After Their Multicultural Wedding Inspired by Art and Theater, One Couple Invited Guests to a Late-Night Pajama Party
Seetha Chandrasekhara and Hank Zhang proudly call themselves a pandemic couple—they met through the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel in August of 2020 and chatted by phone for a month before planning their first date in Philadelphia, where they both lived. "We became an official couple on New Year's Eve of 2020 when he brought me roses, and we ate charcuterie with champagne before watching the fireworks over the Delaware River from my window," Seetha says.
By March of 2023, they were engaged—a decision they arrived at as a couple. 'We were lying in bed discussing our future and mutually decided that we wanted to grow old together,' the bride says. They celebrated with dinner at their favorite restaurant in Philly and held a small, self-uniting Quaker ceremony at home that May. Though they had already affirmed their commitment to one another in private, Seetha and Hank knew they wanted to celebrate with a broader guest list. They planned a multicultural celebration that melded the bride's Indian background and the groom's Chinese heritage, then invited 140 guests to join them for the fun on November 9, 2024.
On the big day, the couple and their guests gathered at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the group enjoyed a variety of the venue's unique spaces. 'It's a Philadelphia icon on Broad Street and the architecture is breathtaking!' the bride says. The day began with a Hindu wedding ceremony in the morning, which was followed by a mid-day luncheon, and ended with a theatrical reception on the stage of Perelman Theater. "As a couple, we love art and theater, so we wanted the overall vision to lean artistic, specifically taking inspiration from Henri Rousseau and Gustav Klimt,' Seetha notes.
To bring their overarching vision of a multicultural wedding with plenty of nods to art and theater to life, the couple worked with Christina Hadlow and her team from KPW Productions. Read on to see the vibrant colors, rainforest-inspired florals, and personal touches (including a pajama after-party!) in photos by Pat Furey Photography.
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Seetha and Hank's invitation suite, designed by Chick Invitations, informed guests of the color palette they'd see on the big day—cards in shades of forest green, ivory, and soft blush featured gold foil accents and an illustration of a pair of elephants with intertwined trunks (a nod to Seetha's Indian heritage). The multi-piece suite, which also featured coffee flower and black and Sichuan pepper designs, invited guests to join the couple at four separate events: a morning ceremony, mid-day luncheon, evening reception, and late-night after-party.
The envelope liners featured an intricate brown and white henna-inspired paisley motif with a double happiness symbol in the center of the flower.
For the couple's Hindu ceremony, Seetha wore a gold Kanjivaram silk sari by Kankatala with pink and purple floral designs throughout. 'I wanted to lean into florals throughout the day and this design looked like a blend of both our cultures' flowers,' she says. She wore a red and green blouse with gold coins embroidered to coordinate with one of her three necklaces; a traditional South Indian coin necklace. 'I wore heirloom jewelry necklaces from my mother,' she says. 'It's traditional in South India to wear three bridal necklaces at different lengths.'
In addition to the coin design, the bride wore an emerald, ruby, and uncut diamond necklace, along with traditional gold beads. 'My earrings were diamond jhumkas which are another traditional design,' Seetha says. She finished her look with a gold headpiece, braid accessories, and gold sandals from Gianvito Rossi. 'Braids are fairly traditional ceremony hairstyles, and I wanted to lean a little more traditional for the morning,' she notes.
Hank wore a cream silk outfit traditionally worn by grooms in Karnataka, India, which included a long draped dhoti, a button down shirt, and a traditional turban. He accessorized with a Bulgari watch Seetha's parents gifted him on the morning of the wedding.
The couple's ceremony, which took place in their venue's glass atrium, was designed to mimic the greenery and agriculture of Kodag. They brought in tons of potted plants and baskets of oranges, limes, and lemons. Chili plants, strung chilis, and orange and red floral garlands with red Chinese knots at the end decorated the mandap structure, which faced east per tradition. Overlapping rugs created a winding river-inspired aisle leading to the mandap, where the couple added pillows with double happiness and Chinese symbols as a nod to Hank's culture.
'Fresh jasmine and incredible jasmine-scented candles were set everywhere to add a signature scent to the ceremony,' the bride says. 'We even personally sourced tea and coffee from our family's regions for guests to enjoy during the ceremony.'
Related: Scentscaping Is the 2024 Wedding Trend You Need to Know About
As guests gathered for Seetha and Hank's ceremony, they were offered green bangles and fresh jasmine to wear in their hair. The couple hired a local harpist, Rebecca Simpson, to play songs like 'Your Name OST' by Katawaredoki and 'Let's Get Married' by Jagged Edge.
Seetha and Hank planned an abbreviated Hindu ceremony that last 45 minutes. 'Hindu ceremonies can run long, so we shortened ours," the bride notes. "We made sure to include the major rituals such as the Ganesha prayer (to bless the space before starting), garland exchange (jai mala), father giving away the bride (kanyadaan), 'tying' the wedding necklace (mangalsutra), walking around the fire (vivaha homa), the seven steps (saptapadi), and paying respect to our parents (aashirwada)."
The bride's hometown priest performed the ceremony, and he made sure to explain each ritual in English so that every guest in attendance could understand and enjoy the traditions. After being pronounced husband and wife (again!), the couple recessed back up the aisle to a live rendition of 'Starlight' by Muse.
For the luncheon, which took place in the Kimmel Center's T2 Lounge, Seetha wore her mother's green silk sari from her wedding reception in the 1970s. 'I had told my mother ever since I was little that I would wear her sari at my wedding and she cried when she helped me drape it because she was so happy,' Seetha says. 'My maternal aunt hand-tied the sari 'kuchu' (tassels on the end).' Hank changed into a light gold sherwani from Nazranaa paired with a green necklace to coordinate with Seetha's sari.
The couple offered guests a vegetarian meal that featured a variety of different Indian and Chinese dishes; everything from gobi Manchurian and chickpea salad to tamarind rice and sautéed bok choy was on offer. For a mid-day dessert, Seetha's parents ordered Indian sweets like Mysore pak, obbattu, and ladu for guests to enjoy. At the end of the luncheon, everyone left with a bubble tea, which was the perfect thing to keep them refreshed ahead of the evening reception.
'Our hotel was walking distance from the Kimmel Center, so Hank and I walked back to the hotel together after the morning and then over to the venue for the evening,' Seetha remembers. 'Not only did we get great photos, but it was wonderful to have that alone time together.'
The used the time between their luncheon and reception to change into different outfits for the evening. Seetha wore a custom gown from Nazranaa, which featured beaded and sequined floral motifs. 'I wanted to continue the greenery and floral design with more drama for the evening and be able to incorporate some Chinese design elements as well,' she says. 'On the back we added a gold dragon and phoenix design to represent being husband and wife."
She changed her hairstyle to her signature over the shoulder style to show off the gown's open neckline and her jewelry.
Hank wore a blue wool suit paired with a pink, French cuff shirt, all from Ralph Lauren. 'He wanted something floral to coordinate with my reception outfit and went with a silver silk floral tie and matching pocket square,' Seetha says.
The couple's escort card display was inspired by their mutual love of theater. A stage-inspired installation was created with "tickets" for each guest; red velvet curtains were pulled back to reveal the display inside. Ushers helped guests find their tickets, which then informed them of their table assignment for the evening.
Inside the reception, guests found that each table was named after one of the couple's favorite stage shows.
Seetha and Hank's reception took place on stage at the Perelman Theater, where the couple incorporated design elements inspired by surrealism. 'We heavily relied on the AV system and lighting to create an immersive and dream-like experience!' Seetha explains. Tables were covered in velvet linens in shades of rust, moss, and wine, and each tablescape featured gold, copper, and glass details, including cloches filled with fairy lights and air plants and antique vases brought in from the couple's home.
For dinner, guests were invited to visit a variety of different food stations, all named for famous operas. A playbill-style menu outlined each of the offerings. At Pagliacci, guests found a variety of different cheeses; at Aida, there was a variety of charcuterie to choose from; and at Mudan ting, Dim Sum was the star of the show.
Even the centerpieces paid homage to the couple's love of theater: 'Carnivorous plants were set on tables as a nod to Little Shop of Horrors, a show Hank loves,' Seetha says.
Seetha and Hank sat at a sweetheart table named after the Broadway show Company, which Hank brought Seetha to see for her 35th birthday; they also shared a first dance to 'Being Alive,' a song from that same show. Hank then shared a dance with his mom to 'Tian Mi Mi' by Teresa Teng and Seetha danced with her father to 'Ninnantha Appa Illa' by Devatha Manushya OST.
Seetha and Hank's three-tiered wedding cake from Nutmeg Cake Design featured layers of pistachio cake with cardamom buttercream and orange marmalade, earl grey cake with raspberry buttercream and jam, and chocolate cake with espresso buttercream and chocolate ganache. And it looked as good as it tasted: The confection's exterior was designed to look like Seetha's custom wedding gown.
At the end of the night, Seetha and Hank invited guests to join them for an after-party at The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company, a speakeasy in Philadelphia. 'Our vibe was a 'Till death do us elevated pajama party,' so our guests could go straight to bed after a night cap, or two,' Seetha says. 'We wanted everyone to feel included so we had eye masks and slippers on hand for those guests who remained in their wedding outfits.'
Seetha and Hank, on the other hand, changed into matching cotton leopard pajamas from Desmond & Dempsey and custom slippers. 'I kept on the Bulgari mangalsutra necklace and wore a coral lip ring from Hotlips by Solange,' Seetha says. 'This is the first piece of jewelry Hank bought for me and is still so special!'Wedding Photographer Pat Furey Photography
Ceremony and Reception Venue Hamilton Garden, Kimmel Center for Performing Arts
Wedding Planning and Design KPW Productions
After-Party Venue The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company
Bride's Hair Heads and Tails Beauty Boutique
Bride's Makeup Beke Beau
Custom Nail Artist Nina Beanz
Flowers SAC Design
Wedding Invitations and Paper Products Chick Invitations
Music Rebecca Simpson, DJ Shilpa, The Cresswell Club
Catering Rhubarb Hospitality Collection
Cake Nutmeg Cake Design
Transportation King Limousine
Accommodations The Franklin on Rittenhouse
Photo Booth Sirena Photo BoothUp Next: The Complete Guide to Planning a Wedding
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