A Historic Multicultural Celebration at The Alamo in San Antonio

When Saahil and Helen began planning their wedding, they knew it had to be a celebration that honored both of their heritages. Their vision came to life in a breathtaking weekend that fused Indian and Texan traditions—complete with vibrant colors, cowboy boots, and an unforgettable setting at The Alamo.

Their Hindu ceremony was particularly special: the first-ever Indian wedding held at The Alamo, a venue deeply tied to Helen’s Texas roots. The festivities began with a lively Sangeet and Baraat procession that paraded through the St. Anthony Hotel and into the Alamo Plaza. Rich pinks, oranges, and golds filled the air with joy and culture, while guests enjoyed action food stations serving fresh naan and authentic Indian cuisine.

Helen’s blush pink two-piece ensemble from Opus Atelier shimmered beautifully in the sunlight, while Saahil wore an intricately embroidered white sherwani by Roheet Sabharwal. The floral and décor team at Holly Besing Designs infused every space with bright, celebratory color and whimsical nods to both cultures—even incorporating elephant and peacock piñatas for a playful twist.

The bride and her family completed their looks with a personal touch: colorful cowboy boots hidden beneath their lehengas—a nod to Helen’s San Antonio heritage and the couple’s fun-loving spirit. With laughter, music, and joy echoing across one of Texas’s most iconic landmarks, Saahil and Helen’s wedding was a radiant blend of history, culture, and heart.

“The first-ever Indian wedding at The Alamo—where Texas heritage met Indian tradition in a joyful, history-making celebration.”

Wedding Colors: Pink and Sage Green

Design Vision: While planning their wedding, Saahil and Helen knew that they wanted to honor all of the cultures and traditions that were important to each of their families. When they were looking at venues for their Hindu wedding ceremony, Helen knew of a perfect venue that epitomized her Texas and San Antonio heritage – The Alamo.

They worked with many vendors and with many trips to San Antonio. Instrumental to the event planning was their wedding planner, florist and decorator, Holly Besing, and Leah Thornton and Sheila Mayfield from the Alamo. On Friday they hosted their Indian wedding and Sangeet at the Alamo. They had a stellar lineup of vendors for Friday, their phenomenal photographer, Bhuvana Dhinesh, wedding DJ, DJ Tej, and caterer, India Oven & videographer Transtion Films.

Proposal Story: Saahil and Helen were tied together by an invisible string. Helen attended Duke University with Saahil’s younger brother, Nikhil, and shared many classes with him. In sophomore year in college, she set Nikhil up with her best friend, Hayley. But it wasn’t until Hayley and Nikhil’s engagement party many years later that Saahil and Helen first crossed paths.

Saahil and Helen became fast friends the following year when COVID derailed Nikhil and Hayley’s 2020 wedding plans. At the height of the pandemic, they connected through multiple Zoom calls together while helping to plan Nikhil and Hayley’s small COVID wedding as Best Man and Maid of Honor. Although they would play online trivia and virtual games together with their mutual friends, they liked spending time together so much that they started hanging out on Zoom just the two of them, often playing the NY Times crossword, watching rom-coms together, and just talking. At Hayley and Nikhil’s COVID wedding in August 2020, they made it official when Saahil asked Helen to be his girlfriend.

Saahil and Helen spent 3 years doing long distance, first making multiple trips between St. Louis and Richmond, and then between Philly and Richmond, all while balancing their busy schedules in medical school, grad school, and residency. In 2023, Saahil matched to his intern year in Philly and they were able to finally end long distance. It was during their first summer living together that Saahil proposed to Helen during a weekend trip to New Hope, Pennsylvania, surprising her with an engagement ring at their bed and breakfast after a winery tour.

Wedding Gown: Blush pink, open back two piece wedding ensabmle from Opus Atelier.

Bridesmaids Dresses: Each bridesmaid wore a unique ensamble of their choice from Nandika Creation. The result was pastel prettiness with each bridesmaid getting to shine in her own way.

Groomsmen / Groom Attire: Similarly, the groomsmen wore their own choice of ensamble, while the groom wore all white with intricate patterns and textures from Roheet Sabharwal.

Food & Drink: The fabulous Indian food on Friday was catered by the local San Antonio restaurant India Oven. They featured action stations, making fresh naan’s for guests in the courtyard.

Florals & Decor: The florals, décor and planning was all done through Holly Besing Designs. She incorporated bright pinks, oranges and gold flowers, linens and decor for the Friday Sangeet and Shaadi event and carried those same themes for Saturday. The decoration was a nod to the Indian and Texan fusion theme and even included elephant and peacock piñatas.

Special Detail or Memory #1: This was the first-ever Indian wedding at the Alamo and the Baraat processed through the St. Anthony Hotel and then through the Alamo Plaza.

Special Detail or Memory #2: The bride, her mother, sister, and sister-in-law all wore fun colored cowboy boots under their lehengas. The bride’s were a shimmering pink hue!