The Transatlantic Indian Wedding of Two Philly Eye Doctors
The Old City couple self-united at the groom’s childhood home in Lansdale before heading to London.
Tejal Magan and Samir Patel at their Rosewood London destination wedding / Photograph by Yazmine May
Sparks flew when Tejal Magan and Samir Patel first met through mutual friends in 2020. But there was a hitch: Tejal planned to be in the city for only a year as a visiting ophthalmologist at Wills Eye; her entire life was based in London. But the two navigated a long-distance relationship after she moved back to the U.K., and after a few years, they settled together in Old City.
As for their union? Only a transatlantic fete could encapsulate their story. “We had people attending from four continents, so London was a well-connected destination for travel,” says Tejal. The couple legally married in a self-uniting ceremony at Samir’s childhood home in Lansdale before jetting across the pond for four Indian pre-wedding events at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and an Indian ceremony and black-tie reception at the Rosewood London, photographed by Yazmine May. “We combined our Indian heritage with our Western upbringing,” Tejal says. The baraat procession, in which a groom rides a horse to the wedding venue, wound around the busiest streets of London. Tejal met Samir midway through — a total surprise, because brides traditionally don’t make their entrance until the walk down the aisle. And for her mehndi (henna), Tejal had her artist draw an eye on her palm, alongside Samir’s initials, a symbol of what brought them together.
THE DETAILS
Photographer: Yazmine May | Venues: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (pre-wedding events); Rosewood London (ceremony and reception) | Event Planning: Rohita Pabla Wedding & Events | Florals & Decor: Shagun Weddings | Hair & Makeup: Sandy Dosanjh Makeup and Hair | Bride’s Attire: Sabyasachi (ceremony) | Groom’s Attire: Frontier Raas
Published as “Tejal & Samir” in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
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