Happy Friday, beautiful ladies! Another week is gone, and we are rapidly approaching the weekend, and what better way to do it than taking a look at a romantic love story that will make you feel inspired! If that sounds like music to your ears, make yourself comfortable, and get ready to enjoy it. Today's love story featuring Preethi & Vinay is going to start a little differently than we usually do things around here! This time, we won't be taking a look at a wedding celebration. Even better, we'll be taking a look at how a happily ever after begins by taking you on a visual journey through these two lovebirds' engagement ceremony. How amazing is that! This engagement ceremony hosted at the bride's parents house was a step forward in Preethi & Vinay's dream of becoming husband and wife. And we are so happy they are getting closer to fulfilling that long-awaited dream as just by seeing them together in the amazing shots captured by Lin Visual, you can tell that theirs is going to be an everlasting love story! The meticulous planning and the colorful decor of this life-changing event were in charge of the bride and her mother, and oh boy, they exceeded their own expectations creating a traditional and vivid decor that we loved so much! Just take a look at the colorful flower garlands placed all over the room and the ideal placement of all the ornaments. If that doesn't say beauty, few things will! And talking about beauty, we want to take a moment to admire Preethi's fabulous look during this engagement ceremony. Bewitching! In the months leading up to the event, Preethi would jokingly tell her friends that she wanted to look like a "South Indian goddess queen descending from above" when walking down the stairs wearing her new Sari. And guess what? Thanks to the fabulous Sari from Nalli Silks and the exquisite pieces of jewelry from Tarinika, she made this dream come to life! And we cannot stress how much we loved her final look. To conclude this engagement ceremony, Preethi & Vinay shared a delicious South Indian lunch from Authentikka with all attendees. Check more of this engagement ceremony in today's full gallery. You'll love it so much!
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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met in college at the University of Michigan! We are similar in so many ways - love hip hop, South Indian movies/music, dancing, eating fries, quality family time, and lazy days at home. I've always been very "type A" and like everything to be planned, but he is the complete opposite. He loves to be spontaneous and has a "go with the flow" attitude. I think this is what really attracted me to him, and it has helped me get to the point I am today in my career. I can't recall the moment when I realized he was "the one", but he has always been my rock through difficult times and the mastermind of all things fun!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
We got engaged in Barcelona. I went on a trip in July with my friend and on the first day there we decided to visit Parc de la Ciutadella, which has a gorgeous fountain with beautiful architecture and gold detailing. When we got to the park my fiance, Vinay, showed up and my friend conveniently had to leave to go to the bathroom. I knew what was about to happen and was so excited for him to get on his knee, but then an Indian man selling coconuts came up to us and asked us to buy his cut coconut. We refused multiple times, but he wouldn't leave us for a good 5 minutes. We finally had to give in and bought a coconut so that he would leave us. It was annoying in the moment, but now we just laugh thinking about the whole scene. We jokingly thought of making our wedding hashtag f***thecoconutman haha. After the whole ordeal, Vinay got on one knee and popped the question. I don't even recall this, but I apparently didn't even say "yes" and just stuck my hand out. Later, the photographer asked my fiance, "she said yes right?". After the proposal, we all went to a rooftop dinner, sipped on some wine, and watched the sun set over Barcelona. It was truly one of the most beautiful experiences I've had.
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.
This was an engagement ceremony, so we wanted to keep the cost low, and had to be creative with our decor. The ceremony was at my parent's house in Michigan. I ended up doing my own hair and makeup - got some amazing Lilly Lashes and a bright lip for the summer, which really made a difference in the photos.
Outfits
For the mehendi the night before, I wore an anarkali that I bought from Diva in Chennai a few years back, but I actually had a tailor in Michigan cut it in half to turn it into a lehenga (anarkalis are for some reason way cheaper than lehengas, and all you have to do is find a tailor to split it for pretty cheap).
For the ceremony, I stuck to Kanchipuram sarees since we are both South Indian. I wore temple jewelry from Tarinika (amazing website, really good customer service, and product packaging was phenomenal). My mom ordered real jasmines and real trumpet lily garlands online, which were delivered the day before the event.
We wanted to keep our decor South Indian. My aunt and uncle were coming back from India around the time of the engagement, so we had them bring back fake flower garlands (lots of jasmine garlands) and cocount leaf decor for around $200. We put up these traditional decor all around the house. I was also able to find bunches of 5 flowers each that looked like lotuses for $1 at Dollar Tree. I bought a lot of those, attached them to vines that I bought from Amazon ($15 for a large bunch), and hung them from the ceiling in the ceremony room.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I wanted a pink kanchipuram saree with a green blouse. My aunt facetimed me from Nalli in Chennai and I picked the one I wore right away. I loved how it didn't have a distinct border, and how it also had gold thread work throughout the sari, which made it look very royal.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The decorations! There is something satisfying about having to work within a strict budget, and somehow pulling off something so beautiful even with all the restrictions. I had to do a lot of thinking, and browsing the internet for ideas, but it all came together in the end.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
When I initially came down to great everyone before the ceremony started. Everyone was in kanchipuram saris and the house looked like something out of a 15th century palace! It was so nice to see everyone rock their South Indian outfits, which is not represented as much in media in the US.
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.
For the mehendi party the night before, I wanted it to feel bohemian, yet luxurious.
We got colored umbrellas for our tables, and did the mehendi on our deck, inside our gazebo. I decorated the gazebo with flowers from Joann and Hobby lobby (end of season sale so it amounted to only $50) and Indian furniture from my house. It was lovely! We ended the night with a dance party on our deck. It was so nice to have a mehendi in my own backyard - I grew up there, and have so many special memories, like running around with my friends, and spending time on the deck with my parents. Now I have another special memory to add on to it.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
A lot of people, especially in Indian families, will have opinions on what you should wear and how you should decorate the venue. I'll admit, it is hard to not get affected by what they say, but try as hard as you can to not give a ****. Anytime someone tries to tell you what to do, just envision your version of the event in your head, your outfit, your jewelry, the centerpieces...and forget about their opinions. It is your day.
That is all for today, darlings! We hope you have an awesome weekend. And don't forget to join us on Monday for more!
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