West Palm Beach Florida Wedding

Tonya Marshall and Roshan Amin first met at a mutual friend’s Christmas party back in 2012.

“I wanted nothing to do with him at the time,” Tonya laughs. “It wasn’t until we randomly ran into each other three months later, that we started dating.”

After their relationship blossomed, the couple found themselves climbing up a huge construction crane for no particular reason. Nine stories up in the air, they arrived at the top and sat down to enjoy the panoramic views of downtown Chattanooga.

“When we stood up to leave, I heard Roshan say my full name,” Tonya describes. “When I looked back, he was down on one knee, and he asked me to marry him. I was completely shocked; and I was lucky not to fall off the crane!”

The wedding planning process was no easy feat, as the couple had two different destination weddings to plan–and one was an elaborate Hindu wedding in West Palm Beach. Fortunately, friends and family stepped in to help such as Roshan’s mother, Tonya’s best friend, and the couple’s wedding planner, Nancy.

From start to finish, Tonya and Roshan’s wedding day was flawless. The bride began her day at 4am with hair and makeup, and the groom rode into their Hindu ceremony on a beautifully decorated white horse. Per Hindu tradition, the ceremony was comprised of several distinct prayers and customs. While seated at the mandap, an antarpat (an auspicious cloth used as a symbol of the bride and groom’s separate existence prior to the marriage) was placed between the bride and groom, so they couldn’t see each other.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests played some Hindu wedding games, had a traditional farewell, ate a quick lunch, then raced back to their rooms to get ready for their second, Christian-based wedding of the day. A string trio filled the air with classical music, and the ceremony included a moment of silence in remembrance of the bride’s father, Roshan’s grandmother, and other loved ones who weren’t able to be present that day.

“Roshan and I made our exit under beautiful sparklers held by our wonderful friends,” says Tonya. “Everything was perfect and it was truly the best day of my life; but the day began at 4am and ended at 4am. We were obviously very happy, but couldn’t wait to sleep!”