by Scott Johnson
Madabhushi Wedding on 12/23/17 at Inglewood Golf Club in Kenmore, Wa
Music licensed from –
The Music Bed – themusicbed.com
“There cannot be a better videographer than Reid. He’s fun, very friendly, very very good at what he does and fast! Our videos were all delivered in less than a week and they had a cinematic quality to them. He even guided our photographer to good shots and made sure every person was all smiles all the time. He was punctual and responded to our emails in minutes if not a few hours. Totally worth it!”
It was the day before Christmas Eve, and something strange happened: there were bright, sunny, clear skies. Now for those not familiar with the Pacific Northwest, in the period of time between the end of September and approximately the middle of April (sometimes sooner, sometimes later), there is an overabundance of grey, cloudy skies and dreadful rain that chills you to the bone. Oh, and wind. You can’t forget about the biting wind. But for the Madabhushi’s this wonderfully sunny (but cold) day didn’t rain on anybody’s parade; certainly not their wedding!
Though the wedding wasn’t held outside (you’d have to be pretty bold to attempt an outdoor wedding in December in the Pacific Northwest), it was still full of good times and a resounding sense of togetherness. As the two parties got ready, their attire was simple yet suave. Standard tuxedos with maroon ties (and a bowtie for the groom) accentuated the lovely red gowns worn by the bridesmaids. Looking like a group of sophisticated buddies, the groom’s side posed outside and got up to some shenanigans while the bride shared some tenderly sweet moments with her party and family.
Once it was time to head off to the church, Ani and the boys got up to some more silliness before making their way inside for the wedding. With red and white petals lining the aisles, and big bouquets flanking the altar, it was a magical entrance for the bride as she walked towards her groom. Having skipped over the first look, the look on Ani’s face as his bride-to-be approached said everything and more as he wiped tears from his face. After a god-filled ceremony, with each opening themselves up to each other and the lord, the two sealed their vows with a kiss and become husband and wife.
With the sun still high in the sky, the newlyweds and their guests headed off to Inglewood Golf Course for the reception. You could never tell from the video (we could tell from the cold) but it was certainly the first week of winter. With such fortunate weather, there was no doubt that we followed the bride and groom around the golf course as we got sweeping shots of lush green and fountains, and the two of them just dancing alone. Their solidarity didn’t last long—those darn family members!—but it made for some truly sweet shots.
The reception to follow was as elegant as can be, with the event space serving perfectly for the guests. Tons of food, drinks, and celebrating ushered these two into a new era in their life. With adorable kids hitting the dance floor, there was no way that nobody else wouldn’t hop to their feet. And then at last, the winter sun set and the newlyweds made their way out into the night as they headed off down the road to an entirely new adventure.
Thank you again to Ani and Pearl for choosing Best Made Videos to film their wedding! We’re so happy it was sunny for your big day and we hope you’re first year of marriage is going great.
Have any questions or comments? Leave them below and we’ll be sure to get back to you!
Pearl and Ani’s Story in their own words:
How We Met
Ani and I both attended a bible study in Seattle, and Ani gave rides to a few of us who didn’t have cars. About twice a month since October 2015, I tagged along with him and we started to talk to each other. We talked about where we were from and how God saved us from our old lives. Ani’s testimony was very beautiful and he was keen to know mine. He asked if we could talk more about my salvation story over coffee but since neither of us drank coffee, we agreed to meet for bubble tea.
Our first date was at Wow Bubble Tea in the U-District where we sat many feet across each other and it still cracks me up to think about how formal we were. We got tea and Ani then displayed the most wonderful gesture. He asked if he could pray for our time. Stunned as I was, I said yes.
Here is my journal entry from that day: “It’s at this point that my admiration for him shot sky high. He thanked God for our time, that we would respect and honor each other with our words, that Jesus would be the center of our conversation and that we would be quick to hear and slow to speak. I was brimming with joy, the joy you have when you know you’re around someone who puts God first in their life.”
We had an interesting first date. I thought he was handsome and very mature. He wasn’t fooling around and I knew what he was looking for – a pursuit towards marriage. I knew what I had to do. I had to let my intentions be known.
For our second date, we met for deep dish pizza at Delfino’s in University Village – a place that will always be close to our hearts because of how amazing it was to walk in the light of knowing our intentions towards each other. I wrote him a letter spelling out all my intentions, that I would only date him if it was with marriage in mind, that he should ask my dad for permission to court me (even adding my dad’s phone number to do so), objections my parents would raise, and so on. Soon after, I got Ani to read the letter over dinner and he told me that he had come prepared to talk about the very same things. That remains one of the most special memories I share with Ani.
And so began our story, saying yes to wanting to honor God and the authorities over our lives. Along the way, I said yes when he asked me to marry him. Lord willing, we shall top it off with “I do’s” very soon. I’m ecstatic that I get to marry my best friend. We’re simply two people in need of God’s grace every single day, wanting to stand by each other and show the love and kingdom of Christ in everything we do to the people around us. With Christ, we’ll be able to do just that.
The Proposal
Pearl and I started planning our wedding in July. Our whole season of dating until then was with one goal – to honor our Lord Jesus at all times as we prepared to be married one day. I ordered a ring that month with the help of her mom who assisted me with picking something that Pearl would like. I obviously couldn’t wait to put the ring on her finger since the day it was in my hands. I dreamt of the day that I would ask her the somewhat rhetorical question as to whether she would marry me.
My parents and I went on a trip to the east coast in August. Pearl was aware of this trip, so we stopped by Philadelphia on the way to Washington D.C. and spent half a day with her. Pearl was under the impression that my parents and I were going to visit a few more places and return back to the west coast together.
On August 19th, I dropped my parents off at the New Jersey airport so that they could return. Pearl had no idea that I wasn’t leaving until the next day. In the meantime, Pearl’s cousin Alex, his wife Christina, and her sister Sherine took Pearl to Longwood Gardens in Downtown Philadelphia under the pretense of a dinner. I drove my rental car from the airport to the gardens, changed my attire, and waited at a spot that was scouted out earlier by Alex and Christina.
The rest is history!
DJ - Karan Chainani
Flowers - The Pink Peony
Coordination - Anila Idicula
Caterer - Taste of India