Niyomi + Sarav Wedding

This is the story of Niyomi and Sarav, how they met and how they chose to spend one of their most memorable days with the Estate at Cherokee Dock.

They first met in the digital fields of cyberspace, connecting with each other on shaadi.com. This is a matchmaking website founded in the late 90s in India. Feeling courageous, Sarav took the first leap and sent her a message. One she accepted, the two began to talk often in many forms, and from there it was a match made in heaven.

Marriage is a very large decision that no one wants to make without sure footing,

“For me, it was the first-weekend Sarav came to visit me in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We had been chatting long distance for a couple of months via text, phone calls, and FaceTime. We finally found a weekend for him to visit, and after that first trip and how instantly comfortable we were together,” Niyomi said, “I think we both knew.”

There were a bride and a groom and a million ideas. Now they needed a place to celebrate the start of their happy marriage.

The couple search for a location with enough space to accommodate several days of ceremonies and events. That’s where we come in, the Estate at Cherokee Dock a luxury event venue in middle Tennessee and former home award-winning actress, singer, and author, Reba McEntire. Built in the early 1960s, the Estate at Cherokee Dock is an elegant 13-acre estate sitting on the banks of Old Hickory Lake.

“The house and surrounding landscape are absolutely gorgeous.” Niyomi explained, “In one venue, there were so many different areas to hold several days of events, and each area of The Estate gave each event a different feel.”

The Estate’s southern style mansion features four levels. The lower level houses a 12-person movie theater with a 100-inch screen. Moving up the grand staircase, the main level of the home opens with a large foyer for your guests to enter upon. From here, you can traverse into the marvelous kitchen or find your way to our private library or spacious great room.

Ascending to the third level, you will find the master suite with its own private bathroom and balcony. This suite looks over Old Hickory Lake and is bound to make the sunrises as beautiful as the sunsets. Above all, is the fourth level of the mansion which houses guest bedrooms, a gym, and a family room perfect for games and relaxation.

One of the nicest parts of The Estate at Cherokee Dock, according to our guests, is the spacious mansion,

“I really enjoyed my family and friends being able to stay in the house and spend time together in between events,” Niyomi commented.

The overnight accommodations for friends and loved ones allow you to keep your closest guests at your side during your special day.

With the venue selected, the happy couple had their planner, Angela Proffitt, work out all the small details and the results speak for themselves! More than 200 guests came to the Estate to wish Sarav and Niyomi a joyous beginning to their happily ever after. Following the ceremonies, each reception was magical. The Estate’s tented pavilion, with Swarovski crystal chandeliers and fully decorated tables, it looked as if a fairytale sprung from the page!

Multiple days of events conducted in traditional Indian style as guests from all over the world joined the celebration. Donned with red in her wedding gown, Niyomi’s hands were decorated in henna. Some believe the darker the henna the stronger the marriage will be, with the shade of her henna, she has nothing to worry about.

The dress adorned, the groom’s eyes covered. The only thing left to do was to get Niyomi to the Mandap. Covered in floral arrangements, the Mandap symbolizes growth. Included in the Mandap staging are two pillars, each representing the parents of the bride and groom, supporting them on their wedded journey.

Following the official wedding ceremony, the couple prepares for the grand reception. They make their entrance and the bride is joined in a choreographed dance. Then guests’ eyes dart around the pavilion as the wedding cake is brought out. This five-tiered flawless cake, prepared by, took a bit of the spotlight while the festivities began. The night was the beginning of a new chapter for the couple that included an elegant first dance and heart-tugging father-daughter and mother-son dances.

“The wedding was absolutely stunning, and we could not have asked for a more perfect weekend,” Niyomi told us.

As the night wrapped up and the guests gave their goodbyes, Niyomi and Sarav spent their first night as a husband and wife in The Estate’s master suite. Following a restful sleep, the newlyweds jettisoned off across the globe to their honeymoon in Greece. They spent their time touring the beautiful countryside and spending nights on some of the islands that dot the Aegean Sea.

Niyomi and Sarav started their wedded adventure with the Estate at Cherokee Dock. From our gates in Tennessee to the shores of the islands of Santorini and Mykonos to who knows? The Estate at Cherokee Dock started them on the right foot. Let us help you start one of your biggest adventures by booking with us today.