Hello, beautiful ladies! We are wrapping up Aanika & Andre's fusion Indian wedding with a fantastic reception party full of elegance and style. But before we jump into it, let's join our two lovebirds in a romantic and fun-loving photo session. This photoshoot captured the most intimate moment of these two just before heading to the JW Marriott Austin, where the reception took place. As you can see on the beautiful shots captured by the lens of Edward B. Photography, Aanika & Andre looked ravishing! Our gorgeous Maharani looked breathtaking in her white attire embroidered with champagne details perfectly complemented with the sleek hairstyle and a discreet makeup by Adore Makeup Salon! And we loved the final result! Raja Andre rocked a black tux, with a button-down white shirt and a champagne bowtie matching his wife's attire! And our heart melts with happiness every time we lay eyes on these beautiful shots! After the photo session, it was time to get the party started! And right from the get-go, we can say that this was a night to remember! But coordinating a wedding reception of this caliber is not easy! That is why Aanika & Andre decided to bring Pearl Events Austin onboard to take care of the planning and execution. And what a fantastic decision it was! They manage to create a grand event with all the right trimmings, finding their best ally in Bouquets of Austin who took care of the decor. We’re in awe over the mesmerizing ambiance created for this gala! Desi Junction DJs set the dancefloor on fire with the best Bollywood hits while Illos Lighting elevated the heat with a fantastic scheme of lights. Our newlyweds had the time of their lives and ended the night sharing a delicious cake from Quacks Bakery with all their guests. Without any question, this was the best way to bring the wedding festivities to an end. If you want to relive every moment of this love story, head into our gallery for more. You are going to have a blast!
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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Andre and I met in pharmacy school when we were both part of the new student orientation committee. We realized that we lived directly across the street from each other and began hanging out during the summer, watching Game of Thrones and lots of movies together. I realized he was "the one" when I found out he loved Star Wars and music (especially Death Cab for Cutie) as much as I did! And when I learned that he was an intelligent and kind individual who made me laugh all the time.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I knew that Andre was going to propose by the end of the year, and in December we both went to our respective home towns for Christmas break to see our families (I went to Austin, he went to San Antonio). The plan was to meet up in California after seeing our families to spend a couple of days skiing at Mammoth, and I suspected he would propose then. However, the day after I got into Austin my mom told me she wanted us to take nice family pictures, so that would involve me showering and wearing a dress. As I was getting ready for our family photos, I noticed that Andre had turned off his location sharing with me on iPhone - this made me immediately suspicious and sure enough, an hour later he called and told me he was outside my house! He picked me up and we drove around Austin visiting all our favorites spots - the UT Austin campus, our old apartments, and the park we used to take our dog. By this time I knew what was going to happen, so it wasn't really a surprise. However, what WAS a surprise was that when we got back to my parents' house a couple of hours later, his entire family and my family were there waiting to greet us with an engagement party - catered by Torchy's Tacos! Celebrating our new engagement with both of our families was the best part and totally unexpected for me.
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.
Because we were living in California at the time of our wedding planning but our wedding was set to take place in Austin, we relied heavily on my mom's help with planning our wedding. She scoped out a lot of wedding venues before we flew into town for a quick weekend trip to make the final decision. She also helped us pick out the best vendors! We decided we wanted to have a spring/summer theme by incorporating a lot of bright and happy colors such as mustard yellow, coral, white, and green. We also wanted to incorporate succulents, as both Andre and I had recently gotten into gardening.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My family is from a small state in Northeast India called Assam. In Assamese tradition, brides wear a white and gold mekehla chador during their wedding. I decided I wanted to wear a lengha as they fit my smaller frame better. My mom was able to find a very talented designer in Assam who crated my bridal lengha out of handloom woven Assamese paat silk. The final outfit was extremely gorgeous and I was so happy to be able to incorporate traditional Assamese elements into our wedding.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Food tasting was definitely a highly enjoyable aspect of the planning process since Andre and I love to eat good food! We loved sampling the different options, and our cake tasting was especially delicious. We also enjoyed picking our flowers for the floral arrangements. Both of our families have deep ties to gardening, and Andre and I had recently taken up gardening as well. It was really great to see what the amazing flowers and arrangements our florists were able to put together.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests really loved the endless celebrating throughout our wedding (all three days of it) and the food at our sangeet! One of my friends is still talking about the Indian food from the sangeet night! They also really enjoyed the baraat - we had to get a police permit to close down a street in downtown Austin so it was a quite an extravagant affair! Everyone enjoyed dancing up the street as random people stopped on the side of the road to watch the procession. Andre proclaimed that he had never felt cooler in his whole life than during the baraat!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
For both Andre and myself, the most special moment of our wedding was right after we were declared husband and wife. We processed up the aisle as our friends and family showered us with rose petals and our favorite song by LCD Soundsystem played in the background. We were both so elated to finally be married to each other, and it was such a purely joyous moment of celebration. Plus LCD Soundsystem playing in the background added our own special touch to the moment!
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.
Night 1: Juroon and Mehendi
On the first night, our families gathered at my parents' house for a traditional Assamese ceremony called a Juroon, during which the bride and groom's families come together and exchange gifts. Immediately following the Juroon we hosted the Mehendi party - my friends really enjoyed getting their Mehendi done and it was nice to catch up with people in an informal setting.
Night 2: Sangeet
We held our Sangeet at Trinity Hall in downtown Austin, TX. Trinity has an industrial feel to it, which we embraced and accentuated through the use of string lighting and hanging greenery. We also used geometric centerpieces with succulents to accent the hall. My aunties and my mother performed a few dances, including a traditional Assamese dance called the Bihu. My cousins also performed a few dances, and finally, all of my female friends, along with my sister, danced to a Bollywood medley. It was truly a special experience to be surrounded by so many of our loved ones, and to have them put on a show for us!
Day 3: Baraat, Ceremony, and Reception
The Baraat wound its way through downtown Austin to the JW Marriott entrance. We had a mobile DJ and a dohl player, and everyone had a really fun time! Our ceremony was a traditional Hindu ceremony and our priest did a great job explaining what each part of the ceremony symbolized to everyone. Our reception was so much fun and Andre and I truly danced the night away and had a blast!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning can be extremely stressful, however, it's important to focus on the fact that you're marrying your best friend, and down the line, the small details that went wrong won't matter. What will matter is having that person by your side and celebrating everything you have with them.
That is all for today, ladies But don't forget to join us tomorrow for more!
