SNEH DIWAN, founder + creative director, Diwan by Design
A beautifully draped mandap.
As nimble in hosting intimate microweddings as well as large-scale celebrations with up to 800 guests, Jersey City, NJ based Diwan by Design, is especially renowned for visually spectacular South Asian wedding events, a series of jubilant festivities steeped in the rituals and traditions of the bride and groom’s families’ culture. In riding the roller coaster of the pandemic of 2020, Sneh says, “I have always asked my clients, ‘What are the three things you cannot live without for your wedding?’ Before the pandemic couples might say food, music, decor. Now it has shifted to specific moments, such as father/daughter dance, exchanging vows and having my grandparents attend. Based on their answers, we do whatever we can to make that happen.”
Why I love weddings
“I love seeing a story come to life! From the first conversation to creating mood boards, site visits, building a vendor team, and finally the execution! Every wedding is different, with its own traditions. Seeing the smiles (and happy tears) on the couple’s faces and feeling the love in the room when friends and family come together to celebrate is truly a feeling that never gets old.”
Favorite moments from pre-pandemic weddings
• “One highlight of traditional South Asian weddings is the baraat, the groom’s procession. The procession is an event unto itself.
A backyard transformed for a micro-wedding.
Jaimala: garlands symbolizing the union of two families.
An intricate mehndi henna design.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) MANISH + SUNG PHOTOGRAPHY (2); THE DAY BY IRA LIPPKE; SHANTI WEDDINGS; RYON LOCKHART PHOTOGRAPHY; COURTESY OF SNEH DIWAN
“I love how this couple pushed the boundaries with color and pattern,” says Sneh.
