A Glamorous Indian Wedding At The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

When Eric Dhall walked into Sasha Alikhan’s Business Negotiations and Conflict Resolution class her junior year at UC Berkeley, she was immediately intrigued. “Suit, cowboy boots and long hair—I knew he would be interesting,” Sasha explains, “but when he spoke, I was blown away by his intelligence and it was love.”

After a few Facebook exchanges and dinner (“a little wabi-sabi place, followed by a roller coaster car ride,” says Eric of their first real date. 

“I loved her when I observed the wild glint of fire in her chestnut eyes.”), the two were a couple but would soon be a long distance one. Eric was headed to his PhD program at UCLA and Sasha had one more year in Berkeley before moving to New York City to attend Columbia. While she was on a visit home to California in July 2011, Eric took Sasha on a five-hour hike. When they made their way to the bottom of a waterfall on Mount San Jacinto, he got down on one knee. “He cried but I was too excited about the ring and proposal!” says Sasha.

Initially overwhelmed by the planning process, the couple didn’t set a date but when they finally decided to make it happen they only gave themselves two-and-a-half months to plan. “It was hectic, but between my very creative mother,” Sasha explains, “and talented wedding planners, we were able to plan an awesome week.”

The wedding festivities kicked off with a sangeet ceremony hosted by Sasha’s aunt and uncle. The day after was a haldi ceremony. A bridal shower at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills included a visit by a comedian to roast the bride and groom. A mehndi party, designed by wedding planner and close family friend of the bride, Nikki Khan, was held at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks. And the nikkah, the Muslim wedding ceremony, was held at the home of Sasha’s parents. “I always wanted my nikkah at my parents’ home. Although 250 people was a tight fit,” says the bride, “it was very important to me to be in the home I grew up in. It was very emotional. My whole family and I cried both during the ceremony and as Eric carried me out.”

The following day, 450 guests attended the nondenominational ceremony in the Crystal Garden at The Beverly Hills Hotel. “The wonderful thing about having known my wedding planner my whole life,” Sasha says, “was that I wasn’t worried at all, I knew she was going to pull it all together flawlessly.”

After the whirlwind week, the couple embarked on a three-week “Wild West Roadtrip” honeymoon, stopping in such places as Zion National Park, Sedona and Santa Fe. Because of the time the couple spent apart, Sasha says the two are “truly just cherishing the fact that we get to spend so much time together.” “Marriage is a space rocket,” adds Eric. “Exhilarating, taking the soul to places never before experienced—yet at the same time dangerous. Enjoy the ride!”

For their honeymoon, the newlyweds traveled to Marbella, Spain, where they spent time swimming, laying out in the sun, eating local cuisine, and simply enjoying each other’s company.