Colorful Outdoor Wedding at Smith Creek Village at Silver Falls State Park

For Brianna “Boo” Gehring and Anup Mankar, melding their contemporary love of the outdoors with their Indian heritage was the perfect theme for their wedding day. After meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, back in 2013, Boo and Anup found themselves traveling the world and eventually settling together on the East Coast after three years of a long-distance relationship. The twosome sought a hybrid Hindu and Western wedding to combine their love for nature and the outdoors with traditional elements. It was also important to the couple to spend as much quality time with their guests as possible, and Smith Creek Village at Silver Falls State Park allowed for a weekend full of hiking and exploring the surrounding natural beauty. Boo and Anup opted for a bright, bold palette, featuring shades of orange, pink and burgundy with splashes of emerald. The floral design blended marigolds, carnations and ferns with classic Pacific Northwest greenery. Disco balls were also incorporated into the design, in keeping with classic Bollywood style. Being dog lovers, the couple knew their wedding wouldn’t be complete without their four-legged family members, so Boo’s mother made “dog saris” to pay playful homage to the couple’s heritage. Among the highlights of the weekend were performances by family and friends, ranging from poetry to traditional Indian dances. Boo said, “Walking up the hill to the Davidson Ranch, after taking some magical waterfall portraits, and seeing the beautiful old barn all decked out and full of our friends and family gathered together was an amazing moment.”