An Indian Wedding by the Sea on the Athens Riviera

When Raina and Darshan met in 2013 at New York University, they started off as friends, quickly became best friends, and then fell for each other. On the couple’s first trip together in Saint Martin, Darshan asked her to officially be his girlfriend. In July 2021, they returned to Saint Martin and took a boat ride to Anguilla for an overnight stay. There, on a private stretch of beach, Darshan set up a picnic and proposed; after Raina said yes, they celebrated with Champagne and charcuterie before heading to dinner, where the bride-to-be was surprised by both sets of parents. “I was crying all evening with my hand over my heart (because it felt like it was going to explode!),” she says. “Seeing both sets of parents in Anguilla at our dinner table was overwhelming in the best way possible.”

Raina and Darshan knew they wanted to get married near the water in Europe, where they could lean into an old-world aesthetic. “We considered a few different coastal European cities to see which one fit our vision and vibe best,” Raina says. “We unexpectedly fell in love with Athens, a city that is blessed with ancient treasures, but also modern-day gems.”

They invited 165 guests to spend four days with them in Athens, Greece, at Grand Resort Lagonissi, celebrating their wedding on October 1, 2022. The duo hired Sneh from Diwan by Design to help them pull off a fun Indian wedding weekend with views of the Aegean Sea and flew in their favorite chef to serve Indian food for dinner—then focused on giving their guests a memorable experience in Greece. You won’t want to miss the details captured by House on the Clouds photography. “They seamlessly tied together the range of beautiful emotions that were present during our wedding weekend,” Raina says.

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Raina and Darshan wanted their wedding to be as sustainable as possible, and that started with creating invitation suites that wouldn’t be thrown straight in the trash. On one of the couple’s trips to Athens, they stumbled upon a beautiful olive green door on a quaint street, with a musician playing Greek music softly. They worked with Carolyn from Designed by the C to turn the image of the door into a watercolor for the save-the-dates, which was shared with guests as artwork for their homes. “The color olive, representing harmony and abundance, has an understated elegance and earthy charm that was represented throughout our wedding week, so our save-the-date really set the tone for all that was to come,” Raina says.

The couple’s Haldi ceremony took place the day before the wedding as a symbol of a happy start to life together. Raina wore a custom lehenga by Indian designer Label Anushree and accessorized with a gold necklace, which was made from a gold headpiece that her mom and her Dadi (her maternal grandmother) wore on their own wedding days. “It looked stunning as a necklace, and brought me so much pride and joy to be able to wear it and show it off,” she says. 

The Haldi took place on a seaside dock at the resort, where the couple drew inspiration from dried fruit, spices, and flowers for the décor. Their planner set up white chairs for the guests and couches for the couple and their closest loved ones. They added lanterns and strands of dried fruits and flowers around the couple. Guests were offered white parasols to keep cool during the ceremony.

As part of the ceremony, Raina and Darshan’s loved ones applied turmeric paste to their skin. “The event exuded an aurora of playfulness, radiance, and joy, and prepared us to ‘glow’ on our wedding day!” Raina says.

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For their Sangeet, Raina donned a wrap sari by Ridhi Mehra and a pair of diamond earrings—a gift from her parents. “I felt like a princess in them!” she says. Darshan wore a cream colored suit with button details from Benzer. 

That evening, the pair gathered guests on a waterside patio for heartfelt speeches, songs, and dances. Each family performed a dance before the couple each the floor with their respective wedding party members. Raina’s mom performed a surprise number—and her sister-in-law shocked the couple by singing one of their favorite songs, “The Book of Love” by Gavin James. 

“Traditionally, Sangeets for wedding events are vibrant and bold,” Raina says. “We reimagined a traditional Sangeet and made it more ‘us’ with primarily muted tones and some pops of coral and orange to complement the azure backdrop of the Aegean Sea.” The décor incorporated rattan and wicker elements; guests were encouraged to mingle with each other all night long.

Raina is a quick decision maker, and it was easy for her to choose most of her outfits for the wedding weekend. But when it came to her wedding ensemble, nothing felt quite right. “At that time, my aunt was in Bombay, India, looking at outfits for me, and showed me a few sari options at the designer Sabyasachi’s shop that were not as traditionally ‘bridal’,” she says. “One particular sari caught my eye. Despite seeing it only through FaceTime, I instinctively knew it was the one.”

She accessorized the olive green and ginger-hued organza saree with jewelry that was designed by and gifted to her by her aunt. She also wore a veil, also designed by Sabyasachi, for her walk down the aisle. The bride chose a soft, natural beauty look to complement her outfit. “I told my hair and makeup artist that I would rather my skin imperfections show than feel like someone I’m not,” she says. “ I wanted my look to be effortlessly chic, so I decided to keep my hair fully down with a middle part for a touch of elegance and big curls that framed my face.” 

The couple asked guests to wear light tones to their wedding ceremony, so they designed custom, on-palette outfits with Benzer for their wedding party. “It didn’t feel fair to assign a color palette and then burden them with finding and purchasing something,” Raina says.

The bridal party wore beaded, off-the-shoulder tops with long sleeves and matching full skirts. Getting ready with them that morning was one of Raina’s favorite moments of the day. She gave each bridesmaid a pair of pearl earrings and a handkerchief that said “No Ugly Crying” as a big-day gift.

Although the bride and groom traditionally wear contrasting colors at Indian weddings, Raina and Darshan decided on similar shades of olive to feel like one unit. Like his bride’s, Darshan’s wedding ceremony outfit was from Sabyasachi. “Darshan opted for a classic, neutral look for all the events,” Raina says. “His style is timeless and clean, so he didn’t want to wear the traditional flashy clothing that Indian grooms typically wear.”

He and Raina both opted for the same Chanel fragrance on the wedding day, which was a gift from their sister-in-law. “Our memories of the wedding day are now forever associated with that scent!” Raina says.

Darshan’s groomsmen stepped out in neutral colored Nehru jackets with standing collars from Benzer. “The outfits were simple and classy, making them re-wearable in the future,” Raina says. “A few of our bridesmaids and groomsmen have already re-worn the outfits, which makes us so happy!”

Raina and Darshan shared a first look before the ceremony to make plenty of time for photos. “The location they chose for our first look was absolutely perfect, with the still Aegean Sea as the backdrop, and our Mandap set up in the distance,” Raina says. “We laughed and kissed, and had a moment to absorb the fact that we were about to get married, which left me with both butterflies and excitement.”

Darshan arrived at the ceremony in style, pulling up on a white scooter as guests surrounded him in celebration, as is tradition in his culture. 

The couple’s service took place on a secluded peninsula surrounded by water. Their inspiration for the ceremony décor was natural, earthy, and grounded. “We wanted a Mandap that was low to the ground to create a connection with Earth. It was crafted from olive trees with an ‘open-air’ design, so you could still see the expansive and stunning Aegean sea behind,” Raina says.

They used brass items hand-picked by Raina’s mom, grandmother, and aunt throughout the aisle and altar’s design, including God statues, which were dressed in hand-stitched outfits. Baskets of baby’s breath flanked the start of the aisle, which was also lined with clusters of the blooms all the way down. Wicker chairs with white accents were placed underneath the Mandap for the ceremony proceedings.

Guests found fans at their seats, along with custom programs introducing the couple’s extended family members.

When the ceremony began, Darshan made his way down the aisle with both of his parents by his side before the duo’s niece, their flower girl, processed in; she wore a Greek-inspired headband and a beaded bracelet with her name on it. The couple’s nephew, on the other hand, was assigned a special role. “In Indian culture, during the wedding ceremony, the bride’s side tries to ‘steal’ the groom’s shoes once he enters the Mandap, since you can’t wear shoes on the Mandap,” Raina explains. The couple’s nephew held a small briefcase with a sign that read “Guardian of Kaka’s Shoes.” “This made everyone smile and laugh as he walked down the aisle with his sister, Anika, the flower girl,” Raina says. “It was an endearing moment.”

Raina made her aisle debut to an instrumental version of “Samjhawan,” one of her favorite Hindi songs. 

The couple wrote their own vows in books created by Velvet and Gold Co. Darshan encouraged Raina to read their vows out loud in front of their guests—and she’s glad she agreed. “As we recited our vows, it felt like we were in a bubble,” she says. “When we finally popped our bubble and refocused, we realized we were surrounded by the best people in our lives, and there was no better feeling.”

The couple also exchanged garlands during the ceremony; they were hand-crafted with whole Indian spices by Raina’s great-aunt. At the service’s close, they celebrated back up the aisle to a remixed version of “Unforgettable” by French Montana and Major Lazer.

The couple’s reception took place at Veghera at Grand Resort Lagonissi. Their theme? “The stars look different tonight,” which they achieved through hanging hundreds of string lights around the open-air space. “When Darshan proposed in Anguilla, we felt like the stars looked different that night,” Raina says. “The venue resembled a boat on the sea, which made us fall in love with it even more.”

Raina wore a lehenga by Amit Aggarwal for the reception and accessorized with Valentino shoes that were a gift from one of her best friends and a diamond bracelet from Darshan’s mother. The groom chose a classic black tuxedo from Suit Supply. He had “RK” stitched under the collar—the initials of Raina’s new married name.

Raina and Darshan designed an escort card station with a neon sign that reinforced their theme; the black display was adorned with maroon and red flowers. Raina enlisted help from her candlemaker friend to make and bring over 100 candles to Greece, which doubled as guests’ seating assignments and favors. “We made the scent name, ‘Smells like a night on the Athens Riviera,’ meant to evoke memories of that magical evening,” the bride says.

At the reception, guests dined by the sea. The couple flew in the chef from their favorite Indian restaurant in New Jersey to collaborate with the resort’s kitchen to make sure the Indian dishes were authentic. “Our consulting chef was super resourceful,” Raina says. “He found substitutions for all ingredients we couldn’t source in Greece.”

Long wooden tables were paired with black chairs and decorated with maroon centerpiece arrangements in gold vases. “Across the board, we kept furniture, structures, and florals to a minimum,” Raina says. “The Aegean Sea and Athens Riviera are absolutely stunning, and we wanted the backdrop to speak for itself.” 

Each table had a love letter from the couple; in the note, they shared why each guest is special to them. 

Along with speeches from close family and friends, a father-daughter dance, and a mother-son dance, guests enjoyed Raina and Darshan’s first spin as a married couple. They danced to “2 Much” by Justin Beiber. “It felt as if the world around us quickly melted away,” Raina remembers. “We sang to each other, barely moved from our original position, failed at fighting back tears, and somewhere in between all of that, got fully lost in the moment.”

After the wedding, the couple spent a few days in Athens before heading to their honeymoon in Bali. To couples planning a wedding, Raina and Darshan recommend making the most of the year leading up to the big day. “Celebrate all the small milestones with Champagne—from mailing your physical invites, to booking each vendor, to finalizing your guest list,” Raina says.

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