EXPLORE
Amanda Crean
+ Corbin Gurkin
Private Estate, Napa Valley, CA
When a wedding planner gets married, she pulls out all the stops. On a beautiful fall afternoon in the Napa Valley, just 2 weeks after roaring wildfires ripped through the area, Jenna and Alok kicked off their multi-cultural wedding with a baraat (an Indian wedding parade) down a Cabernet vineyard road. Dhol drummers led the way as family and friends danced and escorted Alok, on a white horse, to the ceremony. Guests sipped boozy peach lassis and lemongrass lemonade while sampling a modern spin on traditional chaat before the hour-long Hindu marriage service. The aisle was lined with hundreds of marigolds and the mandap was decorated with florals in red, coral and orange tones. An Indian Accapella group from Stanford joined the sitar player for Jenna’s entrance into the ceremony.
Cocktail hour featured seven specialty cocktails from Camper Cocktail Company - including a green juice inspired cocktail, a favorite of the bride. A lobster chapati station from Componere Fine Catering stole the show. Just as guests were seated for dinner, traditional Chinese Lion dancers entered the Zephyr Tent to wish the couple good luck. A “California-inspired” Indian feast followed, complete with beer and local wine pairings. The couple’s first dance was a well-choreographed number to a very untraditional song (“Booty Swing”) followed by a Bollywood-style dance, where 8 friends joined in on the fun. After dancing under the stars with DJ Chris Clouse, guests joined Jenna and Alok at a nearby barrel room for the after-party, where Jenna surprised Alok with his favorite DJ, Kid Koala from Montreal.
