Welcome to the mesmerizing tale of Marissa & Aneesh's wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met my groom at our first jobs just after we graduated college. I cant say when I officially knew he was the one, I kind of always hoped pretty early on. If I had to pin point it, it probably was when we decided to move to a new city, just us, away from all of our family and friends.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I had probably been slowly pestering him about our next step and whether or not he was going to propose for a full year or so before he did, even months before I had a conversation with him saying that he needed to "shit or get off the pot"; little did I know during that entire conversation he already had planned when and how he was going to propose. I had planned a trip with a group of our friends to Savannah, Georgia, for his 30th birthday. While I thought we were going to a rooftop dinner for his birthday, it was actually where he proposed in front of our parents and close friends.
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.
My husband and I both new that we wanted to get married outdoors and in the early summer. My husband grew up in an Indian household, and he wanted the full Indian wedding experience, so we decided that was the way to go, albeit with an American touch. We looked at a number of venues, however with choosing to get married in the North East of the US we had limited venues that would hold the capacity of an Indian Wedding, or even allow outside catering. We hired the most amazing wedding planning team, Radz Events and Urvashi Mishra, to lead us through the entire planning process. She connected us with vendors that fit our ideas and would be able to deliver what we were looking for in our timeline and budget. Both my Husband and I aren't huge decision makers, so we really appreciated the help from family, Urvashi, and the Vendors - they led us step by step through the "typical" Indian wedding and allowed us to customize the way we wanted. It was a long, intense process, but it was so worth it, and it turned out better than we could have ever dreamed.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
As soon as we got engaged, I knew I wanted to include my American culture and upbringing in our Indian wedding. I decided that I would wear Indian attire for all events, except for our reception and that is where I would wear my White dress. Although Indians don't typically get married in white, it was important to me to wear white, even down the aisle. For my White wedding dress I purchased that in Massachusetts and it was a dream, when I bought it, I didn't think i could possible like any other wedding outfit more - until we went to India. I got my wedding lehenga in Pune. It was hard to come across stores and designers that had all the beauty and detail I wanted but in white. We walked by Rollie Couture, I looked at the display windows, and I just knew. My mother-in-law and I went in, and as soon as I tried it on, I was in love. White dress, who? It was so different and unique from what I've seen other brides wear at Indian weddings, and that is exactly what I wanted.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
It is hard to say what was enjoyable during planning; it was a lot. A lot of decisions, a lot of disagreements, and a lot of pleasing many different people. It was nice reinforcement that my Husband and I were on the same page for the majority of decisions. Really, the best part was seeing it all come together and the true ability of all of our vendors.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We did not want to toot our own horns, but we really felt like our guests loved everything about the wedding. A lot of our friends and my family have never been to an Indian wedding and were amazed by everything that goes into it. Hopefully, the guests loved that we really tried to think through everything and provide options for all types of wedding guests.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
My husband and I were both surprised by how much we truly loved the Haldi. We knew we'd love the sangeet, ceremony & reception (which we most definitely did) but we were caught off guard with how much fun we had at the Haldi. Seeing all of our friends and family embrace an event that can kind of be slower and less fun really excited us.
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 technically had 7 events over four days - talk about a Whirlwind.
We did a small Bridal Mehndi & Family BBQ to get everyone acquainted before the formal events. It really put both families and our closest friends at ease when they had familiar faces as the weekend went on.
Our Pooja/Mehndi was a small, more intimate event in my in-laws back yard, we wanted to include the event as it was important to my in laws but we chose to keep it small and intimate.
The Haldi was outside at the hotel where we had reserved our wedding block and Sangeet. We had gorgeous yellow and white flowers as a backdrop and ended the event with a flower shower, water balloons, and even buckets of water being dumped on both of our heads.
The Sangeet: we did a good mix of Indian and Non-Indian food - we wanted to really call out the culture of the sangeet while also including our food preferences. The excitement and interest in the performances really made the night; our closest friends / bridal party even performed, which was super meaningful to us as very few had ever been to a sangeet, let alone danced Indian.
The ceremony was stunning, outdoors in front of the lawn, and our Decorator blew our minds with the Mandaap and Aisle decor.
Last but not least, the ballroom was transformed into just what we wanted for the reception. We used dark themes, with candle light aesthetics to create a more romantic evening. We spent our entire night on the dance floor with all those that were most important to us.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
I don't have a ton of wisdom, but what I'll say is- it's okay if you don't love the wedding planning process. Keep your eye on the prize and just focus on being on the same page with your future spouse and the fun that is to come.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Venue: Castleton Banquet & Conference Center (reception & ceremony)
Sheraton Hotel, Nashua NH (Haldi & Sangeet)
Mehndi Artist: @poonam.hennaartistboston
Hair & Makeup: @Color_Me_Rouge
Catering: @chefnavjot
Decor + Florals: @lovedecor.us
Photo Video: @knottingbells
Wedding Planner: @RadzEvents , @urvashi.mishra
DJ: @djambition
Baraat Car: @monacoexperiences
Cake: Klemmsbakery
Maharanis, don't miss out on the exclusive content that showcases the best weddings. See you soon!
