The Wedding Story of... Manisha Patel & Anuj Agarwala

Manisha Patel was completing her residency in emergency medicine at a Chicago hospital. Add to that, the little task of planning a large intricate four-day Indian wedding in Indianapolis. It might have been a little bit difficult at times, but she and her fiancé Anuj Aragwala (and their families) not only made it work, but made it something memorable, meaningful, and a lot of fun. 

 

 

 

 

While the couple had been together for about four years and had discussed marriage, the actual proposal surprised Manisha. She had just been asked to be chief resident and she thought Anuj, an oncologist who lives in Indianapolis, was driving into town to take her to the Chicago restaurant, Boca, to celebrate her news. Manisha had worked all night and dinner was the last thing on her mind. “He kept calling me beforehand and asking me to get out of bed and get ready. He told me to get dressed at seven, knowing I might be ready by eight.”  Before going to dinner, Anuj opened a bottle of wine on the balcony, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him.

 

 

 

 

Manisha said Hindu weddings are not only centered on the bride and groom, but also on their families. So when everyone gathers for a wedding for 400, it is a celebration that is hard to compare with anything else. Bright colors with traditional dancing and singing make it a memorable occasion.

 

“I always wanted an Indian wedding,” Manisha said. “It never crossed my mind to have anything else. The wedding is a religious event that is colorful and ornate, while the rest of the weekend has these features but is more relaxed and festive. It is just so much fun.”

 

Logistically, it is a little tough when the bride, the groom and both families all live in different places. “Wedding planning was hard,” she said. Manisha is from Fort Wayne, so sometimes she and her parents would meet there or in Chicago or Indianapolis just to talk about details. Anuj’s family is from Ohio.

 

While most Indian weddings have various celebrations and traditional ceremonies starting the week before the wedding, many take place in the homes of the bride and groom. In the case of Manisha and Anuj, their “home away from home” was the new JW Marriott in Indianapolis.

 

Manisha worked with Jennifer Nair, a decorator, to come up with the design for the Mandap – the traditional four-pillared canopy for the wedding ceremony. She wanted an atypical design that was more organic and floral. It featured wooden pillars wrapped with gold willow and flowers, with a backdrop of garlands made of orchids. Manisha chose a theme of fuschia and purple flowers, incorporating hints of the traditional Hindu colors of red and gold into the arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The highly-choreographed four-day extravaganza was filled with elaborate customs, such as the groom on horseback, ice cream being served at the wedding ceremony, blessings of rice and flowers, individual cuisines from different regions of India, and a dance by Indian and non-Indian friends in traditional costume.  

 

Manisha had the traditional Mendhi (henna) applied to her arms and legs. The historical belief is the bolder the burnt orange color becomes, the more your husband loves you. She said the delicate pattern has the groom’s name incorporated into the design, which he then has to find. 

 

Manisha said a Hindu wedding is all about families coming together as one – and that is what happened. Her special moment was seeing Anuj for the first time, when a curtain held between them was dropped and she saw his face. “It became so real to me,” she said.