REAL WEDDING

  • Photography By:

    Braja Mandala Photography

    MEGAN JAYARAJ AND NATE FIGLER

    June 2-3, 2016 in San Diego, California

    “Growing up, I spent countless afternoons curled up in the corner of the Foxboro public library,” begins Megan Jayaraj. “Among those literary masters, I learned countless life lessons – to see beauty in everyday things, to hope for the impossible, and to embrace the serendipitous moments that change the rest of your life.”

    In that spirit, Megan met Nate Figler at a party neither of them was planning to attend. After declining an event in Newport Beach, Megan decided to stop by her friend’s New Year’s Eve party in San Diego. “By the time I had arrived, the ‘party’ was canceled,” she describes. “To my pleasant surprise, Nate – a cute law student – arrived, and we immediately hit it off. I learned that Nate shared my love of football and traveling, and he learned that I like to discuss several topics in quick succession.”

    “WE WERE SO THANKFUL TO EXPERIENCE AN EVENT THAT PERFECTLY EPITOMIZED US AS A COUPLE”

    Over the next seven years, the couple traveled the world together, made new friends, and achieved their educational goals. Within weeks of completing her MBA, Megan experienced another milestone. “The proposal could only be described as quintessentially ‘Nate,’” she recalls. “After spending months searching for the perfect diamond, he wanted the proposal to be a complete surprise. Under the pretense of a graduation dinner, we enjoyed a lovely evening at Mister A’s in San Diego. To my delight, our waiter arrived with a dessert plate with ‘compliments from the pastry chef.’ I was elated with my ‘second dessert,’ and didn’t see the proposal written in chocolate. After a heartfelt speech from Nate, I happily accepted.”

    Throughout the wedding planning process, Nate and Megan collaborated as a team. Aside from reading every wedding-related email, Nate was especially helpful in refining Megan’s vision and turning it into a reality. The couple was tested when Nate’s father was diagnosed with cancer, but it also served as a reminder to savor their time together and to remain hopeful no matter what happens.

    For their wedding, the bride and groom wanted guests to feel like part of the family. Over a span of two days, attendees embarked on a journey that allowed them to experience both Jewish and Hindu weddings. “After shutting down Broadway Boulevard with a boisterous Baraat, our guests enjoyed a regal mandap, where my childhood priest offered his blessings, along with a few jokes,” the bride says.

    “Our Jewish ceremony was the perfect blend of tradition and personal touches. Nate walked down the aisle to Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters,’ while I entered the sacred chuppah to Ennio Marricone’s ‘Playing Love.’ From the light dancing from the 1920’s crystal chandeliers to our cantor’s heavenly voice, love seemed to permeate from the space, and we were so grateful for this moment.”

    By the end of their wedding experience, the newlyweds were relishing in the events that had transpired. “We were so thankful to experience an event that perfectly epitomized us as a couple,” says Megan. “We ended our wedding festivities exhausted, yet excited for the major and mundane moments that make life and marriage beautiful.”


    WEDDING TALENT

    Planner: Crown Weddings San Diego, CA

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