Wednesday is always a good day for a big boost of inspiration, Maharanis! That's why today's wedding reel it's a total visual artistic production by Juan Alvarado Photography. I'm sure it will leave you in complete awe. Shreena & Anshul's love story goes back in time to when they started their romance as college sweethearts. How sweet is that? Despite the pandemic, these two decided to marry and downsize their plans and celebrate with their closest ones. To make their wedding dreams come true, they enlisted the highly talented J2R Events' team. They plan the most extraordinary ceremony at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple that was live-streamed and followed by as many as 200 guests around the world. Brilliant! The ceremony was not only meaningful but magical thanks to the fabulous decor by VP Impressions. The creative team filled the entire venue with a romantic vibe, soft hues, and fresh blooms. The couple had the most special day, overflowing with love, dances, and smiles, as captured by Joseph Kang Photography. Including Maharani's Shreena hair and makeup by Hala Beauty as well as Raja's Anshul's style! You can check out more of the images here. Juan Alvarado Photography filmed their big day in an extraordinary reel that will transport the lovebirds back in time and allow them to relive their most important day! Tissues ready, ladies. This film is an emotional one! Just hit play below.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
So Anshul and I met years ago in college. He visited Indiana University for an NCAA tournament game with some friends and through our mutual connection (my cousin/his friend) we met at a birthday party that night. Nothing happened and after that night we went our own ways. A couple years later we bumped into each other while living in downtown Chicago. I thought he recognized me at a pizza place, but he didn't (he kind of forgot who I was). We both got a laugh out of it after the fact! We continued to run into each other unplanned at different restaurants and bars throughout the city and, after this happened a few times, he finally got the courage to ask me out and the rest is history!
Anshul and I have gone through a lot together as couple and grown together. For me, there wasn't just one moment where I thought he was the one. It was his constant acts of kindness and love that made me realize he is the one. He has supported me throughout our relationship and I know he will always have my back.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Anshul told me his work was having a summer party at a nice Italian restaurant along the Chicago Riverwalk! He had a "fake" email invite/flyer and everything. As we walked alongside the river, we stopped right in front of the restaurant we were supposed to go into - he said we should take a moment to look at the beautiful skyline and it was a hot Summer day so I didn't mind a quick break. I stood there actually admiring this view as the sun was about to set. When I turned around he was down on one knee saying his blurb! I was so shocked I couldn't process everything that was going on! After the proposal, he surprised me with a party where some of our close friends and family were there to celebrate!
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 got engaged in August of 2018 and decided to plan our wedding for May 2020. We had our venue, hair & makeup, outfits, decor and everything else planned to the final detail.
Unfortunately, the pandemic hit in March of 2020 and we had to change everything at short notice. There was so much uncertainty on what would happen: the number of people we could accommodate, vendor/venue availability, and the virus itself. We couldn't have the wedding on May 9th as we had planned but our family and close friends in Chicago surprised us with a drive-by and our brothers surprised us with a beautiful video with messages from all of our friends and family. Seeing all the love surrounding us gave us confidence to move on with our wedding.
We re-planned our wedding for July 3rd - new venue, just 50 guests, and only one event rather than the 4-day, 400-person celebration we had originally planned. While we were unable to have the wedding we had originally planned, our vendors could not have been more supportive throughout the re-planning process. They took all the necessary measures to make sure our wedding was perfect and that attendees were safe.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My parents, brother, and I traveled to India in November 2019 for wedding shopping. This was the first dress I tried on and we all fell in love with it! It just felt too good to be true to love the first dress. I kept trying on dresses but could not get this one out of my mind. That's how I knew it was the one!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part was seeing how all our friends and family came together to shower us with so much love and support through adverse times. To have people who loved and supported us no matter what was truly amazing and not taken for granted. The re-planning process brought upon us many obstacles, but their support and care helped us get through it in one piece! Their texts, phone calls, FaceTimes, and love will have a place in our hearts forever.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
They loved how we made them feel apart of it even though they couldn't attend in person. We had a live Zoom link which allowed us to have over 200 friends and family from all over the world present on our wedding day - technology is amazing!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
A special moment that I keep replaying in my head is our first look. The moment when I placed my hand on Anshul's back and he turned around is something I will remember forever. It was just us. Just us before the chaos began. We both cried, laughed, and held each other's hands. It felt like all our worries and the stresses of planning a wedding and then re-planning a wedding all went away in that one moment.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Just breathe! I know that sometimes in the middle of planning the decisions you have to make seem like the end of the world, but they're not! I learned from this pandemic that you can plan and plan and plan and things just don't always go the way they are supposed to. Yes, you will remember that day for ever but you will also remember all the moments before it. So make it count. Have fun picking out the dress, choosing that vendor you really like, and eating a ton at food tastings. Because you will also remember those moments as well. I promise you will have a beautiful day no matter what as long as you just enjoy the journey.
What do you think about Shreena and Anshul's wedding? Leave us your thoughts below.
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