In the heart of Atlanta, amidst the city's vibrant energy and the rich tapestry of their shared heritage, Jinal & David's love story began in 2011 during their college years, when they met through mutual friends from Savannah. Although both were in other relationships then, a deep friendship quickly blossomed between them. Their connection endured over the years, even as life took them in different directions. Fate intervened a decade later when they reunited at a mutual friend's wedding in 2021, and in that moment, they knew it was time for their love to take center stage, marking the true beginning of their journey together.
David's proposal in May 2022 perfectly reflected the journey he and Jinal had shared. Under the pretense of attending a charity event, he orchestrated a surprise that brought together their families at Ventanas rooftop in Atlanta. As they turned the corner, Jinal was greeted by a stunning display—' MARRY ME' spelled out in flowers with the city's skyline as the backdrop. Overcome with emotion and surrounded by loved ones, she tearfully accepted David's proposal.
Determined to celebrate their love significantly, Jinal & David carefully planned their dream wedding. They envisioned a celebration that reflected their unique identities and honored their cultural backgrounds, thoughtfully considering every detail, ensuring that their wedding embodied who they were and their journey together.
Jinal embarked on an exciting and anticipated journey to find the perfect bridal attire. She chose a Rajasthani-inspired lengha, drawn to its vibrant colors and intricate details that deeply resonated with her. Despite the challenges of shopping online and consulting with designers in India via FaceTime, she persevered and found what she had envisioned. The final result was a stunning blend of tradition and modern elegance.
The interfaith ceremony, a beautiful blend of Hindu traditions and personal elements, created an inclusive and heartfelt experience for everyone in attendance. Guests were deeply touched by the thoughtful details and personal touches woven into every aspect of the celebration, making it a day filled with meaning and connection.
Jinal encourages others to embrace every moment of their special day, reminding them that time will pass in a blur. Her words motivate brides to focus on what truly matters—the celebration of love, the deep commitment to one another, and the joy of sharing these unforgettable moments with family and friends. In the end, it's the love and connection that make the day timeless.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met David back in 2011 when we were both attending college in Atlanta. I had just moved to the city, and he had moved from Savannah to attend Georgia Tech. Being from Savannah, David had many Indian friends who soon became my friends as well. When I needed help moving into my new place, our mutual friends Savan and Sagar offered to assist, bringing along their super cute Guatemalan friend, David.
At the time, David and I were both in other relationships, but we remained great friends over the years. Fast forward to 2021, and it's Savan's wedding in Orlando after everyone had been isolated due to COVID. David and I had both recently gotten out of relationships, and when we saw each other after such a long time, we knew we couldn't miss the chance to finally date.
Two weeks later, David flew from Florida to Atlanta, where he was staying, and we had our first date. He asked me to be his girlfriend the day I picked him up, and the rest is history. My parents were thrilled to have a son-in-law who is kind, loving, and respectful. I knew he was the one the moment I saw him again in 2021. He was my college crush, someone I always talked about to my family but never thought I would end up with—until I did! That weekend, besides our wedding weekend, was one of the best weekends of my life.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Oh man, did he do great on this one! In May of 2022, David had just started a new job and told me his company hosted fancy charity events and parties every year in June. I was thrilled at the chance to dress up and experience something new. The whole time, I thought we were going to a charity event—he even got my sister to help make fake invitations and everything. I should have pieced it together when he said his parents were coming to town that weekend, but I just thought they were visiting since we hadn't seen them in a while.
David secretly gathered his entire family and mine at Ventanas rooftop in Atlanta. On our way to the "charity event," I started getting nervous, wondering what conversations I'd have with his older coworkers and their spouses. Meanwhile, David was freaking out because he was about to propose, and I still had no idea. When we reached the rooftop, I remember thinking it was extremely quiet for a charity event. A girl told us to turn the corner, and as we did, I saw huge pampas grass and rose bouquets with a sign that said "MARRY ME." I honestly blacked out after that because I was in such shock!
We had the most beautiful view of the Atlanta skyline, and my dream guy was proposing to me—I was in heaven. To make it even better, after he asked me to marry him, I turned around to see all our loved ones approaching and cheering us on with excitement. That's when I started bawling. He literally thought of everything! I couldn't have asked for a more amazing and memorable proposal.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Believe it or not, I did all my shopping online via FaceTime in India. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to make the trip to India due to work. I pinned a bunch of inspirational outfits and considered a few designer pieces. One night, while scrolling on Instagram, I saw a beautiful lengha that I knew I had to have. The colors were unique yet traditional, with a regal Rajasthani look. After countless FaceTime calls with the designer in India, we got that exact outfit made in my size, and it couldn't have been more perfect.
I'm a bit untraditional and didn't want sleeves on my outfit, which my mom wasn't keen on at first. However, once she saw how beautiful it looked sleeveless, it was a win-win for us all! On top of that, my reception outfit was so white and sparkly everywhere I felt like a diamond.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
All of it! Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime day where you get to go all out and let your personalities truly shine. We both definitely enjoyed the food tastings and attending different wedding expos together to decide on food, decor, and entertainment for our big day. Once we were in wedding planning mode, I spent the entire next year watching wedding movies and shows. Every night, David and I would watch a show called *Four Weddings,* where you get to rate different weddings based on food, decor, venue, and dress. It was always fun to see why the winners won and why the others didn't.
Taking pre-wedding photo shoots was always a blast, too! Shopping for multiple outfits leading up to all the different parties is every girl's dream. I miss all of it!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We got so many raves about our whole wedding! Because we had an interfaith wedding, our guests loved that we had our own twist on everything. We shared the Pithi with our families, and David's family from Guatemala got to experience our Indian culture, which was so special! We wanted our wedding day to be enjoyable but also relaxing for our guests, so we made sure they didn't have to wake up super early to rush to get ready. Our Baraat started at 1 pm, which gave our guests ample time to wake up at their leisure and hang out around the Avalon before the festivities began. Since our wedding was on the last day of September, the weather was perfect - not too hot and cool enough to keep everyone from dying of heat during the Baraat. One big thing that was important to David and me was that we could understand the Hindu vows we were reciting to one another. During a lot of Indian weddings, it's difficult to understand what is being said in our native languages, so we wanted to make sure we had a priest who could do interfaith weddings and explain our Hindu vows in English and tailor our ceremony to also recognize Christianity so everyone could feel that they were a part of our wedding. Tailoring the ceremony also allowed us to cut the traditional 3hr Hindu wedding down to 1hr and 15min - which was a hit for all of our guests!! The chutney sandwiches and mango lassi that were passed out during the ceremony were also a big winner with everyone. And we got so many compliments on our decor and how glamorous everything was - I love a wow factor but also simplicity and I wanted to make sure we made our dollars go far, so we reused the arrangements from our wedding at our reception as well! I would have to say everyone LOVED the late-night Pizza we had at the end of the night to end everything. Antico's is our favorite pizza spot, and having them as a part of our special night meant everything to us! The Avalon is just such a great area to have your wedding. With all the shops and restaurants within walking distance, your guests are always entertained, and it really makes them feel like you thought of everything for them.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
That's tough, it was all a dream come true! I still to this day find myself going back and replaying our videos and going through pictures weekly because the whole day was just pure magic. Just knowing that everyone I love and cared for was all under the same roof at the same time celebrating my love was hands down the best feeling in the world.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Truly enjoy your big day when it finally arrives! Don't stress about anything you don't have control over because you will ruin your make-up and mood, and that is not Queen energy!! The day goes by so fast you want to make sure you thoroughly enjoy it all. You literally wake up on your wedding day anticipating everything to happen, and before you know it, it's 2 am, and just like that, the last year spent planning for the biggest day of your life is over. I cried for a few days after because I wanted to relive everything again. And TAKE ALL THE PICTURES! Even if you don't want to or your spouse doesn't want to - make sure you do it. My final piece of advice is to really get a planner who you know will deliver. I was fortunate to have known Hailey since we were in high school, and she also planned my best friend's wedding, which was flawless. Do your homework, ladies; it will pay off in the end!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
We wanted our wedding to really be enjoyable for our guests. The kind of wedding that our guests would talk about for years about how amazing it was and have nothing but great things to say - and from what we heard, we delivered + more! David and I used to always play our own version of 4 weddings when we would attend other weddings, and we really made notes of things we loved and definitely did not want, which made our planning process a lot more easier because we had these conversations prior. We love luxe but also had a budget we needed to stay within, which can have its challenges, but it all worked magnificently in the end! Our wedding planner, Hailey, really made sure she got our vision down, paid attention to all of our wants and needs, and executed everything beautifully. She made the whole planning process so easy - we wouldn't have been able to achieve what we did without her! She connected us with our amazing priest, Dr. M, who thoroughly explained what being in a marriage was about and really spent his time with us to get to know us and our families. A little heads up for brides: Ordering outfits online can either be a hit or miss, but we used shops we had previously shopped at in the past and had numerous calls switching outfits for a few months until we finally had made our choices. If you're a bride who has to do everything virtually, make sure it is from a shop you have shopped at previously, or at least someone you know has.
