Jennifer Lee and Dr. Sachin Jain, The Rockleigh, New Jersey

They say love blooms in adversity, and the story of Jennifer Lee and Dr. Sachin Jain is a testament to that. Brought together by challenges, the two discovered camaraderie in shared experiences and backgrounds which sparked the embers of love. Witness their story unfold in these stunning shots by WeddingSutra Favorite – Knotting Bells.

How they met
While driving home in Los Angeles in August 2021, Jennifer was in a car accident that left her in a state of shock and her car badly damaged. Even though she had been dating Sachin for just 3 months, he was the first person she thought of in her crisis. As he helped her recover over the next few days and get a new car, they realized they had developed a rare bond. When, several weeks later Sachin suffered an accident of his own, Jennifer became his family away from family, and he knew he was in love.

Jennifer Lee, a color and material designer at Skechers, and Dr. Sachin Jain, the chief executive of SCAN Health Plan – a nonprofit organization focused on the care of older adults, first met in May 2021 after matching on Hinge at Alibi Room in Los Angeles. They connected over their shared love of Costco and the TV series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, and discovered commonalities in their upbringings. “We’re from different cultures,” Dr. Jain said “But we both bonded over our experiences as immigrants.

Even though they felt a connection, they took their time to get to know each other and commit to it forever. The day after Dr. Jain’s accident, the couple went on a planned trip to Cancún, Mexico, where Ms. Lee surprised Dr. Jain with a Cameo video of the actor Mr. T, his childhood hero, wishing him a happy birthday and a strong recovery. The thoughtful surprise further cemented Sachin’s feelings for Jennifer.

The Proposal
During a trip to Hawaii in February 2023, Sachin suggested they do a free photo shoot on the beach for their 2023 holiday card. Despite the odd timing, Jennifer thought that it would be a fun activity and readily agreed. As they posed for photos, Dr. Jain dropped to one knee. “My first instinct was, ‘Did you drop something? You’re going to ruin your suit,” Jennifer says. “Suddenly he got the box out. Time stopped, and I blacked out.”
Sachin proposed with a diamond ring he had chosen with the help of his brother Roopam Jain, a jeweler. Afterward, they had dinner at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and spent the evening calling their friends and family to share the happy news.

Wedding Planning
Once engaged, Sachin and Jennifer wasted no time and dove into the planning of their dream wedding. Over the next five months, with the help of eager family members and friends, they planned six days of wedding celebrations that combined influences from both of their cultures. The couple and their loved ones donned both Indian kurta-pajama and lehengas as well as Korean hanboks, and even though their families were divided by a language barrier, they found shared joy in sweet treats like Italian gelato, Indian kulfi, and shaved ice. During their many days of celebration, the bride and groom each wore about 10 different outfits, with custom ensembles brought in from around the world.
Their special moments were captured by the team of Knotting Bells from India.

Wedding Functions
Paebaek Tea Ceremony
The wedding festivities kicked off with a Korean Paebaek tea ceremony at the venue, where the family’s elders offered words of wisdom and blessings. The couple donned stunning Korean hanbok outfits and partook in age-old traditions that were beautiful to witness and participate in for their loved ones.

Sangeet
The evening proceeded with the Indian custom of Sangeet night, full of rich decor, musical flair, and competitive dance performances that everyone loved. Several groups of family members from both sides took to the stage to prove their dancing mettle, with Jennifer’s folks dancing to Psy’s “Gangnam Style”, and her friends to N Sync’s “It’s Gonna Be Me”.
Sachin surprised Jennifer with his rendition of “Home” by Michael Bublé on the piano, accompanied by his friend and his nephew on vocals.

Haldi
The next day began with the fun and frolic of the Haldi ceremony, where the couple’s friends and families, dressed in all yellow, gathered around them to shower them with haldi, flower petals, and love. The outdoor function was swathed in the lovely citrus hues of marigolds.

Wedding
The bride and groom tied the knot with a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in front of 400 of their friends and family. Jennifer was resplendent in a quintessential red bridal lehenga by Sabyasachi, while Sachin complemented her in an exquisite ivory sherwani. Hosted against a plush backdrop of flowers, they took their vows surrounded by love, blessings, and cheers before heading for a cocktail hour and Reception dinner. The entirely vegetarian dinner prepared by chef Vipul Gupta from Moghul Catering featured a fusion of Korean and Indian food that left everyone in awe, while the live band Blue Avenue Groove had everyone dancing out their hearts on the dance floor.

Lunch
The next day, Narpat Jain, one of Sachin’s brothers, and his wife, Archana Jain, hosted a lunch with a pizza truck and a dosa station, during which the newlyweds played traditional Indian wedding games, like searching for a ring in a bowl filled with milk and flowers.
About two weeks later, Dr. Jain and Ms. Lee were legally married by their friend and neighbor, Kristen Byrdsong, a superior court judge, in her backyard in Playa del Rey, Los Angeles. “She came out in her judge’s robe and wrote a speech,” Dr. Jain said. “She and her husband popped Dom Pérignon for us.”
“It’s all been a complete blur,” Dr. Jain said. “What we always wanted was our families to really come together as one. It was something we were anxious about, coming from two different cultures. But in the end, there was so much obvious connection and love.”

The Wedding Makers
Venue: The Rockleigh, New Jersey
Wedding Planner: Urvashi Mishra
Decor: Elegant Affairs
Chef: Vipul Gupta
Bride’s Outfit: Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Band: Blue Avenue Groove
DJ: DJ Sunny Entertainment
Photography and Videography: Knotting Bells

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