Do you ever get the feeling that you just know someone without actually haven’t really met them? That is exactly how I felt while viewing the wedding highlight reel for Maharani Sanna’s Indian wedding celebration! This wedding, hailing from the windy state of Illinois was both festive and traditional with a modern twist. Read on as we divulge all the details! Like many Indian couples, Sanna was introduced to Salman through a mutual friend on Facebook. Eventually this little union would lead to a full blown Indian event with close family and friends! The celebration began with the Pithi and Sangeet held at the Holiday Inn Skokie. The night was brimming with food, fun and family - an area of importance to the bride and groom! The bride’s entrance inside a shiny palanquin carried by her family members was absolutely gorgeous! The following afternoon was the Nikkah (traditional wedding ceremony) at the Glenview Ismaili Jamathkhana. The bride knew that even the simplest displays can have the biggest impact and designed all of the signs that really made a statement found at the Nikkah. Bridal makeup by Tamara Makeup and Hair Artistry was on point for the wedding day! Donning an ivory white, laced Indian wedding dress with contrasting silver jewelry pieces, this bride’s personality just shined on camera with the images captured by Peter Pawinski. That same night, guests returned to the ballroom at the Holiday Inn Skokie for the reception party that was jazzed up to the nine by Dream Decor. Marlin Parikh of Seen Clear was behind the turntables as guests dined on appetizers catered in-house and indulged in signature cocktails. Camille Victoria Weddings designed the perfect wedding that fit the Bride’s personality perfectly; bubbly, gorgeous and chic! The cinematic masters, Mirar Productions, have brought us a stellar cinematic wedding, so hit play, kick up your feet and take a journey through Maharani Sanna’s big day! We caught up with the bride on her big day, so after you watch the video read on as she spills some of her wedding planning secrets!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Salman is my best friends cousin and she thought it would be a great idea that we were introduced. She sent both of us an awkward message on Facebook. We both didn’t message each other for a few weeks. Salman finally decided to message and we talked a lot on Facebook, then moved to texting, then calling, and he finally came and visited me in Chicago. Our first date went horribly and I couldn’t believe this was the guy I talked to for the past month on the phone. Poor guy wasn’t feeling well and we went on our second date and it was the best date I had been on with amazing chemistry. When Salman met my parents, he easily got along with them and talked about how his family was very similar in terms of being family oriented and having tons of gatherings. I knew that he was "the one" after I saw him interact with my parents and sister.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I had always told Salman that I really wanted to be engaged before 30! He literally proposed a few weeks before I turned 30. He had gotten blessings from both families about proposing, but he didn't tell anyone he was taking me to the Shedd Aquarium to propose. He kept leaving to talk to the photographer to make sure he captured the moment. I just thought that he was having issues, haha. He proposed and I had no idea - I was wearing all the wrong things and didn’t get my nails done, but that is what made it special. It was the best day of my life!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Most people wear a white sari to their Nikkah and I wanted to do something different. I went shopping in Houston and found this new Dubai based boutique - Ghungat USA. I fell in love with this white Indian dress! It was a perfect fusion between Indian and American - it fit my personality perfectly and the best part was Salman also knew this was "the one." As for my reception, I knew I wanted gold. I searched in Chicago, Dallas, and Houston and I didn’t really find anything that caught my eye. I then turned to Sharmeen Panache (PanachebySharmeen) who is a designer in Houston. There were lots of gold lengha's but they mostly washed me out. Sharmeen designed exactly what I wanted in terms of the lengha (gold with long sleeves, lots of pink mixed into the outfit, and a very simple dupatta).
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the process was the clothes shopping. Salman came with me to shop for all my outfits. This process made Salman and I get to know one another better. He was very supportive and helped me make a lot of the decisions. Of course, I had my sister and both moms with me as well and I think we all got to know one another better during this whole process. I got the best advice and ended up with some phenomenal wedding outfits!
What did your guest particularly love about your Wedding?
Guests really loved all the little details about our wedding! At the Nikkah, we had a buffet of different sweets and had signs that said "A sweet Ending to our new beginning.” We also had fans and sunglasses with our hashtag on them for guests to use while they waited for the extended family portraits outside in August. At the reception, we had Ferrero Rocher table assignments, glow sticks with our hashtag, and mints that said "Mint to Be." We also had several filters for snapchat throughout the weekend. We had one for Team Dallas and one for Team Chicago since we were from two different cities. All these little details really made the wedding fun for the guests! We had a great time and got great feedback from all our friends and family.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
I used to casually mention to Salman that I wanted him to sing to me at my wedding since he actually has a really nice voice. He did not plan on doing any singing since things got so busy with wedding planning. My two cousins did a surprise piano and signing performance for me. Without any planning or practice, he did an impromptu performance. He actually sang to me! This is what keeps playing in my head over and over!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Start planning early and enjoy the process. If you are super organized and have everything planned out, you will be able to enjoy your whole wedding! We planned a year and a few months in advance and I thought we started doing things very early, but turned out it helped us enjoy the wedding the whole weekend.
I am sure you all enjoyed this cinematic adventure! Stay tuned as we unveil yet another Indian wedding when you return tomorrow!
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