Happy Monday Maharanis! We hope you are having a fabulous day and today we return with yet another amazing wedding feature that highlights some amazing vendors out of Chicago. When Shilpa and Ashok were ready to tie the knot, it was inevitable that two wedding planners would have to do. Events by Nisar and Jankhana Desai from JD Eventz were both brought on to spearhead the very important task of ensuring that a blockbuster event was pulled together. The pre-festivities kicked off at the Museum of Broadcast with a festive sangeet night. The bride and groom ensured that guests stayed entertained with vintage arcade games and various appetizers from their favorite eateries. Milt’s BBQ, Bombay Breakdown, Blue Plate, and Mantra catered this event. Quite possibly one of my favorite themes! After all, why pick favorites when you can pick all? The entrance of the venue included an ivory white peacock as well as a DC inspired sign honoring the couple’s event. The next day, the bride got up bright and early to get ready for her Indian wedding ceremony at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Shilpa exchanged her multifaceted, turquoise lengha for a gorgeous, traditional red and gold ensemble. Heavy kundan jewelry sealed the bridal deal. After she was glammed up, it was time to make her grand entrance. Head into the gallery for a plethora of pics captured by Le Cape Weddings!

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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I have to admit that he knew before I did. I held myself back for a while, not sure if I wanted to commit to him. I went to a friend's wedding 6 weeks or so after we started dating. The wedding was in Ohio so I didn't bring him with me. When I flew back the day after the wedding, exhausted, he picked me up from airport. My flight was delayed, so he had to wait at the airport for a while. When I finally arrived, he scooped me up and drove me home. He had made dinner for me (beef and broccoli) which he had with him. When I went up to my place, I opened the bag with the food and found a single rose in it. At that moment I knew I was sunk!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
He faked me out by choosing the weekend after Valentine's day! We had arranged for my parents to come visit that weekend. I thought the plan was for me and my parents to come over to his parents' house for dinner. He asked me to have lunch with him earlier that day, just the two of us, to relax before the big visit. He told me he had written a story about afternoon teas, and wanted to try out Tea at the Drake, so we did. Afterwards we went for a walk on the Chicago lakefront. It was a magical 65 degree February day, I'm still not sure how he arranged that. On the lakefront, by the chess tables, we stopped, and he proposed. I was extremely excited, we walked back to his place and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day in our city. Then, we headed over to his parents' place, where I thought my parents would meet us and we would have a quiet celebratory dinner. When I walked into the house, I was greeted by all of our friends and family, including some that had come from Michigan, New York, DC, and other places just for this day. We celebrated at the house and then went out for drinks late into the night. It was one of the sweetest days of my life!
Tell us how you went about planning your wedding, and your overall experience with the Venues, Hair & Makeup, Outfits, Decor Theme, and all of the other important details.
We had a short time frame for planning the wedding, but we were careful not to compromise on our vision just because of time. I had always dreamed of an outdoor wedding ceremony, and we wanted it to be somewhere that showcased our beautiful city, while at the same time exposing our guests to hidden gems. We had a vision of three different venues for Sangeet, Wedding, Reception. We were able to achieve that while still allowing convenient access to venues for our guests. Although there were themes that carried through all of the events, the three different venues allowed us to give each of our events a totally different look and feel, which worked really well.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My mom went to India to shop for clothes. I was nervous because I wasn't able to go with her, and we were forced to make decisions based on FaceTime conversations and texted photos. I did still have my "bridal dress moment" with my reception gown. I knew I wanted an Indo-Western gown for my reception, but didn't have a vision beyond that as to color or style. The first day my mom was in India, she FaceTimed me from a store and showed me this gold dress with embroidery. I couldn't see it very well and asked her if she could send me a picture. She did, and as soon as I saw the photo, I knew that was the one. For the other outfits, there was a bit more contemplation, but in the end I loved everything I wore. Way to go mom!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
My fiance and I took a private water taxi ride during the cocktail hour. We brought along our photographer and videographer, but it was a really wonderful to have a quiet few moments to enjoy the city lights and celebrate being married. Our guests gathered outside at the end to wave to us as we rode by on the boat. It was a special moment that I'm sure none of us will ever forget!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Put yourself and your fiance into the wedding. Our planners were crucial to every part of the the wedding, and we couldn't have done it without them. But in the end, they needed us to give them our vision to make it special for us. Also, if you have a groom that wants to be involved, don't divide and conquer, work together. Especially when it comes to the small creative touches, working together makes the outcome better, and you both are a part of it as a couple.
Guests were invited to the series of events with personalized invitations from Customizing Creativity. The gorgeous outdoor wedding ceremony is coming right up!

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Invitations & Wedding Stationery: Customizing Creativity | Cakes & Treats: Oak Mill Bakery | Catering (Sangeet): Milt’s BBQ | Catering (Sangeet): Bombay Breakdown | Catering (Sangeet): India House | Catering (Sangeet/Ceremony): Blue Plate | Catering (Sangeet/Ceremony): Mantra | Catering (Reception): Westin Chicago River North | Catering (Reception): India House | Cinematographer: Le Cape Weddings | Photographer: Le Cape Weddings | Dj & Entertainment: Matt Roan | Floral & Décor: Yanni Design Studio | Hair & Makeup: Jeffrey Stiglich - Hands 2 Create | Hair & Makeup: Asha Davila | Lighting: Frost Chicago | Lighting: Yanni Design Studio | Mehndi Artist: Ekta Shah | Photo booth: GlitterGuts | Planning & Design: Events by Nisar | Planning & Design: Jankhana Desai from JD Eventz | Priest: Dharmarao Nellivalasa | Transportation: Chicago Water Taxi | Venue (Sangeet): Museum of Broadcast Communications | Venue (Ceremony): Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | Venue (Reception): Westin Chicago River North