Earlier this year I previewed some of Adhitya + Jessica’s engagement session images that we completed in Downtown Raleigh. At the time the couple was in full planning mode as they finalized details for their two wedding ceremonies: one traditional South Indian ceremony in Prune, India and the other stateside, at the Barclay Villa. Being able to embark on such a momentous occasion with Adhitya + Jessica has been a huge honor, and it is my pleasure sharing their images. In fact, if you haven’t already, please be sure to check out Maharaniweddings.com. You are likely to see some familiar faces :)
Barclay Villa Wedding
Complete with insights from the bride!
Adhitya + Jessica
June 16, 2017
Barclay Villa
Tell us about your proposal:
Adhi proposed on September 15, 2016. He told me we were going on a date to a really nice place. I was really tired after a long day at work, but was excited for some quality time with Adhi. We arrived at The Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro, NC. Adhi ordered two champagnes and asked me to go outside and watch the cows in the field while we waited to be seated. While sitting outside and talking Adhi got down on one knee and proposed to me. I said yes and began to cry. Shortly after the proposal, I realized all of the planning that had gone into it. The date Adhi proposed was approved by his mother and the Hindu calendar, and all of Adhi and my close friends and family were involved with planning the surprise. Adhi had even taken my parents out to dinner to ask for my hand in marriage. After some facetimes, phone calls, and text messages of congratulations we went inside to celebrate and enjoy their wonderfully delicious food.
Adhi: The night that I proposed to her I was shaking with nervousness until I got down on one knee. As soon as I saw the tears of joy in her eyes, I was shaking with excitement.
Was there any particular theme or style for your wedding:
The colors for our wedding were blue, orange, and grey.
The overall theme we were going for at our wedding was the blending of two cultures (Indian and American)
Tell us about your flowers:
The flowers were bought at EcoFlower. I did not want to spend money on flowers just to have to throw them away. The company EcoFlowers creates flowers from pallet wood, book pages, plant roots, toilet paper rolls, vintage jewelry, and burlap. You can also customize your flowers with different scents. With EcoFlower I was able to spend less money and purchase flowers that my bridesmaids and I could keep forever. We loved the flowers and have used them as decorations around my house after the wedding.
We also ordered my husband a boutonniere that he is able to keep and reuse when needed.
Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding? If yes, tell us more.
Yes! As an Indian and American couple, we wanted to pull elements from both cultures into our wedding. We had a full Tamil Brahmin wedding in India, so we wanted to stay true to a traditional Christian wedding but add in some Indian touches as well. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen wore traditional Indian wear. The bridesmaids wore cobalt blue sarees with orange embroidered tops. The groomsmen wore matching embroidered orange kurtas with blue dupattas. The outfits were ordered and designed by Adhi’s Aunt, Uma Murlidhar. The flower girls wore matching blue Indian dresses and the ring bearer was dressed in a gold kurta. Two days before the wedding we held a small Mehendi night at our house. The bridesmaids, flower girls, ring bearer, and a few others got henna done for the wedding. We also incorporated Indian food into our wedding. We had chole (a chickpea dish), a dosa station where guests could choose their fillings and chutney, samosas, and papri chaat. I think our favorite incorporation of culture was the music and dancing. We had a great DJ (DJ Rang) who plays a fusion of music including Bollywood music. The dance floor was filled from the moment the music was played. In fact, we decided to forgo our grand exit to fit in a few more minutes of dancing with our guests before the night was over. Our wedding displayed important aspects of both our cultures and the beauty of bringing two cultures and families together.
Barclay Villa Wedding
Click here to see more Barclay Villa Weddings we’ve photographed over the years.
Tell us about your hair & makeup:
My hair was done by a family friend Chrissie Owenby. She works at Champney and Co Hair Salon in Winston-Salem, NC. My hair was curled and pulled halfway back with a rhinestone headband. The curls stayed the entire evening which is hard to make happen with my hair. She did an amazing job! Chrissy also did the hair and makeup for my matron of honor and oldest flower girl.
My make-up, bridesmaids’, and mother-in-law’s hair and makeup was done by Head Turners Salon in Angier, NC. Ashley did my makeup and it was beautiful! The makeup stayed on throughout the wedding, dancing, and outside photos. The hair and makeup that Jessica and Chastity did were also phenomenal.
Everyone looked stunning!
Tell us about his groomsmen:
Adhi’s groomsmen were also from different phases of his life. Shashank and Aditya are his friends from his undergrad college in India. They currently live in Boston and Pittsburg respectively. Satya and Farhan were his close friends from Georgia Tech where he did his Master’s. Ayan, Parikshit and Arvind are his colleagues from work with whom he has spent a lot of time in the last three years. Luis has been an old friend of mine for many years and Adhi and him bonded instantly when they first met. Last but not the least, Jim, my brother, and Adhi has hung out multiple times during various family events and festivals. Adhi and me have also driven up to Ohio many times to watch Jim act in plays and spend time with him. They have been very close ever since.
Describe your wedding dress. What was wedding shopping like for you?
My mother purchased my wedding dress for me at David’s Bridal. I tried on 5 dresses and knew I had found one the first day I looked. My dress was a long sleeve, V-neck Galina Signature dress. The color was Ivory with buttons down the back.
I enjoyed shopping for the wedding dress. My mom, dad, and fiancee all went with me. They all agreed that the Galina signature was the one. I did not expect shopping for the dress to be that simple. I am glad I was able to decide quickly. I think with the more options the more confusing choosing the perfect dress can get. There are so many beautiful gowns out there.
How about your wedding shoes and jewelry:
Cobalt blue was one of our wedding colors and keeping with tradition I wanted to pull that blue into my “something blue” for our wedding day. I wore matching earrings and necklace that had both white and blue rhinestones. I purchased earrings and necklace on Amazon at GemStoneKing. My headband had white rhinestones, from David’s Bridal. But my favorite accessory was my shoes. I found them on Amazon from elegantpark. My shoes were blue with white rhinestones. I did some research, ordered them online, and they fit perfectly! I wore them the entire day and evening. They never hurt once!
Any wedding favors:
I found my wedding favors on Etsy. I wanted to purchase something for our guests that almost everyone could put to use. I found some small spice containers with customizable labels (selected orange and blue to go along with our wedding colors). We chose five different spices for our guests to choose from (Italian, Cajun, Lemon Pepper, Seasoning Salt, and Cinnamon and Sugar). Our sign read, Thanks for helping us spice up our wedding!
How about the wedding invitations & stationery:
Our wedding invitations were ordered from VistaPrint. We kept our invitations simple but added pictures taken at our engagement shoot with In His Image Photography at the State Capital Building in Raleigh, NC.
Tell us about your bridesmaids:
My bridesmaids are all the people that are very important to me and have been there during different stages of life. Megan Nauman was my matron of honor and sister. Brittany Pate is my closest friend whom I currently work with and was roommates with both in college and after college. Rocio Chavez has been a very close friend since college. We graduated together in the same cohort and UNC Greensboro. Akshaya Murlidhar, Adhi’s cousin, came to visit a few weeks after I met Adhi. We clicked instantly and have taken many trips together ever since. Jackie Meyer is a friend from Campbell University. We swam together on the swim team. We have always stayed in touch and love to travel together when possible. Grace is another friend from UNC Greensboro. She also graduated in the same cohort with Rocio and I. Allison Kostedt was a roommate with Brittany and I while we were at UNCG. We have kept in touch since college. Connie Coffey is my Aunt who holds a very special place in my heart.
Any bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts?
Adhi gifted the groomsmen their kurtas that they wore during the wedding.
The bridesmaids were gifted cobalt blue kimonos to get ready in, a bouquet made of pallet wood, and bangles from India to match their sarees.
How / why did you choose your ceremony venue:
We visited a lot of venues and always had some reservations and questions about them upon leaving. As soon as we walked out of Barclay Villa we knew this was where we wanted to have our wedding! It was gorgeous both inside and out.
Tell us about your reception venue
We wanted our ceremony and reception to take place in the same location. We chose Barclay Villa, a castle surrounded by farmland. Barclay is simply stunning from the moment you see it. Outside there are gardens full of flowers and ivy, pools, fountains, torches, and a gazebo perfect for an outdoor ceremony and photographs. Inside are murals, elegant rooms, fountains, a grand staircase, balconies, a bar, a beautiful chandelier (decorated with plants), and a fireplace. The venue provides tables, chairs (both for ceremony and reception), bridal rooms, and a grooms room, plenty of sitting areas, and cocktail tables. The venue was amazing and the staff that works there were great!
Tell us about your wedding planner:
For our wedding, we used Jennifer V. Events. We liked Jennifer when we first met with her. She was very easy-going and organized. She brought a questionnaire that showed me how detailed she was.
We used Jennifer as a day-of coordinator. Our venue required it, but I am so glad we had her the day of our wedding. I would recommend at least having a day-of coordinator no matter what – and Jennifer is the perfect one!
I had members of my bridal party commented on how wedding planners they had been in weddings with previously were not very friendly. They stated that Jennifer was in fact very friendly and nice. Jennifer was calm and professional when calling for attention, rehearsals, and making sure everyone was where they needed to be.
Jennifer was always very prompt with answering emails and texts about all my random questions. She had done many weddings at our venue so she was able to answer many questions quickly as a result.
While working with Jennifer she helped us find tastings to attend. She would check in and answer questions whenever I had them. As the wedding grew closer Jennifer attended the walk-through of the venue and then we met afterward to make sure that everything was in place for the wedding day. She had all of our contracts and contacted all of the vendors to make sure everything was in place and finalize details.
Jennifer ran a quick rehearsal and gave everyone good advice and tips for during the ceremony.
During the wedding, Jennifer checked in with us, helped with what she could decoration-wise, greeted vendors, and made sure everything was in place before the wedding started. During the wedding, she brought appetizers, drinks, and asked if we needed anything else. She also made sure that we got a plate of food sent home at the end of the night for my husband and I to have once we got back to our hotel.
I do not think we would have been able to enjoy our wedding day like we did if it were not for Jennifer. She made sure everything was on schedule.
And your decorations:
We rented table cloths, plates, silverware, and napkins through our catering company. We had gold tablecloths with blue napkins. The forks, knives, and spoons were gold and the plates were all accented with gold. For table numbers I spray painted used wine bottles, put a cork back in and cut a slit in the cork to display the table numbers. The centerpieces for each table were hurricane vases with pillar candles accented with blue rocks. Small votives were placed on each table as well. We had small hurricane vases for the cocktail tables. There was a candle lit in remembrance of those who had passed away. On our sweetheart table we had a light up A and J sign. And on the bar there was a light up love sign.
And your cake:
Our cake was provided by Catering Works Inc. They offered a cake special and it tasted amazing. Our cake was chocolate with buttercream icing. Simply decorated and stunning!
What’s your favorite image from your wedding day, and why:
Jessica: There are so many great photos it is hard to pick a favorite. Since it is rare to get a quality photo with my family I love the one with Adhi, me, my sister, brother-in-law, Aunt, nieces and nephew, and parents. Another favorite is the photo of me hugging my nephew. He was so excited for us that day and did such a great job as our ring bearer. The last photo I love is the one of my Dad and I dancing. I will cherish the memory of our father-daughter dance. He is so special and important to me.
Adhi: There were tonnes of great images to choose from but I think I have three favorites. One is the first look with my mom. Second, one of the pics from the reception with my dad and me dancing to the beats of bollywood music. Lastly, the picture of Jessica and me with the entire venue in the backdrop was one my favorite.
Favorite item on the reception menu:
The dosas! Catering Works Inc. provided us with a dosa bar. the guests were able to select their fillings and sauces. The guests enjoyed this station along with being offered options with what they ate.
Tell us about your honeymoon:
We are currently planning our honeymoon to Hawaii. Because of holding two wedding in two countries (India and America), we decided for put our honeymoon on hold for a few months.
Tell us about your wedding photography:
We loved In His Image Photography! Dajuan is very professional and prompt with communication.
He offers a gift registry where wedding guests can contribute money towards a wedding album or the overall photography cost. This was a great idea and allowed guests to give a gift that helps make the memories last in a special way.
Before the wedding, we were able to meet with Dajuan and go over the wedding day timeline he had created based on the types of photos we requested. The timeline was very detailed and included all the items we requested. We decided to go with 8 hours with two photographers. Lauren was great to work with as well!
When it came to the wedding day, the timeline went smoothly for the gentlemen. However, the women fell behind and Dajuan was able to adjust the schedule and accommodate our new timeline. Dajuan is very flexible and laid back.
My brother-in-law was amazed at the equipment that Dajuan had as used throughout the day.
As part of one of the packages with In His Image, there is a one-hour photo shoot included to be used for engagement photos or bridal portraits. We decided to use this for our engagement photos in downtown Raleigh. I am posting the link to let the amazing photos speak for themselves.
Downtown Raleigh Engagement Session | Adhitya + Jessica
Dajuan is very talented and easy to work with. When meeting with him you can see his passion for what he does. He demonstrated a genuine interest in photographing our wedding. Choose Dajuan and you will not be disappointed!
What songs did you choose for your wedding ceremony and reception, and why:
For the ceremony, we played many Jason Mraz songs. Jessica has been a huge fan of Jason Mraz, so she incorporated as many songs as she could into the wedding. Adhi incorporated many Kishore Kumar hits from the Bollywood 60’s, 70’s and 80’s era, during the dinner. For dancing, he picked the latest, most fun, bollywood and tamil music tracks.
What is your best memory from your wedding?
Definitely the dancing! We enjoyed being able to dance with everyone and decided to forgo our grand exit in order to dance a few more minutes. We had a blast on the dancefloor with many photos to prove it.
What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Get a day-of planner. It helps if the planner if familiar and works frequently at your venue.
Any advice for future brides:
Get a day-of planner. You will be able to enjoy your wedding and spend more time with guests and family.
Hire a great wedding planner, photographer, DJ, and catering company. You will have nothing to worry about!
Do not get caught up in the details. Music, food, and venue are mostly what people will remember!
Any final thoughts:
Thank you to everyone who came to our wedding and for all of those who made it possible! We love you all!
