Christina and Randy finally made it official and a sensational reception planned and produced by brilliant Designer Weddings By Carly Rose was the next step for the newlyweds! The celebrations took place at the wonderful DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld, which provided an amazingly elegant venue to get this party started. With burgundy hues and a touch of dusty rose color, the ballroom was toned perfection while the charming floral centerpieces happen to be of my favorite elements. The dreamy decor was an exuberant creation of the professional decorators from Occasions by Shangri-la while Dj Devious gave the new Mr. and Mrs. all the right reasons to have a marvelous first dance amidst this magical ambiance! Castaldo Studios captured the best moments as well as the new outfits that our couple flaunted during their last event, immortalizing the bride's white princess gown and her dazzling tiara and the groom's grey suit, in a series of timeless outdoor and indoor portraits. To follow every minute of this gorgeous soiree, take a look at the previously featured wedding film and dive into our full gallery!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Randy and I met around June/July of 2011 at his family-owned restaurant. We didn't speak much, however, a few days later I would receive a friend request on FB from him. I accepted, but we rarely spoke, maybe a few likes and comments here and there, and him trying to make small conversations (which I paid no mind to). It was not until I was stuck working the night shift one night in October and was bored out of mind that I received a message in my inbox, and so I finally responded. We talked for hours that one night about many things, he even gave me his phone number but I, of course, was reluctant to provide mine. The next night, we talked again but this time from the very beginning of my shift all the way until the end (6:30pm-6:30am) and it was then that I finally gave him my number. Randy didn't and wouldn't go to sleep until I accepted his offer to take me to dinner which I accepted but then, later on, sent a text canceling after being very "iffy" about even starting a potential relationship with anyone. It wasn't until I had a talk with my mom and a few co-workers that I revoked my cancelation and agreed to meet for a dinner date. We had our first date a few days before Halloween at Taverna Opa, and finally made things official on November 9th, 2011. Never thought 7 years later we would be married.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Our proposal is one that will always be a special one and something very dear to my heart. Being the HUGE Disney lover that I am, I always dreamt of having a Disney wedding (even though I knew it would not happen); so instead Randy planned an engagement that was beyond my wildest dreams! Every year for our anniversary of being together we always seem to find ourselves at Disney, so for our 5 years, it was no surprise that we would be there for the day. We got there around 10 am on November 9, 2016, and began our Disney adventure at my favorite park Magic Kingdom for the day. Naturally, I did happen to glance at his pockets but did not see anything that looked "box-like" so I had no idea what was coming my way. As we proceeded with our day it got to be around 3 pm and I was practically STARVING as we had not eaten anything except for some Dunkin Donuts before entering the park. I kept initiating for us to grab something but he REFUSED which was making me highly irritated. As we waited for the Mad Tea Cup ride he finally informed me that he had reservations at a restaurant that I always wanted to go to, but requires a 6 month or more reservation time, Cinderella's Royal Table! I was so excited that my hunger magically disappeared. Our reservations were around 5:30 pm, and it was the most amazing experience. We ate and finally dessert time came, with a covered tray our waitress said "I heard you like chocolate" and I replied "I LOVE chocolate" and with that, she said "Well! You're going to really LOVE this" and as she lifted the cover from a white plate, there laid Cinderella's glass slipper on a bed of rose petals. Randy then pulled this HUGE box from his pocket (I still have no clue how I missed it the WHOLE time), got down on one knee and asked if I "would be his princess forever?"
The rest is history!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
We moved to FL from Queens, NY in 2004 when I was 13, and I always knew if I were to ever get married I needed to get my bridal lengha from NY. After doing some research my mom and I made a trip to Jackson Heights, and I decided my first stop would be Rahul's Couture. I loved his unique designs and an option to have customizations to how I wanted it. I wanted to look like a princess and that is what he gave me. For my reception gown, I bought that locally here in a bridal boutique located in downtown Orlando with my mom and wedding planner Carly (who is the best!). The stylist was able to find my "Belle" gown from the designer Stella York.
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.
Our vision entailed a little bit of both of us as any wedding should be. I am all about Disney and Randy loves his cars and special effects. Our overall theme was royalty and elegance with a dash of "Beauty and the Beast". Our reception centerpieces were over the top candelabras (a reference to Lumiere ), table numbers were written on bell-shaped jars to incorporate the enchanted rose, and roses filled the room. My favorite aspects were the 6 sparkler fountains that went off both when we entered our reception and during (every 15-25 seconds) our choreographed first dance. The sparkler and dancing on cloud effects during the first dance looked straight out of a fairytale and was everything we could have wanted. We had rose and paisley textured lighting that covered every empty space that was left of the ballroom (Shout out to Jim owner of FyerFly Productions that provided all the lighting, dancing on clouds, sparkler fountains, and confetti canons). Randy made his grand entrance on a bright yellow Lamborghini Huracan, insisted we have a same day edit shown at the reception, and also had the photographers create a same day print from the Ceremony that replicated a movie poster. We ended the reception night with a bang of gold confetti.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
I knew off the bat I needed a planner, and that was the first research I did. I ended up finding Carlisha (Carly) Magnarella with Designer Weddings by Carly Rose and she was the best decision I could have made. We knew the Mandap we wanted, the theme, design, and Carly was able to bring it all together. Even if just a day of coordinator will help stress levels, I am a very anxious, OCD person and even my mom was shocked at how calm and collective I was. I knew Carly had everything handled, we planned everything and talked about EVERYTHING, she knew exactly what we liked, what we didn't like and she was able to make decisions even if we were unavailable. I had nothing to worry about because I knew I had a great team covering everything and that is the biggest advice I will give anyone. HIRE PROFESSIONALS!
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 the amazing Salma J. with Henna Allure. My palms had a bride and groom with Randy's name hidden and it ended with a castle to represent our engagement and a peacock for my devotion to Lord Krishna. I also have a tattoo on my wrist and rather than covering it with mehndi Salma outlined it so that it flowed with all of her intricate designs. My jewelry came from India Trend Shop, and shoes were 2 different Christian Louboutin heels for both days. My hair and makeup was done by the amazing Beauty by Tamanna (from NY). Randy had his groom Sherwani custom from Rahul's Couture, and custom tux from Jos' A Banks. His highlighted accessories were his Breitling watch, custom cuff links that featured the lyrics to our wedding song, Louis Vuitton tie, belt, and cologne.
That's all for today, Maharanis! Check back tomorrow for more incredible inspiration!
Floral & Decor: Occasions by Shangri-la |
Cinematographer: Castaldo Studios |
Photographer: Castaldo Studios |
Ceremony & Reception Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld |
Planning & Design: Designer Weddings By Carly Rose |
Hair & Makeup: Beauty by Tamanna |
Catering: DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld |
DJ: Dj Devious |
Photo Booth: SnapShot Orlando |
Bridal Fashion: Rahul's Couture |
Bridal Jewelry: India Trend |
Bridal Draping/Sari Tying & Styling: Beauty by Tamanna |
Invitations & Wedding Stationery: Indian Wedding Card |
Lighting: FyerFly Productions |
Mehndi Artists: Henna Allure |
Transportation: Lamborghini Rental
Occasions by Shangri-la
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