Mishi Jain and Sunny Shah’s wedding paired Jain values with Rajasthani traditions, showing how plant-based menus and vegan attire can shape a large celebration.
Mishi Jain and Sunny Shah built a 150-person wedding around a practical challenge: could a major Indian celebration preserve its traditions while reflecting the couple’s commitment to nonviolence and veganism? Their answer came in five events across three days at Chunda Palace in Udaipur, in what was described as Rajasthan’s first fully vegan wedding.
The couple’s connection began at a wedding in Alabama in 2016. Despite having many mutual friends, they met there for the first time. Their conversations soon ranged from justice and faith to their shared interest in law and care for animals. “We started chatting and realized the many parallel interests, like our profession and love for animals,” Mishi said. “We started as friends, but eventually moved forward in our relationship.”
Prakash Creation
Prakash Creation
Prakash Creation
Both had grown up vegetarian and shared Jain values centered on nonviolence. Mishi became vegan after her family did; Sunny followed soon afterward. They carried those commitments into the wedding’s design, from its food to its flowers and rituals.
At the palace, lake views and ornate rooms set the scene for a schedule that moved between cultural traditions and personal touches. Faux flowers replaced fresh arrangements to reduce waste. At the mandap, both sets of parents sat beside the couple, making support from both families visible in the ceremony.
The festivities opened with a dinner featuring local folk dancers and henna, followed by a turmeric-covered haldi ceremony with drums and marigold colors. At the sangeet, friends surprised the couple with a skit about their relationship, complete with jokes about their legal studies.
Prakash Creation
Sunny arrived for the wedding in a vintage car, reworking the traditional groom’s procession on horseback. The couple also chose an oil pour in place of clarified butter. They kept the menu vegan without telling guests until the final day. “We didn’t tell anyone it was vegan until the last day,” Sunny said. “We wanted people to come in with an open mind.” One cousin, who had never heard of a vegan wedding, left curious to try one.
The celebration later inspired the couple to start @plantbasedpyaar, a shared Instagram food project focused on how culture, family, and ethical choices can sit at the same table.
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Vegan attire with cultural roots
Silk is common in Indian wedding clothing, so the couple commissioned custom vegan outfits from artisans in Mumbai. The clothing let them retain familiar cultural references while keeping animal-derived materials out of the celebration.
Prakash Creation
Prakash Creation
A second celebration in Houston
The Udaipur gathering was followed by a 300-person celebration in Houston. Speeches and performances accompanied another all-vegan menu, extending the couple’s effort to show guests the range of plant-based food beyond the smaller wedding events.
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Building a plant-based wedding menu
Chunda Palace had not previously catered a plant-based event. The couple worked with its team, brought in outside consultants, and held blind tastings to adapt dishes usually built around ghee, milk, or paneer. The menu’s range made the task tangible: each event could draw on a different regional or culinary tradition.
Breakfast began with an American-style continental buffet. An Indian welcome dinner and lunch brought samosas, kadai tofu, and coconut barfi flavored with cardamom. An Indo-Chinese dinner added spring rolls, vegetable manchurian, and fruit custard.
A Rajasthani-style welcome lunch led into a Punjabi reception dinner. Guests were served lemon coriander soup, vegetable kebabs wrapped in paratha, and tofu lababdar—a vegan take on paneer in cashew-tomato gravy. A chocolate lava cake joined jalebi, boondi ke ladoo, and assorted pastries for dessert.
Prakash Creation
Prakash Creation
Prakash Creation
For Jain and vegan couples planning large gatherings, Jain and Shah’s celebration offers a concrete example: familiar ceremonies can stay meaningful while the materials, menu, and details reflect different values.
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