Washington, D.C. Indian Fusion Wedding at La Vie on the Wharf with Only 11 Guests – Elizabeth and Neil

Weddings

East Made couple, Elizabeth and Neil, two ER doctors at the front of the pandemic, found themselves suddenly faced with the same decision as countless other engaged couples this year: to wed as planned, postpone, or rework their day entirely? Ultimately, the 300-person late autumn Indian fusion wedding they were originally planning started to feel risky, so the couple decided to cancel their larger celebration and move forward with an intimate, 11-person ceremony and dinner for their immediate families.

Elizabeth and Neil entrusted us to design the dinner scene at La Vie, a chic DC restaurant in the newly developed Wharf neighborhood, and brought on Bonnie Sen as their photographer. For the dinner design, the couple requested socially distanced table arrangements, by family, so each set of parents shared their own sweetheart table around an open center space where the couple could share their first dance.

To contrast the vibrant ceremony colors, the reception design incorporated a more classic wedding aesthetic, still weaving in some bright red and orange colors typical of a traditional Indian wedding. The pattern on the sweetheart table linen mimicked the design of Elizabeth’s saree, and a peony motif was featured on the gold dinner plates and carried over to a focal peony sugar flower on the cake by Buttercream Bakeshop. Lucite “ghost” chairs and gold flatware contributed to a modern flair. The bride also donned a dramatic smokey eye for the reception to coordinate with her sleek, one-shoulder Amsale gown.

Spending this special day with their immediate families made for an unforgettable and meaningful day, merging cultures, traditions, and two wonderful families.

This wedding was featured on Martha Stewart Weddings.