I talked a bit about the event location: Tara Circle in a previous post…the pictures should speak for all of it’s haunted charm. But the venue wasn’t the only thing that made this wedding a complete original.  I love that the couple made a space designated as the ‘Man Cave’ … a dark room off the main dining area where the guys could hang out, drink whiskey and smoke cigars. Some girls managed to elbow their way in as well…but it was a space that was geared specifically with the Men in mind. The candle-lit ambiance in the library of the giant distressed mansion, made for a perfect intimate dinner party for 200 of the couple’s closest friends. And the ceremony on the grounds of the eerie courtyard at sundown was something out of a old world mystery novel. This wedding was nothing short of Pure Magic, what an honor it was to have captured it ….

Floral / Event Design & Production: Nicky Balestrieri
Dress: Vera Wang
Shoes: Valentino
Jewelry: Judith Ripkah
Hair: John Mendola
Make-up: Valerie Gug
Venue: Tara Circle at Alder Manor – Yonkers, NY
Catering: Chef’s at Work – Westchester, NY‘
Band: Jay Nash
DJ: JT Kendal

After the wedding, all of my couples are asked to fill out a Wedding Editorial Questionnaire – it’s the sheet that I provide to magazine (and blog) editors when I’m submitting a wedding to be published. Here are a few of my favorite answers from John and Margaret …I hope it inspires you to look to what’s REAL on your wedding day … (hint: it’s about your PEOPLE). I just LOVE what they had to say. Also, I just have to add that if I had it all to do over again, I would have a wedding JUST LIKE THIS….

Q. How did the two of you meet?

A. We met in the marketing group at Mattel. John had just finished business school at USC’s Marshall School of Business. On his first day at Mattel, he was assigned to shadow Margaret on the Hot Wheels monster truck business, Monster Jam. We’re one of the few couples you’ll meet who have experience behind the wheel of an alcohol-fueled 7000 horsepower monster truck. Together, we crushed cars, and that turned into a crush.

Q. What was the most important factor that you considered while planning your wedding?

A. Keeping it small and intimate, having it match our character and sense of humor, and navigating away from bullshit and inauthenticity at every opportunity.

Q. Where did you find your inspiration for the theme of the wedding day?

A. Our shared sense of humor, and the people we care about. We like to laugh, and we wanted to have fun. And we wanted to create fun for the people we care about and share ourselves without any reservations.

Q. What was unique about your wedding?

A. For starters, our food didn’t suck. We somehow managed to escape inviting half the free world. We had a chance to have a full conversation with every one of our guests. And we weren’t afraid to be ourselves and be the kids that we still are. Our introduction was to the Muppet Show theme song. Why? Because we both like it and it makes us smile.

Q. What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?

A. John: I remember standing at the ceremony arch, tuning out our officiant, and just looking at Margaret and feeling how much I loved her and being overwhelmed by her beauty and the serenity of our setting and I just knew it was one of those defining memorable moments … {in life}

Hindu ceremonies are usually conducted in the native tongue – but more and more MODERN Indian couples see the importance of finding someone who can perform the traditions and translate their significance into the English language. This gives guests who are not of Indian decent a much bigger window to peer through when trying to soak in the sacredness of the Hindu traditions. I’ve now had the pleasure of photographing a few Indian Weddings that were performed almost exclusively in English, and let me tell you, it is ENLIGHTENING. Megha’s Graha Shanti Pooja (very loosley translated: a prayer ceremony with the bride’s side before the wedding) was something that not only enlightened me, but provided me with a new tradition that I now incorporate into my everyday life. I guess you could say that it changed me forever!

I’ve heard it been said that when you PRAY … you are specifically TALKING to God and when you MEDITATE … you are LISTENING for what God has to say to you.  A few years back I decided to try the listening end of things…boy, it’s amazing what you can hear when you make a conscious effort to stop talking for a while. Haha, not an easy task for this little lady. (= Megha’s Pandit (priest) taught us (or maybe I was the only one learning in the room) about a COLOR meditation technique that starts with breathing and ends with incorporating your favorite color into your consciousness. It’s so cool – the first picture in this series shows a silent moment within the process. I felt so lucky to be able to attend these intimate events with Megha and Nirav and their families … thank you to the Trivedi and Tolia families for all of your warmth and kindness.