Happy Monday, beautiful Maharanis! We missed you during the weekend as we were eager to bring you an insight into the captivating wedding celebration of our lovely couple Dhara & Mitesh. So without further ado, let's jump right into it! Thanks to the highly talented team from Sona Photography, we can relive every moment of this unique and romantic celebration with the amazing captures that are about to fill your screen with dazzling ideas. And believe us, every shot es even more impressive than the previous one! The entire wedding bash was in charge of Elite Dream Creations, whose team worked seamlessly as true experts and ensured that the event came off as desired. The exclusive Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress was the venue of choice to hold the sacred union decked with a romantic style by the creatives from Dreams to Reality. The overall decor and the placement of all the adornments were something to behold. Still, nothing compared to the striking outfits that our bride and groom picked for their big day! Our beautiful Maharani wore a red lengha embellished with golden embroidery from Vulcal Boutique, very well complemented with the exquisite makeup and hairstyle by Michele Renee The Studio. The nude colors combined with the classy hairstyle enhanced our lovely Maharani's delicate and natural beauty and made her look like a goddess. To add an extra touch of traditional flair to her bridal style, she got an impressive Mehndi by Henna Allure that still has us sighing! For more shots of this enchanting celebration, visit the full gallery we've prepared for today. It overflows with beauty and inspiring ideas you don't want to miss!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
As majority of the millennial group embraces online dating as the new norm and platform for relationship goals, so did Dhara and Mitesh. We matched in July 2019. Dhara first messaged Mitesh and he responded that he is busy with work at the moment; nonetheless, he will "hit her up" tonight. And so, he did. With the couple sharing the "ain't nobody got time to waste" mantra, they both talked, texted, and did video calls fairly often. Obviously, they held similar core values and belief systems as they exchanged key topics. Thus, the talks continued. Mitesh, being brawny, bold, and brave informed the delicate delightful Dhara that he will fly to Orlando to meet not only her but also her parents. As Mitesh is a strong proponent of the "aint nobody got time to waste" mantra, we wanted to go in and exit with either a home-run or a strike out. Long story short, it was not a home run. In fact, it was a grand slam. The initial trip progressed with Dhara visiting Baton Rouge, LA and Houston, TX. She then showed her boldness and did a solo trip to Tampa, Florida to visit Mitesh's brother-in-law and sister and all the wonderful family that reside there. After that trip, Dhara's vision started to assemble. She knew that if she wanted #DhaTesh2020Vision to see the light of day, she would have to decide if the sacred coconuts shall be exchanged or not. She swiftly made the decision thus allowing the vision to progress. As they say, the rest is history!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Mitesh was the master mind with a master plan that encompassed friends and family gathering for a weekend evening outing that would turn into a surprise proposal for Dhara. With Dhara's dad's Birthday falling on a Monday, Mitesh decided to plan a family birthday outing at Disney Springs on Sunday February 9, 2020. As the vision started to assemble, Mitesh contracted an Orlando Photographer, secretly communicated all the details to her friends and various family members, and drew it all out via help from Google maps. All this was planned from Houston three to four weeks prior to the actual proposal. Heck, the engagement ring wasn't even completed till a week prior to the proposal; nonetheless, Mitesh with his exquisite planning, confidence, and discipline knew that the vision would prosper. Mitesh flew into Orlando on Saturday and the plan sprang into action on Sunday evening. Friends and family drove from afar and secretly huddled at their meeting spot prior to the couples' arrival. Once the family parked at the Strawberry lot at Disney Springs, everyone got out the car to do some sightseeing along the side walk. As the couple approached the backdrop of Disney Springs with serene clear blue water hugging the edge of the earth, Mitesh took Dhara's hand and walked her up towards a low-lying hill where the grass was sprinkled with authentic robust red rose petals outlined by tall white candles. The breeze was strong, the emotions were soft, the vision was concrete, and the proposal was powerful. At that moment, #DhaTesh2020Vision sprang into action.
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.
After the romantic proposal came the real work. Planning and picking the right wedding vendors so their big day went as smoothly as possible. Planning a wedding along with trying to juggle between work, both of us being in different states, and trying to have some sort of social life seemed almost impossible. With Mitesh in Texas and Dhara in Florida it was definitely difficult at times choosing outfit colors, decor, cake, etc. Luckily, from the very beginning Dhara and Mitesh hired Umangi Patel & Rikti Smart with Elite Dream Creations. We recommend any bride planning a traditional Indian wedding to hire a wedding planner! They have creative ideas and clever ways of efficiently handling certain situations. Team Elite went above and beyond to WOW us. Every little aspect of the wedding was being taken care of while the bride, groom, bridal party, friends, and family were all having the time of their lives!
Mitesh and Dhara planned did fall through some struggles once COVID-19 hit in March 2020, but this didn't stop us from planning our biggest milestone in our lives. The wedding was initially going to take place in November 2020, but with the help of Umangi & Rikti we were able to postponed to May 2021. Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress offered everything we needed for our fairytale wedding.
The couple’s big day was May 29, 2021, and included pre-wedding events such as the Ganesh Puja, Mehndi, Ring Ceremony, Pithi, and Garba.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we had to cancel our engagement party after postponing three times. Family then decided "Why not just do the engagement during wedding week?" The couple both then thought to themselves, this might actually be super ideal! Plus more events for guests to experience!
It was imperative that our families invited all of our relatives and friends. Before I knew, I had a vision and I needed help to bring it to life. Décor and music were so important to me. An abundance of fresh flowers adorning my mandap, big bright lights beaming on the dance floor during the reception while our favorite songs play in the background, and of course a garba night filled with music and dance. With my incredible wedding team and months of hard work, all those pieces came together to give us the wedding of our dreams. Our wedding week began with a Ganesh Puja, Mehndi Night, followed by Vidhi ceremony the next morning and our Sangeet/Garba in the evening.
We are so grateful for both of our parents for the tremendous support and love they have given us over the years and throughout the planning process. Without them, our wedding simply would not have been possible. Both of our families came together to help create an extraordinary week of fun filled events, ending in a marriage that resulted in one huge happy family.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My bridal lengha was always in the back of my head since I was a little girl, watching endless Bollywood movies that I wanted to have the classic red and gold, traditional lengha for my wedding day. I also wanted an outfit that was unique, comfortable, and made me feel like an Indian princess. So that's exactly what I did! I chose my favorite designer boutique in Orlando, FL. Amita Patel, at Vulcal Boutique, has been designing all my indian clothes for years now and she knew exactly what styles and outfits I liked! I put all my trust to her and her team to make my bridal lengha come to life..and IT WAS PERFECT! They were also able to customize Mitesh's outfit to match the work on my blouse, which made our look picture perfect.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
For me, the most enjoyable part of the wedding planning process creating all the looks for the wedding. I love dressing up! Especially in Indian attire. Mitesh is a very stylish guy, so he was happy to give his input on his outfits and jewelry as well. I love that the traditional Hindu weddings have multiple events, which means many outfits, multiple types of jewelry, and unique looks for each event!
I was able to get all my outfits personally designed by Amita Patel, at Vulcal Boutique. After numerous meetings with her, we designed each outfit one by one to match my personality and vision. She also designed bridal party/kids walking down the aisle outfits in purple and gold!
Along with using my creativity for outfits, I truly enjoyed working with my decorator Mejoo Memon, at Dreams to Reality to create my dream mandap and reception stage. I love flowers and sparkles, so working with Mejoo was so perfect because she understood my vision. We talked for hours, which I truly appreciated, about colors, florals, centerpieces, and how to create the perfect environment where I would marry my best friend. The best part was after hours and months of effort, I was able to see that vision come to life. It made all the effort and time totally worth it!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
My guests loved the entire event, actually. After being in lockdown for almost a year, guests needed to get out of their home and enjoy! People stated our wedding was the highlight to the year 2021 and we were so blessed with all the compliments we've received. It was a HUGE SUCESS, for both family, friends and making new memories. Mitesh had groomsmen of different cultures who have never experienced an Indian wedding.They told us "Calling this a wedding is an understatement!" They were able to experience our culture, love, and so much more!
This beyond priceless moment was even better than what we had dreamt for. An event where two families became one, new friendships and memories were made, and traditions were carried on from generation to generation!..All because two people fell in love.
Guests appreciated the ambiance and bright colors that stood out as the walked into the ballroom. Everyone also loved the food, which was a huge deal to me and my parents. Garba consisted of multiple stations of food with different types of cuisine that Mitesh and I loved. From paneer quesadillas, to mini spring rolls and pani puri shots, the guests were able to enjoy a variety of food and live music. My reception stage was also a very unique piece of my event. And the night ended with some delicious Jalebi and Rabdi.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
One significant moment that took place during Mitesh’s Baraat was when all the groomsmen jumped off the gladiator to join the groom in dancing to Ram Leela’s hit song “Tattad Tattad”.
Another moment I can't forget is when I had all my bridesmaids in my getting room, waking up at 5am, to make this day special for the bride with getting ready photos, and the classic matching robes!
At the reception, we had our favorite DJ, Krish Entertainment do an extensive train line dance around the ballroom. This was followed by glow sticks to illuminate the dance-floor. Our dessert bar was just phenomenal, gorgeously decorated by Mejoo with her grand elephant décor and glass crystals. This was full of various desserts such as Pan Shot, Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, Tiramisu catered by Saffron!
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.
Mehndi Night was an intimate event was taken place at Dhara’s house in Orlando, FL. It all started on the beautiful evening of May 27, 2021. All family and friends were officially in Orlando to celebrate! The house has a beautiful lake behind the outdoor patio, with mango trees, where all the guests and family members enjoyed fresh-cooked pizza, salad, and delicious cheesecakes. This was catered by Steve’s Pizza in Tampa, FL. Dhara and Mitesh both decided to wear authentic Indian outfits in the shades of green to flow with the color of Henna. Decorations were done by Dhara and her family a week prior to hit off the wedding week. We decorated with flowers and all kinds of Bandhani Saris to make the house be flourished with a pop of color.
Pithi was taken place at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, FL. It all started on the morning of May 28, 2021. We actually combined this event with our Ring Ceremony/Chanla Matli as well. Due to COVID-19, we unfortunately had to cancel our engagement ceremony that we had planned to take place in April 2020. This morning was hectic! Mitesh and I both had to change outfit from Ring Ceremony to Pithi to Garba all in one day, but it was a great day full of love and laughter. For Pithi, we both stayed in yellow outfit to represent the color of Pithi. I had her astonished floral jewelry as well.
Garba was taken place at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, FL on the evening of May 28, 2021. A colorful evening full of music, different types of cuisines, and dance to celebrate the union of families and close friends! Decorations were beautifully done by Dreams to Reality. Mejoo and her team are nothing but amazing. We didn’t want to go all out for the décor. They decorated the stage with a swing and stunning colorful drapes as the backdrop. They also made a tier stand for our Radha Krishna murti with lit candles all around to make it a more cultural event.
For the wedding ceremony, Dhara and Mitesh decided to both go with all red/gold for their outfits. Hence, the decorations were set to a contrast them of white, gold, and champagne. Dreams to Reality killed it! Our mandap was a beautiful peacock feature in white and gold. To add a touch of royalty, grand dark florals were added to the top corners of the mandap. A catwalk runway with flowers and candles on the sides was used for the grand entrances of Mitesh, Parents, Bridal Party, Flower Girls, Ring Bears, and Dhara.
For the Reception, Dhara and Mitesh decided to both go with all white/black for their outfits. Hence, the decorations were set to a contrast them of white, gold, and champagne, with a hint of crystals. Dreams to Reality killed it! Our guest tables had crystal trees, and candles as centerpieces and our stage was all a pop of gold with a Mr. & Mrs. Sweetheart Table next to the dance-floor.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
For any future bride, I would say simply live the moment of your wedding and wedding week. It only happens once, and the time will fly by so fast, you do not want to miss a moment of it. Things will go wrong, there will be mistakes, but nothing is as important as you and your significant other becoming one!
Embracing each ritual and not worrying about anything or anyone outside of the ceremony itself, and that was perfect enough for me. I am a bride that wanted to plan every little detail of my wedding, but I could never have finished without my coordinator. I was able to plan all the details until about one month prior, after which my coordinator took the lead and I was relieved of many stresses. She put things in order, called my vendors, organized the day-of planning so I could simply enjoy the wedding week without any stress or worry. Also, take as many pictures as you can! It will be the only and yet the best memories of your wedding!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
I highly would recommend getting your mehndi done prior to the mehndi event so you can enjoy time with your guests. Also, try to stay off on your phone if you can! Or hand it to one of your bridesmaids and have them take pics, answer calls, so that way you have everything taken care of.
What a great way to start this week! Remember to join us tomorrow for a new love story.
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