Bold & beautiful
September 25, 2024
Julie & Dhruv
5.25.24
She’s from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, loves cheese and the Green Bay Packers. He grew up in New Delhi and went to an all-boys boarding school in the foothills of the Himalayas. But in spring 2014, Julie and Dhruv found themselves living in Paris.
“We met at brunch with mutual friends, ironically, at a Parisian café called Café Charlot — a premonition of our future home city of Charlotte,” Julie says. It would be a decade before the couple landed in the Queen City, living first in Paris; Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Stockholm; New York City and Chicago.
Dhruv proposed at Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley in fall 2021. He and Julie married in an Indian ceremony in New Delhi two years later, honeymooning in the Maldives. For their Charlotte wedding this spring, the couple envisioned a “fun and quirky,” intimate celebration that allowed them to spend quality time with family and friends.
“We are recent Charlotte transplants from Chicago and thought this would be ideal to introduce our friends and family from around the world to our new home,” Julie says. “We had guests from five different continents. The Duke Mansion was the perfect Charlotte backdrop!”
While the venue was classic, the couple added other elements that showcased their creative personalities. Julie is an artist; Dhruv is an entrepreneur in the hospitality sector. A showstopping, nontraditional floral design featured bold, bright colors and unique textures. A striking seating display highlighted beautiful blooms in wavy cutouts. Black accents used for lighting, chairs and flatware popped among the colorful palette, adding a modern flair.
At the reception, the couple’s diverse musical tastes were on display, thanks to a DJ mixed with a 10-piece band that played everything from ’90s pop to punk rock to electronic dance. Eclectic cocktail glasses displayed images of favorite pop culture and academia figures such as James Joyce, Joan Rivers, Nikita Krushchev and Eddie Murphy. The couple’s signature drinks played off the names of their two Italian greyhounds, Bindi and Dobby: “Bindi-licious,” an espresso martini; and “Monsieur Dubois,” a French 75.
The Details:
Photographer | Demi Mabry
Venue | The Duke Mansion
Planner | Sarah Cook, SoHo Event Design
Floral Design | Meraki Blommor
Dress | Suzanne Neville, Ladies of Lineage
Beauty | Blushing Hair and Makeup
Groom Attire | SALVE
Rings | Ruth Tomlinson (bride); Octavia Elizabeth (groom)
Caterer | The Duke Mansion
Cake | Miri Nadler Cake Design, Charleston, South Carolina
Music/Entertainment | Carolina Strings (ceremony); Re-Drum (reception)
Rentals | Curated Events; Party Tables (tent draping); BBJ La Tavola (linens & napkins)
Stationery | Arzberger Stationers (invitations); Viri Lovely Designs (day of and seating display)
Seating Display | Knotty Artisans
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