Today's Platinum Guide Blog is unfurling the vibrant tapestry of Shena & Daxesh's wedding. Enjoy!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
In May 2021, I received a connection request on a dating website. At first, I didn't answer the connection - she hadn't heard of Daxesh and wanted to find a mutual friend who might be able to vouch for him. After some time, a friend was able to confirm that Daxesh ('Dax' for short) was a great guy, very likable and well-known. Shena took the leap and, on the second connection request, clicked ‘accept.’ One connection request and the rest is history.
I knew Dax was the one after our first date. After a long few months of texting and talking over FaceTime, we decided to meet up in Washington, DC. Our first date consisted of two things we love dearly - Art and Food! After attending the Van Gogh immersive experience, we headed over to a restaurant for lunch. After our first date, I remember walking away feeling safe, feeling like I could be myself around him, and knowing that this guy would make me laugh and smile for the rest of my life…I just knew he was the one!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
R. We were planning a cabin staycation at Cloudland State Park in November 2022. As the date came near, Dax saw an opportunity to execute the surprise - and I know at certain points that week I got on his nerves with my Type A, planner personality. He had hired a photographer and dusted off his drone skills. As we went outside to look at the mountain scenery in the morning, Dax swept the drone up and smoothly landed on one knee as I turned around. It was absolutely perfect! You can see the video on my Instagram!
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.
Many know, and for those who don’t, I currently work in the corporate world, but I also am at the beginning of my journey to start my side business as an event planner. Saying that, you can imagine the crazy Type A personality I had when planning our own wedding. Leading up to our wedding, Dax and I worked hard to break down each detail and be on the same page. This really helped when talking to all our vendors and families. The effort put into the planning in the months leading up to the wedding definitely paid off during the week of the wedding!
Our wedding could not have been possible without our amazing vendors! Each one of them took such care in helping us plan out each detail, and when the weekend came, they showed up with their A-game. Each of our vendors was easy to work with and stayed flexible when things changed! Leading up to the event, they worked hard with us to make sure they could achieve our vision (and within budget). My coordination team took all the details I had planned and executed everything perfectly! I think I am one of those rare brides who didn’t stress about if things were getting done because the coordination team was always on top of it, even when there were last-minute changes.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Call me weird, but I did not want to go with the traditional red. Anyone who knows me well knows that when it comes to Indian outfits, I like to wear stuff that is unique. Dax and I looked for inspiration for months. We finally found a color that we really wanted to incorporate into our outfits - sage green. Walking into Thakur’s, I knew I would have to keep an open mind. We didn’t have much time to get custom-made outfits, so I would have to choose something ready-made. After looking at a few outfits, the lengha, which was brought out last, was the one I fell in love with. It had a sage green color and incorporated the red brick color as well.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I loved the planning process! I believe my favorite part was planning the small details. We really wanted to make sure that our guests enjoyed the weekend. Guests at any event remember two things the most - the food and the experience. Dax and I made sure we thought about those two things in the most detail when planning. We had an in-depth conversation with our caterer to build a menu that was different for each meal. We wanted to make sure there was variety the entire weekend, and being foodies ourselves, it was important to us that our guests enjoyed the food!
For experience, we tried to have meaningful experience-related pieces throughout the entire weekend. We wanted to showcase our favorite things throughout the weekend while adding the element of guest experience. We planned unique event signs (our love for art and design), flower pithi (our love for fun and fresh floral), sparkler exit, baraat dances (our love for music and healthy competition, as we had a dance-off between both families), late night games (our love for board and card games) and much more! I’m so happy we put time into detailing these pieces because it made the weekend much more enjoyable and memorable.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Even today, the two things I hear the most about from our wedding guests are that the food is some of the best food (if not the best) they have had at a wedding in the US and that they have never been to a wedding which has had been as punctual and organized as ours. Everyone had a blast and was able to enjoy the moment!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Obviously, it is hard to choose just one moment. Of course, the entire weekend revolved around my husband and I, and each of those moments was special. However, there is one special moment that stands out to me. Over the past few years, I have been giving this piece of advice to my friends, family, and bridal clients:
During your wedding, choose a random chunk of time and walk around the venue. Use this as a moment in time to observe and let the emotions soak all in. I chose to do this twice, once on the Wednesday before my wedding and once on the Friday before. These moments will remain so special to me because walking around I saw all the individuals - family and friends - who came together just for Dax and I. Each one of them worked together to help make our weekend possible. These moments showed me that the weekend was about Dax and I, but it was also about the relationships we have forged with each guest who attended. I will be forever grateful for these relationships and remember these moments!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
When you look back at your wedding and the months leading up to it, you don’t want to be reminded about hating the process. Wedding planning can be stressful, but only if you make it more stressful than needed. There is no right or wrong way to plan a wedding. Plan your wedding with the method that works best for you and your fiance because it will make the process that much easier. If you wanna get all the easy stuff done first and then work on the large pieces, do that. If you want to plan the little things and have a planner do the large pieces, then hire a partial planner. If you don’t care much about certain things and want to hand them off to family members so they can help, then communicate that and get the help. If you need help from others, get the help. At the end of the day, do what works best for you!
Obviously, Indian weddings have a HUGE family element to them, and for many, that could be the stressful part. However, always remember that communication is key. Keep everyone on the same page on what you and your fiance envision and what the budget is/should be. Also, take the time to understand the different ceremonies and traditions.
Lastly, I have seen a lot of brides recently becoming stressed during wedding planning because they keep thinking about what others will think. Always remember that the weekend is about you and your fiance. Plan the details in a way that showcases your relationship.
Join us in reliving this majestic celebration, where every moment is a story and a testament to love.
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