This American bride wore a Manish Malhotra lehenga for her nuptials in Philadelphia

In our new series, we trace the love stories of real brides, right from when they met their partners to how they planned their wedding outfits

Although Vanessa Stay and Harman Aulakh knew each other from their college days back in 2015, it wasn’t until a year later, when they swiped right on each other’s Tinder profile, that sparks began to fly. After dating for three-and-a-half years, Stay—a professional counsellor, and Aulakh—a content strategist and a marketing manager, decided to get married in June 2020. Two years (and a pandemic) later, the couple tied the knot in 2022. In a candid tell-all, Stay talks about when she knew Aulakh was ‘the one,’ how the pandemic affected their wedding plans and how she found the perfect wedding outfit—a classic red lehenga by Manish Malhotra for a traditional Sikh ceremony.

The right swipe

Harman and I initially met in 2015, when we were in college. I used to work at a restaurant on the weekends, and Harman would visit regularly as it was his to-go spot. I thought he was really good-looking but I didn't say anything. I found out later that he thought the same. Over the course of the next few weeks, he  came back to the restaurant to ask me out a couple of times, but I was never working at the time he would visit. Fast forward to 2016, we had both graduated, living in the same neighbourhood in Philadelphia and we swiped right on each other on Tinder. For our first date, which lasted longer than expected, we went to a Mexican restaurant, and we’ve been together ever since.

The courtship

Honestly, while I knew it would be serious from our first date, I realised he was ‘the one’ two months into our relationship. The way he made me feel, the sacrifices he made for us and the way he made me want to grow as a person confirmed it for me. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, altered our engagement plans. Instead of proposing to me at my favourite restaurant, he popped the question at his childhood home in Northeastern Pennsylvania in June 2020, where we were both quarantining. He made it extra special by inviting both our parents.

The chosen one

My family embraced his culture and engaged in learning about Indian culture before the wedding, and his family did the same—by incorporating my beliefs and culture. Our families were warm and accepting, and we couldn’t be happier.

The outfit

Due to the pandemic, I was unable to travel to India for my wedding shopping, although there was enough real bride inspiration at Manish Malhotra Vows, a dedicated bridal Instagram page by the designer. Fortunately, my mother-in-law was able to make the trip, and we selected an outfit through FaceTime. We did all the measurements virtually, and everything fit perfectly on the big day. Although it wasn’t the experience I had expected, it was still incredible. I ended up wearing a Manish Malhotra lehenga with sindhuri red raw silk metallic cord work and sequins, complemented with a tulle shoulder drape and a nude-coloured dupatta over my head.

The extraordinary part of my wedding—which took place at the Loews Hotel in Midtown Village in Philadelphia—was to see both our cultures blend together so seamlessly. There were times when I would look into the room and see everyone laughing and spending time together, like they’ve known each other for years. For me, that was the most favourite part of the wedding.

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