J&A
J&A
May 4th & 5th, 2024
May 4th & 5th, 2024
San Francisco, California
Schedule of Events
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Gaye Holud +
Welcome Reception
San Francisco City Club
155 Sansome St, Floor 10
5 - 9 pm
Join us for a re-imagining of a traditional Bengali wedding celebration, called a “gaye holud” (gah-yeh hoh-lude).
Upon arrival, guests are invited to approach the bride and groom, share their blessings, feed them a sweet or latke, and brush turmeric on their skin so that it glows for the wedding the next day.
Bengali and Jewish delicacies served for dinner.
Bright colours encouraged!
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Wedding Day
Golden Gate Club
135 Fisher Loop
4:30 - 10 pm
Witness Jonathan & Anushah get married underneath the Eucalyptus trees at the San Francisco Presidio. The outdoor ceremony will start promptly at 5 o’clock. Afterwards, we’ll move inside for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing.
Our Story
Anushah and Jonathan's love story began on a crisp autumn evening in 2019, in Berkeley, California. It was Halloween, and Jonathan, dressed as Julius Caesar, unexpectedly locked eyes at a party with a strange woman dressed as an undead cat – or rather, an undead cat in a box. They struck up a conversation and, from that moment, couldn't help but be drawn to each other.
They began meeting for study dates during which Jonathan pored through extremely heavy books and complained about law school and Anushah created original scholarship and talked about her nice friends in grad school. It was JD v. PhD.
Their journey took an unexpected turn in 2020 when, amidst a global crisis, Jonathan invited Anushah through heartfelt song to take the next step together. They navigated quarantine together, attending school online and nurturing a bond that withstood the pandemic.
The next few years took them hopping around the Bay, from Berkeley to San Francisco to Palo Alto, as they completed their degrees and set off on their careers. With more time spent with each other's friends and families, their love and sense of shared values deepened.
On an early spring afternoon in 2023, wearing oversized and absurdly dour coats, Jonathan and Anushah returned to the Berkeley backyard where they first met. Jonathan got down on one knee, and Anushah said, "I’m going to pass out!"
They committed themselves to each other in a small ceremony in May 2023. Now, they are excited to celebrate their union once again on their anniversary, this time with their friends and family by their sides.
Logistics
What should I wear?
You are encouraged to wear South Asian or American formal wear for both days. Guests often try to match the colours of the bride on the day of the Gaye Holud (for us that’s pink, yellow, and green), but any bright colours will keep with the spirit of the day.
We will be outside for the wedding ceremony on Sunday, so bring a coat! Spring in San Francisco is brisk and often foggy. There is also a gently sloping hill to walk down from the ceremony to the dinner, so best to wear shoes you are comfortable in.
Where should I stay?
We've reserved hotel room blocks at both the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco and the Hilton San Francisco Financial District. Either hotel can be reserved for three nights (May 3-6th) or two nights (May 4-6th).
Ritz-Carlton San Francisco
($349/room/night)
Reservations can be made on their website using the group codes:
- AJWAJWA for one king bed
- AJWAJWB for two queen beds
- Enter your preferred dates
- On the Special Rates section, click on the drop-down arrow, click on the Group Code section, and enter one of the codes above
- Press on the view rates button to go to the page showing the availability.
Reservations can also be made by calling 877-266-2050.
Hilton San Francisco Financial District
($169/room/night)
Reservations can be made at this special link. No special code is needed.
The room options are one king bed or two double beds.
How do I get to the events?
Saturday’s event in the SF City Club is in the middle of the downtown Financial District, close to both hotels. Public transit (BART or MUNI) or Uber are likely to be most convenient. If you are driving, there is no street parking but there are several parking garages in the surrounding blocks.
Sunday’s event in the Presidio is at the northwestern tip of San Francisco (close to Golden Gate bridge), so we recommend driving or taking Uber. There is plenty of room to park at this venue.
