Divya and Ricky's Big Fat Indian Jewish Wedding

This is the story of Divya and Ricky -- two wine and music loving Google employees who got together thanks to the greatest pick up line of all time. Who said what to whom? Read on, friends.

This is also the story of Divya nearly voting Ricky off the island before they even met, of a professional dancer whipping Ricky's family into dance shape, and of the greatest use of paper napkins ever. And of course, it is the story of how I got lucky enough to meet this wonderful couple and paint a wine, Napa, and music inspired ketubah for them. 

Divya and Ricky met through the Google a cappella group, Googapella (Yes, that is a thing -- what!?!).  Divya joined the group three years prior to Ricky. In fact, Ricky had to audition twice because he didn't get in the first time. Now get this --Divya voted against him! Excuse? Divya says she thought Ricky was arrogant, while Ricky likes to say that Divya simply couldn't withstand her feelings for him (I'm with him on this one). Nevertheless, after Ricky's second audition, Divya relented and voted yes. The rest is history.  

I asked Divya and Ricky how each knew the other was "the one". 

Divya: Not long after Ricky joined Googapella (see above), he wrote an arrangement of For Good from Wicked for the group. He spent the next few rehearsals teaching the arrangement to the rest of us. In watching him teach, I was able to see the kind, funny, confident, intelligent man he is. I also noticed that he was always his authentic self, regardless of where he was or who was with him. It wasn't too long after that that I was telling my friends that I had an "inappropriate crush on a 22-year-old."

Ricky: Shortly after I joined Googapella, we had a welcome party at a local sports bar. Divya came up to me and said, unprompted, "Show me your Beaker face." I said, "What?" to which she replied "You know Beaker from the Muppets? Show me your Beaker face. Here's mine."

She then proceeded to contort her face to match that of the famous character in a display that was both horrifying and hilarious. I, in turn, gave it my best go, and we both had a good laugh. In that moment, I realized that I had never met such a goofy and outgoing woman in my life.

Alright, friends, I'm officially going to be trying that line next time I'm feeling awkward at an event where I don't know anyone. Watch this space for updates.

Ricky and Divya's wedding was going to be a blending of cultures and traditions -- which happens to be my favorite kind of art to make.

They wanted their custom hand painted ketubah to reflect their favorite hobbies: wine tasting and music.  Their ketubah text was to reinforce their commitment to nurturing each other's talents and helping one another grow into the best versions of themselves.

And so, we based it on the exact location where they got engaged -- a beautiful Napa winery. 

 Can't you actually feel the joy in this photo? I got to work sketching. These are the first 3 sketches I presented them with:

After a few revisions, this is the final ketubah sketch we landed on: 

They loved it! For their color palette Divya and Ricky went with greens, dark reds, and a touch of gold leaf. I got to work! 

As always, I sent them this process video as the big reveal. 

They loved their one of a kind ketubah! I couldn't wait for them to see it in person. 

I asked the happy couple what they see as the most important foundational value of their marriage.

Here is what they said:

The most important value in our marriage is authenticity. We never have to worry about being our most authentic selves with one another. Our personalities fit together like puzzle pieces, as we say. Moreover, whatever we take on (for example, planning a wedding), we make sure to do it our way.

And now all you engaged couples it's time to take notes. This is Divya and Ricky's advice for the wedding planning process:

Break up the process into milestones (e.g. booking vendors, curating guest list, etc.) and be sure to acknowledge when you've completed each one. There is so much work to do that it can often be daunting. Giving yourself a pat on the back once you've checked a big thing off the list can really go a long way.

What was your favorite moment of the wedding day?

It's a tradition at Indian weddings that the friends & family of the bride & groom do a choreographed dance to a mashup of the couple's favorite songs. Moreover, the dance moves and soundtrack are meant to be a surprise for the couple. In our case, the dance was choreographed by Divya's sister Dipika, who is a trained dancer. In contrast, Divya and Ricky's friends & family are not trained dancers – a fact that seems to have been lost on Dipika because she choreographed the most difficult wedding choreography we've ever seen. Yet, everyone on stage nailed the dance moves! Seeing just how much work our friends and family were willing to put in for us brought the biggest smiles to our faces.

And then something hilarious happened:

During the hora, Ricky told his 23-year-old younger brother Steven to get a napkin (for the groom and bride to hold while in the chairs, as is tradition). Steven, who had never been to a wedding before, returned with a handful of drink napkins from the bar and handed them to Ricky. Ricky, having no idea what to do with these napkins, proceeded to simply toss them in the air, confetti-style. Another thing I'm going to try next time I feel shy at a party. 

Mazel Tov Divya and Ricky!!! It was such a blast working with you and I am drooling over your incredible wedding photos by Studio Nine Photography. I wish you a life time of rolling hills, beautiful music, delicious wine, and so many more joyful celebrations! L'chaim!!!