Welcome to Maharani Weddings

Hello, darlings! In the enchanting ambiance of the Grand Hyatt Tampa, Crystal & Satish's wedding unfurled like a dream, blending tradition with a modern flair. Crystal, radiant in every aspect, was the centerpiece of this grand celebration. Megan Panwar's expert makeup artistry further enhanced her beauty, while Michele Renee Studio's meticulous bridal draping and expert hair design perfectly complemented the bride's elegance, leaving a lasting impression on everyone present. Additionally, Radiant Beauty Tampa's mehndi art added a touch of tradition and sophistication to Crystal's overall look. InStyle Events' meticulous planning and expert design ensured the entire day was exceptional. From start to finish, they executed every detail with precision and care, resulting in a seamless and stress-free experience. Utopian Events' exquisite arrangements were a testament to the company's artistic expertise and attention to detail. The air was filled with melodies from Tanner Johnson and beats from Awaaz Entertainment, enhancing the festive mood. Saffron Catering's delectable cuisine and A Piece of Cake's eye-catching treats delighted the senses, while Asaad Images captured timeless moments. Cheers to a beautiful wedding celebration!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Online via Shaadi! Just when I had begun to give up on dating, Satish came along and, from our first conversation, was so easy to talk to and the first guy to genuinely make me laugh out loud. My mother passed away 11 years ago, and her death anniversary is always a hard time, no matter how many years have passed. I knew he was special when he remembered the actual date of her anniversary and sent me a message that he was thinking of me that day (and this was before our first date!). I knew he was different as no one else had ever done that if I had mentioned it or just avoided the topic. From our first date to a year into marriage, I have been constantly amazed by the wonderful man he is, and I am not sure what I did in life to deserve such an amazing partner. Falling in love with him was so easy even despite being long distance, as he was everything I had been looking for and needed in life and well worth the wait! (We met when he was 38 and I was 37. We were engaged after 1 year and married 1.5 years from our first date!)

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.
All of our vendors were wonderful! We had decided to do a destination wedding since we were getting married in February and he is from Detroit and I am from New York and chose Tampa, Florida because of the weather and the ease for our guests to travel there since it's a short plane ride away. Most of our vendors we only met on the day of our wedding as we communicated mainly through email/video chats but they were all wonderful and did an amazing job.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The hotel was beautiful, but the food and decor at our reception were especially amazing!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Walking down the aisle and seeing Satish at the end was definitely the biggest highlight. I think seeing our mandap and reception decor was my next favorite. Our reception decor, especially, literally made my jaw drop and came out even better than we could have imagined!

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 knew we wanted colors that were vibrant and would pop and so we chose pink and purple, which are also two of my favorite colors. All the flowers and decor were beautiful in the pictures/video. I had originally thought my nieces/nephews were going to do a dance for our reception but my extended family surprised us with a dance and they all did such an amazing job and we loved it!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Take time to enjoy the day because it will go by fast! The planning process is stressful, and something will go wrong or not as you had imagined the day, but as long as you are marrying your best friend, none of it matters at the end of the day.

A masterpiece of love, beautifully crafted leaving a legacy of memories to cherish forever.

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Greetings, darlings! Enjoy Stephanie & Neal's stunning wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog.

Thank you for taking the time to read this love story, Maharanis. Stay tuned for more features!

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Darlings, prepare to be swept away by the enchanting tale of Minu & Rahul's wedding! The Hyatt House Jersey City provided the perfect canvas for this love story. The venue set the stage for a truly unforgettable celebration with its elegant ambiance and breathtaking views officiated by Sunita Vaze. Thanks to the creative genius of Exclusive Events, every corner of the space was transformed into a magical wonderland. Minu exuded timeless beauty in her bridal fashions by Herpret Couture. As her hands were adorned with intricate henna designs by the talented Henna by Ayesha, Minu's beauty was further enhanced by the skillful hands of Jasnyc Mua and Glam by Elysa. Their expertise in hair and makeup transformed her into a radiant vision, with every brushstroke and hairstyle highlighting her natural features. Rahul looked suave and sophisticated in his meticulously tailored tuxedo by Mayank Sehgal. The celebration continued with DJ Neil Desai from 07 Event Group taking the festivities to another level with his infectious beats, ensuring that the dance floor was alive and buzzing with energy throughout the night. Maria A. Garth Photography's work during this wedding was extraordinary. Her photographs beautifully conveyed the day's emotions and energy, from the intimate exchanges of vows to the grand celebration on the dance floor. Every frame was a work of art, showcasing the couple's beauty, the exquisite details of the decor, and the genuine happiness radiating from their loved ones. Don't miss our favorite moments of this wedding in our gallery!

Loves, thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more inspiring weddings from our Maharani brides!

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Happy Friday, my lovely Maharanis! I am delighted to share a new filmy day with you. Ladies, get ready to be swept off your feet as we dive into the magical wedding of Bharti & Shiv. Everything started with a colorful Sangeet and delicious plates from Punjab Sweets. Sky Films and Productions, the cinematography team behind this lovely wedding, is known for its unique and creative approach to capturing special moments. Their team of skilled professionals, with over ten years of experience in the industry, dedicates itself to providing exceptional service and quality work to their clients. They use state-of-the-art equipment and editing techniques to create stunning cinematic films that generations will cherish. Marigold Wedding Planners flawlessly executed the design and planning. Their experts worked tirelessly to ensure the day went smoothly, allowing the couple and their families to enjoy every moment of their special day. Their commitment to excellence and exceptional service made this wedding a dream come true. Shiv arrived at The Dearborn Inn in a joyful baraat accompanied by Sky Films and Productions, while Lama's Florist created stunning floral arrangements that were nothing short of perfection. From the moment we saw Bharti, we knew her wedding day would be spectacular. Cecilia Kashat did a phenomenal job with hair and makeup, and Dreaming in Henna added the perfect touch to Bharti's Mehndi. Seema Gujral's reception bridal fashion was the talk of the night, and South Delhi Jewelers added the perfect touch with their stunning jewelry. Sky Films and Productions and their DJ lit the night with incredible lighting and music. And, of course, the food provided by Saffron was nothing short of divine. We invite you to watch the breathtaking video and relive the romance and beauty of this unforgettable day. Enjoy!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met in Chicago through one of the most common modern ways - over a dating app. Specifically, Coffee meets Bagel. In the first couple of months of getting to know each other, we created a strong bond of friendship that helped set the foundation for our relationship. Very early on, our relationship turned into nine months of long distance, with lots of FaceTime dates and traveling to visit each other as I completed my medical rotations all over the country. This truly put our relationship to the test. But once I was back in Chicago, I made the decision to apply for jobs locally and be close to Shiv (my husband) as he completed medical school rather than start a fresh journey in a new city. I just knew he was the one because while we were going through our long-distance phase early on, he patiently waited for me to finish my rotations while also making an effort to keep our foundation strong.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
One of my greatest desires was a boating experience on the Chicago River. With the help of friends, Shiv (my husband) tricked me into thinking that they got a boat trip set up as a get-together. The next part of the plan was convincing me that this was a fancier occasion rather than a casual boat party. So with the help of my younger sister, I was guided to wear an outfit that I had had my eye on for a while.
Then it was finally the big day. My husband wanted all our close friends and family to be there at the proposal, so he invited his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and some of my best friends for brunch before getting on the boat. Next came the yacht. We all met at the Chicago River docking station, and finally, the yacht set off on the sunny shores of Lake Michigan. Shiv got down on one knee and popped the question with the Chicago skyline gleaming behind us. Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost! Shiv had another surprise awaiting. He took me to his family's home, where my parents, my husband's family, and more friends gathered to continue the celebration.

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.
The planning process for the wedding started about ten months before the wedding date. We first started with finding a venue in my hometown of Detroit, MI. We wanted to keep our mehendi and haldi more intimate, so those events were planned on our own at our home. The larger events, such as the sangeet, wedding ceremony, and reception, were held at the main venue. As the bride, I was looking for something with glamour and charm. We decided on Dearborn Inn by Marriott because it has an old rustic feel with elegance. The hotel interior also made the entrance of the ballroom and lobby a spectacle to behold.

Planning our wedding was a family affair alongside our wedding planner, Tina Singh. We had a great experience using both of our families' insights and visions. We wanted to use themes for each of our wedding events and design the decor for each event accordingly. For example, the sangeet’s theme was the royal bazaar. So we went with decor that displayed a large gold swinging bench decorated with flowers, with two large life-like trees in the background. The food was set up as stations all around the entrance of the ballroom that mimicked a bazaar with bright, vibrant ethnic tents. We had a program of dances by family and friends, so we set up multicolored cots along the dance floor area for people to sit and enjoy the program. We also incorporated Punjabi and Gujarati traditions in the sangeet, so we ended the night off with traditional garba. Since this was a royal bazaar-themed event, the outfit I went with was a lehenga, which was wine purple in color with gold frame embellishments as well as peacocks and birds on the skirt. My makeup artist Cecilia (Blush Salon in Commerce Township), did an amazing job by adding extensions to my hair and putting pearls into a braid to give it a unique look. She used multiple colors on my eyeshadow makeup to match sangeet vibes. She also did the makeup and hair for my sister, my mom, and my MIL’s. Everyone loved their unique touch. Shiv matched me with an Indo-western, burgundy, velvet Sherwani.

For the wedding ceremony, we wanted to use the beautiful outdoor lawn of the hotel, which was decorated with greenery and fresh flowers. We set up the mandap there with fresh red, pink, and ivory flowers, and we matched our wedding outfits accordingly. Our wedding was during Labor Day weekend, and we were blessed with beautiful weather. We had so much natural scenery around us that we felt the mandap did not have to be overdone. We went with a mandap that was rustic in nature to match the outdoor scene. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen entered with matching custom sage green outfits to start the wedding ceremony, and from there, it transitioned into the traditional Hindu ceremony. Each bridesmaid carried a fresh-flower bouquet down the aisle. For the bridal entrance, my uncles and cousins walked me on a red carpet under the Phoolon ki Chadar, custom decorated by our Florists by Lama in Dearborn. My hair was put in a loose bun, while my makeup had tones of gold with a bright red lip to match my wedding lehenga. Altogether it looked stunning with the jewelry hand-picked from South Delhi Jewelers, with green and light pink beads to match the veil and gold embroiderings. Our wedding was recorded by our video team, who used multiple drones to capture the beautiful footage.

Our reception theme was all about sparkle and glamour. The color themes I chose were ivory and shades of lavender. My outfit was an all-silver, sparkly lehenga by Seema Gujural. Shiv wore a custom-designed tuxedo. For the decor, we went with gold frames on our stage, with chandeliers dangling on the sides and an ivory bench in the center. All our guest tables had fresh flowers, bouquets, and candle arrangements following the theme of ivory and lavender. We had a LED light stage in the center of the ballroom where all the performances and speeches took place. I also came up with a Photo Booth area near the entrance of the ballroom with a LED sign that said “It Was Always You,” placed on a green wall and surrounded by cherry blossom trees. Our dessert table consisted of assorted bite-size pastries decorated with a life-size white peacock with a tail made of lavender flowers. Last but not least, our DJ and photography team, Sky Films and Productions, and DJ Vic did a spectacular job at all our events to capture each moment. They kept our wedding reception open dance floor flowing with energetic music so that we danced until we dropped. Even today, we keep replaying our same-day edit video and reliving our wedding each time.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I originally wanted to go with pastel colors on my lehenga. But after trying on several pieces, I decided the traditional red color looked best on me. After shopping around in New York and India, I decided on a crimson red Sabyasachi-style lehenga with gold embellishment that I found in a unique boutique in Delhi. I custom-designed a light peach veil with a wave border to match the lehenga.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part was having substantial input on how each wedding event would run and planning the decorations. My wedding planner was instrumental in helping me decide which of my ideas was realistic and reasonable to bring the themes of each wedding event to life. I took pride in knowing that each event had an original touch of my personality. I also had a significant role in choreographing all the dances  I performed in. I have been dancing and choreographing for my other friends' weddings in the past, and now it was finally my turn to showcase at my own wedding.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We received numerous compliments about the high energy in the room during each of the events, how in tune and invested our guests were with the program going on, and how much detail our events were decorated. Last but not least, we received so many compliments about how AMAZING the food tasted. Our guests kept telling us how they kept going back for more.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The most special moment for me was walking down the aisle to the mandap with all the guests' eyes on me, and seeing the joyful yet somber faces of my parents, knowing that I was entering a new phase of life. That is a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
To each bride-to-be:
Planning your wedding is one of the most stressful times that you and your family can go through.  At times it may seem that things are about to fall apart, and last-minute details are still not finalized. But at the end of the day, you will get to your wedding day and realize it all worked out. Trust the process and do the best you can, but don’t be too hard on yourself. Stress only causes tension in your loved ones and yourself. Enjoy each moment of planning because it always turns out beautiful, no matter what.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Venue: The Dearborn Inn by Marriott - Event Planners @ Venue: Paulette OConnell and Christie Dixon
Wedding Planner: Tina Singh (Marigold Wedding Planners)
Photography/Videography/DJ: Sky Films and Productions and DJ Vic
Reception Gown Designer: Seema Gujral (Delhi, India)
Groom's Clothing Designer: Diwan Saheb (Delhi, India)
Bridal Jewelry: South Delhi Jewelers
Hair and Makeup Artist: Cecilia Kashat (Blush Salon in Commerce Township)
Mehndi Artist: @DreaminginHenna by Sandy (Michigan)
Reception Florist/Wedding bouquets: Lama's Florist (Dearborn, MI)
Sangeet Catering: Punjab sweets and Indian Cuisine (Michigan)
Wedding Breakfast Catering: Krishna Catering and Restaurant (Michigan)
Wedding Lunch Catering: Krishna Catering and Restaurant (Michigan)
Reception Dinner Catering: Saffron (Michigan)
Remember that we have inspiring stories every day, so make sure to join us tomorrow for more!

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Good morning, dears! Get ready to enjoy Priya & Ronak's wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I love Halloween (including bats), Tangled, and anything related to Japan. On a trip to Austin, Texas, Ronak took me to the Congress Bridge to watch the bat emergency at dusk, but they never came out because it was too cold! Then we walked over to Butler Metro Park, where I spotted a lantern floating into the sky. "What is that," I asked, squinting, "let's follow it!" Many more lanterns were set up on a dock overlooking a pond by Ronak's friend. At the end of the dock, Ronak got down on one knee and proposed a beautiful custom rose-gold teardrop lab diamond ring with a halo! We then ended the night at the Japanese restaurant Uchi. The proposal was the imperfectly perfect blend of all my favorite things!

What did your guests particularly love about your wedding?
Welcoming and organized feel: Shilpa Patel Events provided the most organized, smooth-running production with meticulous planning, attentive staff, and plenty of signage to guide all the guests. Our priest Dharmasetu Dasa explained everything from the ceremony in English, which was appreciated by so many of our guests. There was a breakfast and afternoon snack room for refreshments in between events and a welcome bag arranged for everyone staying at the hotel. Guests were engaged and taken care of for the whole weekend.

Personal touches: From my mom's dance with her friends at the Garba to my parents coming out on stage at the reception doing the Garba, there were several personal touches that made the wedding so special. One highlight included my last-minute choreographed dance entrance down the aisle with my "mamas" (maternal uncles). Probably the most fun personal touch was Ronak's arrival for the baraat in an open-top rickshaw from LA Rickshaw. Our reception favors were chopsticks in colorful sleeves for our love of ramen - we picked something so non-Indian, but we felt it reflected a part of us very well!

Florals: The very thick, dense flower arrangements framing the mandap courtesy of the very talented Tip Top Event Designs were one of the most impressive that our guests had ever seen. My dad surprised me by okaying in advance the jaw-droppingly beautiful peach floral Ganesh in the background of the mandap that looked like it was floating in midair; I didn't notice it until midway through the ceremony! The floral colors were very distinctly different in the evening, matching the darker theme.

And of course the food! Our food vendors truly brought their best flavors and quality, and the variety of foods was staggering. The traditional Gujarati lunch was the best some guests had ever tasted. The diversity of street food-style stalls from Indian to Mexican at the Garba kept everyone coming back for more. The Punjabi dishes by Mantra at the reception were divine. We even served the famous Cassata Slice Ice Cream by Vadilal during the ceremony and had Indian sweets from Surti Farsan to-go at the end of the night.

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 my Grah Shanti/Vidhi-Pithi and Mehndi, we opted for a homey feel in our family friends' backyard decorated with colorful trinkets and bright backdrops. The morning was simple and laid back, with a light lunch served. The evening was complete with song and dance, an amazing live Dosa Bar, and a tableful of sweets.

I wanted the classic, bright yellow color with the dhoti look for my Pithi. I found a modern version of what I was looking for, designed by Soman Luthria through Kynah, and added floral jewelry and a headpiece handmade in India by a family friend.

I had always wanted to wear Papa Don't Preach by Shubhika, and they had just dropped a new collection at the time I was looking for an Indo-Western look for my mehndi. I especially loved the color combination and the unique cape style.

For the Garba, we wanted to go as traditional Gujarati as possible with the aesthetics. Our decorator wowed with vibrant umbrellas, street food-style stalls, and mehndi and gift stations. I made the signs myself by tweaking existing colorful Canva templates and having them printed on foam boards. We even had one that said, "Patel-Shukla Dukaan" ("Patel-Shukla Shop") for the gift table.

I am in awe of the painstaking work that Kalpana's Creations put into my fully customized Garba choli by hand, complete with puff sleeves and an extra-large skirt circumference. A side braid and choker necklace completed the look. The most fantastic aspect of this outfit was the perfectly matching groom's kurta and vest that tied the entire color scheme and theme together.

I wanted the reception to be Tangled-inspired, just like Ronak's proposal, but with a twist of dark colors so the multitude of smaller lights really stood out. There were subtle themes of Tangled, such as lanterns and the gold sun from the movie on the cake. Then there was the obvious homage - the Tangled scene drink menus. I was inspired to find a unique version of "I See the Light" from the movie; I couldn't believe there was such a beautiful Hindi version, and we played this version while cutting the cake. After a few fun dance performances and speeches in, the party started with the huge LED screen and sparklers (glow sticks and sparklers are a must for bringing the party!). The LED screen had endless displays, including photos of the ceremony earlier in the day.

I went for a non-conventional dark-colored lehenga by Seema Gujral for my reception outfit, but it still shined because of the sequins and complemented the bold color scheme so well. I wore my hair down with striking gold eyeshadow and green and gold jewelry set to match the outfit.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Wedding ceremony decor: We decided on soft peach and green with white and gold accents for the overall color scheme of the ceremony. We had a peach rather than a white canopy to incorporate our palette in a unique way. The florals incorporated just the right amount of green leaves. I designed the programs and signage on Canva and wrote the descriptions and a blend of those provided by the priest and a cousin's previous wedding program. Finishing touches were made by Tip Top, including metal lanterns and decorative pieces.

Wedding ceremony outfit: I found Designs by Shivani by chance on Etsy after I scrolled past this floral lehenga concept that I had seen after months of scouring the internet for a unique wedding outfit. I had initially been dead-set on wearing peach (or green), but after I saw that, I asked myself when I would ever wear red like this again, I might as well feel like a real Indian bride! My mom randomly found the second magenta dupatta in a pile of spare dupattas for sale in a random shop, which was the final piece that tied the whole outfit together! The matching matte red eyeshadow was the perfect finish to the overall red look.

Bridesmaids outfits: After endless searching, I stumbled upon a bridesmaids lehenga design that I finally loved by Nazranaa, NJ, and I swapped the colors for a few pastels that were incorporated into my wedding lehenga. The outfits turned out truly flawless! My favorites to my bridesmaids and moms were Sani lounge sets which were the perfect blend of an Indian design with amazing quality and utility.

Groom sherwani and pagri: Ronak's ceremony sherwani matched the floral theme of my lehenga, and the colors were customized to our peach and green theme while still maintaining the white base for the traditional element. The peach pagri was the perfect complement to the green and gold groomsmen outfits.

Groomsmen outfits: The groomsmen kurtas were customized with Rajoo India. The deep green was a contrast to pastel bridesmaids' outfits while still incorporating the dark green shade of the leaves in the floral arrangements and in the wedding ceremony lehenga.

Loves, thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more inspiring weddings from our Maharani brides!

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