Welcome to Maharani Weddings

In the radiant setting of Hacienda Siesta Alegre, Mahrukh & Chris's wedding unfolded like a page from a fairy tale, meticulously orchestrated by KAZ Events by Ariadne Comulada. The venue blossomed under the artistry of Lorraine's Flowers, setting a scene of ethereal beauty, while Juan Carlos Mont Beauty accentuated Mahrukh's elegance with exquisite hair and makeup. The culinary delights from Food Design Rebecca tantalized the senses, complementing the melodies spun by DJ Eric, Puerto Rico Wedding DJ. Amidst this, the prowess of Alex Dali Weddings in photography stood out, capturing moments with a depth that spoke volumes of Mahrukh & Chris's bond. Each snapshot was a testament to the day's joy, framing Mahrukh's radiant smiles and the couple's tender exchanges with a clarity that promised to keep their memories alive for decades. The additional vendors, from Zura Film's cinematography to the playful Flipéate Group photo booth, Invitaciones Paper Crafts' elegant invitations, Plenativa Pleneros' vibrant music, and El Churro Bar's delectable desserts, each contributed to the day's enchantment. Dive into this feature and experience love's magic.

In the enchanting city of Prague, Moumita & Lee's wedding was a picturesque celebration of love, expertly orchestrated by Butterfly Weddings Prague. The festivities kicked off at the Art Restaurant Mánes with a vibrant Sangeet, setting the tone with DJ Styx's music. The Grand Mark Prague, adorned with Blooming's floral creations, provided a romantic backdrop for the ceremony. At the same time, Salabka hosted the reception, showcasing Moumita's elegance, accentuated by Marketa Zakostelska's hair and makeup artistry. The couple's joy was captured by Primetime Video and Fotobedna's photo booth, with every detail, from Ivana Švarcová's Mehndi art to My Bakery's delectable cake, contributing to the day's magic. Katka Koncal's photography captured their wedding day with an artistic elegance. The images are windows to the soul, ensuring that generations will feel the beauty and essence of their celebration to come. What truly made Moumita and Lee's wedding special was the coming together of guests from across the globe. It was a celebration of love that transcended borders and cultures, a testament to the power of love to unite them all. Let's celebrate love!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met Lee through a dating app called Coffee Meets Bagel. The funny story is that I was on a date with a different person who suggested the app to try (clearly, that date was not going well, hence the suggestion). A LOT of early signs were present that Lee was the one. On the first date, while I had planned for a 2-hour rendezvous and an exit to a salsa social (with my salsa classmates), Lee showed up and announced that he had practiced some salsa steps via YouTube videos. Initiative - CHECK. Beyond the 2-hour timeframe, we did go for the salsa social together. As he watched the salsa dancers doing way more complex steps than what his humble training may have taught him, he offered to sit back and encouraged me to go dance with my classmates. Humility - CHECK. Respect and acknowledgment for my wishes - CHECK. Many more instances of getting a sense that 'he was the one' followed this first date...and I'm glad that I trusted my instinct and turned that 2-hour date into a much longer commitment.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
He proposed on Valentine's Day in 2020 in a simple, sweet moment at home.

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 had the BEST wedding planner in Prague - Eva (from Butterfly Weddings https://www.butterflyweddings.cz/en). She helped us navigate through every important detail of our multi-cultural wedding experience. We started early in the process just to take enough time to plan it all. She led us to our three venues - a riverside venue for our Mehendi evening at the Art Restaurant Manes (https://manesrestaurant.cz/en), a gorgeous courtyard with peacocks for the Hindu wedding ceremony in The Grand Mark Hotel (https://www.grandmark.cz/), and for a spectacular Exchange of Vows ceremony at the vineyard Salable (https://salabka.cz/). Our photographer Katka (https://katkakoncal.com/) captured all of the beautiful moments, along with our videographer Leos (Instagram handle primetime_video).

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Lots of deliberation went into both the wedding outfits. For the Indian wedding, I wanted something simple and traditional with a touch of yellow (my favorite color). My dear friend Preeti Sharma, who is a fashion designer in Mumbai, helped me plan the outfit for the wedding day - including a custom-created dupatta (a yellow shade, of course) to go along with my saree. I wanted my Western wedding gown to have intricate details and be light and fair so that I could actually dance in it. My dress was from The Atelier Couture (designed by Jimmy Choo) - hand-crafted with 5 layers of light fabric with delicate sequin details, a nice long train that could be managed with a French bustle.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
We loved planning aspects of how we can personalize the experience for our wedding guests. We had custom-created invitations with Prague as a theme, and working with the designer (at Etsy - alacartepaperie) was a lot of fun. We also created individualized menu cards for the 3-course dinner (with themeladesignco at Etsy) at the western-style wedding. Since we has our final western ceremony at a vineyard, we decided to create individualized wine charms with each guest's name placed at the table (made by vumbacawhite at Etsy). We also had a similar Prague-themed thank you note for every guest at their seat (again from Etsy - alacartepaperie).

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our hand-written thank you notes at the Western wedding dinner were highly appreciated by our guests. We had guests coming in from all over the world, and we wanted to show our appreciation for them in a unique way. Lee and I sat for hours before the wedding, writing notes for our guests since we wanted to capture and highlight specific moments with each guest as a memory that we cherish with them and a way of thanking them for all the efforts they made to attend our wedding.

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.
For our "Meet and Greet with Henna" event, we had a lot of help from Kriti Sutwala, a fantastic wedding decor expert from Kanpur who happens to be a close friend. She brought decor elements like colorful umbrellas, fabric for tables, gift bags with Indian-style bracelets and bindi for women, and colorful stoles for men. She is also a fantastic choreographer, and she handled the dances for the evening. Having a truly multi-talented friend helps.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Start the planning early; don't let anyone drown out what YOU and YOUR PARTNER want for your wedding - trust your gut.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Cake. Our planner Eva knew that this was a super important aspect for me, so she helped us with cake tasting from the best places in Prague. After tasting 20 different options from 5 bakers, we finally found our cake flavor with My Bakery, Prague (Instagram handle mybakeryprague).

Their love story was a fairy tale that came to life, a testament to love that knows no boundaries.

Hello, darlings! Relieve the magic of Deanna & Ravi's wedding in the Platinum Guide Blog. Enjoy!

This wedding was a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, a romantic symphony of love. 

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Sweethearts, get ready to relieve Melissa & Akash's wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
In the midst of the deadly COVID-19 outbreak, Akash and I found a rare bright spot. We had been scrolling through dating apps as the world was in lockdown, and let's face it, the dating scene as we know it had changed. Akash stumbled upon my Facebook dating profile and knew he had to take a chance.

Akash and I spoke every day for almost two months before actually meeting in person. I was captivated by Akash's charming words, and I had a feeling there was true genuineness behind them. Akash was impressed by my sense of independence and how accomplished I was. We would go on virtual dates; playing video games together was one of our favorite pastimes. Akash even let me beat him in Mario Kart, but only one time.

We finally went on our first real date on December 8, 2020. Akash took me on a romantic dinner. After that first date, I knew this was the beginning of something special.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
On Akash's first trip to Canada with me, he decided he wanted to propose to me in my favorite country. Unbeknownst to me, Akash and my family were secretly planning the fairytale proposal. On October 10, 2021, Akash took me to Casa Loma, a castle in Toronto, Canada, and said to his princess, "Babe, I know you always wanted to get married in a castle, but since we can't, let's do the next best thing." With our families watching in-person and virtually, Akash dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. Without any hesitation, I said YES!

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.
I had been planning my wedding for as long as I could remember (long before I found my groom, LOL)

I knew I wanted my Hindu Wedding at Golden Terrace Catering Hall in Queens, NY, because not only could it hold up to 700 guests, but they also catered food and provided decor, including a beautiful royal mandap that matched my theme.

I also knew that I always wanted to have my reception at Crest Hollow Country Club on Long Island, NY. This venue is beautiful! The back area for cocktails is lovely, as guests are surrounded by a pool. The ballroom inside is also very large and can accommodate many guests. Crest Hollow had preferred vendors for decor. I decided to go with Stylish Events as they had the royal and blingy theme that I was going for.

For hair and makeup, I knew I wanted someone who could do hair and makeup for all my events. After researching and pricing out different MUAs, I went with Rebecca Bhagwandin (bexxalicious), and I was not disappointed. She made me feel like a beautiful princess for all my events!

For my Hindu wedding bridal entrance, I wanted to go for a Bollywood theme. Zamandari Inc. choreographed a beautiful entrance with my choice of songs. We left everyone, including my groom, in tears!

For photo and video, I also researched a bunch of vendors, but Events Capture had the best package. I am so pleased that we went with them because they captured everything we wanted and more!

For entertainment, we hired our family friend Jay Ramkishun and his team at FantaCSoundz. They kept our guests rocking for all our events!

Finally, our wedding was coordinated by Shivie Sookdeo at Platinum Celebrations. Shivie's execution of all my requests and needs was top-notch; he did not disappoint! I am so happy that I hired him and highly recommend his services for all weddings. Our wedding would not have gone so smoothly without him!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
For my Hindu wedding, there was no other place I wanted to go than to Nazranna. I made my family watch Nazranna's diaries every weekend until my appointment. I worked with Shia to find my royal and blingy outfits. And made sure that my groom's outfit complemented mine.

For my reception, I had always wanted to Kleinfeld. I used to watch Say Yes to the Dress with Mom for years! To my excitement, on the day of my appointment, my bridal consultant was Lisa! I was so excited because I was a fan of hers. After only trying on 4 dresses, I found my dream gown and said yes to the dress!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I loved working with all of my vendors! Everyone delivered and made our whole wedding a dream come true!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Everyone loved my attention to detail and how beautiful everything was.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
My Hindu Bridal Entrance.

I will never forget being carried in on the doli with my hubby waiting under the mandap, and he was crying! I never thought he would cry because he is a very jovial person. I had to try to contain myself when I saw him crying. I have never felt so loved by anyone in my life, and I will cherish that moment forever.

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.
We hired Omadevi Somai as a dancer for our entertainment. She is one of our favorite dancers in the West Indian community.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Limit your guest list. We had about 400 people at our wedding, and it was overwhelming and exhausting because everyone wanted to take pictures with you! Additionally, the more people you have, the more costly things tend to be.

If I had to do things again, I would definitely cut my guest list in half!

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
I got all my jewelry from Nazranna as well. It looks really good when you match your jewelry and outfits together.

Darlings, join us in reliving a new fairytale, a tale of love that will echo through the ages.

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We're diving into the enchanting world of Soumya & Neil's wedding. The Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley's opulent ballrooms and picturesque settings served as the perfect canvas for this love story. The venue, renowned for its impeccable service and stunning ambiance, played a pivotal role, setting the stage for a day filled with elegance and joy. Soumya's attire, meticulously crafted by Kankatala, was a masterpiece of traditional design and modern elegance. Her beauty was further accentuated by the skilled hands of Fenn Makeup and Spa, with Raya Beauty crafting her hair. The wedding's planning and design, expertly handled by Daniel from Harmony Weddings, ensured a seamless blend of culture, sophistication, and heartfelt moments. Every detail, from the floral arrangements by Once Gathered to the mesmerizing beats by DJ Rang, added charm to the celebration. The culinary journey, curated by Zayka Indian Cuisine, was a feast for the senses. Bluemoon Bakery's creation of the cake and treats added a sweet note to the symphony of tastes, each bite a testament to their culinary artistry. As the evening progressed, Soumya transitioned into reception attire by Anushree Reddy. Capturing every magical moment was Ellie McKinney Photography, whose lens artfully froze time, ensuring that every moment was immortalized. Enjoy today's feature and relive the magic!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met through his roommate and one of his closest friends, who happened to be a friend of mine from undergrad. Neil and I had both moved to Massachusetts for work and residency, respectively. I reached out to old connections (Neil's roommate) and met Neil at a July 4th party they both threw. Neil and I quickly became friends and explored the touristy parts of Boston (e.g., Fanueil Hall, Boston Common, etc.) together. We realized we had feelings for each other. Soon enough, we were dating! There wasn't a grand gesture that proclaimed Neil as "the one." Instead, it was the culmination of the small "everyday" moments that I shared with him—the highs, the lows, the dreams, TV show binges, and even the quirkiest details of my life, like conspiracy theories I dug up on Reddit. Soon enough - we started realizing we both loved sharing and learning more about each other and couldn't deem the idea to be apart, and that's when we knew.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It had been almost three years of dating, and Soumya was getting anxious as to when Neil would propose. Being the type A person she is, she had already picked out the ring and knew it was coming, but when? She knew it would be in 2022, so every weekend, she made sure to dress up and got her nails done around the clock every 3 weeks (a girl must be prepared). We were halfway through the year, and Soumya was getting a bit hopeless that it wasn't going to happen soon. Cut to one weekend in July when Soumya is getting ready for what she thought was her friend's engagement brunch. Her friend had recently gotten engaged and invited Soumya and Neil to the engagement brunch her family was throwing, with the dress code being fancy. While Neil was anxiously getting ready, Soumya was taking her sweet time watching Love Island because she knew her friend knew she ran on Indian Standard Time (IST). Before we got to the brunch destination, her friend had texted her to meet outside for pictures as it was a gorgeous day in the Seaport District in Boston. While approaching the restaurant, there were no signs of an engagement brunch, and the guests were not to be seen, but Soumya didn't think twice about it because they were probably inside the restaurant setting up, right? Wrong....the entire brunch was a decoy so Neil could get Soumya dressed up and to the Seaport district area (one of the first places they explored in Boston as friends). He got down on one knee and popped the question, to which Soumya replied, "Are you really trying to upstage my friend's engagement brunch"? Still down on one knee, he had to explain - the entire brunch was a setup, and it was their proposal day. We don't remember too much of the rest of what was said, but it was a beautiful moment to have the love of my life propose, and my best friend captured the moment!

From there commenced phase II of the proposal --- lunch at our favorite Indian spot. As Soumya opened the door, she saw her Dad's gleaming smile and lost it! Both sets of parents and sisters had flown to Boston from NC to surprise us and share the moment. Lunch was filled with laughter and amazing food. For phase III of this proposal, Soumya unknowingly played into it by suggesting the families check out a rooftop bar in the Seaport district. Little did she know that our closest friends and family had flown in from around the country and Canada to surprise and celebrate with the two of us. The rest of the day was one for the books filled with love, food, laughter, and the best memories with our family!!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted to honor my Telugu roots during the wedding and opted to do so by wearing not one but TWO sarees for the big day. After the muhurtam (auspicious time), ladies in my family changed into traditional white and red sarees, so I had the privilege of picking out two of my favorite sarees. I went shopping in Bangalore and Vishakapatnam with my mother and my aunts to select the two sarees. Since I knew one would be red and white, I wanted to incorporate a non-traditional color for my other saree. I've always loved lavender and sage green, so it was a matter of looking at different sarees and patterns. Once we started shopping, lavender spoke to me, and it was the one! I incorporated heavy gold and silver embroidery on my blouses to match the saree and chose to do two different draping styles (one for each saree) during the ceremony. Honoring my roots and incorporating my own style meant a lot to me.

I had Pinterested "Anushree Reddy" designs on my "future wedding" board as a freshman in college and knew I wanted to wear her designs. Fate had it; I found the perfect AR lehenga in Bangalore for my reception. I've also admired Shubika Sharma's designs and journey and worked closely with Papa Don't Preach to customize my mehendi outfit and worked with Kynah and Aisha Rao to find the perfect outfit the spoke "bridal but make it fun and light to dance in" for my Sangeet. Each and every outfit made me feel like a princess, and I absolutely loved working with all of the artisans to create them!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our muhurtam (auspicious time) was on a Sunday morning at 9:59 am, and the one thing I did not want as a bride was to get less than 3 hours of sleep before the wedding. I'm in awe of brides who stay up until midnight for their Sangeet and swiftly go into hair and makeup 2 hours later for their wedding; however, I knew I could not be one of them. While our families toyed with the idea of having the Sangeet on Saturday night, we really didn't want our families, bridal parties, or ourselves to have to be up until 12am or longer on Sangeet night, followed by hair and makeup calls starting just three hours later. Prioritizing rest and beauty sleep, we advocated for a break day on Saturday where family and guests could sleep in and recharge. Our guests absolutely LOVED it! The break day allowed us to utilize two different venues in different local cities (Bay 7 in Durham and Marriott Crabtree in Raleigh) and create distinct vibes for the Sangeet, Ceremony, and Reception. It also meant the party lasted longer after the Sangeet on Friday, with mini after-parties forming. Our out-of-town guests got to explore the area while our college friends were able to reconnect and kindle. Last but not least, our favorite part was it gave us one more day to hang out with all of our loved ones under one roof!

Join us in reliving these mesmerizing moments, and may you find inspiration for your fairytale.

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