Good as Gold: Bhakti & Pathik

Melanie Medrano Melanie Medrano | January 18, 2024 | Wedding Features,

A couple’s traditional Hindu wedding combines fresh floral design with elegant details.

Photographed by Soda Fountain Photography

THE VIRTUAL BECAME REALITY for Bhakti Patel and Pathik Shah in the fall of 2019, when they matched on a dating app and shared a first date at Enolo Wine Bar. Three years later, Pathik proposed during golden hour at Quarry Lake in Canada, an ode to their shared passion for the mountains. “Overlooking the lake and Three Sisters peak is a memory we will cherish forever—and one we can’t wait to share with our children,” he says.

The following spring, the couple celebrated their nuptials in a Hindu ceremony at Sheraton Grand. Cultural traditions like the baraat, vidaai (in a 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, no less) and the tying of the mangalsutra paid homage to their religion, while vibrant pink florals added an uberfresh element to the event’s classic yet grand theme.

During the family-style dinner, a tabla player set the mood—and one of the couple’s favorite moments was simply taking in the view. “We both took a few minutes to scan the room,” Pathik says. “It was a blessing to see everyone enjoying themselves and to see the room filled with so much love and laughter.” He reflects: “Try to enjoy the whole process and experience—the magical day will come and go in a flash.”