Two celebrations, one love story

Ariel and Vai together

India Wedding

Sunday, January 24, 2027

Bangalore, India

U.S. Wedding

Friday, April 30, 2027

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We would love to celebrate with you at both occasions, but we also understand that two weddings across the world from each other may not be logistically feasible for everyone. Please join for one or both, whichever works for you!

Header art by Claude Monet and side art by Minnal Arcot

Our Story

Our love story didn’t start when we were born on opposite sides of the USA—Vai in California, Ariel in Maryland—exactly three days apart. It didn’t start when we grew up on opposite sides of the world, Vai in Bangalore and Ariel in Denver. It didn’t even start when we both moved to Philadelphia in the summer of 2018 to pursue graduate studies at UPenn and lived half a block away from each other. It took until May 2023 and a match on Hinge to get our love story started. Our first date was a comedy of errors; we didn’t realize there would be a two-hour wait at the bowling alley, so we decided to catch a movie Vai had heard was good. Turns out a horror film about paranoid schizophrenia isn’t great first date material! We quickly bailed and ended up spending hours walking all over the city and talking about everything. By the end of the first date, we were both smitten.

Ariel and Vai together outdoors
Ariel and Vai smiling together

We quickly started building a life together; Vai got into board games and Ariel got into capital-f Films. Together we’ve explored foreign countries, film festivals, glacier hikes, and even an Improv 101 class. In November of 2025, Vai constructed an elaborate scavenger hunt that ended up driving us to Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania where he asked Ariel to marry him. She said a resounding yes and posed the same question to him a few weeks later at Morris Arboretum. We feel so lucky to get to spend the rest of our lives together, and can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Header art by Claude Monet and side art by Minnal Arcot

Events Schedule

Haldi/Mehendi

January 22nd, 3-6PM
Dress: Indian or Western dressy casual, prioritize stain-resistant fabrics

Reception

January 23rd, 5-8PM
Dress: Indian formal

Ceremony

January 24th, 10-1PM
Dress: Indian formal

All events are at Mariposa, K.G. Nelaguli, Karnataka 560116



Travel

What airport should I fly to?

You should plan to fly to Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) in Bangalore. From the U.S., the most common layover stops are Singapore from the west coast and London and Frankfurt from the east coast. Dubai and Doha are usually good stopovers too, but based on our experience in March 2026, we recommend holding off from flying through there for a little while...

Do I need a visa if I'm coming from the U.S.?

Yes! An e-Tourist visa is easy and quick to get. Go to https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/ and follow the directions there. You should get an email that your application is approved within a few days. That email will give you a link to a PDF with your details and photo, which is your e-visa. Print it out and store it with your passport; you'll need to present both at the airport in the U.S. and in India.

Where should I stay?

We will arrange your accommodation the nights of January 22nd-24th for guests traveling in, including shuttles to and from the wedding location. Exact hotel location TBD.

How should I get around?

First off, do NOT rent your own car. We cannot recommend driving in cities in India unless you're coming with years of experience driving in cities in India. Seriously. Our recommendations are:

  • Uber: hugely common in India and quite inexpensive compared to the U.S.!
  • Savaari: If you have a packed day of sightseeing around town, you can also hire a car for the day for approximately $30USD. Be sure to request an English-speaking driver on the website; then whenever you're done at one spot, you can call him on WhatsApp and he'll pick you up and take you wherever's next. You can also hire a car for inter-city travel.
  • Metro: the above-ground rail system is a safe and convenient option for getting from one part of the city to another, but it's still being built so the lines are limited. They have security checkpoints and metal detectors at each rail stop, so get there with a few minutes of buffer before your train!

What should I pack?

Bangalore in February is usually in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit in January, which should be a welcome respite for us living in North America! Pack accordingly, but note that India is a pretty conservatively-dressed culture. We recommend pants instead of shorts for both men and women. Cleavage is also very taboo.

What fun things do you recommend doing in the area?

There's tons of options both near and far, reach out to us and we're happy to help you plan an itinerary! Here are a few options to jumpstart planning:

  • ISKCON Bangalore: A massive temple site known for being welcoming to non-Hindu visitors.
  • Lalbagh Flower Show: A must-see flower festival every January held in a colonial-era botanical garden.
  • Bannerughatta Biological Park: A massive zoo with a combination of classic and free-range enclosures and a nice butterfly park.
  • Mysore: ~2 hours drive from Bangalore. The “cultural capital of Karnataka” has tons of temples as well as the largest palace in southern India.
  • Bandipur Tiger Reserve: ~4 hours drive from Bangalore. Schedule a tour that will take you on a safari bus through a national park and see free-roaming elephants, wild boars, musk oxen, peacocks, and tigers!
If you have the time on your trip, we'd also strongly recommend you visit other parts of India like Jaipur, Kochi, and Agra. Again, we're happy to help you plan!


Dress Code

Dress Code: Women

Women have lots of options for wedding guest outfits in India. Most traditional in south India is a sari, a long piece of fabric tied to form a skirt and then draped over the shoulder, with a matching blouse. These can be a little intimidating to wear for the first time as a westerner! If you love this look, probably buy a "pre-draped" or "ready to wear" sari that comes stitched into skirt shape.

Another great option is a churidar, consisting of a long tunic and trousers. These will typically come with a dupatta, a piece of fabric that's pinned to the shoulder.

Other options from other parts of India are a lehenga (a long, wide skirt with blouse) or an anarkali (a long dress, usually with long sleeves).

Shoes are typically dressy sandals; because our events are being held outdoors on uneven ground, please emphasize comfort and mobility!

There's no concept of "don't outshine the bride" in Indian weddings; bright colors, patterns, jewelry jewelry and more jewelry is encouraged! Red is the traditional bridal color and most people will avoid it, but it's not a hard rule like no wearing white to a western wedding would be.

Example sari outfit for wedding guests
Sari
Example churidar outfit for wedding guests
Churidar
Example kurta outfit for wedding guests
Kurta

Dress Code: Men

The traditional wedding guest outfit for men in southern India is called a kurta: a knee-length tunic and close-fitted trousers. This can also come with a jacket, a vest, or a chunni that's worn around the neck. Lots of Indian men will also wear a western-style suit to weddings.

Shoes are often dressy sandals, but as with the women, emphasize comfort and mobility.

Header art by Claude Monet and side art by Minnal Arcot

Schedule

Ceremony

April 30th, 6-11PM
Morris Arboretum
100 E Northwestern Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Cocktail hour and reception to follow

Q&A

Where should I stay?

The wedding is in the quiet Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. There are a few hotels in this area, but your selection (and things to do) will be much greater closer to Center City, Bala Cynwyd, or Manayunk. Feel free to reach out for more specific recommendations if it's your first time to Philly!

How should I get to the wedding?

Morris Arboretum is about a 45 minute drive from the Philadelphia airport and about 30 minutes from Center City. There's a large parking lot onsite, so feel free to drive yourself. Ubers are available as well, but may take a few extra minutes to arrive compared to in the city proper.

What should I wear?

The dress code is cocktail; suits, cocktail dresses, jumpsuits, and dressy separates are all appropriate. The ceremony and cocktail hour will be outdoors barring extreme weather, so we'd prefer you choose something comfortable and factor in layers. There will be some walking on uneven ground and on grated platforms, so leave your stilettos at home.

Header art by Claude Monet and side art by Minnal Arcot