138
SAN FRANCISCO CELEBRATION Stunning
To honor her family, the bride wanted to adhere as closely to tradition as possible. However, since her
groom wasn't Indian, she also wanted to put their own individual stamp on the festivities. During the
baraat, the groom's feet are not supposed to touch the ground, but getting a permit in San Francisco
for a horse or elephant is pretty much impossible. Enter the groom's friends, who carried him straight
down Market Street as they were all followed by a dholi and mobile DJ. The group stopped traffic,
with bystanders pausing to snap pictures and wish them luck. A traditional ceremony waited at The
Palace Hotel, with the couple promising their love under a glass ceiling that gave the impression
of an outdoor wedding but with the comforts of air conditioning. At the reception, the bride had a
very special surprise for her new husband: a performance by his favorite band, The English Beat. The
amount of planning that it took to get the group to appear was intense but worth it, since the couple
had attended their concerts together and the music conjured up wonderful memories.
