Cara and Vipul met on a work project and dated for three-and-a-half years–including some long distance–before Vipul proposed on a hike along the C&O Canal. Their wedding, they say, blended their backgrounds, and included a neutral color palette, blue-and-white chinoiserie decor, and peach and orange florals. See more from their big day below.
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The Couple
Cara, a digital strategist from Illinois, and Vipul, an account director a a communications agency from McLean, met while working on a project together at work and bonded over a shared love of coffee, the outdoors, music, and Cara’s golden retriever Jackson. Cara appreciated Vipul’s “cute” shirts, his taste in music, and how easy he was to talk to. He liked that she was adventurous, had a cool sense of confidence, and great style.
For their first date, they saw electronic duo Honne at the 9:30 Club, and though Vipul moved to Richmond shortly thereafter, the pair dated long distance for three-and-a-half-years. In March 2020, the pair planned to hike the Billy Goat Trail, and Vipul popped the question on a bridge over the C&O Canal.
The Wedding
A year-and-a-half later, on September 10, 2021, the couple married in front of 45 guests in Middleburg, Virginia.
For the design the couple chose a classic neutral color palette with pops of color in the blue-and-white chinoiserie decor, peach and orange florals, which included marigolds, and the accessories donned by the bridal party. A friend designed a logo that incorporated the couple’s newly combined last name, as well as the dog, banjo, which they printed on reusable welcome totes, cocktail napkins, and koozies. They chose Mortgage Hall Estate so that both of their immediate families and a few friends were able to stay on the property together.
It was important, from the start, the pair say, to have a wedding that blended both of their cultures and reflected who they are as a couple, as well as their families. They asked two of their siblings to write and perform the ceremony, including personal stories about the bride and groom, and visions of their future.
The Details
Her favorite details included the mixture of large structured floral arrangements with smaller, organic ikebana-inspired arrangements, and the tablecloths that the couple, along with Cara’s parents, sewed together with pieces of printed fabrics from India. His favorite details were the ceremony, delivered by his sister and Cara’s brother, and the music, which he says was a blend of western and Indian music.
The pair says they worked closely with the caterer to design a menu that blended western and Indian cuisine, and enough vegetarian options for all their guests. Cocktail hour included a raw oyster bar, Manipuris, deviled eggs, and fried chicken pimento cheese biscuits. At dinner, appetizers included avocado cucumber gazpacho and an heirloom-tomato- and seasonal-vegetable salad, and for the main course: chicken with seasonal vegetables, seasoned vegetable tikki with naan, and dal. After dinner the couple sliced into three individual cakes: one chocolate pound cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting, a hummingbird cake with cream cheese frosting, and lemon pound cake with lemon buttercream and yuzu blackberry buttercream. For the signature cocktail, they severed Aperol Spritz.
The Vendors
Photographer: Genevieve Leiper | Venue: Mortgage Hall Estate | Planning and design: For Love of Love | Florist: Wander & Whimsy | Invitations: Adoration Design | Catering: Blue Water Kitchen | Cake: Liberty Baking | Hair and makeup: Claudine Fay | Bride’s Attire: Sarah Seven from Lovely Bride | Groom’s attire: Anita Dongre | Groomsmen’s attire: The Black Tux | Music: DJ Q, Book Extraordinary | Lighting: Frost DC Event Lighting & Production | Rentals: Something Vintage | Civil celebrant: Donna Ruland
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.
