We love seeing how couples blend two different traditions into one beautiful multicultural wedding – and the HinJew wedding of Heather, who owns a counseling and consultation business, and Kinjal, who works in IT, is the perfect example!
The duo made their celebration a two-day affair, with a chuppah one day and a mandap the next. Heather and Kinjal’s Jewish wedding featured a heartfelt ceremony led by a rabbi, beautifully blending elements from both Jewish and Hindu traditions.
The wedding took place over Valentine’s Day weekend, and the couple leaned into the holiday, opting for a palette featuring featured rich reds (which also hold deep significance in Indian wedding traditions) and vibrant pinks. Don’t miss it all in the wonderful photos from Natali and Kate!
Now over to Heather…
How We Met
Heather, the bride: We met at a local bar, very unexpectedly. Ironically the bar is always the last place people think to meet their life partner yet it was truly meant to be for us. It really was fate, being in the right place at the right time, our paths crossed and we never looked back.
A HinJew Wedding
Lucien’s is opulent, stunning and elegant and was able to accommodate our multicultural needs for our HinJew wedding. The beauty of Lucien’s spoke for itself. The grand foyer, sparkling chandlers, refined and modern decor, specialized lighting in the ballrooms and bright airy reception space, was truly love at first sight. We knew this venue was the one as soon as we entered!
Valentine’s Vibes
Our wedding took place over Valentine’s Day weekend, intentionally chosen to reflect the rare kind of love we share as soulmates. The wedding palette featured deep shades of red, vibrant pinks, and radiant gold, an intentional blend chosen to reflect a celebration rooted in love, wrapped in fairytale magic, and filled with romance. The bridal parties were dressed in romantic shades of red and vibrant pink, accented with matching bowties that added a playful yet polished touch to the celebration. We were the wedding planners with the help of our families, bridal parties and vendors our romantic, magical Valentine’s wedding weekend vibe came to life.
Invitation/Stationery
Our invitations were custom made and delivered all the way from India.
Dress
The designer of my dress was Elysee Bridal Design. From their website, ÉLYSÉE is derived from the Ancient Greek word “Elysium”, meaning a place or state or perfect happiness and could not be more true. It was the first and last dress I tried on after spending countless hours trying to find the perfect dress. After getting emotional in it, I knew it was ‘the one.’ My dress embodied pure romance in a custom-made gown fit for a princess. Shimmering mermaid style, with an extraordinary long train and special veil, complete with added sleeves, adorned in tasteful glitz and glam, detailed to be jaw dropping and unforgettable.
Ceremony & Chuppah
Our Jewish wedding featured a heartfelt ceremony led by a rabbi, beautifully blending elements from both Jewish and Hindu traditions. My favorite part of the ceremony was when Ken stepped on a glass, symbolizing the unbreakable finality of the union. The shattered glass mirrored the irrevocable nature of the marriage vows and marked the joyful beginning of our marriage.
Some of my favorite moments of the reception were embracing beloved Jewish traditions especially the joyful hora, when the bride and groom were lifted high on chairs amid laughter and celebration. Another deeply meaningful highlight was Heather’s father reciting the blessings over the wine and challah, joined by the bride’s mother, the groom, and his parents—a beautiful symbol of faith, unity, and two families becoming one.
Our floral designer spent countless hours transforming the chuppah and mandap, ensuring each was meticulously distinct while remaining equally breathtaking for their respective cultural ceremonies. Our color palette drew inspiration from Valentine’s Day, featuring rich reds and vibrant shades of pink. Beyond its romantic symbolism, red holds profound significance in Indian wedding traditions incorporated into our Indian wedding the previous day.
In a playful twist on our wedding day, my mom forgot our custom yarmulkes in the hotel room as we were running out to get to the venue on time for pictures. They matched our Valentine’s Day color palette of pink and red with gold writing.
Ketubah
Our ketubah was special because it was carefully chosen by the bride’s mother and signed intimately by close family friends who knew Heather from birth. An emotional and memorable moment for all.
Our music choice
Our DJ Amrit was hand-selected for our two day wedding, by the owner of the company – DNA Events – a very close and special friend. Amrit kept the party going all night long, we didn’t want the night to end.
Flowers
Anthony and Sage Event Design is a Jewish wedding floral designer in NY and NJ. They successfully navigated the complications of our two day wedding event. We used a mix of fresh and silk florals in vibrant shades of red and pink. Lauren spent endless hours brainstorming and in action to bring our magical, fairytale vision to life.
Photographer and videographer
Natali and Kate‘s incredible photography speaks for itself. We wanted timeless, elegant, classic and breathtaking photos captured and they delivered. We also wanted to be published, which they are, and here we are!
We also had an amazing content creator duo, Gabrielle and her husband, Ethan from Third Light Weddings.
Extra Details
The reception included heartfelt speeches and unforgettable surprise dances from our nephew and the bridal party, moments that were deeply touching and will be cherished forever.
One of the most emotional moments of the weekend came during our first dance to “A Whole New World,” which left guests in tears, many convinced we had taken professional dance lessons. The evening continued with deeply meaningful family moments: Ken knelt before his mother during their dance to honor her, Heather shared a tender dance with her father, a surprise song, “Lullaby” by Billy Joel, added another layer of magic to the night.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Stay true to what matters most to you and don’t be afraid to blend traditions. When love leads, everything else falls into place. We loved seeing both of our cultures honored so intentionally, from sacred ceremonies to meaningful dances, delicious cultural cuisines to special symbolic traditions and attire. By focusing on the joining of two hearts, two families and two cultures, and the beginning of our marriage with all our loved ones, was the best part of our special Valentines wedding weekend!
HEATHER & KINJAL’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography – Natali and Kate
Content creation – Third Light Weddings
Venue – Lucien’s
Bride’s dress – Elysee Bridal Design
Flowers – Anthony and Sage Event Design
DJ – DJ Amrit with DNA Events
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.
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