Good morning, Maharanis! Are you ready to venture on a trip to the beach? We know you are! So get ready to have a blast. Today, we will take a trip to the paradisiac landscapes of Clearwater Beach, FL, to join Priya & Suraj at their enchanting wedding celebration. This time, it was the majestic Hilton Clearwater Beach that hosted this memorable event. Definitely, a perfect combination of luxurious architecture with a great natural environment. Having the sea and the sunset as the background, combined with the mesmerizing decor crafted by Myar Decor, there is no denying that this was the perfect scenario for Priya & Suraj to say "I do" in front of their family and friends. And we want to give a big shoutout to Apsara Events for the perfect planning and execution of this wedding. Anywhere you looked had perfection written all over the place. Still, our gorgeous Maharani stole all the looks after being glamorized by Michele Renee The Studio. The sleek hairstyle and the discreet makeup praised our beautiful Maharani's adorable and captivating smile, making her look like a princess. If you want to take a closer look at this wedding celebration, don't miss the fascinating shots captured by Kimberly Photography. They are an absolute visual delight you don't want to miss, so make sure to take a look at today's full gallery. It'll take your breath away, and you'll get tons of inspiring ideas!
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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
From the Groom:
As much as Priya hates to admit it, this is the true story of love and basketball. She’ll tell you it’s about two individuals crossing paths on their journey to pursue their dreams, but don’t listen to any of that nonsense, because #ballislife.
In 2015, I moved to Atlanta to work for NBA TV and soon met Priya, who had lived in Atlanta most of her life but had plans to move to New York City in just a few months. We ran into each other a few times, spending most of our time arguing about whose city had the better Garba and why Charlotte had an Uptown and a Downtown. We found ourselves constantly texting and making an effort to see each other that soon enough I found myself in an unfamiliar place called “brunch”, just so I could hang out with her.
In my eagerness to explore a new city and her effort to see all of Atlanta before she left, Priya created an Atlanta bucket list…allowing us to explore the city together just as I was settling in and she was saying goodbye.
Priya eventually moved to NYC later that year, and then Chicago after that…all the while I stayed in Atlanta with my first true love, the NBA. Long distance was tough, but fast-forward 3 years and many flights later, Priya moved back to Atlanta and we're finally back in the same city, but this time…#balliswife
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I may not ever trust anyone close to me again but it was all worth the most perfect proposal and endless tears. Suraj told me we were going to an end of season NBA work party so here I am taking extra long to get ready thinking I'm going to meet Shaq or Grant Hill, but really I was going to see our close friends and family watch the man of my dreams ask me to be his WIFE.
Of course there were 3 photographers and Moet because what more could either of us want but there was also a beautifully created video that I still can't watch to this day without ugly crying. Itching to grab my phone and call my parents, the video ends and I turn around to find them and all of our friends watching us and sharing this special moment by our sides. And for the perfect ending, we celebrated that night with red velvet cake, lots of champagne and of course, Garba! :)
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 knew we wanted a destination wedding but something out of country or in Mexico would be difficult for family traveling from India or far away. Instead, we opted for Hilton's beautiful white sand beach venue in Clearwater, FL and loved working with our vendor team to make our details and dream wedding come alive. We used a lot of vendors from India since part of family is still there but it was all a great mix of local vendors from Atlanta where we both live now, from Florida where our wedding was held and India where our extended family came from.
Rahul and the Volcanik team were great at incorporating our style and favorite artists throughout the weekend (even got to hear Lupe after the ceremony!) while Michelle worked her magic to make not only the bride but her mom and aunts all look flawless - they're still rocking their wedding make up pics as their WhatsApp profile pictures! Kim captured all the energy and more in her photos as Mital & the whole Myar team crafted beautiful backdrops for each event. Aashirwad created some of the best fusion dishes we wanted to bring to the beach while Sokha and her team rocked the planning and execution of all the details... all this to say, our team was great, and challenges aside, they made sure we were happy every step of the way!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
All I knew growing up is I didn't want a traditional red lengha but trying out different dresses and seeing my parents' reaction was a whole different story. I wanted to to reflect my personality in my wedding lengha, other outfit choices and jewelry designs which was exactly what the team at Shreeman helped me do. I was able to mix and match different styles when picking my dress and while I was stubborn about no red at first, I couldn't help falling in love with a redish pink satin lengha that my parents adored as well.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
DETAILS are everything to me! I notice all of the little touches when we go to events and knew I wanted to include tiny reflections of us throughout our wedding weekend for the both of us to remember by. Our married friends always told us, "don't worry, you won't even notice if something is off" and luckily I was so smitten my wedding weekend, I didn't. However, it's also because our amazing vendor team carried out every single detail to make us happy and the memories complete. Once we found our main vendors, incorporating the details was the best part and so fulfilling to see the day of.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The biggest feedback we've gotten since the wedding is the attention to detail and inclusion of so many personal touches. I'm a big softie and Suraj is a genuine creative so including details from our relationship, sentimental aspects our parents would love and elements that show our friends how much they mean to us were very important to us. One idea guests really loved was the reception seating cards that were pictures of themselves or a memory we shared together.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Untraditionally, Priya was determined to have a baraat of her own on our wedding day. For as long as she can remembers, she always questioned why the groom get to have all the fun before the big moment while the bride stays hidden away. She ran out with her best guy friends to Martin Garrix and colored smoke bombs and joined her groom in on the party! Both parents and families joined in on the dancing and were able to bring all the fun and positive energy Suraj and Priya wanted on their big day. As a surprise to everyone, the two had a dance off with Priya and her bridesmaids dancing to Sajan Sajan Tere Dulhan x Saiyaan Superstar followed by Suraj and his sisters dancing to Saajanji Ghar Aaye.
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.
A week-long celebration with each event holding a different style and theme was exactly what we wanted to make us and our parents happy. Priya's dad created a replica backdrop of their home in India to bring a little bit of Meghva to the celebrations while Suraj enjoyed a sweet, intimate affair for his vidhi ceremony. Priya's pre-wedding events were great because her parents got to invite local family and friends in Atlanta to be part of the celebrations but it was nice seeing everyone finally at the beach with their toes in the sand. We began the weekend with mimosas before a "Haldi for the Homies" event on the beach and ended the first night with "Sangeet under the Stars" with a Goa-Bollywood themed event. Garba and sanedo in the sand was a great time while guests enjoyed kala-khata snow cones and street food. After bridal portraits the next morning, Suraj headed for his baraat while I enjoyed quality time with my bridesmaids (and more mimosas). We soon joined the groom at his baraat and had our own Bollywood dance-off. The jaan headed to the mandap and both sides enjoyed the beach back drop as we made it official and had some fun in the sun. With plenty of debate and haggling, the groom finally got his shoes back and after an emotional vidaai, we drove off together in a Vanderhall and enjoyed the wind in our hair before the true party started. That evening, guests were welcomed by a photo seating chart and a champagne wall before they entered the reception hall for a modern vinyl print stage and a dessert wall that seemed never-ending. Close friends carried out the best dance skit while signature drinks and endless menu items flowed throughout the weekend to keep everyone full and energized as they danced the night away on the dance floor.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Plan for all the moments you want throughout your big day and actually trust your vendors to carry out those moments! As stressful as wedding planning can be, it was so awesome to start our wedding events off knowing everything will be as perfect as can be and now it's time to just RELAX & HAVE FUN!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
One of the best memories while planning was visiting India and being able to create memories with my parents. With both of them by my side, I designed my outfit choices and my jewelry and enjoyed every minute and detail to the various pieces I wore. From incorporating my grandmother and mom's items to phrases that hold meaning to me and Suraj, it all came together beautifully and was the perfect wedding present.
That is all for today. See you tomorrow for more!
