When Cupid’s Arrow Strikes

The love story Saarika Rao married Partha Patel on 8th October 2016 in California. She says: “Partha and I met through OKCupid! back in August 2013. We ended up texting each other for a month before talking on the phone. It was clear we had great chemistry straight away. After Partha proposed, we began to plan our dream day. Luckily we had help of my cousin’s wife Vaishali Deshpande, a wedding planner. She was an absolute Godsend, I don’t know where we would have been without her talent and expertise.”

The Big Day
“We began our ceremony at 10am at Pelican Hill. It was October, but thanks to the Californian climate it felt like a warm summer’s day. I wore a traditional South Indian sari that I bought while on a shopping trip to Hyderabad, and Partha wore a traditional Sabyasachi sherwani.”
A moment of magic
“Hearing one of my favorite songs Jai Wolf Indian Summer reworked by Special Occasions (an entertainment company) to make it sound more traditional for the ceremony. The track played as I walked down the aisle.”

Love all around
“We had Pacific Pictures do a same-day edit video. The team were also there at our NYC engagement party two years before, and their work had all the memories flooding back. We can’t get enough of the video.”

Reception party
“The sunset at our reception was beautiful; golden orange rays streaking across the sky above the ocean. The atmosphere was electric. You could feel the energy in the air. Event designer Shawna Yamamomto conceived the idea of a floating wedding cake in the Pelican Hill rotunda. We trusted her and it turned out to be one of the biggest talking points of the event! The venue handled food and drink. We had an endless stream of guests complimenting their efforts.”

The Bride: Saarika Rao
The Groom: Partha Patel
Married: 8th October 2016
The Venue: Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, California
Photography: Duke Photography

As seen in Khush Wedding Summer 2018 KW19. Buy this issue here