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Emily Fiegenschuh & Vinod Rams wanted their wedding to reflect their artistic interests and ethical beliefs while blending two very distinct cultural traditions.
May 15, 2004
Radnor, Pennsylvania
80 guests
Although there is no fanciful story about a charming first date that began our relationship, it seems as though fate guided us to meet. Vinod and I had unwittingly crossed paths many times before, as children at art classes and even as nerds during middle school, but we never officially met until Vinod's senior year in high school. We remained friends for years even though we attended art schools in different states. It was obvious that we were going to get married. Vinod (finally) proposed to me at Watkins Glen State Park while on a trip to Farm Sanctuary in New York.
Vinod and I looked forward to the challenge of planning a vegan wedding. We wanted it to reflect our artistic interests and ethical beliefs. It turned out to be easy to plan a cruelty-free wedding. Well, as easy as planning a wedding can be! Our biggest challenge was the ceremony. We were faced with two very distinct cultural traditions, Hindu and Christian, which we hoped to blend together in a spiritual way. Hindu ceremonies often last an entire day and include many complicated rituals. The last thing we wanted to do was stand in front of a crowd for hours, so with the help of our wonderful officiants, we focused on the most meaningful elements from both traditions. We began the ceremony by exchanging flower garlands. Following some poetry readings, Vinod took my hand as we performed The Seven Steps around the kalasam, reciting a Hindu wedding vow with each step. We also read personal vows and had our guests in tears because we couldn’t stop crying. As we exchanged rings, Vinod tied the Hindu equivalent, a thali, around my neck.
Our favorite part of wedding planning was putting our artistic talent to work in creating the invitations and reception decorations. The artwork of Alphonse Mucha inspired the invitation designs. At the reception, we named each table after one of our favorite artists and made centerpieces with one of their paintings displayed on a mini easel. Each guest’s place card had a different image by the same artist to complement the table. We even encouraged our guests to be artistic by providing crayons at the tables so they could have fun drawing. It was a beautiful day, and the best part was that the guests loved the vegan dinner so much, no one ever asked where the meat was.
Emily & Vinod’s Menu
Appetizers
Fresh Vegetables & Dips • Vegetable Pakoras with Sweet & Spicy Chutney • Spring Mix Salad with Vinaigrette
Indian Buffet
Chana Masala • Mixed Vegetable Curry • Saag Mushrooms • Mock Matar Paneer with Tofu • Whole Wheat Paratha • Basmati Rice • Penne Pasta with Tomato & Mushroom Marinara (for the less adventurous)
Wedding Cake
Four-tiered Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Fondant Icing
Beverages
Sodas • Sparkling Water • Sparkling Cider
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