Mary Ashley and Arjun’s love story reminded us of sweetness and joy. Though the forecast predicted rain, it was clear skies all day at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Bright florals peppered their reception with color as vibrant as their spirits. – Ann-Marie

Arjun and I met in a very unique and natural way – we are godparents to the same little girl! Arjun met her dad when they were grad students at Cornell and I have known our goddaughter’s parents since we were all in middle school together. Arjun and I didn’t actually meet until November 2018 when we sat together at our goddaughter’s baptism. We had great conversation and when I went back to St. Louis after that weekend, I bragged on how easy he was to talk with and how kind he was to my roommate at the time. She asked why I wasn’t interested in dating him and I said, “because I don’t date every kind guy I talk to!” That was the extent of Arjun and my interactions [except for texting about splitting birthday gifts for our goddaughter for her birthday] until August 2020. 

While being at home with my family a lot more during the beginning of the pandemic, I went on several walks with my friend, Sarah Hunter (goddaughter’s mom), over the summer. She had hinted before that she thought Arjun and I would possibly hit it off, but I was a.) never in a mindset of prioritizing dating and b.) didn’t want to make anything awkward with my goddaughter’s godparent relationship! But it was during that summer that Sarah Hunter really doubled down and asked if I would consider going on a walk with Arjun because she truly thought we would be a good match, and if nothing else, I would get to know my fellow godparent better (ha! a classic SH kind-hearted jiu jitsu move to lower the pressure and get what she wanted!). Arjun and I went on a walk at Shelby Farms on August 5, 2020 that lasted for almost 3 hours. We snuck another one in on the 18^th before I headed back to St. Louis and then we casually texted once I was back in STL until he asked me in September to come visit in October. He came the last weekend in October and the rest is history. He was at my family’s Thanksgiving table three weeks later. Neither one of us had dated a lot of people and we were selective about the type of person we wanted. When we knew, we knew. And things were clear and decisive from the beginning.

During that very same conversation when Arjun asked if I would be open to him coming to visit me in St. Louis (a very smooth ask I might add), I was walking along my favorite path in Brentwood right near my apartment. I was coming to a curve in the road when he asked. To be honest, I had been bracing myself for that moment because Sarah Hunter had tipped me off that he wanted to come visit. I was prepared to get nervous and feel overwhelmed at the idea and for it to be an uncomfortable moment on the phone. None of those things happened. Arjun has a quiet confidence and is an excellent communicator. He made the request seem natural and easy with no pressure on what would happen after the weekend. At the curve in the road, I remember the significance of not having a pit in my stomach and saying an easy “yes.” Arjun proposed on Saturday, May 15^th 2021. I had just finished a ridiculously difficult semester in seminary less than twenty-four hours before, and Arjun had been in town for a couple of days. He was planning to leave midday on Saturday, at which point, I was under the idea that my mom and sister were coming to STL for a girls’ weekend. That was a pretty good ruse since it motivated me to tidy my apartment and get going for the day. Arjun asked if we could go on a walk at 10am on our favorite path before he left. I thought the time request was kind of odd, but it seemed to make sense with what he needed to do the rest of the day. I also thought it was odd that he arrived ready to go on a walk in a collared shirt!! Long story short, he proposed at that very same curve in the road where I said yes to him coming to St. Louis. He said he got my first yes at that place and he wanted to get my “yes for life” in the same place! Family and friends were waiting to throw us a Brunch Engagement Party (the best kind) in my apartment. We did a photo shoot later in the day and a nice Italian dinner with everyone that night at Lombardo’s. It was the most wonderful day!

I was very much wanting to play up the autumnal elements of the season with jewel tones like blue teal, purples, mixed with reds and pops of yellow. We did a few white pumpkins mixed in with candles at certain places at the reception and a little bit of orange florals, but overall, I wanted it to feel like a rich, visual palette of fall without becoming overtly a “Halloween/October” vibe. John Mark (our genius, inventive florist) was a huge part of making my vision happen as well as my planner, Ellen Thomas, who worked with White Door Events to help make sure our table linens reflected the “blue teal with golds” dream I had in my head. I loved my cake table look with my bouquet on it and a textured gold/square pattern on the linen. Other than the “neutral” of the dew-drop colored bridesmaid dresses (a mix of silver/gray), everything else was full color and bloom! I wanted the look to feel fresh and alive and not just be white/silver/green. I think we accomplished that and if you see the beautiful pictures Ann-Marie and Mackenzie got, their talent combined with the colors of the wedding and the natural color of the Botanic Garden had so much to do with the photographs popping with richness.

Our wedding was special because Arjun’s parents, Siby and Jessy, were able to be there! Arjun’s brother and sister-in-law live in Boston, so we were so thrilled they could be present with us for our engagement and throughout the lead up to the wedding, but it was always in question whether Arjun’s parents would be present since they live in India and had to consider all of the COVID/quarantine procedures to get to the U.S. After much planning, effort, patience and bravery on their part, Arjun’s parents, along with an aunt and uncle, completed a fourteen-day quarantine in Mexico City to be present for our wedding. We welcomed them to Memphis on September 26^th – Arjun’s birthday and the first one they had spent with him in many years. The joy abounded as I was able to meet them for the first time and we felt ourselves breathe a huge sigh of relief that they could be a part of this significant day for their son. We missed Arjun’s sister, her husband, and their two boys who were stuck in Sweden, but we did everything we could to make sure they could see and be a part of things virtually. But I think I speak for the whole Kurian clan, having Siby and Jessy there was the biggest answered prayer and cause for celebration. We look forward to being all together for the first time during a visit to Sweden this summer!

As a little girl, my dreams mainly centered about what my dress would and wouldn’t look like, colors, desired time of year (I never thought I would get a fall wedding in SEC Football Land, but I DID!), and most of all: the cake. At a very early age, the bride’s and groom’s cake became the indicator for me of a good or mediocre wedding. I used to joke that the cake predicted the quality of the marriage Basically if you didn’t have chocolate cake somewhere, I might as well have stayed home. I went to a wedding with my mom one time where we couldn’t go to the reception and I declared that day that I would have to-go boxes of cake at the church for all the sad little girls who couldn’t go to the reception. I didn’t quite fulfill that promise, but I did offer seven different flavors of cake for people to enjoy! 

SO MANY COMPLIMENTS TO GIVE! Elizabeth Heiskell Catering with Sarah Virden as lead for the night (rehearsal dinner) and Draper’s Catering (reception) got so many affirmations from our guests. We received rave reviews of the “elevated” pulled pork served in martini glasses and the delicious banana peanut butter pudding and chocolate truffles at the rehearsal dinner. At the reception, people LOVED the grilled cheese and mashed potato bars. In general, Draper’s offered amazing variety in their stations that worked well for a larger party. As for the cakes, you already know that I would only place them in the most brilliant of hands! Those hands belonged to Laura Jackson at The Flour Garden in Memphis. She had already done a fabulous job with my brother’s wedding and we tasked her this time with four groom’s cakes for Arjun – strawberry, almond raspberry, caramel, and red velvet. My bride’s cake, which Laura hit out of the park visually with blue layers with a gold geometric design mixed in with white-frosted layers, was vanilla, chocolate, and banana chocolate chip. Also, every good thing anyone has said about the Jeremy Shrader Band came true! What a perfect choice for entertainment and it was such a refreshing change to have jazz as our background music for the party. 

Obviously, I have to brag on our photographer! Ann-Marie and Mackenzie were delights of the day. I appreciated knowing that they could divide and conquer and make our photo time efficient and pleasant. Ann-Marie is so funny when she finds a good angle or lighting. Watching her get excited made me all the more excited to look at the finished product! Ellen Thomas, along with her assistant, Megan, made sure the day ran smoothly and that Arjun and I could just focus on enjoying everything and everyone! We’re thankful to them and their logistical and organizational talent that helped our day be so fun and effortless

There were two main Indian Christian elements we included at our ceremony and reception. One was the Tying of the Thali. The “Thali” is a heart-shaped gold amulet with a cross made of seven beads superimposed on it. Arjun put it around my neck during the ceremony after we exchanged rings. It signifies Arjun accepting me as God’s chosen person for him with not just his own love, but with the sacrificial love of Jesus living in him. The necklace is beautiful and meaningful to me. Lots of people wanted a closer look at the reception!

Secondly, we participated in lighting a lamp called a “vilakku” to begin the reception. The traditional brass lamp of Syro-Malabar Christians has a cross on top. It is lit with wicks immersed in vegetable oil. Our first act as a married couple in front of our community assembled at the reception was “lighting the lamp,” signifying our joint effort of bringing the light of Christ into our lives, and spreading it into the community by our example.

If you had asked any meteorologist that day, October 15^th was supposed to end with a lot of rain! Because of many prayers, not one guest or member of the wedding party was ever rained on. It poured as we waited outside of the church to start the processional and continued to rain during the ceremony. With perfect timing, it stopped by the time we were leaving the church in the red convertible after our petal toss to head to the reception! I say it was a surprise that it never rained on us, but really it was the result of a lot of prayers and positivity! 

Another beautiful surprise was the way the Lord totally took all of Arjun’s and my hopes for the ceremony and just fulfilled them beyond our wildest dreams! We put a lot of time and intentionality in being around our ministers as a couple and communicating our desires for the ceremony (implementing Indian traditions, taking communion, a benediction, etc.) We wanted the ceremony to be substantive in length and content so that we would always remember saying our vows and the time in which we literally became married. We didn’t just want the ceremony to be a means of getting to the reception. Not only was the ceremony the worshipful experience we prayed for it to be, but our two ministers, who had never met each other and were from two different towns, melded so beautifully together. It was like an orchestra working off of each other’s notes as they led us through the ceremony. Most people say they kind of blackout during their ceremony, but Arjun and I both agree we are surprised that we vividly remember all of it!

Lead Photographer: Ann-Marie Wyatt | Second Shooter: Mackenzie Rue | Dress: The Bridal Path | Bridesmaids Dresses: The Bridal Path | Tux: American Tuxedo | Cakes: The Flour Garden | Reception Venue: Memphis Botanical Garden | Coordinator: Ellen Thomas | Flowers: John Mark Sharpe Enterprises | Invitations: Stovall Collection | Calligraphy: Kathy Crosby | Rentals: White Door Events | Band: The Jeremy Shrader Band | Caterer: Draper’s Catering | Hair: Juve Salon | Makeup: Heather Boutique