These Doctors Met in a Brown University Library. Their Boston Wedding Had “Bridgerton” Vibes.

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The Story

It’s safe to say it was a meeting of the minds for Soumitri Barua and Vishal Khetpal. While they were both studying medicine at Brown University, they spotted each other in the library, began dating, and quickly fell in love. Upon learning they shared numerous interests, including a love of literature, the couple chose to remain at Brown for their residencies (the bride for neurology, the groom for cardiology). “We looked around at different locations,” says Soumitri, “but we both felt tied to this place.” An engagement followed in June 2023 during a romantic trip to Switzerland, and wedding planning was quickly under way.

With Soumitri’s family in upstate New York and Vishal’s in greater Dallas and Oklahoma, the couple decided to stay close to their home, planning a two-day event in Boston. “We looked at a lot of different venues in Rhode Island and Massachusetts because we knew we wanted the wedding to be in New England,” Soumitri says. To blend their Buddhist and Hindu cultural heritages and traditions, however, venue selection was everything. The bride and groom chose the InterContinental Boston for the baraat procession and sangeet celebration, with the couple and their wedding party arriving there by boat on Friday evening for lively dance performances. The following day, the Fairmont Copley Plaza hosted a serene Buddhist ceremony commemorating the bride’s faith, a Hindu ritual to mark the groom’s, and a vibrant reception. The latter venue was a particular favorite for Soumitri because “it was giving Bridgerton vibes—and I’m a fan,” she enthuses. “I fell in love with the grand ballroom and the Oval Room with the clouds. It was just so beautiful.”

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The Details

The Flowers

“Erica Jones of O Luxe Design has so much experience with South Asian weddings; she really brought the whole place to life,” Soumitri says. “For our ceremony, she made a very beautiful and on-theme mandap; for our reception, all of the flowers were red, which is a very auspicious color in Indian–South Asian weddings.”

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The Attire

Since the wedding celebration spanned two days and several events, multiple outfit changes were required. Soumitri wore a sari from Papa Don’t Preach for the sangeet, while the bride and groom wore a matching set from Nitika Gujral for the wedding ceremony. The reception followed, featuring Soumitri in a stunning lehenga from Seema Gujral.

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The Tradition

As a sign of the two families blending, the bride’s mother fed the groom and his parents Indian sweets and water. “It signifies that we should always be sweet together, have sweet words, and that they should always be calm like water,” Soumitri explains.

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The Book Bar

As avid readers, the couple opted to give books as wedding favors. Working with their local bookstore in Providence, Heartleaf Books, they curated a list of about 20 titles, and each guest received two books. “Those were either formative or interesting to us,” Vishal says, “saying something about our personalities, background, or things we were reading that we really enjoyed.”

The Transportation

The couple used Boston Water Taxi to ferry guests directly from Logan Airport to the InterContinental hotel. “A lot of guests loved arriving in style!” the bride says.

Violinist Pavani Anupindi / Park Street Weddings / Photography & Cinematography Studio

The Music

Soumitri really wanted a violinist, and she connected with one through the Boston-based organization Young Indian Professionals of New England. “Pavani Anupindi and I created a whole playlist of songs; the one she played when I walked out was a highlight for me because it was an Indian song featured on Bridgerton,” she says.

Park Street Weddings / Photography & Cinematography Studio

Park Street Weddings / Photography & Cinematography Studio

The File

Buddhist Monks
Led by Bhanteh Nirodh
Cake
Dessert Works
DJ
Vibez Entertainment
Flowers/Décor
O Luxe Design
Hair and Makeup
Beauty by Tasnim
Hindu Priest
Pandit Hemant
Live Violinist
Pavani Anupindi
Planner
Mint to Be Events
Transportation
Yankee Line; Boston Water Taxi

Park Street Weddings / Photography & Cinematography Studio

Park Street Weddings / Photography & Cinematography Studio

This article was first published in the print edition of the August 2025 issue, as part of a Real Weddings package, with the headline: “One for the Books.” 

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