Surfer's Knoll Beach Wedding - lesliejoyphotography.com

Beneath the four-post mandap that stood tall at the Surfer’s Knoll beach wedding for Briana and KJ, various elements of the traditional Indian wedding ceremony were laid out on a short square platform. Among them: petals, figurines, fruits, and a wick. Fire, as the officiant explained to the audience of guests, represented the fire god Agni. And it was one of the most important aspects of the ceremony. When it was time to invite the gentlemen to light the fire, the wind was blowing with gusto. Even as all of the men stooped down to create the flame, it seemed like there would be no way that the wicks would succumb to being lit. But with a bit more willpower, a flame emerged.

Bri and KJ, I can only imagine that at certain points throughout your wedding planning process, it must have felt like there would be no way to pull it all together. There’s always so much that goes into planning a wedding, and you had the added task of fusing KJ’s Indian culture with Bri’s western roots. All to be done from out-of-state and in less than four months.

But what I love about the two of you is your endless good humor and your fierce determination to try. This was evident in all of our phone chats and email threads, which honestly felt more like instant messenger conversations because you, Bri, have record-setting response times! And it was the common theme across all of the speeches so eagerly given by your family and friends. This beautiful saga tracing your initial interactions in Santa Barbara to starting a new adventure in Utah. And then coming back to the west coast to celebrate your union. I’m so grateful to have been a part of this chapter of your lives and wish you all the best as your love story continues.

Scroll through for some of my favorite images from this beautiful fusion wedding filled with color and so much love!