WEDDING IDEAS

Sheila and Aaron exchanged garlands made of roses, orchids, and carnations at the close of their Hindu ceremony.

Sheila‘s hands were decorated with elaborate mehndi patterns.

The handmade, deep orange programs were rolled up and tied with twine.

The escort cards matched the saffron wedding invites and were calligraphed courtesy of Sheila‘s uncle.

The reception was held beneath a tent outdoors. Besides the tables, the couple didn‘t add any extra decoration to the tent, in honor of the natural surroundings.

Because the couple wanted to minimize the number of cut flowers they used, they decided on potted marigolds for their centerpieces. As table numbers, the couple used small pieces of a birch tree limb, which had fallen in Sheila‘s parents‘ yard.

The tables were covered with saffron-hued fabric, which the couple had purchased in India. A menu card in green and orange was tucked into each napkin.

As favors, Sheila and Aaron bought terra-cotta pots filled with candles, which had been made by women in areas affected by the 2004 tsunami. The favors were packaged up into boxes that coordinated with the rest of the wedding day details.

Sheila & Aaron in Tarrytown, NY

Photos By: Karen Mordechai Photography, Brooklyn

Location: Lyndhurst, Tarrytown

Aaron likes to say that Sheila made the first move one night at a bar by asking him the score of the basketball game. As she puts it, she wasn't trying a pickup line -- she just likes basketball and has poor vision.

The Bride Sheila Sundar, 26, teacher
The Groom Aaron DeLong, 29, and a lawyer
The Date July 7

The two clicked right away, and one weekend two years later, Aaron planned a hiking trip to upstate New York and proposed while the two were standing overlooking the frozen waterfalls. Three months earlier, the couple had visited Sheila's grandmother in India, who insisted she knew when the two were going to get married. When Sheila said "yes," Aaron revealed a calling card, and they promptly called Sheila's grandmother to share the good news with her.

-- Anja Winikka