4:30 pm-6 pm The Hindu Wedding Ceremony will begin at the Club Regent on the first floor to the left as you enter the main lobby. Address: 170 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113First Floor, Club Regent

Cocktail 

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Please take a nice break and enjoy snacks and drinks before the reception begins on the second floor at the entrance to the Regency Ballroom. There are stairs and an escalator to the right of the main entrance that will lead you to the ballroom. Also, there will be signs leading you to the correct room. Address: 170 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113Second Floor, Regency Ballroom Room

Reception

7:00 pm-11:00 pmAfter the cocktail, the doors of the Regency Ballroom will open at 7:00 pm. Address: 170 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113Second floor, Regency Ballroom

Joshua & Mansi