Good Morning, Maharanis! We are back with more inspiration. The beautiful images by Aiya Photography give us a view inside the whimsical wedding celebrations of Poorva and Nilayam. This cute duo set the festive and fun spirit in the heart of their guests as they brought them all together to liven up their home for a lovely Sangeet celebration. Shawna Yamamoto Event Design was in charge of decorating the intimate event with charming floral centerpieces and tangerine and yellow florals that gave the house an elegant/traditional flair along with the splendid assortment of lights. On her first big festivity, our bride to be, Poorva, amazed the guests in a bright yellow and maroon lehenga set and recruited the super talented Henna San Diego to festoon her arms and legs with intricate bridal mehndi patterns that blended with her trousseau's embellishments. Raja Nilayam also surprised his soon to be wife in a maroon Kurta pajama set. Just perfect! Take a look at the gallery for more of this amazing intimate pre-wedding celebration.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met through Coffee Meets Bagel.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Nilayam took me zip-lining one weekend and proposed with a ring pop - something he had always wanted to do. We celebrated with our family a couple of weeks later where he replaced the ring pop with a beautiful sunset-inspired ring. It was the perfect proposal for us: dorky and adventurous!
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.
Both of us wanted a wedding near the beach and so we focused our search along the southern California coast. We chose The Resort at Pelican Hill for its gorgeous views, grand but simple architecture, and open-sky feel. The ocean breeze was absolutely perfect. Our vendors were chosen through a combination of bridal shows, planner recommendations, and word-of-mouth reviews.
We wanted to make our guests and us feel at home as much as possible so we really focused on the little details including designing our invites and stationery.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted to wear orange and not the traditional red. I also knew I didn't want something too heavy as I have a small stature and our wedding would be outdoors in August. I found my wedding lengha in a small boutique in New Delhi and knew instantly that it represented me and what I wanted to wear on my special day. Similarly, I knew I wanted to wear a teal colored lengha for my reception and was able to find something that suited my style and personality.
My Sangeet outfit was the most special as I had the honor of wearing my mom's wedding lengha. I had a new blouse designed to make part of the outfit mine but it meant a lot to me to be able to wear her lengha.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process was planning the personal details and touches that Nilayam and I had designed. We made our own guest book with our wedding colors, created our own table numbers to match our pun theme, went through old pictures to place on our cocktail tables, designed and wrote our own wedding invitations, and designed and wrote the program card. We wanted to infuse the wedding with our personalities and really make our guests feel at home.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests felt that they felt well taken care of and very comfortable throughout the whole day. Having an outdoor wedding in the middle of August was a cause of concern due to the heat. We made sure guests had ample shade throughout the ceremony along with custom sunglasses, fans, and plenty of food and drinks.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Nilayam's favorite moment was watching me walk down the aisle to the mandap. My favorite moment was being able to dance with him and our family and friends in our joint baraat.
For events other than your ceremony, please tell us as much as you would like about the decor, style, dances, and all the special details.
All other ceremonies were held at our homes. Our Sangeet was held at my parent's house in San Diego which was very special. We had a great time watching our family and friends perform their prepared dances. I had an especially fun time performing a dance with my sister. Monsoon catered our Sangeet with fusion food like pani puri shots and gnocchi tikka masala.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Try to find moments in the day where you can soak in all that is happening. I felt this helped me to really soak in everything and I didn't feel like the day(s) went by in a blur, as I was warned.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
My mehndi was done by Tejal Shah from Henna San Diego. I loved working with her as she took the time to understand the look that I wanted.
Our venue was absolutely stunning. We kept our decor to a minimum so the venue and the ocean backdrop would shine through. At the same time, we wanted the decor we had to be vibrant and colorful, staying true to a traditional Indian wedding.
Our florist, Shawna Yamamoto Event Design was able to bring our vision to life, including incorporating my favorite flower, gerbera daisies!
Our flautist, Anis Chandani set the mood perfectly during the ceremony.
Our pundit, Ravi Trivedi made our ceremony understandable and extremely engaging for us and our guests.
The splendor of an elegant outdoor wedding is packed in our next feature! Join me!
Mehndi Artists: Henna San Diego |
Hair & Makeup: Dolled up by Lulu |
DJ: 3D Sounds |
Lighting: 3D Sounds |
Draping/Styling: Bridal By Nisha |
Catering: Natraj Catering and Restaurants |
Photography: Aiya Photography |
Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Resort at Pelican Hill |
Planning & Design: Details Details |
Floral & Decor: Shawna Yamamoto Event Design |
Bridal Fashion: Vandana Sethi Designer (India) |
Bridal Fashion: Jainee (India) |
Cake & Treats: The Cake Korner |
Live Music: Anis Chandani |
Groom Fashion: Kora by Nilesh Mitesh (India) |
Groom Fashion (Reception): Ted Baker |
Priest: Ravi Trivedi |
Pedicab/Rikshaw: The Los Angeles Pedicab Company
Henna San Diego,
Dolled up by Lulu,
3D Sounds,
Bridal By Nisha and
Natraj Catering and Restaurants
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