A Colorado couple returns to Sonoma County for a multicultural celebration.
By KATHLEEN LUND
Photography by KATIE MICK
IT WASN’T FATE that brought Evan and Sanjana together—it was their roommates who were best friends. The two had happily anticipated their introduction at a friend’s Chicago housewarming. Evan recalls that meeting Sanjana “exceeded all my expectations.” To Sanjana, Evan “felt very natural.”
After two dates, they began enjoying city adventures and frequent trips to Sonoma County. The couple moved to Denver in July 2023 to pursue their careers with tech firms (he a senior architect, she an associate creative director), but Wine Country was never far from their minds. The following May, when Evan proposed at the Japanese garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens, plans for their wedding led them back to Sonoma County.
After growing up with Indian weddings, Sanjana knew she wanted to include some pre-celebration events. They decided to make their wedding weekend a blend of both worlds, with traditional ceremonies called sangeet and mehndi on one night, and a Western-style wedding another day. “There were too many cultures to celebrate to have one event,” says Evan.
Guests flew in from all over, including India, to attend the sangeet held at Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa. The couple arrived at the colorful pre-wedding celebration dressed in traditional attire: Sanjana in a red dress called a lehenga, Evan in a long, dark blue sherwani, or jacket. The evening was filled with festive dancing and singing. Many guests had practiced Bollywood-style dances together over Zoom before the August event. The day also included mehndi, with Sanjana receiving henna tattoos symbolizing her journey. While the wine flowed, guests also enjoyed food and drink such as samosas and mango lassis, and the couple distributed copies of The Wedding Times, a tabloid Sanjana designed detailing their love story.
Two days later, the wedding took place among the lush ivies and vines at Trentadue Winery in Geyserville with its picturesque grape arbor. Before standing in front of all their guests, the couple took part in a “First Look” ceremony in which they exchanged private vows beneath a stately grove of
redwoods.
“We’re a little more private,” Sanjana explains of their desire to spend a few precious moments alone. “I was pretty emotional seeing Sanjana in her dress,” says Evan.
After taking vows in front of the gathered crowd, the couple celebrated with guests at a cocktail hour featuring Old-fashioneds—Evan’s drink of choice—and Aperol Spritzes followed by a meal of summer pasta and parmesan-crusted chicken. “It turned out to be the most special weekend,” Sanjana says. “And Sonoma made it even more
magical.”
