Vows that Wow | Katie & Varun

Welcome to the July edition of Vows That Wow! Each month, our Wed Society Editorial Team has the privilege of reviewing gorgeous weddings from across the Northern Virginia region. We celebrate weddings that beautifully spotlight a couple’s unique love story, their distinct personalities, and the incredible wedding vendors who bring it all to life. Out of so many stunning submissions, we select just one standout wedding that truly exemplifies thoughtful design and breathtaking detail.

This month, we are absolutely thrilled to celebrate Katie and Varun! Their unforgettable day was filled with joyous dancing, duel ceremonies, and beautiful bright colors!

The Wedding Day

When planning a wedding, couples find themselves finding balance to combining their cultures, traditions, and aesthetics for their wedding ceremony — for Katie and Varun, they decided to double that challenge by creating a weekend full of traditions and ceremonies that celebrated both their cultures.

Instead of fusing two cultures together, Katie and Varun decided to have a beautiful weekend that celebrated both their Hindu and Christian traditions! This was a way that they were able to fully embrace the beauty of each others culture without having to compromise traditions that were important to them.

Their wedding weekend started on Friday for the Sangeet, which was a colorful, energy-filled night with dance performances, beautiful music, and incredible food! Katie and her bridesmaid took the stage with a choreographed dance, followed by Varun and his groomsmen, and finished the night with a family dance done by the women of Varun’s family — which was a massive hit with their guests!

On Saturday, the morning kicked off with the Baraat. Varun arrived on a white horse in celebration with family and friends dancing and filling the streets with joyous sound around him. Following the Hindu ceremony in the Vineyard View Ballroom, guests enjoyed a catered Indian lunch before heading back to their hotels to relax before the evening festivities began!

That evening, everyone came back together for the American ceremony on the vineyard hillside. Katie’s uncle officiated their ceremony, which made the moment so personal and meaningful! Following their ceremony, they enjoyed cocktail hour, and a reception that blended both backgrounds.

Their wedding wouldn’t have been as beautiful and amazing as it was without their vendor team.

Corrin Jasinki Photography was their photographer who felt like a best friend. She was able to be at ease knowing Corrin would be there to capture all the big and small moments of their wedding day! Because she was there from the very beginning of the day, Katie knew she had to find that perfect person to fit in with everyone around her.

Events by Khatera was her coordinator for their day! Though Katie planned everything herself, Khatera and her team were there to jump in and make sure everything ran smoothly on the wedding day, including set up, break down, venue walk-throughs and making sure Katie and Varun’s vision was seen!

Katie was very specific with the colors she wanted on their big day, and Castle Drive Flowers was there to find ways to reuse flowers from the different ceremonies to reception. The florist was patient and kind, and very open with communication, which helped make the their day so special!

RSVP Catering helped the cocktail hour and reception go smoothly! Guests were able to enjoy beautiful passed appetizers, delicious signature cocktails (with custom ice cubes!), and a night to remember with a great dinner and a dance-filled dance floor.

Katie and Varun’s Favorite Moments

The beauty of their wedding day was unmatched, but the heart of the celebration seeing both families come together was a beautiful moment that Katie loved!

“Everything was new to my family, so seeing Varun’s mom and aunts help my mom pin her lehenga and explain the meaning and significance behind different traditions was incredibly special and something I’ll never forget.”

How They Made Their Day Successful

While reflecting on their wedding planning, Katie and Varun shared a couple takeaways that can help with your wedding journey!

1. Organization is KEY! Make sure to do research and prep early. When doing all the work upfront, you’re able to relax and feel fully present to enjoy all the wedding day moments!
2. Communicate. Have the hard conversations about budgets, guest lists and family dynamics early. That way, there are no surprises because expectations were set early on.
3. Invest in Your Team. Hire wedding vendors that are there for you is worth the money!
4. It’s YOUR day. Family and friends will have their opinions, but all that matters is what you and your spouse want. Set your boundaries and follow your gut!
5. Social Media is your friend! Katie and Varun found almost every vendor from being tagged online through different forms of social media. She did the research, reached out to vendors, took extensive notes, and compared packages to find her dream team wedding vendors!