Pooja and Yvon’s story began like so many other millennials, on the internet. Without it their worlds may not have overlapped. Yvon was living in downtown DC and working as a government contractor while Pooja was grinding away in law school on the other side of the district.
Their first date accidentally lasted nearly 6 hours, spanning multiple DC neighborhoods, breweries and eateries. It even included a few calls to Pooja’s parents (who were on their way to India) and a coincidental run in with Yvon’s boss at the time. What was the most surprising was how different they were – each from different coast, one who could navigate the city with their eyes shut and one who relied too much on google maps, but what was clearly apparent was how they shared so many of the same values – spending time with family and friends, and traveling and embracing different cultures.
Their proposal was all about surprise. Because they were doing long distance, Yvon in Michigan and Pooja in South Carolina, Yvon knew it had to be in a place that was special to them both. So Yvon flew into DC when Pooja was attending a conference, surprising her. Then, following a long night out with friends, much to Pooja’s dismay, they spent the day biking all around the city, revisiting some of their favorite places and memories from their time living in DC and their first date. And then just as the sun was setting on the National Mall, and once the people had moved from his planned spot, yvon dropped to one knee ( almost in some goose poop!) and somehow got the words out asking Pooja to marry him.
Next was to decide the wedding – Do they get married in California (where Yvon is from), on the beach in South Carolina (where Pooja is from), in India (where Pooja’s family is from), or somewhere else. As they pondered over this decision, a common place came to mind: Asheville, NC. A location they had both grown to love over trips alone, with friends and with family. Being travelers themselves, it seemed only fitting that they would have their family, friends and loved ones travel to this hidden gem in Blue Ridge Mountains to share their love for a town filled with great eats, brews, people and views. After visiting Yesterday Spaces,they were immediately sold the charm, the seclusion and the wonderful owner Arik immediately sold them. What was really important for them was to find a venue and vendors that also had shared values, embraced the fusion nature of the wedding, and were just good people. We were very lucky to find all of that in AVL and were truly so lucky to have such wonderful vendors.
Both pooja and yvon wanted just two things: a fun party and good food! They planned the celebrations shortly after moving to Seattle, Washington, and truly couldn’t have done any of it without the support and help from Erin at Plain with Sprinkles. She constantly reminded them how important it was to make the wedding authentic – From every decoration ( most hand brought from India or designed by Pooja), to every beer ( yvon sourced from every location they had lived), to the surprise ice cream pop up, they tried to incorporate in the things that meant the most to them. Pooja also worked really closely with Katrin at All the Pretty Flowers to pick flowers that were local to the AVL and to design the unique deconstructed mundap, a focal point of traditional Indian weddings.
They started off the week with a photoshoot hike in the blue ridge, Pooja getting her henna done from Bijal Patel, to a family gathering at Taco Boy, to a hike in the blue ridge with their friends, and then kicked off official wedding events at Wedge Brewery in the River Arts District.
The wedding was everything and more than they could have imagined, the baraat with the dhol player started the party off, with a parade running through a pathway of trees, to the traditional Indian ceremony incorporating both western and Indian traditions, to the cocktail hour followed by a series of dances from both Pooja and yvons friends. It truly was a night to remember- the food from mehfil was carefully curated to embody all of pooja and yvons favorite Indian food and Robby from A brides DJ, along with Arphan on the dhol kept the party going all night.
While all of their vendors were truly spectacular, their photographer Simon, was truly amazing. Simon captured all of the love, the color, the authenticity, and the party, they will look back at their pictures for decades to come.
Asheville will always have a big place in their heart, thanks for letting them share it with their community!
