Mona and Tom

Mona and Tom grew up worlds apart – she in Malaysia, he in the U.S. – but a chance encounter in the clouds brought them together, and soon after their love took flight! Ahead of their multicultural celebration in Washington, DC, we paid tribute to the pair’s transcontinental courtship and seamlessly wed their unique backgrounds in the paperie.

An aeronautic-accented envelope with a gold foil globe liner opened to a gilded gatefold invitation. Distinctive silhouettes met in the middle, while motifs inspired by Christian lace and Hindu beaded textiles adorned the interior wings. A mini accordion booklet with coordinating bellyband and foil-stamped symbols charted the weekend’s sequence of events.

Saturday’s celebrations started with a Christian service honoring Tom’s upbringing. Before an outfit change for their second ceremony, Mona and Tom drove around Washington, DC dressed in black tie, dropping by the some of the city’s famous sites. The newlyweds’ tour included a pit stop at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and a photo in front of the White House – but Mona’s elegant white dress most definitely stole the show in that snapshot!

Mona’s Malaysian-Hindu heritage manifested in many ways over the multiple days of festivities. To kick off the weekend, Mona hosted a henna hand painting party, the artistic, intricate patterns on the palms evocative of the paper’s decorative details. And prior to the ceremony, Tom and guests partook in a Baraat, a Hindu wedding procession celebrating the groom’s entrance. The husband-to-be observed tradition to the tee, arriving on horseback in customary dress.

The rich reds and golds from the invitation suite carried over to the day-of items (and complemented Mona’s wedding sari and Tom’s sherwani.) The striking, symbolic colors dazzled on the circular die-cut menus and blended beautifully with the décor.