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Natasha Fraser and Keegan Chandler tied the knot in a two-night extravaganza this April at Louisville, KY’s Omni Hotel. On April 16 was the Mehndi celebration, a tradition made up of vibrant hues, percussive music and dancing, and tasty traditional food. On the next day, they celebrated their Christian ceremony in a Catholic church followed by a sumptuous, floral-drenched reception. Let’s retrace this beautiful couple’s story that led to this visual feast of a weekend.
A chance connection led these two pre-med college kids to a strong friendship that eventually turned into much, much more.
At the University of Kentucky, Natasha and Keegan both found themselves in need of a study partner for their Genetics class. A mutual friend — either by coincidence or fate — connected them. They became study buddies and close friends, but it wasn’t until four years later (in 2016) that their relationship translated to something bigger. At the time, Keegan was at the University of Louisville dental school and Natasha had moved to Louisville to start medical school.
Mehndi is a Hindi and Urdu tradition that’s been practiced in Pakistan, India, Africa, and the Middle East for more than 5,000 years.
In June of 2019, Keegan took Natasha back to the site of their first date: Iroquois Park. “He told me that we were going to a family birthday party, but instead he took me to a hill in the park that overlooks the city.” After a heartfelt proposal, Keegan fibbed again and surprised Natasha with a celebration at The Champagnery complete with their closest family and friends from all over the country.
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After a short engagement, Natasha and Keegan got legally married on June 13, 2020, in front of an intimate 10-person crowd with Natasha’s brother as the officiant and only their immediate family in attendance. After a candlelit dinner at the bride’s childhood neighborhood’s Olde Stone Club House, the newlyweds and their families began to cook up plans for celebration number two.
Hundreds watched as Natasha and Keegan exchanged Catholic vows at the stunning Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church.
They decided to wait until April 2021 to get married in the Catholic Church and celebrate with extended family and friends. “Postponing our original wedding was stressful,” Natasha says, “but looking back, we feel so lucky to have had both weddings. We are so thankful that we still got married on our original date despite the pandemic and wouldn’t change a thing!”
This beaming bride rocks two unbelievably striking gowns throughout her wedding weekend.
Wedding planner extraordinaire, Amos Gott, started by helping the families pinpoint their top priorities for the weekend, “which was basically to make sure everyone had fun!” Natasha says. Amos went to work realizing every part of their vision … from stationery to décor to every day-of detail. “There is no way we could have ever done it by ourselves,” Natasha says.
The Omni transformed into a colorful festival for the Mehndi celebration on Friday.
With a guest list nearing 400, they needed the help and the space! “Our guest list size played a large factor in our venue,” Natasha explains. “We also knew we wanted an indoor venue because Kentucky weather can be so unpredictable. The Omni is such an elegant, modern space in Louisville, so picking it was easy!”
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As far as the aesthetic of each party’s decor, Natasha’s mom and Amos put their heads together. “Thankfully we were all on the same page about wanting a colorful celebration for the Mehndi and more of a neutral look for the reception. Having two celebrations really allowed us to play around with different visions,” Natasha adds.
This dreamy lounge setup was the perfect backdrop to the guests’ patterned and brightly colored outfits.
The same space, just 24 hours later, is drenched in neutrals and brushed brass details.
Natasha knew she loved Berta’s wedding dress designs prior to her shopping endeavors and found that the closest stockist was Elite Pour La Vie in Alpharetta, GA. “When I tried on the dress, it didn’t compare to anything else I had tried but I wanted to be certain. I ended up going to multiple boutiques in Nashville and Atlanta but ultimately went back and bought the Berta dress I loved so much.”
Natasha’s mom, dad, aunt, and cousin were all with her when she first tried this dress on. “They all instantly knew it was the one,” she says.
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Blush dresses for her best gals fit perfectly with the green and white floral theme.
For both ceremonies, they exchanged traditional vows, and their priest actually made them memorize their vows for the Catholic ceremony! “He did this because he wanted us to really know what we were saying,” Natasha says. “It was meaningful but made us both super nervous since we don’t like public speaking — ha!”
A dapper bunch of groomsmen hangs with the groom before the Catholic ceremony.
Partygoers on both nights enjoyed cocktail hours complete with open bar and butler-passed hors d’oeuvres. “Friday night, we served Pakistani favorites such as samosas and pakoras. For Saturday night, we served some of our favorite classic dishes such as crab cakes, mini beef wellingtons, and chicken thigh satay,” Natasha shares.
The couple is glad they opted for a first look so they could get straight to partying with their guests after the ceremony.
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On the first night of celebrations, colorful flowers, rich fabrics, and mixed votives created the most intriguing tablescape at the Mehndi.
On night two, the table was set more classically for the seated meal.
Friday night guests enjoyed a buffet with live-action stations where the cooks were making the food fresh. They made a mix of traditional Pakistani food like kebabs and chicken biryani in addition to Asian-fusion foods like Korean bao buns and Hakka noodles. “It was honestly some of the best food I have ever had,” Natasha says. On Saturday night, they opted for a seated meal of salad to start and a beef-halibut duo as the entrée.
The cake featured three different flavors: lemon-raspberry, chocolate-peanut butter, and Italian cream cake from Mert’s Bakery. Natasha says, “It was so fresh and delicious!”
The night ended with some welcomed slider burgers and fries being passed around the venue as the dancing wrapped up. “We partied until 1 a.m. so we opted out of a formal departure.” Plus, the bride and groom were staying in the hotel, so a grand send-off didn’t really make sense.
We wish we could have attended this party!
After their first wedding back in 2020, Natasha and Keegan flew to Lake Tahoe, “which was absolutely stunning,” the bride recalls. For the second go-around, they picked an all-inclusive resort so that they could relax and not have to plan much in advance. Excellence Resorts Playa Mujeres in Cancun, Mexico, ended up being the perfect spot to unwind after a huge weekend.
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The bride with her mother by her side is a vision.
“A tip I received and really appreciated was to pick your top three priorities for your wedding and put most of your energy towards them,” Natasha says. “Not every aspect of a wedding can be perfect, and you’ll stress yourself out too much if you try to make it perfect. For us, our top three were music, food, and making sure everyone had fun. For others, it may be pictures or décor or stationery. Everyone has different priorities and that is what makes each wedding unique to you. When I look back on our wedding, I can confidently say that our top three priorities were perfect to me.”
THANK YOU, Natasha, for reliving this special two-day event with us! And thanks to Leslee Mitchell for the fantastic photos 0f both celebrations.
RESOURCES
Ceremony: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Church
Reception: The Omni Hotel
Planner: Amos Gott of Amos Events
Day-of coordinator: Amos Gott
Photographer: Leslee Mitchell
Videography: Antonio Pantoja
Flowers: Amos Events
Stationery: Ink Nashville
Hair: Katie Eade from Cedar + Sage Hair Lounge in Bowling Green, KY
Makeup: Tia Mao
Bride’s gown: Berta
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Show Me Your Mumu
Groom and groomsmen’s attire: Giorgio’s Menswear and Tuxedos
Catering: Moghul Catering for Mehndi; The Omni for Reception
Cakes: Mert’s Cakes
Entertainment: Bluewater Kings Band and DJ Aumir with Escape Entertainment
Rentals: Amos Events
Glassware: The Omni
Linens: Amos Events
Transportation: Xtreme Transportation
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Discover more stunning Southern weddings in our archives HERE!
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