An Ultra-Personal Hindu-Jewish Wedding at Bell Works, New Jersey, USA

 

How We Met

Anisha, the bride: We technically crossed paths long before we ever met. During the 2007–2008 school year, Chad was in 8th grade and I was in 6th grade at the same middle school, though we didn’t know each other at the time. As the junior yearbook editor, I happened to come across Chad’s yearbook photo and thought he was cute, never imagining our paths would cross again years later.

Fast forward seven years to May 2015, when we connected on Tinder. At the time, we were both living at home while attending college. On our first date at the end of June 2015, I brought Chad back to my house and showed him the yearbook, proving that I had remembered him all those years later from his 8th-grade photo.

Venue

We chose to get married at Bell Works for several reasons. First, it held special meaning for both of us because of our family connections to the building. Back when it was known as Bell Labs and later as AT&T, relatives from both sides of our families worked there, giving the location a personal connection that spanned generations.

Second, we are huge fans of the TV show Severance and loved knowing that it was filmed there. It felt incredibly special to celebrate our wedding at a place featured in one of our favorite shows.

What truly sealed the deal for us, though, was the beauty of the venue itself. We fell in love with the stunning grounds and the Grand Ballroom, especially its floor-to-ceiling windows and unique ceiling lighting that can change colors throughout the evening. The venue gave us exclusive access from 6:00 a.m. until midnight, allowing us to spread our wedding day across several different spaces within Bell Works.

We held our Hindu-Jewish wedding ceremony in the room behind the Grand Ballroom, our non-denominational ceremony and cocktail hour outdoors, and our reception in the beautiful, spacious Grand Ballroom. We especially loved how modern and versatile the ballroom was. It felt like a blank canvas that we could personalize however we wanted, while still letting the breathtaking floor-to-ceiling windows remain the star of the room.

Theme

We didn’t have a specific wedding theme, but we did have distinct color palettes for our Hindu-Jewish ceremony and our non-denominational ceremony and reception.

For the non-denominational ceremony and reception, we centered our colors around yellow, which is Anisha’s favorite color. We paired that with navy blue for the groomsmen’s tuxedos, eucalyptus green, and ivory/white accents. Most of our reception lighting featured blue uplighting, which complemented the overall color scheme beautifully.

Our Hindu-Jewish ceremony had a completely different palette, featuring peacock blue, teal (Chad’s favorite color), shades of pink and apricot, gold and cream. The colors were inspired by Anisha’s Indian wedding outfit. Finding the perfect outfit was actually a challenge because she knew she didn’t want to wear traditional red. Once she found the lehenga she loved, the entire color scheme for the Hindu-Jewish ceremony was built around it.

Anisha planned the entire wedding herself. Chad provided plenty of moral support throughout the process and helped with selecting the menu, choosing the wedding cake flavors, picking their first dance song, and selecting the song for his mother-son dance. Chad and his groomsmen were also instrumental in setting up both the mandap-chuppah for the Hindu-Jewish ceremony and the wedding arch for the non-denominational ceremony.

While Anisha handled the planning, they did hire a day-of coordinator, Joanna, from Get Hitched Without a Glitch. She was absolutely fantastic and helped ensure everything ran smoothly on the wedding day.

Invitation/Stationery

I got them through Zola, which is who we also who we made our wedding website with.

Hair + Makeup

I went with Lauren Berlingeri for hair and makeup. She and her team have extensive experience working with brides of many different ethnicities, including a strong background with Indian brides. That level of experience really gave me confidence going in.

I did a hair and makeup trial with her about a year before my wedding (which also happened to be on the day of my engagement shoot), and she flawlessly created a look that I ended up wearing for both ceremonies and through the reception. On the wedding day, she executed it exactly as planned, and my hair and makeup stayed perfectly intact from start to finish.

Dress

For my Hindu-Jewish ceremony, I found my lehenga at Regards in Spotswood, NJ. I originally envisioned wearing a peacock blue lehenga with gold and pink accents after seeing similar color combinations online. However, I went shopping with an open mind and was willing to try on a variety of colors and styles.

The moment I saw the peacock blue lehenga in the store, I got excited because it was exactly what I had been imagining. When I tried it on, my mom, sister, and aunt all said that I looked very bridal in it. Their reaction reinforced what I was already feeling—that this was the one. Although I tried on several other lehengas, none of them felt as bridal or as special as the peacock blue one. It was clear that this was the perfect choice for me.

For our non-denominational ceremony, I wore a white gown that I found at Castle Couture Off the Runway in Matawan. I honestly don’t remember the designer, and I’m actually happy about that because it makes the dress feel even more unique and personal to me. I went into the appointment with an open mind and didn’t have a specific silhouette or style in mind. I had always loved lace, but I was willing to try on just about anything.

My mom, who actually worked as a bridal and prom stylist during her college years, found the dress for me. I remember seeing it hanging in the dressing room and thinking, before I even tried it on, “I have a really good feeling about this one.” Once I put it on and stepped out to show everyone, I immediately knew it was the dress. I continued trying on a few more gowns afterward, but nothing compared to the one my mom had picked out.

What I loved most was how unique it was. The illusion lace back was stunning, and the intricate lace detailing throughout the gown made it feel incredibly special. I also loved the fit-and-flare silhouette, which complemented my figure beautifully. It was everything I could have hoped for in a wedding dress and felt completely like me.

Accessories

For my non-denominational ceremony, my veil was from Castle Couture Off the Runway. The lace detailing matched my dress perfectly, which made it feel so cohesive and elegant.

Shoes

My shoes for both ceremonies were from Nordstrom Rack (BP brand). I prioritized comfort over everything, and they were simple, classic heels that I could actually wear all day without thinking twice.

For the reception, I changed into a pair of cute, comfortable ivory lace sneakers (Nicole Miller brand) I found at T.J. Maxx, which kept me on the dance floor all night long.

Bridesmaids

For my Hindu-Jewish wedding ceremony, my bridesmaids wore a coordinated palette of pink, apricot, and cream tones to complement my lehenga. We shopped at several stores in Edison, NJ, as well as online, pulling options from a mix of places until we found the perfect combinations.

For the non-denominational ceremony, they wore a soft butter yellow color, which one of my favorite shades. Most of the dresses were from David’s Bridal, with the exception of my sister, my maid of honor, whose dress was from Abercrombie & Fitch.

Ceremony & Chuppah

We purchased our own gold metal chuppah from Etsy because it actually ended up being more affordable than renting one. Thankfully, my husband and his groomsmen were able to help set it up on the wedding day.

For the décor, I wanted to keep things very simple. We added some sheer ivory draping to the chuppah, but I intentionally avoided anything too elaborate. We also had faux greenery behind it, so we didn’t want the space to feel overly decorated or visually busy. Our goal was for the ceremony itself to be the focal point rather than the décor.

In the end, the design was simple and understated, which was exactly what we wanted. We absolutely loved how it turned out and were so happy with the overall look.

Ketubah

We bought our Ketubah off Amazon.com from Maybie and Co.

Flowers

I purchased most of the decorations for our non-denominational ceremony arch secondhand through Facebook bridal groups and Facebook Marketplace. Several of the standing floral arrangements and the bridesmaids’ bouquets had been used by previous brides, and I believe they were all from Ling’s Moment. I wanted my bridal bouquet to be made with fresh flowers, so I ordered it from ShopRite after it was highly recommended by a former Bell Works bride.

For our reception table centerpieces, Jennifer and the team at Enchanted Blossoms at Bell Works created simple yet elegant eucalyptus wreaths with floating candles. Each centerpiece featured baby’s breath and yellow ranunculus blooms floating in the water beneath the candles. They also designed a eucalyptus flower garland for our sweetheart table. Enchanted Blossoms also provided yellow rose petals for both of our ceremonies.

Photographer and videographer

Visionary Artists served as our photography and videography team. David and his crew were incredible and helped create such a fun, relaxed atmosphere throughout the entire day, from our couples portraits and bridal party shots to family photos and everything in between. They also did an amazing job capturing candid moments all day long, leading into the reception, where they delivered vibrant, energetic footage that perfectly reflected how lively and joyful the celebration was.

We had a team of three photographers and two videographers, which allowed them to capture every angle and detail seamlessly.

On a personal note, working with David made the experience even more meaningful. I knew him when I was young, he was our neighbor and even took portraits of my sister and me when we were kids, so having him document my wedding felt like a full-circle moment I’ll always cherish.

Food and cake

Our caterer was Summit Catering, based in West Berlin, NJ. One of the things we loved most was how flexible and collaborative they were in helping us incorporate Indian flavors into our menu. For cocktail hour, they created a delicious paneer tikka kebab as a passed hors d’oeuvre, which was a huge hit with our guests.

We also brought in RK Catering, based in Edison, NJ, to add a variety of Indian street food dishes during cocktail hour, which really helped round out the experience and reflect both sides of our celebration.

Our wedding cake was made by Hello Sunshine Treats in Hazlet, NJ. She did an incredible job creating a raspberry white chocolate cake with raspberry white chocolate buttercream filling. The top tier was gluten-free cookies and cream, and the entire exterior was finished with a vegan vanilla buttercream.

Extra Details

We absolutely loved how seamless and beautiful it was to blend both Hindu and Jewish traditions into one unified ceremony. We had a Hindu priest and a Jewish rabbi co-officiating, and it was incredible to see the natural parallels between the two cultures, like circling rituals, the significance of the number seven (including the seven blessings in both traditions), and of course, the combined mandap and chuppah, which we lovingly called the “manduppah.”

For our non-denominational ceremony, we were honored to have my uncle and godfather officiate, which added such a meaningful and personal touch. During the portion where we honored loved ones who couldn’t be with us, my uncle mentioned my father, who sadly passed away over a decade ago. Right at that moment, the sky, previously overcast, opened up and the sun came through, which felt like such a beautiful sign that he was with us, along with all of our loved ones watching from above.

Our wedding speeches were incredibly special as well. My mom spoke, as did his parents, who also participated in the challah bread ceremony, along with a heartfelt speech from his brother, the best man and my sister, the maid of honor. 

Instead of a traditional father-daughter dance, I danced with my mom to some of our favorite songs, including Bollywood music, which made the moment so joyful and personal. Before opening the dance floor for the night, our bridal party, my husband and I also surprised our guests with a high-energy Bollywood mashup performance that set the perfect tone for the celebration.

Honeymoon

Chad and I went on a three week vacation to New Zealand and Australia in March/April 2026. We took a 12 day cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line, and extended our time before, and after the cruise in both countries.

Advice to couples currently planning their wedding

If you’re planning your own wedding, give yourself time, don’t rush the process, and try to actually enjoy it along the way. There will be stressful moments, but do your best not to let them take over. This is such a special season in your life, and you won’t want to look back and only remember the pressure instead of the joy of it all.

On the wedding day itself, expect a few hiccups, because they almost always happen. We definitely had a few small ones, but we just rolled with them. At the end of the day, what matters most is that you’re marrying your best friend/life partner/soulmate, surrounded by the people who love you and are there to celebrate you. That was the mindset my husband and I carried with us throughout the entire day, and it made everything feel so much more grounded and meaningful.

ANISHA & CHAD’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

Photography & videography – Visionary Artists 
Music – Jam Music Events 
Ketubah – Maybie and Co.
Venue – Bell Works 
Coordinator – Get Hitched Without a Glitch
Bride’s dress & veil – Castle Couture Off the Runway 
Lehenga – Regards 
Bride’s shoes – Nordstrom Rack and Nicole Miller found at T.J. Maxx
Bridesmaids outfits – David’s Bridal and Abercrombie & Fitch.
Hair + Makeup – Lauren Berlingeri 
Flowers – Enchanted Blossoms 
Catering – Summit Catering and RK Catering
Cake – Hello Sunshine Treats 
Stationery/Invitation & registry – Zola
Honeymoon – Norwegian Cruise Line

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