This Couple Planned a Colorful Indian Wedding in San Miguel, Mexico

Payal and Vince met unexpectedly, while dropping off their rent checks in college. But once they learned they were neighbors, a friendship quickly blossomed. "We studied at coffee shops, baked pizzas, shared music, and helped each other on assignments," Payal recalls of their relationship's origins. "He even once tried to impress me by making chai but ended up burning a tea bag in a pot."

The friendship quickly turned into a romance; just as quickly, Vince knew Payal was the one. He popped the question after eight blissful years of dating, on a picture perfect day spent boating across the San Francisco bay with family and friends.

A year-and-a-half after their engagement, the couple invited 135 of their loved ones to their November 24, 2018, destination nuptials in San Miguel, Mexico. Nestled in the mountains, their venue Rosewood San Miguel de Allende had a mix of magic and culture that made for the perfect place to celebrate their love story; the bougainvillea and pampas grass that surrounded the property only added to the enchantment.

Both Payal and Vince come from an Indian background, but wanted to include a blend of Spanish influence at their ceremony, as a nod to the location. They weaved Spanish guitars, bright corals, and geometric accents throughout their traditional Hindu wedding. The result was a night filled with bright details, an abundance of florals, and plenty of dancing. "Our guests flew to San Miguel from all over the world for and helped create a memory we will never forget," says Vince.

Vince and Payal's Anticipate Invitations paper suite gave guests the perfect preview of their wedding day: The invites were filled with watercolor bougainvillea—a representation of the blooms that surround the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende—and painted with Mexican stars, which the couple later hung by the hundreds across their ceremony and reception space.

The venue was filled with brick pathways that connected hideaways filled with pampas grass, cacti, and terracotta-painted walls, allowing for a different backdrop for every part of the wedding. "Every corner we turned felt like a whole new scenery," Payal says.

Payal worked with Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi to find a dress that matched her vision. She spoke with him about incorporating the beautiful colors of San Miguel into her lehenga and when she saw this green dress, she knew it was the one. "Everything about it was perfect. It complemented Vince's hand-printed sherwani, the mandap location, and our beautiful venue," she remembers.

The bride paired classic jewelry from Indian designer Ra Abta by Rahul with pieces from her belated grandmother's collection. The groom also took notes from his past when choosing his accessories: His shoes were custom-made in Moga, India—the city where he was born.

Payal chose a nontraditional veil, also designed by Sabyasachi. The intricate piece was hand-painted with large red roses and featured gold embroidery around the edges.

Sabyasachi custom designed Vince's ceremony outfit to match his bride's, using shades of light green and pink. The groom also wore a pure-silk turban in the traditional style known as a "Safa"—a nod to how his grandfather wore it during his wedding.

The bride and groom chose not to have an official wedding party, but the bride did honor five friends at her ceremony. They wore coordinating outfits in shades of blush and purple to indicate their role in Payal's big day.

The couple chose a local florist, Floweriize, from Mexico City (the florist actually grew many of the flowers used throughout the wedding herself). For the ceremony, she mixed together pampas grass, delphinium, larkspur, mums, mother of pearl roses, kaab roses, and majolica spray roses. The greenery was sourced from the forest outside the hotel.

The couple featured hexagonal shapes throughout their décor for a fun, geometric twist.

Vince arrived to the ceremony by horse. Payal's description of the first time she saw her husband on her wedding day sums up his epic entrance: "It really did feel like finally, the prince had arrived," she remembers. "He looked majestic and I could not stop smiling."

The bride's brother and three cousins walked her down the aisle to the traditional Hindi song "Din Shagna Da," which was played acoustically on a Spanish guitar. The poignant song lyrics translate to, "The wedding day has come, my friends and family are here, the gardens are decorated and I have my met soulmate."

The bride and groom's traditional Hindu ceremony was translated into both Hindi and English for their guests.

As part of the Hindu ceremony, the bride and groom swear seven promises to each other. Each of these vows is accompanied by a circle around the holy fire, called a phera. Funnily enough, both Vince and Payal forgot to prepare seven separate vows. "I took the world's slowest steps around the fire, while collecting my thoughts and clearly, Vince was doing the same," remembers Payal. "In the end, we spoke from the heart and I am so glad we did."

Guests showered the newlyweds with petals from the same types of Mexican roses found throughout the wedding as they walked back up the aisle.

Both Payal and Vince changed into a second look for the reception. Payal donned a bold red dress paired with Amrapali jewels, while Vince switched into a velvet Armani tuxedo.

In the tented reception space, hundreds of Mexican tin stars hung from above to mimic the starry sky.

Each table featured a hand-painted number on acrylic, votive, taper, and pillar candles, and blush quicksand rose centerpieces.

"We did a Salsa mashup for our first dance to the Narcos theme song 'Tuyo' which means 'Of Yours' and Nat King Cole's 'Love,'" recalls Payal. "It took us seven dance lessons to learn, but we did it!"

The three-tier cake featured a geometric design meant to mimic the Mexican tin stars hanging from the tent. It was embellished with same English, quicksand, and amnesia roses that were used throughout the reception space.

Photography, Janine Licare Photography
Location and Catering, Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
Event planning, Xanath Banuelos
Flowers, Floweriize
Videography, Shark Pig Weddings
Stationery, Anticipate Invitations
Calligraphy, Very Merry Designs
Cake, Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
Music, Bol Punjab De
Bride's gown, Sabyasachi
Bride's shoes, Stuart Weitzman
Hair, Drea V Makeup
Makeup, Drea V Makeup
Groom's suit, Sabyasachi
Groom's Turban, Sabyasachi