Hi, darlings! Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, the San Jose Marriott transformed into a breathtaking spectacle for Sanjana & Prasham's grand South Asian wedding, an event orchestrated by the masterful Bobby Weddings, whose meticulous planning and design set the stage for a truly unforgettable celebration. The hotel’s elegant spaces, with their modern design and luxurious ambiance, perfectly complemented the traditional yet contemporary theme of the wedding. Guests were greeted by a lavish display of flowers by AAB Creations. With Anamika's expert touch on her hair and makeup, Sanjana made a stunning entrance that captivated all, especially Prasham, who awaited under a floral archway. Each moment, from the heartfelt vows to the jubilant dances, was beautifully captured by Aperina Studios, preserving the day's laughter, tears, and joy. From the heartfelt vows exchanged under the glistening chandeliers to the jubilant dance that followed, every detail was a testament to the couple's journey and the meticulous craftsmanship of their chosen vendors. Enjoy!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Prasham and I became friends at Case Western in Cleveland, OH. After graduation, I moved to Portland, OR, and he moved to San Francisco, CA, but we both stayed in touch and remained good friends. When I moved to San Francisco for work, Prasham was eager to help me move into a new apartment and build my furniture in hopes of spending more time together. Luckily for him, I didn't want to carry all my boxes up three flights of stairs, so I accepted the free help. A decision that neither of us expected to result in a forever after.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I thought I was going to Coit Tower to my sister's work event and take pictures for her Instagram but little did I know that was just a cover up.
My sister had been insisting for weeks that I help her take these pictures and pointed to Coit Tower in San Francisco as a good place to take them since it had 360 views of the whole city. She showed me that she could get a private tour of the landmark through benefits from her work (which also turned out to be a lie!).
I was so tired the morning of that I tried to cancel for her, but she insisted I come. She made up every fake boy trouble story in the book to convince me. So I went to her place and helped her get ready. We then made our way to Coit Tower, and the employees there recognized her and told her to get up onto the elevator to the top of the tower. We were then led to the door outside with the views of the city, where I saw my fiancé waiting for me. I think I blacked out in the moment.
He proposed to me, and then our siblings (including his brother, who was waiting outside for the proposal) met up with us, and we all got pictures taken. I was then driven to a surprise lunch with all our close friends and family who flew in from all over the country 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 wanted to find a venue and vendors that encompassed us and both our backgrounds.
We chose to have our wedding in the Bay Area since it was where we first started dating. Ultimately, we went with the San Jose Marriott because it offered us everything we were looking for in a venue, including a rooftop area where we could host smaller events.
With our vendors, we wanted to find decorators and caterers that could encompass our Indian heritage as well as our two cultures (Gujarati and Tamil) and best represent that through either the decorations or food. We wanted our guests to see where both my fiancé and I came from. This was also important when finding a DJ, as we wanted the DJ to have experience with both cultures, which would allow them to tailor music that catered to both of our backgrounds throughout the wedding events.
With photography/videography, because dancing was so important to me, we wanted vendors that could help capture that aspect of the wedding. Aperina did a great job of ensuring that would be captured appropriately, and they were incredibly professional and flexible throughout the process.
With hair and make-up, Anamika did an amazing job of putting each look together with her expertise.
Our wedding planner was instrumental in keeping the process moving, especially during the wedding. She really helped in helping us communicate with our vendors and ensuring events remained on schedule.
All of our vendors did an amazing job in bringing our vision to life and this wedding would not have been possible without any of them.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My journey to find the perfect bridal and wedding outfits began with countless hours spent exploring vision boards on Pinterest. This helped me get a clear sense of the styles and aesthetics I was drawn to. I then visited local bridal and Indian bridal stores in the Bay Area and New York, where I tried on various outfits. This process was invaluable in helping me understand which colors and blouse styles I felt most comfortable in.
When I traveled to Chennai and Mumbai, I had a much clearer idea of what I was looking for. In Chennai, I selected my saree, while in Mumbai, we explored numerous designer stores, which allowed me to make the perfect final choices for my reception and Sangeet outfits!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the process was spending time with my fiancé, envisioning how we wanted our wedding to be. When we went to other weddings, we would always talk about the things we liked and how we could implement them into our wedding.
All the goofy ideas, including joking about having a Maggi Bar or an In N Out station, to bouncing ideas off each other on how we wanted to do our decorations for each event, really made the whole wedding so special when we saw all our hard work come to life.
And let’s not forget the food tastings. Definitely enjoyed those, even though my fiancé pretended he knew how to critique the food at these tastings (he watched a lot of Gordon Ramsey cooking shows).
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I think our guests definitely enjoyed the dancing at our events.
Our Sangeet dances were based off our love story, starting from our birth to college to how we met in San Francisco all those years later. Being able to have so many of the people that have impacted our lives participate in these dances made the whole event more fun and special for everyone (we had almost 35 people in one of the dances!).
Also our dance floor at all events was busy all night long! With so many people on the dance floor, people felt energized to participate with some of my Uncles putting out some crazy dance moves. From start to end, almost everyone stayed at the dance floor, and that meant the world to us to have people willing to stick it out and dance for so long for us.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The welcome party was designed to be a fun gathering, especially for our friends, and was held on the rooftop of our venue. We wanted everyone to meet, mingle, and enjoy drinks before our events started for the next couple of days. Unexpectedly, the evening took an exciting turn when we moved inside and started a blind karaoke session, where everyone sang their hearts out! It was spontaneous and warm and was one of the most memorable moments of our entire wedding celebration!
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.
My Mehendi was a lively celebration, set against a backdrop of bright and vibrant colors. I wanted the colors of this event to reflect that of my childhood room and went with an orange, pink and yellow theme. I got my henna done before event so I could enjoy spending time and talking to my friends and family.
For the Haldi, Prasham and I chose to have two separate ceremonies, each attended by close family and friends. My mom made all the decorations for my event herself, which added a personal and elegant touch. Prasham's event was also a fun and lighthearted event, where his cousins completely drenched him in haldi-filled water guns!
The Sangeet was infused with a tropical theme, bringing a piece of my hometown in Florida into the allure of the event. The highlight was a one-hour dance performance that narrated our love story, with friends and family performing different pieces interwoven with the scripting. My Sangeet outfit was entirely custom-designed; the lehenga featured intricate embroidery of our love story on the bottom of the skirt. We decided to have four fusion food stations at our Sangeet that include elements of Mexican, Italian, and Chinese cuisines. The dance floor was completely packed throughout the evening!
For the reception, we aimed for an elegant yet glamorous Bollywood vibe. The evening featured performances, including our first dance, a mother-son dance, a father-daughter dance, and a bridal party dance. Our guests enjoyed specialty cocktails, the "Sanj"gria and Piña"Shah"lada! The entire celebration was a perfect reflection of our style and love story.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning can certainly be a beautiful whirlwind, filled with joy, anticipation, and a fair share of stress! Through it all stay present in every moment and in every conversation because those memories you'll cherish for a lifetime.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Choreography: @sanjkumars
Photo & Video: @aperinastudios
Decor & Florals: @aabcreations
Hair & Makeup: @anamika_dubb
DJ & Lighting: @djloveofficiall
Catering: @kanteensf @madhubaneventscatering
Venue: @sanjosemarriott
Planner: @bobbyweddings
Henna Artist: @hennabykrishna
Bharat Tuk Tuk: @singh_car.co
Saree Stylist: @perfect.saree.draping
Content Creator: @girlypopbride
Outfit: @pachaiyappas_silks @isabydollywahal @coral_bridal_studio @azafashions @revolve
Blouse Designer: @yuti_designer_blouse
Jewelry: @sokorajewels @rohinifashionjewellery
The evening concluded, leaving & capturing the essence of a truly memorable union.
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