Local Love – Bindu & Ed at theWit

Bindu and Ed met when they were assigned to a shared small group during their first year of medical school. They hit it off (as friends) and Ed even tried to “win” Bindu at a date auction, only to be outbid at the last second! To make up for their missed date, he invited her to salsa dance lessons he won as a consolation prize. They really enjoyed spending time together trying to learn how to salsa and studying for med school. Bindu had to return home to California for family reasons and Ed continued to build their relationship over the distance, constantly talking to Bindu and supporting her from afar. Once Bindu returned to school, they knew they were perfect for each other and began dating. Once they decided to get married, they settled on Chicago for their “I dos” because Ed loved the city and they enjoyed many weekend getaways here while dating.

Bindu and Ed combined their cultural traditions, both Catholic and Hindu, on their Big Day with dual ceremonies and traditional wedding attire to match each ceremony. They started their wedding day extra early to make sure they had time for all of the festivities. Bindu got ready with her bridal party in the comfort of their rooms at theWit before she met Ed for a private first look at the hotel. They both really enjoyed being able to take photos together and spend some time before their ceremony so they felt more comfortable and relaxed once the official wedding began. There was a lot of unexpected traffic due to a rally, and some rain, but Bindu and Ed took it all in stride and were actually thankful for the rain which diverted their wedding party photos to the gorgeous Lincoln Park Conservatory. The rain also made for a dramatic and memorable journey into the church. “I ran out of the limo and to the church while being shielded from the weather by two of Ed’s groomsmen. There is a great picture of that!” Bindu shared. She made it into the church without messing up her perfect makeup and hair, picture perfect for her walk down the aisle to her husband-to-be. Bindu expected to be nervous, especially because she doesn’t enjoy being the center of attention, but she felt surprisingly calm and peaceful throughout the ceremony.

After they exchanged vows in the Catholic ceremony, everyone traveled back to theWit to change and prepare for the Hindu ceremony that took place at the hotel. Thanks to the rain and traffic, everyone was running a bit behind schedule. Bindu didn’t realize that the priest had yet to arrive by the time she was ready to begin. She was happily surprised to find her brother, who is well versed in the wedding traditions, standing under the mandap to officiate the first part of the ceremony. The Hindu priest arrived halfway through the ceremony to officially marry them, and most guests never even realized it wasn’t planned to happen that way! The officiating mix-up ended up being one of Bindu’s favorite parts of their Big Day. “I thought it was just funny and also special that he got to be a part of our wedding in that way,” she said. Ed remembered the couple’s first dance, to the Boyce Avenue’s acoustic version of “A Thousand Years,” as his favorite moment.

After the two heartfelt ceremonies, Bindu and Ed were ready to celebrate with their family and friends. They had food stations featuring paella and mater paneer to represent both of their Hispanic and Indian cultures for guests to enjoy. Their cake was topped by a customized cake topper featuring a turtle bride (complete with a veil) and a polar bear groom as a nod to a special joke between the couple. All the reception tables were personalized with coloring pages and crayons as a nod to Bindu’s love of coloring, as well as the peacock colors she loves. Bindu and Ed made sure their personalities and shared interests were integrated all throughout their wedding day. As for the entertainment, the Howl at the Moon dueling pianos kept everyone entertained and enjoying the dance floor throughout the night. Bindu’s only regret after their fabulous wedding was not having a videographer to capture the memories. “I definitely recommend getting a videographer,” she shared.  All in all, their unique, multi-cultural celebration was the perfect representation of Bindu and Ed’s love and commitment.

Vendor List:

Ceremony Venue: St. Michael Catholic Church in Old Town

Reception Venue: theWit

Photography: Jolie Images Photography

Officiant: Fr. Social

Bride’s Gown: Lillian Lottie Bridal Couture; Family heirloom sari

Hair: Jennifer Castellanos

Makeup: Wendy of Visage Joli Makeup & Hair Chicago

Formalwear: GQ Formalwear

Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal

Floral: A New Leaf

Catering & Cake: theWit

Entertainment: Howl at the Moon

Transportation: Chicago Cloud 9 Limo

Custom Cake Topper: Perlilla Pets