In the vibrant heart of New York City, Rushika & Neil's love story blossomed, intertwining fate, connection, and a journey that spanned continents. The couple first met in college through mutual friends. Their friendship deepened when Neil moved to New York in 2021. A simple stroll through Gramercy Park turned into a surprise proposal orchestrated by Neil under the guise of a family celebration. Their journey culminated in a stunning destination wedding at the JW Marriott Cancun, blending their cultures and reflecting their unique bond.
Rushika & Neil wanted their wedding to reflect their Indian heritage while capturing Cancun's tropical beauty. With the help of wedding planners Brittany and Whitney from Eventrics and Ateet from Indian Destination Weddings, they organized a beautiful event at the JW Marriott Cancun. They collaborated with top-notch vendors such as Bruno Rezza for photography, My Love Films for videography, DJ Insomnia, and decorator Candy from Canteiro Weddings, all of whom played essential roles in bringing their dream wedding to life.
Rushika's bridal attire was a harmonious blend of creativity and tradition. She collaborated with a designer in Mumbai to create a wedding lehenga that honored her Indian heritage while reflecting the vibrant colors of Cancun. The intricate motifs and tropical hues captured the essence of their cultural fusion, perfectly complementing the destination.
Throughout the planning process, Rushika found that choosing the right vendors was essential to realizing their vision. She advises brides-to-be to select a team that understands their unique style, ensuring that every detail is meticulously planned, allowing them to enjoy their day.
As they embark on their journey as husband and wife, Rushika & Neil's wedding day remains a celebration of love, unity, cultural fusion, unwavering support of family and friends, and the power of love that transcends borders. Their destination wedding in Cancun exemplifies the beauty of a modern South Asian celebration, where tradition meets tropical elegance, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Neil and I first met during undergrad - his college friends were my high school friends. Over the years, we occasionally ran into each other at friends' weddings. It wasn't until Neil moved to New York in the summer of 2021 that we really connected. We met again at a party hosted by a friend, and from there, the rest is history!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Neil proposed to my favorite park in the city, Gramercy Park. On a cold, rainy January day, he took me there one last time, saying we were heading to a big birthday dinner for his cousin close by. After a stroll, he got down on one knee and proposed! I was stunned but quickly said yes. Definitely one of the best, most thoughtful surprises of my life!
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.
Our first step was finding our wedding planners, Brittany and Whitney, at Eventrics and then working with Ateet from Indian Destination Weddings to secure our venue, the JW Marriott Cancun. Brittany, Whitney, and Ateet collaborated seamlessly with the JW events team to organize site visits, help us choose spaces for our five events, and coordinate guest logistics. Brittany introduced us to fantastic vendors like Bruno Rezza (our photographer), My Love Films (our videographer), DJ Insomnia, and Candy at Canteiro Weddings (our decorator), all of whom we loved immediately. Everyone contributed creative ideas and options, which made the planning process smooth and enjoyable.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I designed my wedding lehenga with the help of a designer in Mumbai. I knew I wanted some colorful and fun elements to my lehenga for our wedding in Cancun to reflect the beautiful surroundings. The bright peacocks, elephants, and scenery on my lehenga beautifully complemented the tropical setting, adding a festive touch to our celebration by incorporating our Indian heritage.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Our favorite part of wedding planning were the dance classes we took. We were a little nervous about our first dance so signed up for classes near our apartment in NYC. The classes turned into a wonderful weekly break - one hour where we could have fun with each other without wedding talk & to-do lists coming up.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We purposefully selected an intimate resort that wasn’t spread out so our guests could easily spend time together. Seeing friends and family from different parts of our lives connect and enjoy themselves together - at the pool, onsite restaurants, etc., between planned wedding events - was one of our favorite parts of the weekend.
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 many of our outfits, we found inspiration through Instagram and visiting shops in New York and London. After that, we had some outfits created by the same designer in Mumbai - she was able to weave in similar colors and components across both of our outfits.
In terms of a location, we originally wanted to pursue a destination wedding because it allowed for a more relaxing mood during the weekend - especially considering we got married in January. We chose Cancun because of proximity to an airport, East and West Coast accessibility, enough infrastructure and vendor choices, and familiarity for many guests. We went into planning with the goal of making our wedding as easy and seamless as possible for our guests.
In terms of our venue, the JW Marriott was phenomenal. Not only do they have multiple, different venues on-site, they are very accommodating to our requests and understand Indian weddings inside-out. They not only ensured the bride and groom had everything we needed through planning but took care of all our guests’ needs throughout the weekend.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Searching for vendors can be exhausting, but investing time and effort to find the ones you love is crucial. With the right team in place, you'll enjoy your wedding weekend, confident that your vendors will handle everything seamlessly without troubling you.
