A Belgian-Indian wedding in monsoon-soaked Goa

On July 21, as rain fell over Benaulim, Goa, Pranab Patel and Sarah Saxena wed in front of fewer than 100 of their closest friends and family at the Fairfield by Marriott.

The couple met on Hinge in Antwerp (where they’re both based) at a point in their lives where neither was expecting to find a partner. Pranab, 41, a Mumbai native who works as an investment banker in Belgium, had resigned himself to being the “cool uncle for life”. Sarah, 38, a Belgian-Indian anaesthesiologist, was in the middle of freezing her eggs and preparing for the possibility of building a family on her own.

Their first date, admittedly, was terrible. “We were at this restaurant, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, the food is undercooked,’” Sarah recalls, laughing. “It’s supposed to be a good restaurant, but it was a national holiday and they were short-staffed. So, it was a bit of a disaster,” Pranab admits. Initially, Sarah had her reservations. “When you meet someone at this age and things are looking good, you think, Okay, what is the catch?” she says, Pranab adding, “The older you get, the more that question comes in your head. But with her, it was automatically a bit different.”

Their second date went considerably better: Sarah suggested Antwerp’s Museum Night and Pranab came with flowers and chocolate. He confessed his feelings to her the following day. Overwhelmed, Sarah suggested they should remain friends. She was still unsure if their lives would fit together. She loved art, classical music, and quiet nights at home, while he seemed to have a high-octane investment banker lifestyle. It was an aunt who persuaded her not to overthink it. “You don’t have to decide anything right now. Just give him a chance and see if he’s a good person,” she told her. Sarah did, and the couple eventually moved in together.

Below, the newlyweds walks us through their two proposals and their intimate wedding in Goa, which folded in elements from their Belgian and Indian cultures:

She said yes, twice

Pranab: I knew she was torn between two completely different visions of how it would go: on one hand she wanted something quiet, intimate, and just between the two of us. On the other, she had always dreamed of being asked in front of her favourite painting at the KMSKA [the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp], James Ensor’s ‘The Intrigue’. So, I decided to give her both.

The first was a private surprise at home. I went to her favourite florist and picked up three bouquets. Since she loves sushi, I ordered a custom spread from Ko’uzi, one of the best spots in Antwerp. I also picked up a rare bottle of champagne. When she came home, everything was set up for a romantic, quiet evening together.

Sarah: He had asked me to send him my top three ring options and made me my dream ring. Everything was beautifully done, but he was nervous. So, when he went on one knee, he said really fast, “Okay, will you marry me, please?” It was romantic and comfortable, and we spent the evening talking about the life we want to build together.

Pranab: The next day, I recreated our second date and took her back to the KMSKA. As we walked into the Ensor gallery, I quietly asked a visitor if they could take a few photos of us on my phone. When we finally stopped in front of her favourite painting, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me again. Luckily, she said yes twice!

A wedding on their own terms

Pranab: I love monsoons in Goa. Everything is green, and the insects are out. It’s different to see India during that time, which is why I wanted to do it in July rather than waiting it out till November-December, when everybody is getting married.

Sarah: We didn’t really do a traditional sangeet. We have such busy lives, and there was already so much pressure that we just didn’t have time to do any choreography.

Pranab: It was more like a dance party.

Sarah: We had three DJs. One was from Goa, who did ’90s Bollywood music. A friend of ours, Stefan, made us a surprise song. He even handed out cards so everyone could read the lyrics. Then we had Dimi, one of Pranab’s other friends, who did a bit more techno music. After the sangeet, I changed from my Indian look into a white dress by Natan [by Édouard Vermeulen]. I always knew that if I ever got married, I wanted something from him.

Pranab: For the sangeet, I wore a beige suit from Raymond. I always get it tailored from the same place. They’ve been making my suits for years.

Sarah: We skipped the baraat because we were already living together. We wanted to make it as intimate as possible. We skipped kanyadan and vidai, and it was just us, half in English, half in Sanskrit-Hindi, mixing elements of Gujarati culture and my northern Indian culture during the ceremony. What was also nice is that the priest we found was able to explain every ritual to everyone, because neither Pranab nor I knew what was going on either. I wore a floral Sabyasachi sari, because I like flowers and I’ve always loved his work, and then Pranab had gotten very simple Indian stuff. We don’t often wear Indian clothes, so I thought, let’s be a bit practical and wear something that we’re comfortable in.

Something old, something borrowed, something blue, something new

Sarah: I wore Dries Van Noten for the welcome lunch and reception after-party. I wanted something that reflected both the Belgian and Indian parts of my life, and I liked the connection the designer has with Indian embroidery and craftsmanship. I know that their embroidery is done in Kolkata.

I was very close to my late grandmother and knew she would have been super excited to be there. She wore these toe rings, so I got one of her toe rings made into a ring with the help of Ilse de Keulenaer, who did all my jewellery.

For the reception, I wore a Kanjivaram sari that I had bought in Kerala 15 years ago. I was on a trip with my mom and my grandmother, who said, “If you ever get married, you need to wear this.” Pranab had a blue suit made, and he wore a Ferragamo tie, which is my favourite tie because it has these small elephants on it.

Khichdi, feni, and fries

Sarah: A lot of our guests were visiting India for the first time, so I wanted them to taste Indian food beyond the usual butter chicken. We did a north-Indian-inspired menu for the haldi, and had a south Indian and Goan menu at our wedding dinner.

I love wedding food. I knew I couldn’t eat this heavy food for two days straight. So, we always had plain khichdi or curd rice on the menu as a backup. Plus, after the sangeet, people found it really soothing to eat it at midnight, right before going to bed.

One thing about Belgium that people need to know is that we love French fries and mayonnaise. They’re called French fries, but they’re actually Belgian. So, I made sure we had fries and mayonnaise.

Pranab: We also wanted people to try local alcohol, so we served a feni cocktail.

The moments they’ll remember most

Pranab: The night before everything kicked off, we had a spontaneous get-together at a beach shack near Benaulim. Just sitting on the sand, enjoying the local food and drinks, and listening to the waves with everyone we love was the absolute best way to start the weekend. But nothing beats the moment I first saw her on the wedding day. I had spent months trying to picture what she’d look like, but seeing her in person took my breath away.

Sarah: Our friends and family gave speeches. Pranab’s was really heartwarming, especially the moment where he called me his best friend. My aunt, who told me to give Pranab a chance, also spoke. Then another aunt’s speech reminded me of something I’d completely forgotten. When I was younger, she’d ask me, “What are you looking for in a person?” Apparently, I said I wanted someone who loves me a lot and who challenges me as well. And that is what I found in Pranab.