More Than 500 Guests Joined This Couple for 3 Days of Wedding Events in Laguna Beach

Sabrina and Navin’s parents have been friends for more than 25 years, but to Sabrina, the five-year age difference meant she and Navin grew up in two different worlds. “I had always viewed him as a daunting older boy,” she says. “In fact, we never exchanged more than a passing glance, and my knowledge of him was limited to a distance.” But in 2019, after Sabrina joined her family at Navin’s sister’s wedding, Navin reached out to her via DM to thank her for attending. “Initially perplexed, I assumed it to be a polite gesture, but Navin and I continued to message each other for the next month,” says Sabrina. “Eventually, he surprised me with a visit to New York under the guise of a ‘business trip,’ which culminated in a day spent together, complete with a SoulCycle class and a sunset view at Domino Park. It was there that Navin professed his love for me, and I reciprocated with equal passion.”

In April 2021, Navin surprised Sabrina with a proposal on the golf course in Half Moon Bay, followed by a family dinner and a celebratory weekend with friends in Santa Barbara. As the family-focused couple began planning their wedding, they had one big requirement: a venue that could fit their 550-person guest list. Planners from Lily & Leigh helped them turn The Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel in Laguna Beach, California, into the perfect location for their three-day Indian wedding, creating distinct (but cohesive) designs for the Haldi, welcome dinner, Mehndi, Sangeet, wedding, and reception. “From the personalized walk down the aisle songs to the carefully curated welcome bags, every detail of our wedding was meticulously planned and executed to perfection,” says Sabrina. “The music, food, and overall ambience of the event were all crafted to reflect our tastes and personalities.”

Fashion was another key element for the bride and groom, who donned an array of customized and bespoke pieces from global designers throughout the weekend. Sabrina, who wore nine different outfits during the couple’s celebrations (and changed her hair and makeup to complement each one), was inspired by the first dress she found: a Cult Gaia frock for her reception. “Upon first sight of the garment online, I was immediately drawn to its silhouette and knew that it would be the perfect addition to my reception attire,” she says. “As someone who has always had a passion for fashion and worked in the industry, I was excited to personalize my wedding wardrobe to reflect my own style and comfort preferences.”

After a year of planning, the couple exchanged vows in an oceanfront ceremony on June 2, 2022. One of their favorite parts of the day, says Sabrina, was their emotional first look. “Amidst the whirlwind of our bustling wedding day, moments of togetherness were rare and precious. It offered us a brief respite from the chaos, a chance to savor each other’s presence without distraction,” she says. “In those stolen moments, the world melted away and it was just us.” See every emotional moment and bespoke detail, all captured by Logan Cole, below.

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The three-day affair began with a Haldi ceremony at the hotel overlooking the ocean. “We chose this hotel with intentionality; our hearts were set on being by the water,” says Sabrina, who wore custom Mani Jassal for the event. Bloombox, who provided florals throughout the weekend, brought in hues of lemon, peach, and marigold with hanging florals and lots of greenery. “Bloombox played a huge role as they were able to take our visions and really bring them to life,” says Sabrina.

For their Mehndi, Sabrina and Navin chose an aesthetic inspired by one of their favorite travel destinations: Italy. “We had traveled there in September 2021, so it was nice to bring elements of Capri back with us to showcase at this event—bright lemons, lush greenery.”

Sabrina and her mother spent more than a week in India sourcing outfits for each of the weekend’s events. “After conducting thorough research, I was particularly drawn to the work of Rahul Mishra. When we walked into the designer’s store, I immediately fell in love with one of the dresses and knew it would be the perfect fit for my Mehndi outfit,” she says. She complemented the aqua tulle skirt and floral embroidery with whimsical beauty choices. “For my Mehndi ceremony, I wanted a playful look that incorporated beaded stones on my eyes and braids into my hair,” she says.

Signature cocktails at the Mehndi included the honey and lemon “Bee’s Knees,” served with fresh popsicles, while the favors—500 circular resin coasters showing off individual dried flowers—were handmade by the bride.

Sabrina also found her Sangeet outfit while shopping in India—this time, with help from her father. “I wanted something unique and different from the traditional two-piece lehenga,” she says. “We stumbled upon a small shop, tucked away, called Papa Don’t Preach. There, my dad picked out a red jumpsuit with incredible beaded work that I ended up purchasing that same day.” Navin wore a black jacket and pants with coordinating red florals from Rohit Bal; both of the couple’s outfits followed the same color scheme as the diamond-shaped floral dance floor. “Sangeets are just big dance parties, so we wanted the focus of the event to be the dance floor,” says Sabrina.

Cane furniture, woven lanterns, fluted cocktail tables, and bright pink florals created a casual, festive atmosphere. “Furniture was very lounge-y and relaxing—not formal at all,” says Sabrina.

Sabrina and Navin catered their Sangeet with spicy fusilli, pizza, and fried chicken sandwiches from Jon & Vinny’s. “Navin and I went on many dates to Jon & Vinny’s and it meant something to us,” says the bride. It was, she says, “an unforgettable culinary experience for our guests.”

For the after-party, Sabrina changed into a sparkling party dress from Seema Gujral, which she found with help from Navin’s mother. “As the days leading up to the wedding drew nearer, I realized I needed a second outfit for my Sangeet, specifically something I could dance in while wearing six-inch platform heels,” she says. The groom’s cousin, Abana—who stepped in to DJ the Sangeet after-party and the wedding reception—invited the couple to join him behind the booth, under a custom neon sign, in one of the couple’s favorite parts of the weekend.

Navin’s intricate Sabyasachi wedding outfit included pale pink accents that tied into the pastel color palette. He kept his pre-wedding skincare regimen simple (“Sabrina set me up with a skincare set I still use to this day, but no treatments,” he says) and relied on his go-to stylist for his haircut. “My barber Charlie is the only person I trust with my hair and face,” he says. “He does everything for me aesthetically and is truly the man.”

Sabrina customized a Rahul Mishra dress for the wedding ceremony, requesting elbow-length sleeves, a pale pink fabric, pearl details, and additional embroidery. She chose “a natural daytime look with my hair down, which perfectly reflected my personal style,” and accessorized with sentimental sparkles. “A few of the bracelets I wore on my wedding day were from my mom and my parent’s wedding, and then one of the bracelets was from my aunt who passed back in 2012, who was truly like a second mom to me,” she says. “I always knew I wanted to wear it on this day.”

Though Sabrina imagined saving the first look for the ceremony, Navin convinced her to meet before the festivities began. “I was hesitant because I wanted that raw, authentic moment on the mandap,” she says. “However, Navin gently persuaded me otherwise, suggesting that having a private moment just between us before the ceremony would be special. And you know what? He was absolutely right. Experiencing that intimate moment together was beyond words.”

Sabrina’s closest friends and family wore pastel blue and aqua hues, with the bridesmaids in custom lehengas carrying tight bouquets of neutral blooms. Navin’s friends and family also wore bespoke fashion: patterned pieces in the wedding’s color palette. 

A double-arched floral mandap built at the end of a wooden aisle shaded boucle chairs for the bride and groom and cane-backed chairs for their parents. Hundreds of flowers in blush, fuchsia, and cream shades lined the aisle, adding color to the waterfront location, while draped pergolas were set up above guest seating areas.

Paper fans, toss petals, programs, and individual snack boxes were placed on each guest’s seat. “Comfortable chairs were a must here for guests, as the ceremony was one-and-a-half hours long,” says Sabrina.

Sabrina and Navin walked down the aisle with their parents as a string quartet from Ocdamia Music Group played songs with personal meaning for the couple. “Sab walked down the aisle to the classic French tune ‘La Vie en Rose,’ while Nav’s processional was the romantic Hindi song ‘Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai,’” says the couple. Sabrina and Navin wrote their own vows to further customize the ceremony. “We both talked about how we met and our promises to each other,” Navin says. “Somehow both our vows were so similar, but Sabrina’s were definitely better.”

While an In-N-Out truck handed out personalized burger trays after the ceremony, the newlyweds changed into formal reception attire: a custom Tom Ford tuxedo with Cartier mother-of-pearl cufflinks for Navin, and a glittering Pronovias gown for Sabrina. “I knew I wanted to fulfill my childhood dream of wearing a white dress,” says the bride. “[This dress] felt right and looked perfect.” 

Sabrina’s on-site makeup artist enhanced her natural daytime look with a more dramatic palette. “I was lucky to have Dominique Lerma, a talented makeup artist and a friend of my sister-in-law, on board for the week’s events,” says Sabrina. “Her skills brought my vision to life and made me feel confident and beautiful throughout the festivities. It was no surprise that my guests couldn’t stop raving about my stunning hair and makeup looks, which perfectly complemented the overall vibe of the wedding.”

The design vision for the couple’s dinner reception was modeled after an elegant living space, complete with boucle chairs, balconette lounge areas, a comfortable carpet, a mirrored escort display, and sophisticated florals. A dinner menu built around the couple’s favorite Indian dishes by Natraj Catering was followed by an ice cream sundae bar and a six-tier Nutella cake from Grace and Honey Cakes.

After the bride and groom shared their first dance, to “As I Am” by Justin Bieber & Khalid, Sabrina and her father danced to “The Way You Look Tonight” while Navin and his mother chose “Wind Beneath My Wings.” The newlyweds then joined their friends and family on the dance floor. “Enjoy all of the time leading up,” the couple says. “It’s stressful and a lot, but really a time you won’t ever get back. Stay strong with your partner through all decisions and remember at the end of the day it’s just you two that matter.”

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