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Christine Butiong & Jay Nath decided to make the commitment to share their lives and celebrate their traditions by having two weddings – one in India and one in San Francisco
Calcutta, India
January 17, 2004
150 Guests
San Francisco, California
August 14, 2004
60 Guests
“Would you like to have lunch?”
It’s funny how a simple question can change your life.
Our story began six years ago when we tried (unsuccessfully) to keep our office romance a secret. We quickly found so many shared interests and dreams that we were inseparable from the start. We changed and grew together, especially with respect to our diet and belief in our connection to this world. We started out as vegetarians, but it was only after our year-long journey through South Asia that we decided to give up all animal products.
Years later, another question would be asked, both beautiful in its simplicity and life-altering in its depth. We decided to make the commitment to share our lives and celebrate our traditions by having two weddings: one in India, one in San Francisco.
Our Hindu wedding in Calcutta began with a fast that continued until evening, but the delicious vegan fare was worth the wait. Adorned with traditional clothing, we balanced on a stone tablet while seven women encircled us during Gai Halood. They chanted prayers, blew through conch shells, and smeared our faces with turmeric. A little shaken, but smiling, we began our rooftop marriage ceremony, which was both magical and chaotic. As the priest chanted in Sanskrit, we sat in front of the sacred fire and made offerings to the gods, exchanged garlands underneath a canopy, and walked the seven symbolic steps that would unite us forever.
Back home after our honeymoon in Kerala, it was time for part two of our celebration. We decided to have an interfaith ceremony in a garden, encircled by our closest family and friends. Ushered in by the beautiful sounds of a string quartet, Christine walked down an aisle strewn with rose petals. As our guests raised their hands towards us and chanted Om, we could feel their love envelop us. We wed again, this time underneath the open sky in San Francisco’s Shakespeare Garden, where we read our handwritten vows, promising our eternal love.
Our reception was held in a beautiful downtown art gallery. The vegan dinner and favors were so lovingly prepared that our guests were singing praises throughout the night, and the days following.
Looking back, we feel very fortunate to have had two weddings that expressed our faiths and traditions as well as our vegan values. To anyone considering the same, we say go for it!
Christine & Jay's Menu
Calcutta, India
Breakfast
Spicy Potato Curry • Poori (puffy fried bread) • Assorted Chutnies • Assorted Bengali Sweets
Lunch
Dhal Soup • Vegetable Curry • Vegetable Pakoras • Assorted Chutnies • Basmati Rice
Dinner
Tomato and Pea Soup • Vegetable Dhal Soup • Masala Naan • Roasted Cauliflower • Stuffed Bell Peppers • Vegetable Masala • Spicy Fried Lentil Balls • Assorted Chutnies • Basmati Rice
Dessert
Assorted Bengali Sweets
Beverages
Fresh Pineapple and Mango Juices
San Francisco, California
Appetizers
Cracked Pepper Asparagus • Fresh Thai Spring Rolls • Sesame Ginger Sugar Snaps • Grilled Vegetable Satay
Buffet Dinner
Spinach Salad with Tempeh and Sesame Ginger Dressing • Thai Vegetable Coconut Curry • Crispy Tofu with Asparagus • Acorn Squash Ravioli • Basmati Rice • Fresh Breads
Wedding Cake
Three-tiered Pistachio and Saffron Cake with Toasted Almonds
Beverages
Assorted Herbal Teas • Fair Trade Coffees • Organic White & Red Wine
Wedding Favors
Vegan Chocolate Assortment by Rose City Chocolatier
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