Reema & Sarit's love story began in the heart of Boston, where college dreams and youthful energy collide. Their first encounter at a house party through mutual friends marked the start of a journey that would lead them to a spectacular wedding celebration years later. Reema reminisces about Sarit's immediate enchantment and gradual evolution from casual conversations to a committed relationship. December 2016 marked the official beginning of their shared path, a prelude to their grand wedding planning.
Sarit's proposal in Cabo, a blend of suspense and romance, was as dramatic as it was heartfelt. Reema's intuition, fueled by Sarit's poorly kept secret and a serendipitous encounter with tequila shots, culminated in a sunset proposal by the water, setting the stage for their future together.
The couple's vision for their wedding was clear from the outset: a destination event in Miami, a beautiful and accessible locale. The Diplomat Beach Resort emerged as the ideal venue, offering the perfect backdrop for each of their traditional Indian wedding events. Reema's makeup artist choice was influenced by a previous family wedding, entrusting DolledupByLulu with her appearance. Her wedding look, a blend of neutral glam and personal style, stood out among the meticulously chosen looks for each event.
Her bridal lehenga, imbued with the warmth of burnt orange and customized through online collaborations with Kalki, was a testament to Reema's vision of a modern bride with traditional Indian roots. The process was a digital adventure, bridging continents and cultures to create her dream wedding attire. Reema's wedding jewelry, a customized creation from Paisley Pop-Up Shop, added a touch of elegance and personalization to her bridal ensemble. The set, complete with a necklace, tikka, and earrings, was crafted with professionalism and attention to detail, reflecting Reema's style and the grandeur of the occasion.
The culinary delights of Saffron and Khasiyat were unanimously celebrated by their guests. The couple's foodie hearts were content, from the masala gnocchi at the Welcome Night to the comforting plates after each event. A standout moment for Reema & Sarit was the release of flower petal canons as they left the mandap, a vivid memory of joy and celebration amid a flurry of red rose petals. The wedding festivities were a blend of unique themes and heartfelt moments. The tropical disco sangeet, brought to life by Suhaag Gardens, featured a dance floor surrounded by disco balls and string lights. Reema's outfit, a sequined white and pink floral lehenga by Seema Gujral, mirrored the event's vibrant energy.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met during our early college years in Boston! We went to neighboring universities and happened to met each other one night at a house party through mutual friends. For Sarit, it was love at first sight! After a couple years of talking and dating, we called it official in December 2016. And now 6 years later...here we are planning a wedding with the best team ever!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Sarit's complete inability of keeping a secret combined with my nosiness gave me the suspicion that our getaway to Cabo was going to be more than just a getaway. After accidentally pounding 7 tequila shots with my new-found bestie at the pool, Sarit officially cut me off because "he had a special night planned" and that's when I knew. He told me to "dress nice" and took me to a breathtaking dinner on the water and proposed to me during sunset.
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 started our wedding planning process knowing that we wanted to do a destination wedding to bring all our favorite people together in a warm and beautiful place. We ended up choosing the Miami area due to its convenience as a domestic destination and are so happy we did! We did some venue hunting online and flew down from Boston for a weekend to scope out a few favorites. Given a few considerations such as space, location, and availability - we ended up choosing the Diplomat Beach Resort. This stunning resort offers multiple spaces for the traditional multi-event Indian wedding, and we found the perfect spot for each of our events.
When starting the vendor search process, I knew right off the bat that I wanted a tried and true hair/makeup artist. I met DolledupByLulu when she worked my sister's wedding the year prior. I trusted Lulu with all my looks - she chose my look after I showed her my outfit and told her my basic preferences, and she nailed it every time. My favorite look was my wedding look - I loved the neutral glam that she gave me, it really felt true and authentic to my aesthetic.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My wedding lehnga vision always included a traditional, rustic Indian look with elements of a modern bride, and as a Halloween baby, I've always been drawn to deep shades of orange - so I ended up opting for a burnt orange/rust color. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to visit India for wedding shopping, but I searched far and wide on the Internet to finally stumble upon a beautifully crafted bridal lehnga from Kalki. I couldn't help myself, so I made some tweaks in the lehnga pattern and asked them to change the color to create my customized, wedding-day look. Kalki was such a pleasure to work with - the team is excellent at communicating, and we were constantly in touch via Whatsapp. The late-night Whatsapp video calls and messages provided me constant updates until my lehnga was ready to be shipped to me.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Spending quality time with each other and our families was the absolute best part of the planning process. We were at our parents' house nearly every weekend for the months leading up to the big week - whether it was detail planning, dance practices, or outfit and jewelry trials. While we may not have been entirely appreciative during the process, we sure do miss it.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The one compliment we've heard from all our guests regardless of age, relationship to us, or where they came from was about the food. Saffron and Khasiyat caterers absolutely killed the catering service. Variety of selections, taste, presentation, and service were all top-tier and this was a vendor we have absolutely zero regrets about. Most noted dish from our guests was their masala gnocchi that was served during out Welcome Night, which had an Indian-Italian fusion menu. I remember sitting with Sarit in my suite after nearly every event with full plates (thank you Eventrics team!!!) of the most delicious and comforting foods that every bride and groom deserve. As big foodies, safe to say we were happy!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The moment when the flower petal canons went off (this was a surprise to us) while we were leaving the mandap is on a constant loop! It was unreal seeing our favorite people through the flurry of red rose petals right after we got married.
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.
A vision that truly came to life was our tropical disco sangeet. One of the first things we knew about our wedding was that we wanted this theme for the sangeet. We wanted it to be in the tropical outdoors, surrounded by disco balls, string lights, and all our favorite people. Suhaag Gardens worked incredibly hard to help us bring this idea to life from figuring out how to hang these little disco balls on the string lights to mounting a tropical foliage backdrop to creating a dancefloor as large as possible in a tight space. Through many hours of long and often heated discussions with our families about the concept, we ultimately proceeded and we are all so happy we did!
For my outfit, I chose what I thought was the perfect Seema Gujral lehnga to embody this "tropical disco" theme. It was a super lightweight, but fully sequined white and pink floral lehnga. I was so comfortable while dancing the entire night.
The evening of our wedding, we hosted a cruise up and down the Intercoastal Waterway of Miami and had the best time partying with all our people. Some people described the top floor of the yacht as a club - everyone was just dancing and having a good time. I wore a white fringe Nadine Merabi mini-dress and my husband was in a light green linen suit.
Finally - our reception felt like a real dream come true. Even through the exhaustion of the week, we found the energy to party one last night with our people thanks to all our amazing vendors. Suhaag did it again with these stunning threaded chandeliers that they mounted in a ceiling treatment. The entire ballroom was illuminated by the light glimmering off these curtains and I don't think we'll ever forget the feeling of dancing under that with all our family and friends. We cried and we laughed during speeches and during the sweetest father-daughter and mother-son dance moments. It was truly an unforgettable night!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
My wedding day jewelry was from Paisley Pop-Up Shop. They did an absolutely amazing job creating a customized set for me. They helped me design the perfect necklace and found me a matching tikka and earrings. They were very professional and prompt and kept me updated with sketches and photos.
