Hurricane Lee, a Henna Ceremony, and One Idyllic Cape Cod Celebration

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The Story

When it came time for Shanti Sivasithamparam and Matt Leon to plan their 2023 nuptials, there was one detail they were both set on: a beach venue. While they considered somewhere in the Carolinas, where they used to live, Shanti couldn’t find anywhere that compared to Cape Cod. “My family would take us to Chatham growing up, and I’ve always loved it,” the bride says. “Cape Cod just really feels like home.” Although Matt had never been before, he was easily convinced after a visit to Best of Boston 2020 winner Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port. “We both just love the beach and being by the water,” Shanti says. “So it was serendipitous that we found a venue that had everything we wanted.”

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The couple set a date for September 16, 2023, but their luck would soon be tested by the lurking Hurricane Lee, slated to land on the Cape the same day as their ceremony. “Shanti became a weather chaser with five different apps, and she was tracking this hurricane,” Matt says jokingly. “But the night before the hurricane was supposed to come, we had the rehearsal dinner right on the water, and there was the most beautiful sunset and sky I’ve ever seen in my life,” he says. Despite some light rain and wind in the early morning of their wedding day, there were clear skies in time for the ceremony. “Everybody was talking about how many weddings were canceled, but nobody canceled on us; everybody showed up, and it turned out to be the most beautiful day,” Matt says.

But the moment that stands out the most for both Shanti and Matt is when they saw each other for the first time at the ceremony: “I immediately began to cry because it dawned on me that I was marrying the love of my life in one of my favorite places on earth, surrounded by every important person in my life,” Shanti says.

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The Details

The Proposal

While the couple was living in New York, Matt planned a romantic proposal in front of the Brooklyn Bridge, followed by dinner at the River Café. What he didn’t plan was for Shanti to come home late from work to no hot water. “I’m trying to remain calm like, ‘It’s no big deal, it’s just another date,’ but I was using buckets of water to wash her hair,” Matt says. Nevertheless, they made it in time for the reservation, with a photographer waiting in the crowd to capture the moment Matt got down on one knee.

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The Flowers

“Wychmere is a grand venue, but its details are very simple,” Shanti says. “We wanted the colors to really stand out since traditional Hindu weddings typically have very bright colors.” Erica Jones of O Luxe Design added pops of red, peach, pink, and ivory with more than 3,000 roses (the bride’s favorite), orchids, fresh smilax, and accents of fall foliage.

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The Henna

“Henna is known to bring positive spirits and good luck,” Shanti says. “The henna ceremony we held on Thursday before the wedding is meant to wish the bride good health and prosperity on her marriage journey.”

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The Family Heirlooms

Both Matt and Shanti wore family heirlooms on their wedding day: Matt had a ring with his family crest passed down from his dad, and Shanti wore pieces of her grandmother’s jewelry, including the pearl shell necklace. In addition, the structure behind the couple’s wedding seats at the ceremony was handcrafted by Shanti’s dad.

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The Ceremony

Shanti’s family is from Sri Lanka, and the couple had a Tamil Hindu wedding. The Hindu priest also performed the ritual of Shanti’s birthing ceremony, when her parents brought her home for the first time.

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The Mapillai Varaverpu

“It’s similar to baraat at Indian weddings, but in Tamil it’s mappillai varaverpu, or groom’s procession, and basically means the groom’s coming in,” Shanti says. Matt arrived with his groomsmen and family to lively music and dancing, where he was greeted by Shanti’s family at the door. “Matt and my brother stood together the whole time,” Shanti says. “Symbolically, my brother is bringing Matt to my family.”

The Thali

The ceremony was nearly four hours long, culminating with the act of Matt tying a gold chain, called a thali, around Shanti’s neck. “That’s when we’re officially married,” Shanti says.

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The Guests

“There’s a large population of Sri Lankans that immigrated and moved to Boston, and that community is who I grew up around outside of my friends from school, and I think this was a nice way to celebrate all of us,” Shanti says of the ceremony. “The Sri Lankan community behind Shanti’s family did so much,” Matt adds. “We were on FaceTime with people who flew to India to look at different outfits for us…it was a very good group effort.”

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The File

BRIDE’S HAIR AND MAKEUP
Hitesha

BRIDE’S LEHENGA
Seema Gujral

BRIDE’S SARIS
Arathie; Pothys

DÉCOR
O Luxe Design

DJ & LIGHTING
Yogz Rana, Boston Sound and Light Company

GROOM’S RECEPTION SUIT
Heritage India Fashions

HENNA
Henna by Ruhi

WEDDING PLANNER
Mint to Be Events

Photo by Fern & Feather Studio

First published in the print edition of the August 2024 issue with the headline, “A Shore Thing.”

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