by Scott Johnson
Thomas Wedding on 6/9/18 at Hilton Bellevue in Bellevue, Wa
Music licensed from -
The Music Bed - themusicbed.com
"Awesome to work with, very responsive to emails and prompt to receive video back!"
Not too long ago, we headed over to our hometown of Bellevue to film the Thomas’ wedding. Like Seattle, Bellevue doesn’t look like much of what it did ten years ago, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still the same great city! We love it because there’s so much to it: from the booming downtown area with luxurious malls and shopping centers, the entirely underrated Bellevue park, and many other great little nooks and crannies, it really makes us miss it!
The Thomas’ day got off to a great start. With a quiet morning to greet our bride and groom, makeup and attire came first. There was time for some prayer and definitely more than enough time to show off all the guys in the stunning suits. Before too long, Ash went off to meet his bride, Ruby, for their first look at Kubota Garden!
Down a little path, surrounded by flowers, trees, and a little pond, Ruby approached Ash from behind. Tucking her arms around him, he turned with the brightest smile you could imagine as he simply couldn’t help but stare. And boy were the pictures cute! We were able to get them roaming around the park, hand in hand, with nothing but excitement and happiness guiding their way. Sneaking kisses and looking just plain adorable, we could’ve spent hours outside with them...but then there couldn’t have been a wedding!
After the rest of the bridal party joined for some photos, it was finally time to head to the church for the big wedding! As everyone filed into the massive church, Ash looked ecstatic for his bride when she approached from down the aisle. After a wonderful ceremony, Ash and Ruby finally became husband and wife as they shared the kiss that sealed their vows.
Immediately following the wedding, there was plenty of time for family photos inside the church and bridal party photos at the nearby Bellevue Botanical Gardens. Some extra silly shots with the groomsmen and bridesmaids helped keep the spirits high and distract from the rumbling stomachs.
Not too long after it was time for the reception at Hilton Bellevue. The massive windows should be instantly recognizable to anyone from Bellevue, but the inside is what really takes the cake. Going all out on decorations, cake (an elegant, 4-tiered beauty), and the reception in general, it was a heck of a time celebrating with the newlyweds.
As the night went on, more photos were taken and the dance floor was set up. Following the bouquet toss, it was time for the dancing to begin. With everyone off their feet, dancing in unison, anybody watching the video should definitely be feeling a pang of jealousy; it was definitely a blast! But like all good things, it had to come to an end.
Thank you again to Ruby and Ash for choosing Best Made Videos to film their wedding! We hope your first few weeks as a married couple has gone splendidly!
Like always, if you have any questions or recommendations, please leave them below! We’d love to hear from you!
Venue / Caterer - Hilton Bellevue
Photography - Adina Preston Photography
Videography - Best Made Videos
Photo Booth - Seattle Facebooth
Flowers - Flora D'Amore
Cake - Cakes Are Fun
Audio/Visual - Live Oak AV
Best Made Videos – Blog
Ruby and Ash’s Story in their own words:
Our Story
Ruby was always terrified of the thought that she wasn’t ready to get married, that she was too young, not prepared and wouldn’t find Mr. Right. It was Winter of 2016, Ruby and I were sitting in a restaurant (Italian of course; because if y’all didn’t know pasta, alfredo sauce and extra shrimp is Ruby’s food of choice), and she had just told me she was interested in meeting people. I was more than ecstatic because Ruby was READY. She had the degree, she had the job, she had the OK from her parents, she was of “marrying” age (as we call it in the Indian community) and now just needed one more thing, the biggest thing…she needed THE MAN. Both Ash and Ruby had tried meeting people through friends and dating websites, but had no luck until their mutual friend Dency messaged both Ash and Ruby about each other. Dency described Ash as “a guy who loves Jesus, has a fun personality and gets along with everybody” and Ruby “a girl who loves Jesus, is outgoing, and has a sweet and infectious personality.” A little about Ash…he’s basically a wannabe frat boy with that good melanin… but if you ask him he refers to himself as “having a body of a god and heart of lion” although the jury is still out on that.
From the beginning, Ash & Ruby both knew they wanted something serious and it’s amazing how God works in mysterious ways. Long distance was hard but that didn’t stop them from seeing each other every month…thanks to student loans. But that still wasn’t enough, they needed more ways to connect. To overcome the struggles of long-distance, FaceTime became their best friend, the only way they could feel like a normal couple. Their daily facetime calls also became the reason that all their friends made fun of them for leaving social events and hangouts early due to their time zone difference.
At the end of the day, Ash and Ruby are just down to earth, Jesus-loving, good people. They were meant for each other and no matter where life takes them; I know they’ll have fun doing the journey together. People always ask them at what point they knew that the other was the one; they both realized it wasn’t just one specific moment, but a slow accumulation of moments that led them to realize that God called them to be joined together as one. - Tina, Maid of Honor
Tell us about the proposal!
Ash proposed by setting up a fake dinner with a couple friends. He took me to the Great Wheel and acted as if we were meeting them there to ride it. They showed up with a couple flowers in their hand and another one of my friends (who wasn't supposed to be there) popped up out of nowhere with flowers as well and a special memory from our relationship. At this point I knew what was happening. I started crying as he walked me down the pier and different friends handed me mementos from our relationship along with a flower. We ended up in a heart made of flower pedals where he got on a knee and proposed.
Wedding Party
Tina Rajan - Maid of Honor
Tina is my best friend. She’s the only one I know who would pick up my Face Time call even if she was in the shower. She is the most hilarious person on the planet, who always knows what to say/do to make any situation a million times better. There was no Ruby without Tina as a kid and that will probably be the case until we’re old and gray. I could not ask for a better best friend/maid of honor and am so happy she will be standing right by my side.
Sarita Harris - Bridesmaid
Sarita is my childhood best friend. We were inseparable as kids always crying our ways into sleepovers (mainly to my house LOL). We did everything together, like ride bikes, play with barbies, and eat out…all the time. Thank God we realized how great the gym was after all of that! I’m going to miss my workout partner. With that being said, I feel very fortunate to have Sarita stand with me on my wedding day!
Anita Thomas - Bridesmaid
Anita aka Nini, is my cousin-sister. I have looked up to her ever since I was a little girl. She has always been like an older sister to me; always giving the best advice on just about everything. I’m forever grateful for the way you pursued the relationship you have with me and I’m also forever grateful that you are type A and plan our cousin trips to a T (:P). I love you and am so happy to have you stand with me on my wedding day.
Gopika Madhavan - Bridesmaid
Gopika has been a close friend since our time spent at UW and I'm extremely grateful for the relationship that blossomed from it. She is one of the most loyal and loving people I know. I’ve learned so much from her and could honestly talk to her for hours on end about anything and everything. Our trip to San Fran will always be one of my favorite memories with you and I’m so glad we have it to look back on. I can’t wait to have you as my bridesmaid!
Rachel Flores - Bridesmaid
Rachel, aka my soul sister, is my high school bestie. She has one of the sweetest/kindest souls I know and I am forever grateful for all the fun times we had throughout our tween years going to Jonas brother concerts, random shopping trips after classes, and talking about our weddings, haha (it’s finally here). Your blossoming over the past few years has been one of the coolest things to witness. I admire you and your love for Jesus. I can’t wait to see you rock a saree and stand by my side on my wedding day!
Alyssa Fleming - Bridesmaid
Alyssa is one of my closest friends from Spokane. I’m not sure what I would have done without her there with me. She was also a youngin’ working on her Master’s degree at the same school I was attending and I felt like even though we came from two different worlds (her being from the country and me being from the city) we had a lot more in common than I thought. I value the friendship we have and feel extremely grateful to have had someone like you when I did! You’re the best, Lyss, can’t wait to have you as a bridesmaid.
Wesley Thomas - Best Man
Wesley is my younger and only brother. Although we grew up competing and fighting with each other in almost everything, I now greatly admire him and all the things he’s accomplished. He’s currently killing his intern year. He’s hard working, dedicated, loyal and always calls me out and pushes me to be a better person. I'm so proud to call you my best man.
Rubin Varghese - Groomsman
Rubin has been one of my best friends since undergrad. We were roommates through most of pharmacy and medical school. We both grew a lot spiritually and always pushed each other. I really admire his servant heart, his desire for missions and to provide healthcare to those less fortunate. I'm thankful that you'll be standing with me.
Ruhan Philip - Groomsman
Although I have only known Ruhan for a few months, I have learned many things from him. Most importantly learning how to take care of his little sister. I really admire how much he cares for Ruby and his whole family. In this short time, he’s become someone I really look up to and hope to become more like. I am so glad that you'll be standing up there with me and your sister.
Ligin Chandy - Groomsman
Ligin is my cousin and has been a close friend ever since he moved here. He is always down for an adventure or just to hang out and relax. We’ve gotten to share a lot and give each other a lot of advice over the years. One of the things I admire most about him is his loyalty to family and I hope to exemplify that. Its an honor to have you with me.
Dony Sebastian - Groomsman
Dony is my cousin and a close friend. He’s definitely one of the funniest guys I know and a go-to source for fashion advice. He is always helping out with something new at church. He’s also very loyal and loves helping out his friends no matter what the situation and I greatly admire that. Proud to have you by my side.
Jeremy Joseph - Groomsman
Jeremy is one of my close childhood friends. I have watched him grow from a clumsy kid to a still clumsy but incredibly talented man. He leads worship at my local church and we get to play music and sing together often. We also love to hang out and watch Thunder games together. His musical talent and his heart for God always inspire me. I'm so glad you're gonna be up there with me.