Modern Tradition: A Multicultural Wedding in Philadelphia, PA

In the summer of 2019, Jasmine and Paul met on Tinder. Their first date was a typical Philly date, which included bar hopping around Northern Liberties and  South Street and ended with pizza at Lorenzo’s. It was  casual and fun, but the chemistry was definitely there, and they both knew they wanted to see each other again.

Jasmine shares, “We spent that summer going on more dates and getting to know each  other, and our relationship grew naturally from there. We became best friends, built a life together, traveled the world, and  experienced so many different seasons of life as a couple. I graduated  from pharmacy school, he bought a house, and we knew once the  pandemic subsided we wanted to have a big wedding.”

The couple tied the knot in a beautiful wedding that paid homage to their cultural heritages. Get inspired by the stunning details of their big day, captured by Reje Rush. 

Bride: Jasmine Young PharmD, RPh, 32, Clinical Pharmacist 

Groom: Paul Kannadan, 35, Systems Programmer 

Photography By: Reje Rush 

Place of Residence: Philadelphia, PA 

Wedding Date: August 17, 2025

Wedding Location:  Ceremony: St. John the Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA; Reception: The Ivy at Ellis Preserve, Newtown Square, PA 

Wedding Theme/Motif/Inspiration:  

Jasmine: We wanted our wedding to tell the story of where we both come from  and the life we are building together. As a Black American woman  with Barbadian ancestry marrying a South Indian man from Kerala,  we used tropical botanicals as a subtle nod to the lush landscapes connected to both of our backgrounds. Our celebration of culture  began the evening before with a welcome party that included henna  for our guests. Gardening is also something we love to do together,  which made The Ivy at Ellis Preserve the perfect setting with its  modern barn architecture and horticultural feel. 

I was inspired by Jasmine Tookes’ and Priyanka Chopra’s weddings  and the way both celebrations embraced tradition while still feeling very elevated and modern. We wanted the same balance of romance and culture but in a contemporary way. We included warm tropical  colors, lush greenery, orchids, woven textures, and gold accents into  our design, which helped bring our vision together. 

Beyond the design, I was also influenced by the way I grew up seeing  hospitality practiced in my own family. My grandmother hosted our  entire family for holidays, and I watched how much care went into  making people feel welcomed, fed and considered. She taught me that  hosting is an act of love, something I carried with me while planning  our wedding and thinking about our guests’ experience. 

Briefly tell us about your wedding experience and how  the both of you felt on your big day.  

Paul: Our wedding day was perfect, I remember waking up excited to  finally start this journey with my best friend. When I saw Jasmine in  her white dress, I remember thinking, “Wow, this beautiful woman is  about to marry me?!” It also meant so much to see both sides of our  families there supporting us, especially my own. My dad had suffered  a serious injury before the wedding that left him temporarily  paralyzed from the neck down, and at one point I wasn’t sure he would be able to make it. Seeing him there with my mom and brother,  and the rest of my family meant the world to me. 

I also loved that we were able to honor my South Indian culture  throughout the day. We had cantors sing in Malayalam during our  Catholic ceremony and incorporated Syro-Malabar traditions,  including the blessing of the thali, a sacred gold wedding necklace  symbolizing our union, and mantrakodi, a traditional saree presented  to the bride by the groom. At the reception, we changed into our  traditional attire, a sherwani and lehenga, and danced to chenda  drums. I had been nervous about all the dancing, but once we walked into the reception, saw how beautiful everything was and were  surrounded by everyone we loved, I just felt happy and had fun. 

Jasmine: I felt super excited, ready and, more than anything, present. After so  much planning and thinking about our wedding constantly, I  promised myself that no matter what happened I would stay present  with my husband and take it all in. Once I set that intention, I was  completely at ease and able to fully absorb all of the beautiful  moments as they happened. 

I also could genuinely feel the love in the room. It was visceral. Seeing  our families come together to celebrate and support our marriage was  everything I could have imagined. We had guests tell us afterward  that the wedding felt like a movie and that everything seemed so  seamless, but what I treasure most is how the day felt. I was marrying  the person I loved, surrounded by people who loved us, and I allowed  myself to experience every second of it. It was truly one of the best  feelings I’ve ever had and I wish I could bottle it up. Everything was  incredible, the live music, the food- AMAZING. We had both Indian  food and lots of other food stations there. It truly was an  epic celebration. 

Wedding song, and the significance of the song: 

For our ceremony, we chose “Ave Maria” by Gounod as part of our  Catholic ceremony and recessed to “Joyful, Joyful,” inspired by the  iconic Sister Act 2 rendition. 

For our first dance, we chose “Unthinkable,” performed by Maleah  Joi Moon, because it felt like our story in so many ways. As a Black  woman and an Indian man, we’ve encountered assumptions and  opinions about our relationship, but through it all, we continued to  choose each other. The song captured what that moment meant to us:  choosing love wholeheartedly, even when the world may not always  understand it. 

What are you most looking forward to as a married  couple?  

We are looking forward to continuing to build a life that feels  uniquely ours. We come from different cultural backgrounds, but  marriage has given us the opportunity to create new traditions while  honoring the ones we inherited. We are excited for everything ahead,  from more traveling and tending to our garden to eventually growing our family and creating a home filled with all the pieces of both of us.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Walking down the aisle this year? For more gorgeous bridal inspiration and wedding planning tips, get your copy of Black Bride Magazine.