Inside the wedding of a Gujarati bride who said “no” to red

For Ashka and Vandan Patel, marriage was not just about uniting two lives—it was about honouring generations of love, sacrifice, and dreams. Their families, who had built their lives in the United States from scratch, carried their Indian traditions across borders, never letting go of what mattered most. While many Gujarati brides lean towards the iconic bridal red, Ashka gave tradition her own contemporary spin, without losing its essence.

The bride who chose peach

On her wedding day at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, Ashka walked down the aisle not in deep crimson, but in a pastel peach lehenga adorned with intricate embroidery and temple-inspired motifs. Her choice wasn’t a rebellion—it was refinement. By softening the palette, she reflected her faith in a modern way, proving that tradition evolves just as beautifully as it endures.

A mandir that felt like home

The decision to marry at the breathtaking Chino Hills mandir was a deeply personal one. For Ashka, it was the place where she grew up learning values that shaped her identity. For Vandan, it was a space of spiritual grounding. The temple’s majestic sandstone carvings framed their vows, while subtle floral installations and symbolic glass birds created an atmosphere of reverence and intimacy.

A celebration of sacrifice and dreams

For the couple, every ritual and every moment was woven with their parents’ journeys. Vandan’s parents had given up their own wedding to save money and begin a new life in America, while Ashka’s mother had always dreamed of seeing her daughter wed in a grand, traditional Gujarati celebration. This wedding wasn’t only theirs—it was their parents’ dream, finally realised.

Tradition with a modern lens

The design and photography reflected the couple’s balance of heritage and contemporary aesthetics. From the soft florals that echoed temple offerings to the cinematic imagery that highlighted both rituals and romance, the celebration felt timeless yet modern. It was a wedding that whispered grandeur rather than shouted it, reminding us that true opulence lies in intention, not excess.

Ashka and Vandan’s wedding stood as proof that while Gujarati brides have long been defined by shades of red, today’s bride has the freedom to reinterpret what tradition looks like. By choosing pastels over crimson and intimacy over spectacle, Ashka celebrated her heritage in a way that was authentic to her—fresh, modern, and deeply rooted in faith and family.

All images: The Wedding Files

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