desert dreamscape, dancing, and “i do's”: Shreha + Kunal

wedding

Mar 26

day 1 - the ceremony

The 2-day celebration of the union of Shreha and Kunal took place on October 20 and 21, 2023 at The Castle House Estate in Joshua Tree with the reception at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, California.

Each day had its own color palette and vibe, and in this article we're sharing Part 1 - The Ceremony.

Friday's palette included neutral colors like white, light yellow and creme, light pink, sage, and terracotta.

mandap on a white stage platform with two floral bouquets on the front legs — photo by Symboll

The mandap altar was adorned with an asymmetrical design of bouquet installations in the top left corner and bottom right leg. Lush muted greenery including multiple eucalyptus varieties, palm leaves, and preserved pampas grass were used to create visual impact. Interspersed throughout the greens were roses, mums, carnations, and leucadendron.

close up of a floral bouquet attached to a mandap — photo by Symboll

close up of a floral bouquet attached to a leg of a mandap in a desert setting — photo by Symboll

Simple, pretty hanging bouquets were attached to the corners of aisle chairs.

Floral bouquet hanging from the corner of a white chair in a grouping of white chairs in rows — photo by Symboll

Tall cocktail tables with bud vase arrangements in a room full of wedding guests — photo by Symboll

Cocktail hour tables had groupings of bud vases with florals matching the ceremony plus flameless votive candles.

close up of bud vase arrangements and candles on top of a cocktail table — photo by Symboll

Tall cocktail tables with bud vase arrangements in a room — photo by Symboll

For an after-ceremony dinner, long, dramatic rows of kings tables were decorated with terra cotta colored runners and 200 flameless votive candles.

Two rows of long tables with light brown table cloths, terra cotta runners, and votive candles in a desert nighttime setting — photo by Symboll

Wedding guests seated at two rows of long tables in a desert nighttime setting — photo by Symboll

But let's take a moment for these garlands. These were everything!

A groom dressed in traditional Indian wedding attire placing a baby's breath garland around the bride — photo by Symboll

baby's breath garlands hanging over the backs of two chairs — photo by Symboll

Shreha and Kunal were inspired by an atypical design for their garlands, and I love being asked to creatively problem solve how to recreate it with their own unique touch. Tiny bundles upon tiny bundles of excellence white gypsophila were woven together to make the garland strands. A few toffee roses and mums were included to bring in their color palette. For a special touch on the garlands, we used silk ribbon selected in Shreha and Kunal's outfit colors.

A newlywed couple dressed in traditional Indian wedding attire wearing baby's breath garlands around their necks and celebrating as they walk down the aisle — photo by Symboll

sustainability notes

For the mandap installation, we used a floral pouch mechanic instead of the industry standard method of floral foam, the latter being essentially made of plastic and includes the chemicals phenol and formaldehyde. The floral pouch we use is 100% sustainable, biodegradable and compostable, in comparison to floral foam that can leach toxic compounds into the environment by way of foam-contaminated water or mixed in with garden soils or green waste.
We composted the pouches along with the hemp twine we use to secure the floral installations, chair bouquets, and tie the ceremony garlands together.
Along with the mechanics, plant material from the mandap installation, chair bouquets, and cocktail tables have been added to our compost to nourish our garden in the future and avoid the landfill.
The flameless candles and their holders and bud vases were rentals from us so Shreha and Kunal didn't have to worry about what to do with these items after the wedding, reducing wasteful consumption and allowing the items to be rented again for future events.
We used sustainable and ethically sourced silk ribbon from Native Ribbon Co. which were dyed from plants.