A Cross-Cultural Love Story Jovan & Varna Wedding celebrated in overlooking the breathtaking NYC skyline
Where Rajasthan-Punjab-Kerla cultures blended and forever began
-Jovan Jande and Varna Kodoh, both Starting Residence at Chicago. Jovan graduated from WSU and will be a Doctor soon. -Varna kodoth -Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Beyond thrilled to match at
 I can’t believe I get to be an OBGYN!? 9 years ago, they became friends at University of Michigan and now both are starting Residence at Chicago
Finally, a Wedding that truly looks like Indian, cultural Blended and Families united, and forever began
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-Dr Harpal Jande, father of Jovan, is doing practice in Michigan and got MBBS from Rajasthan. Dr Harpal, who balances intense hard work with exceptional patient care, often earns a strong reputation. Traits of highly regarded physicians and a commitment to collaborative decision-making.Harpal misses his village Sri Karanpur, Gangnagar.
-Rani Jande, MBA & CPA & is mother of Jovan, Entrepreneur with a hard, tough-principled, and highly organized character builds businesses through intense discipline, clear structural systems, and uncompromising standards.
-Prasannakumar PV. father of Varna, Writer from the Gods own country, Mathematics Educator, Student Advisor & Digital Technologist. Jayasree Kodoth. Mother of Varna
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A gary Singh Grewal. Ms-Auto Engineer, Father of Rani, believe in Education, helping others and helped more than 50 families (grown to 300 people |
Rajinder mother of Rani, Chandigarh Educationist/ Mandi and Karen got MBA followed to Rani as MBA and CPA |
 By Ava Tung, Cousin Sister of Jovan
BS in Film, Television & Media, USA
Dated June 17, 2026
During the first week of June 2026, I had the pleasure of attending my cousin Jovan's wedding in Weehawken, New Jersey.
It was a lavish, beautiful Indian celebration that was as much a family reunion as it was a lifelong promise between two young lovers. It was also a place that many of the attendees who came from smaller villages in India and were going to now experience one of the most beautiful celebrations overlooking the breathtaking NYC skyline.
My name is Ava Tung. I'm 21, a recent Film, Television, and Media graduate from the University of Michigan. I’ve always found it more accurate to call myself an 'Americanized Punjabi' than just a 'Punjabi.' I grew up in Los Angeles, and I'm headed back there soon. My Grandparents were born in India and came to USA in the 70s.
My parents were born in Canada and the UK, and my sister and I were born in Chicago. I say all of this because it shaped exactly how I experienced this wedding: as an outsider (I know maybe a handful of Punjabi words, let alone Hindi), as an insider (I'm the groom's first cousin, one of his 'sisters' in the wedding), and as a filmmaker who couldn't help but recognize what a stunning story this was, and how beautifully it was told.
The groom, Jovan Jande, and the bride, Varna Jande, are two of the most hardworking, honest, and ambitious people I know. They met during their undergraduate years at the University of Michigan, then both went on to Ivy League graduate studies at Columbia University, where Jovan earned his Master of Health Administration and Varna her Master of Public Health. From there, they completed medical school: Jovan at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Varna at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Now, they are beginning their careers as doctors in Chicago! Jovan in Anesthesiology residency at Rush University Medical Center, and Varna in OB/GYN at the University of Chicago.
Our entire family could not be prouder. It's clear that since their first date, their paths were completely aligned and now, married, they walk a new one together.
As for the wedding itself: I know every wedding takes months, sometimes years, to plan. The sheer scale of dedication and love that went into this one took my breath away more than once. Over two hundred guests had traveled in from California, Michigan, England, and India. And as with most Indian weddings, there were more than enough events to celebrate. Most of which were at Envue Marriott, a hotel that sat just before the Hudson River, and the New York City skyline.
Wednesday, June 3rd was the Mehndi night for the groom's side. Designs painted from fingertips to wrists. It was interesting watching how some of us gravitated toward minimal patterns while others went full maximalist and had people stopping mid-conversation to stare. I, of course, wanted something maximalist. Even some of the men got designs, honoring both their parents and the couple. By morning, my mehndi had flaked from dancing, playing with the little cousins, and wiping tears during the impulsive, sentimental speeches. But from then on, every pair of hands I’d seen were completely unique.
Thursday, June 4th was the Sangeet: a night of Indian dances and Jaggo. It was the first time everyone was fully dressed, women in vibrantly colored lenghas and sarees, groomsmen in traditional sardar outfits.
I had to perform a dance with the groom's sisters, and finding out we were first on stage pushed me nerves to a boiling point. But the moment we started, the energy of the crowd and Jovan and Varna's joy made it worth every bit of anxiety. The rest of the dances were beautiful, and even the couple joined in for some. The Jaggo brought everyone together after, and we didn't stop dancing until the night was over.
Being a member of the inner family meant there was no such thing as rest. Four in the morning for pictures: difficult, but not impossible.
Friday, June 5th was the Sikh and Hindu ceremonies outside, overlooking the New York City skyline. The sun was relentless, but sitting down to witness Jovan and Varna's matrimony felt like a privilege. Together, the two ceremonies marked a genuine blend of religions. Anand Karaj (Punjabi Sikh) and Kalyananm (Tamil Hindu).And Jovan and Varna’s sentimental speeches to each other made me cry again. I realized at that point, there was a rare, precious emotion I felt while listening to them–it was something I knew I wouldn’t feel again, until I had my own wedding.
That evening, Jovan, Varna, and their friends celebrated in New York City, matching 'I Heart NY' shirts. I opted for the cocktail party hosted by Masi and Maserji, the groom's parents.
It was a rare chance to reconnect with family members who hadn't seen me since I was knee-height, or who'd only watched me grow up through Instagram.
Saturday, June 6th was the reception: the final event. A few family photos beforehand felt like an acknowledgment that this was the last time we'd all be together until the next wedding. I caught myself wondering if that would be mine or my sister's. But there wasn't much time to sit with that thought.
Varna and Jovan's families gave speeches that carried the weight of parents letting their children go, followed by dances that matched. And then more dancing, with everyone on the dance floor. By the end, the women took off their heels to give the last song everything they had.
By the next morning, Jovan and Varna were off on their honeymoon, and everyone else flew back home. My family was off to see New York City to make the most of this trip. And now, we’re back home too. If there's one thing I learned about weddings, it's this: they are less about the event and more about the people who show up for it. The mehndi fades, the gifts get packed away, the hall empties. But what stays is the specific feeling of being in a room full of people who all love the same two people enough to travel across the world for them. I'll be chasing that feeling for a long time.
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