I was sooooo excited to shoot Ashna’s mehndi party! She looked absolutely beautiful with her bridal mehndi, surrounded by her closest girlfriends, and just relaxing before she got to marry the love of her life.
Ashna found me on TikTok and I’m soooo glad she reached out! She married her high school sweetheart, Ian, and they dated for 6 years.
Ian + Ashna wanted a small elopement that focused on their love while including their closest family and friends. They were both born and raised in Colorado Springs, CO, but eloped in Dillon, CO … stay tuned for that blog post. 😉
Ashna wanted to incorporate her Indian culture into her wedding celebrations and did that through her Medendi party!
What is bridal mehndi?
Ashna held an absolutely beautiful pre-wedding, bridal Mehndi party!
Bridal mehndi is a common Indian practice when the bride has red-orange mehndi stain applied in gorgeous, intricate designs to her palms, back of hands, and feet! The best part: not only does it look amazing, it’s also a great chance to hang out with your closest girlfriends and family before you get hitched.
Tradition claims that the darker the bride’s henna, the deeper the groom’s love for his bride and the happier their marriage will be! Judging by that, I know Ashna + Ian are going to be very, very happy for a looooong time. 😉
With the vibrant pillows and the guests mingling, Ashna’s mehndi party was exactly the colorful, lounge feel that most Indian mehndi parties aim for.
Indian Traditional Pre-Wedding Ceremony
Her Mehendi party was in her parents’ backyard with her immediate family and best friends. Everyone enjoyed partaking in her cultural tradition of Mehendi and eating authentic Indian food. (I’m still drooling over her mother’s curry!)
Her guests got to do hand mehndi, while Ashna had the full bridal mehndi on her feet, ankles, hands, and forearms.
The table decorations were light and colorful with pops of blue, purple, and pink. I loooove every detail of their table setup! From the candles to the pillows, everything looked gorgeous.
Planning a Multicultural Wedding
There are lots of ways you can incorporate your family’s cultural traditions into your wedding day if that’s the kind of wedding you’ve always dreamt of. You could include hints in the details, plan your entire wedding according to your culture, or you can mix it up! Think about the food, drinks, music, & outfits.
Some multicultural couples plan a traditional ceremony from one partner’s culture, and then plan the reception to cater more towards the other partner. Some include a nod to each culture in both the ceremony and the reception.
As for Ashna, her pre-wedding bridal mehndi was a beautiful way to celebrate her Indian culture.
You could include food from both your cultures at your reception. Choose flowers that originate in your home country or that have some significance in your culture!
You can hint at your heritage in the details of your outfits! Have a shirt made with fabric from the country you’re from. Pick out accessories made by a business local to your hometown. The possibilities are endless!
Remember it’s totally up to you, so feel free to make it unique. Planning a multicultural wedding can be a memorable, personal touch to your big day that highlights the two of you as a couple. No matter the pressure you two face, this day is about your love story!
