Glam. Festive. Rich in Indian and Jewish culture and tradition.
Pearl + Jamie’s California wedding was a meaningful and playful homage to the many different parts of themselves. Pearl is a burlesque artist and Jamie is a comedian, so their identities as performers were celebrated alongside the rituals of Pearl’s Indian heritage and Jamie’s Jewish background.
“When we started planning this Jewish-Indian multicultural wedding, we knew we would need a whole weekend to give space and attention to all of the rituals of our family and community,” says the couple of their multi-day celebration. “We also knew we wanted to tie in the glamor and playfulness of both of our performance backgrounds in burlesque and comedy, while still creating an elegant event transcending and connecting each piece of our identity.”
The weekend culminated in a ceremony under the oak trees and a reception by the pool at Gardner Ranch in Carmel. Planners and event designers from All the Deets worked with Pearl + Jamie to dream up their big day, with tons of rich colors creating their glamorous and culturally-informed aesthetic. And photographers from Heartfelt Media were there capturing every lush and vibrant moment!
The Day Before
“Guests were invited to lean in, dress up for, and fully experience a traditional South Indian Nalugu blessing ceremony the day prior to the wedding, a symbolic cleansing of the bride and groom,” say Pearl + Jamie.
“Friends and family took turns covering Jamie and Pearl in turmeric, rose water and sandalwood paste, speaking blessings of joy, prosperity and laughter. The bride and groom were then taken to change and re-emerge, dressed in ornate Indian bridalwear, including the sherwani for Jamie and a lehenga for Pearl, escorted by the sounds of Bollywood songs and a live dhol drummer, and dancing back into the circle of family and loved ones.”
“This event served as the welcome party and a chance for meeting new and old friends, a blend of Indian and Jewish rituals for purification and signaling the end of Shabbat, followed by a food truck picnic featuring the Bay Area’s renowned Curry Up Now.”
We are absolutely enchanted by Pearl’s gorgeous rose gold lehenga.
The Big Day
If you’re looking for the right spot to create super personal invites that match your vibe like Pearl + Jamie’s, check out our favorite online wedding invitation shops.
How FAB is the short hot pink feather-edged robe that Pearl wore to get ready with her girls!!
“I knew I wanted a dress that felt different from the sequins and shine of my burlesque performance gowns, so I went for the simple yet sexy Orlie gown by Watters,” says Pearl. She found this ivory satin beauty at Janene’s Bridal in Alameda, and we are OBSESSED with that sexy high slit! It’s all so Old Hollywood glamor!
We cannot get enough of this colorful, cascading bridal bouquet by Llave Floral. And this is just the beginning of the day’s gorgeous florals!
“A traditional veil didn’t feel like me,” Pearl says, “so we repurposed an Essence of Australia pearl-beaded jacket into a draped neck scarf, reminiscent of old-Hollywood galas and the traditional Indian dupatta.” Explore our list of the most stunning bridal capes if you’re entertaining the idea of a cascading silhouette like Pearl’s.
We are LOVING this bridal party palette full of different colors and textures! Explore how to nail the mismatched bridesmaid dress look.
If you’re eager to see your besties dressed in some of these colors, take a look at our lists of the best burnt orange bridesmaid dresses and the best rose gold bridesmaid dresses!
Pearl’s glowy, shimmery makeup look and glam up-do were the work of Jet 65 Traveling Beauty.
Jamie’s blue-gray three piece suit from Indochino totally pops among his groomsmen’s lighter looks!
Pearl’s bridal mehndi is SO STUNNING. Not to mention that round stone gold ring from Esqueleto!
Pearl + Jamie’s design vision for the day? “Highlighting the sun-soaked oak trees and valleys of the Central California coast.”
The Ceremony
We love the way Pearl + Jamie used this grove of Oak trees as a canopy for their colorful ceremony.
This multicultural setup is a perfect combination of an Indian mandap and the chuppah used in traditional Jewish weddings.
“We truly felt like the weekend captured each of our unique worlds,” the couple says, “reflecting the deep love, vibrancy and intentionality of our blended life together.”
Our Advice To Those Planning Now From Pearl: "Booking the venue for the whole weekend gave us a chance to truly arrive and breathe into every ceremony and ritual, and if I had any advice for brides, it would be to find those moments to look around at take your own mental snapshots of the faces, the details, and the palpable joy all around you. The photos and videos will be a reminder, but the sensations in your body from each moment will live within you for the rest of your life."
The Reception
Can you think of anything more romantic and opulent than a swimming pool covered in gorgeous flowers?
Furniture and tabletop decor from Chic Event Rentals played with tons of color and texture against the blank canvas of clean, white table linens.
These reception florals are the definition of lush. And yes, those are kiwis and papayas.
Love the way this blue Jupiter Beaded glassware (like this set from West Elm!) adds such a vibrant burst of color to these table settings.
Pearl + Jamie’s celebration brings to mind another California wedding we love that fused Indian and Jewish traditions: This Vibrant Three Day Wedding at Saddlerock Ranch Beautifully Balances Traditional and Modern.
Layers By Xanthe created Pearl + Jamie’s cute and colorful wedding cake.
And you know we adore a reception dress! So fun that Pearl included tons of pearl details throughout her looks. Check out our list of 29 of the best pearl wedding dresses!
And if you still need a romantic tune to sway to with your new spouse, look through our list of 129 first dance songs for every style.
Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding We have so many moments that stand out - from the gust of wind during our ceremony reminding us of Pearl's late mother, the hilarious toasts, and the quiet moments with just the two of us in our private cake-cutting or waiting to enter to our first dance. But, of course, our standout moment was our unforgettable send-off, dipping into the marigold-covered pool at the end of the night in all of our wedding regalia, inviting guests to jump in with us as well!
One final thought from the couple: “The process of planning a multicultural wedding can often feel intimidating in what can sometimes be a homogenous world of wedding style and expectations. We’re grateful for the support of our planner and the spaciousness and permission to go wild with our vision, and for publications like GWS that highlight the breadth of diversity and love in each couple’s unique expression of themselves.”
What a way to end the night!! Congrats, Pearl + Jamie! Your multicultural wedding in Carmel was gloriously glam! All the very best from GWS!
photography: Heartfelt Media // venue name: Gardener Ranch, Carmel, CA, USA // event design: All The Deets // planning: All The Deets // florals: Llave Floral // wedding dress: Watters // wedding dress boutique: Janene's Bridal // bride's ring: Esqueleto // hair stylist: Jet 65 Beauty // makeup artist: Jet 65 Beauty // groom attire: Indochino // videography: Heartfelt Media // catering: Five Star Catering // cake: Layers by Xanthe // tabletop rentals: Chic Event Rentals // furniture rentals: Chic Event Rentals // music: More SF
