Hello, sweeties! We are starting this fabulous week, and there is no better way to do it than taking a look at all the amazingness surrounding Annie & Sammi's big wedding festivities. They consider themselves lucky since they were able to enjoy their functions. This was only possible because they landed the best teams in town, including celebrity DJs, the best wedding planning in the Midwest, and a caterer their guests are still talking about. So, let's not wait any longer and jump right into it! Right from the start, we have to say that this whimsical wedding ceremony was a cornucopia of beauty, love, and traditional flair thanks to Formatic Events was the mastermind behind the planning, execution, and decoration of this wedding hosted inside the halls of the Henry Hotel. Although the decor was something to die for, our Annie stole all the looks after being pampered by Hair By Ayasha and Jahura Hobby Makeup. The incredible makeup and classy hairstyle are perfect for creating a gorgeous look for this Maharani! All the guests witnessed the incredible skills, talent, and expertise of Radhe Henna through the beautiful Mehendi design that our lovely Annie had. The final artwork was simply impressive! After the wedding ceremony, it was time to celebrate the newlyweds with a vibrant reception party animated by none other than DJ Ice & Fresh Productions. They owned the stage! They played the best Bollywood hits that put everyone to dance! When dinner arrived, all the guests enjoyed a complete culinary experience prepared by the talented Punjab Sweets, who served mouth-melting plates that left everyone speechless! If you want to see this fabulous celebration of love, don't miss the jaw-dropping gallery captured by the talented Sky Films and Productions. Every single shot is an absolute visual delight you do not want to miss, so go check them out! Enjoy it!
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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
As two modern American-Indian individuals, we love telling people that we actually met Shaadi.com! In April 2019, Sammi introduced himself online and instantly had me laughing with his cheesy space-themed pickup lines. As a big Disney fan, I knew he was the one when I realized he was a real-life Prince Charming. Sammi is a big strong muscle man with a heart of a softie who loves my family as much as his own, who could ask for anything more?
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
A FAIRY TALE PROPOSAL!
In February 2020, Sammi planned an unforgettable vacation to Italy. We spent a week enjoying concerts, museums, architecture, and fantastic food in Rome and Venice. At St. Mark's Square, Sammi suddenly got down on one knee and proposed under the backdrop of one of the most stunning basilicas in the world. He even had a photographer in the wings to capture the moment and a reservation at the famous Cafe Florian (the oldest coffeehouse in the world) with finger sandwiches and facetime calls to our waiting families!
The week he proposed, Italy began their cancelations of trains and flights in the county due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We quickly got out of the country before the shutdown. His proposal came at the exact perfect time, we ended up enjoying a long 2-year engagement as we battled the pandemic together and rescheduled our wedding 3 times!
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 consider ourselves really lucky to be one of the few couples that were able to really enjoy our functions. This was only possible because we were able to land the best teams in town with our vendors including celebrity DJs, the best wedding planning in the Midwest, and a caterer our guests are STILL talking about. We wanted a fairy tale celebration that paid homage to both cultures and the places we were raised. I'm so touched that over 200 people flew across the country to Michigan to celebrate our union. We're happy to embrace our heritage as well as our hometowns. My groom got into the theme of Detroit's Motor City and arrived at his baraat in a classic Ford Model T instead of a horse!
There are 2 vendors that stand out:
WEDDING PLANNER - Formatic Events
Sukh Syan of Formatic Events gets the majority of the credit for planning our epic events. She's the only wedding planner that could organize a Texen Gurjati/Motor City Punjabi event of the season! She not only landed the most gorgeous venues in the city but was able to incorporate our personalities into our events. Our Sangeet colors paid homage to Sammi's love for Texas football and our reception captured my love for all things glam, glitter, and gold!
DJ - DJ Ice & Fresh Productions
As big fans of Punjabi music, we had to hire a team that traveled the globe with a host of celebrities. The music was one of my favorite parts of the wedding weekend. Our DJ created so much hype - complete with a dance battle, a live dhol player, and a light-up dance floor. SO MUCH FUN!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
There is a famous Manish Malhotra lehenga that depicts a wedding story. I immediately called my Masi in Delhi who caters to a couture client base. I asked if she would create an outfit that depicted my culture and my wedding story on a lehenga. She made it happen! A Punjabi bride and a Gujarati groom doing the Garba are some of the designs sewn into the bridal lehenga.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process was actually also the most stressful. Due to the pandemic, we rescheduled the festivities 3 times (over a two-year period)! We ended up having 2 years of extra time to build on the planning and our dreams and planning just got bigger and bigger. We were able to include friends and family in the planning over the years. It was so fun to spend time together coming up with dishes that would be a hit to serve or the perfect glamourous backdrop for pictures. The pandemic actually allowed us to savor the planning process.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
It's been a few months since the wedding and folks can still not stop talking about our food. Sammi and I couldn't decide between his favorite, my favorite, or Indian - so we decided to do EVERYTHING! Our sangeet featured traditional bull carts all around the venue with stations of food that included, Pani puri, Bombay grill, Tex-Mex, Tandoori, Chaat, and fresh Kulfi. Servers were even dressed in matching turbans at each station to give it a real “India” feel!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
With so much time sitting in the hair and makeup chair before events, some of the sweetest and happiest moments actually occurred outside of the actual events. I wanted a space where we could comfortably fit myself, 9 bridesmaids, visitors, and the hair/makeup team. We rented the presidential suite for a few days and it served as a place where out-of-town guests could come visit, people could get ready with me and I could socialize. With the actual events being such a blur, I really appreciated the time to lounge and hang out with loved ones.
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 mehndi was probably one of my favorite ceremonies. My parents converted their home into the feel of an outdoor tent as if we were in a farmhouse in India. Decorations were completed with backdrops, marigold garlands, and Rajasthani statues. The feel of the ambiance created was really cool and our guests really enjoyed the Bollywood vibe. Felt like being on set for a movie! We included my groom’s whole extended family in the celebrations. It was one of the few times the families had a chance to spend time together and catch up.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Savor your wedding planning process despite the stress and hardships. It is SO worth it in the end and I promise it will be more beautiful than you could even imagine.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Thank you for allowing me to share my special week with you! Your site gives brides so much inspiration and really helped connect me to my culture. I draw so much happiness from seeing the best day of people's lives. ❤️
That is all for today! Come back tomorrow to get more inspiration from the romantic stories we have!
