Real Wedding: Katie O’Neal & Vivek Reddy

Draw inspiration from their stylish celebration.

July 29 and July 30, 2016
Newport Beach House and Castle Hill Inn
Newport, Rhode Island

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

THE STORY

Katie O’Neal hates it when her husband, Vivek Reddy, makes work calls on their way to dinner. “I know it annoys her,” admits Vivek, a physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York—but in his opinion, a dinner date doesn’t start until they get to the restaurant.

So on the night he was planning to propose to Katie, who works in medical sales, Vivek purposefully made a call during their Uber ride to the Gramercy Hotel to keep her suspicions at bay. It worked: She didn’t have a clue until she walked in and saw the upstairs terrace aglow with the light of hundreds of bulbs. A violinist and cellist were playing, and in front of the fireplace was a sign that read, “Katie, you light up every room you walk into.” When Vivek got down on one knee, she was taken completely by surprise. “He’s a hopeless romantic,” Katie says. “That’s one of the things about him that totally swept me off my feet. That’s not who I am, so it’s a nice complement to me.”

Katie’s self-described type-A personality, however, came in handy when she and Vivek had to plan not one but two weddings this past summer. Once they’d decided on Newport, a town they’d always enjoyed visiting, the details fell into place. They’d host a Hindu ceremony on Friday with an Indian buffet and party, and then they’d do it all over again at a Christian ceremony the next day at the Castle Hill Inn. Guests were invited to stay the weekend—all but one, that is. The 8,000-pound elephant that delivered Vivek and his eight-year-old daughter, Ella, to the Hindu ceremony went home at the end of the night.

THE DETAILS

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 1

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

Katie, who had saris custom made for her sisters and best friends, gave them each elephant friendship bracelets to represent the memories they’ve shared together.

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 5

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

The bridal bouquet included protea, which Katie fell in love with during a trip to Cape Town, South Africa.

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 3

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

Katie and Vivek said their vows at the water’s edge in front of an arbor layered with hydrangea, roses, and textured eucalyptus.

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 2

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

During the couple’s first look, at a remote lighthouse near Castle Hill, Vivek gave Katie a pair of Pagéo earrings.

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 4

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

The couple’s traditional wedding outfits for the Hindu ceremony were designed by a family friend and made in Bangalore. Vivek’s mother gifted Katie a mangalsutra necklace (which identifies her as a married woman) and toe rings.

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 6

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

Vivek and his daughter, Ella, rode the elephant during the procession to the Hindu ceremony. Guests later took “elphie selfies” on the beach during cocktail hour.

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 7

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

The bride and groom and their immediate family members dined at a farm table with an 8-foot-long suspended lattice overhead.

Katie ONeal Vivek Reddy wedding 8

Photograph by Lisa Rigby Photography

The signature cocktail, dubbed “South Shore Jetty,” was a secret O’Neal family recipe created by Katie’s father.

THE FILE

Bride’s Dresses Designed by Suchi Reddy and custom made at Shrishti Ghar (Hindu ceremony); Judd Waddell, Allegria Bridal (Christian ceremony)
Bridesmaid Dresses
Designed by Suchi Reddy and custom made at Shrishti Ghar
Catering Indian Accent Catering
Cake Meghan O’Neal
Elephant R. W. Commerford & Sons
Flowers Consider the Lilies; Stoneblossom
Hair and Makeup Bella Beauty Bridal; Izzy Ruiz
Lighting Exquisite Events
Menswear Designed by Suchi Reddy and custom made at Shrishti Ghar; Mohan’s Custom Tailors (groom)
Planner Corinne Hursh Events
Rentals Exquisite Events; Rentals Unlimited
Sari Draping Bridal Beauty by Anju
Videography NST Pictures

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