Shweta Motiwala & Nikhil Wagle

Photograph by Leila Brewster Photography

September 6, 2014
Mount Hope Farm
Bristol, Rhode Island

When Shweta Motiwala walked into a friend’s birthday party in February 2012, Nikhil Wagle recognized her immediately, though he hadn’t seen her in some 15 years. Originally from New Jersey, they’d grown up in similar circles, and had both ended up in Boston practicing medicine (at the same hospital, no less). “Even though we hadn’t known each other personally, there was some familiarity there,” Shweta says. “Everything was so easy.” Their first date was a few weeks later, and the rest, as Nikhil says, is history.

Flash-forward to a year and a half later, when the couple was getting ready for a 10-day trip to Brazil. The day before their early-morning flight, Shweta, who’d been busy at work, was stressed about packing in time. Nikhil, however, was preoccupied with something else entirely. “I hadn’t eaten in 24 hours,” he says. “I hadn’t slept. I was so stressed out, I was almost delirious.” After persuading an anxious Shweta to join him for a quick stroll through the Common, he finally popped the question (and soon after broke the good news that their flight wasn’t until the following evening).

When they returned from Brazil, it was time to begin planning the wedding. With its coastal proximity and remote location, Mount Hope Farm offered the blank canvas the couple needed to execute their vision of a seaside New England fete infused with Hindu traditions. “People from different parts of India—even according to the same religious traditions—organize their wedding ceremonies differently,” explains Shweta of the three-day-long celebration. “So we looked through everything that everyone does and picked out the parts that were the most meaningful to us.”

Photograph by Leila Brewster Photography

Nikhil rode into the ceremony on a white horse, with his family and drummers in tow. “If this were ancient India, we would be coming from a different village, going to meet my future wife and her family and friends,” he says. “So the drums announce the arrival of the groom’s party.”

Photograph by Leila Brewster Photography

Sarah True, the couple’s wedding planner, hung lanterns throughout the reception tent. “Shweta loves lanterns and string lights, so that was one of those things that was definitely going to be part of our ­wedding—we just had to figure out how,” Nikhil says.

Photograph by Leila Brewster Photography

Shweta and Nikhil exchanged garlands during the ceremony to signify mutual acceptance of their partnership in marriage.

Photograph by Leila Brewster Photography

A henna specialist arrived on Thursday evening to begin Shweta’s henna—which covered her hands and feet—and returned the next evening to do small designs for guests at the welcome party.

Photograph by Leila Brewster Photography

The stagelike mandap was adorned with strings of carnations, mums, marigolds, and zinnia: “It’s usually metaphoric pillars that are supposed to symbolize the home of the bride and the groom, and then ultimately a home that you create together,” Shweta explains.

The File

Band The Elements
Baraat Music Boston Light & Sound
Bar and Dessert Russell Morin Catering & Events
Calligraphy Kristen Henderson Calligraphy
Catering Bukhara Grill
Day-Of Stationery Paper Moss
Event Coordinator and Design True Event
Florist Stoneblossom Floral & Event Design
Hair and Makeup Goka Love
Henna Manisha Trivedi
Horse Bridal Carriage Company
Lighting Ryan Designs
Linens La Travola
Mandap/Indian Décor Prasang Decorators & Events Planners
Rentals New England Country Rentals, Rentals Unlimited
Tent Rental Newport Tent Company
Videographer Long Haul Films

For additional inspiration, check out more Real New England Weddings »

Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.