Having moved to the US in 2015 for her master’s degree, Lavina Jethani had long been expected to return home and marry a “suitable Indian boy.” Instead, life brought her to Tom Donahue, whom she met in New York in 2017 while both were working in humanitarian aid. Donahue, who grew up in Philadelphia and later studied and worked in New York, sat in a tucked-away corner of their office. Jethani recalls, “I would find reasons to go to that corner just to say hi.”
Those small exchanges soon stretched beyond the office, turning into dinners in Jackson Heights and visits to the Ganesh Temple in Flushing, Queens, for blessings and dosas alike.
Over the next six years, their relationship grew across New York, Europe, East Africa, Southern Africa and the Middle East as both moved between assignments in humanitarian aid. “We’ve managed to make ourselves at home wherever we go because we have each other,” she says.
Donahue proposed in September 2023 on the roof of one of their favourite spots along the Brooklyn waterfront, with the Manhattan skyline behind them. The ring came from a souk in Sudan.
“I knew I wanted a unique venue, close to my hometown, but not a typical wedding destination,” says Jethani. In October 2023, she visited Rawla Narlai for the first time with her brother. Built in the 17th century as a hunting lodge by the royal family of Jodhpur, the property sits in the village of Narlai between Jodhpur and Udaipur, at the base of the Aravalli hills. “I immediately fell in love with the place,” she says. “I told my brother, this is where I want to get married.”
The couple planned the wedding themselves over the course of a year, often while working in different countries. They settled on a guest list of 125 and created a detailed wedding website to help guests travelling from around the world.
Despite the logistical challenges of hosting a wedding in Rajasthan, especially in a small village like Narlai, they never reconsidered their choice. “Tom and I both loved Rawla Narlai at once and didn’t look at any other destinations,” Jethani says.
Décor decisions were guided by a desire to work with local artisans, with florists, lighting, sound and tents sourced from Jodhpur. Sustainability shaped smaller decisions too, including the use of recyclable aluminium water cans instead of plastic bottles.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: vogue.in
