Rachel and Alvin, Grapevine, USA
This couple’s wedding in the holiday season was filled with magic.
Some people find souvenirs on their vacation. Alvin found the love of his life! On a trip to Muscat with his family, he met Rachel and it took a little while but eventually, the two realised they were in love and got married.
How We Met
“My family and I were on vacation and were passing through the city of Muscat. My dad decided to catch up with an old friend he hadn’t seen in 30 years who had moved to Oman around the same time he moved to the USA. And that’s the beginning of the story of Rachel and I. We met and spent some time together in the company of our families – eating, visiting malls and palaces, chatting.
Once I returned to the US we kept in touch but nothing major happened. Then she reached out to congratulate me on completing my bachelors and told me she was moving to Miami for her post-graduation. We started texting. The messages turned into calls and with that, we began dating.
Two months into our conversations I knew she was the one. I remember telling my brother and closest friends “She’s the one for me!” but the crazy part was that I had not seen her since that trip to Muscat. The following month, she moved to Miami and the calls turned into frequent visits. Two and a half years later, we were preparing for our wedding!”
Wedding Venue
“We got married at First United Methodist Church in Grapevine, TX on December 22, 2018. Rachel really wanted a church wedding and we struggled to find a church that would allow us to use their facility so close to Christmas. However, this beautiful place in Grapevine, located seven minutes away from our reception hotel, was perfect. We wanted to get married in Dallas because most of my family is from the U.S., specifically Texas.”
Wedding Planning
“We had an amazing planner, Shelley Kurian, the owner of Shelley K Events. She made sure everything ran as smoothly as possible. Of course, there were challenges and it was sometimes difficult coordinating with Rachel with her living in Oman at that time.”
Wedding Functions
Mehndi
“This was a day-time function and the setup was very colorful with flowers as well as ethnic looking umbrellas. Rachel’s request was that the goonsmen (what I call my groomsmen) and myself show up towards the end of the mehndi and crash her party. So we did that and I got a design done on my palm too!
For this event, Rachel dressed up in a yellow lehenga by Ritu Kumar while I went with a kurta and bandi from Raisson D’etre.”
Sangeet
“Our version of a sangeet was a cultural night where we had Moroccan themed decor along with Mediterranean and Punjabi food. The evening was lively and filled with music, song, and dance.
A baby pink lehenga from AZA was Rachel’s outfit of choice and I, once again, chose an outfit from Raisson D’etre.”
Wedding
“We had a garden themed, church wedding in the evening. The affair lasted for less than an hour. (We were married by the same pastor who conducted my parents’ wedding.)
I custom designed the dusty rose gold tuxedo I wore. I really wanted to rock that look for the wedding and the outfit turned out very well. Rachel wore a white gown with Swarovski details and a long train.”
Reception
“The reception followed right after the wedding at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Centre. The theme for the night was Royal Indian with red and gold used throughout. The stage had a grand setup of large golden cutwork panels, a colossal floral chandelier, and ornate structures.
At this event, Rachel wore two different outfits. The first one was a white gown that was different from the one she wore to church. It was worn especially for the first dance because with the long train, it would have been impossible for her to move freely all evening. After this, she changed into a red lehenga by Sabyasachi. I too switched from my wedding tux into Indian wear and wore a dhoti and achkan from Shantanu & Nikhil.”
The Wedding Makers
Venues: First United Methodist Church in Grapevine (Wedding), Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Centre (Reception)
Wedding Planner: Shelley K Events
Décor: Farah Shah
Lighting and Sound: DJ Riz & Freddy Mac
Bride’s Outfits: Ritu Kumar (Mehndi), AZA (Sangeet), Sabyasachi (Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Raisson D’etre (Mehndi, Sangeet, and Wedding), Shantanu & Nikhil (Reception)
Makeup Artist and Hairstylist: Pooja Mehta
Choreography: Christina Thomas
Photography: Vinny Kuruvilla
Videography: Memories Films
