Welcome, darlings! I can't think of a better way to start the day than with Noopur & Amar celebrating their wedding! Nestled along the pristine shores of Hilton Clearwater Beach, the ceremony venue was nothing short of a tropical paradise. The elegant architecture blended seamlessly with the natural beauty of the surroundings, creating an ambiance of serenity and romance. It was the ideal canvas for their dream wedding, where cherished memories were made against a breathtaking coastal backdrop. Apsara Events' meticulous planning and design of this wedding wove a tapestry of dreams into a splendid reality. At the same time, Myar Decor, with its artistic brilliance, adorned the space with radiant floral arrangements, creating an ethereal ambiance. C Minerva's Looks, synonymous with elegance and finesse, bestowed Noopur with a bridal transformation fit for a princess. Tabla's culinary artisans curated a feast that delighted every palate. Meanwhile, M4U Events took charge of the dance floor, captivating the crowd with their pulsating beats and infectious energy. Their seamless transitions and carefully curated playlists ensured the dance floor remained alive throughout the night, creating a vibrant atmosphere with everyone moving to the rhythm of love. Bhowmik Dave Films & Photography, with their discerning eye for detail, immortalized every precious moment of the wedding. Get ready to have your senses dazzled with today's gallery.
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How did you meet your Groom, and when did you know he was "the one"?
On a not-so-cold winter’s night in Florida, Amar and I first heard of each other, thanks to the clever matchmaking efforts of our respective mothers. Both of us, a little wary of the dating scene but wanting to be open-minded, decided to embark on this journey.
Amar, who had traditionally refused dating propositions through family or friends, found himself on that day feeling somewhat adventurous and agreed to text me, then a mystery woman to him. While I was busy handling the last few months of my residency in Dallas, a barrage of underwhelming ice cream dates had begun to tire me. Still, when my mom mentioned a certain someone in Gainesville, I shrugged and said, "Why not?" knowing that I was about to move back to Florida that summer.
We laid down the rules for our parents (no inquiries about how things were going), and on January 31, 2020, the first spark was lit with a characteristically formal "Hi there - this is Amar Kelkar." A nonchalant “Hey” from me amazingly set the stage for countless conversations that followed.
Within a few days, our text exchanges became a constant, and the connection was undeniable. This led to our first phone date, which, unbeknownst to Amar, coincided with Valentine’s Day. His inadvertent disregard for the occasion, followed by a three-hour FaceTime "study" date where he actually spent the entire time studying, could have been missteps, but they only added to the charm.
The depth of our bond was validated when Amar thoughtfully arranged for a dinner date over Zoom, complete with my favorite sushi and formal attire to mimic an in-person date as closely as possible. Despite the uncertainties of the year 2020, the anticipation of our first real-life meeting was thrilling. When it eventually happened, it felt as if the stars had aligned; it was nothing short of magical.
I knew he was 'the one' in the heart-to-heart moments we shared over countless deep conversations about what life, love, and medicine meant to us in the context of a seemingly world-ending pandemic. Due to these circumstances, we had conversations early in our relationship that most would not have until much later. We felt as though we had known each other for years before we even met for the first time! His inherent kindness, patience, and selflessness made me fall in love, and I knew I wanted to spend my life with this man.
And thus, we have navigated life's major milestones - adopting our pup, Maple, transitioning into new jobs, moving, and getting married! Our story stands testament to the magic of connection, patience, trust, perseverance, and an inadvertent Valentine's date that Amar shall never forget. Finally, we did reveal our secret to our parents, who, after all, started this beautiful journey!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Our proposal was perfect! Amar, knowing that we had a trip to Spain planned weeks later, caught me completely off guard while I was visiting my sister in DC. My sister convinced me to attend a vaguely concocted "pop-up bar" event in the National Mall along with our parents and our dogs, Remy and Maple. As we walked on to Founder's Island (right next to the Lincoln Memorial), I spotted an unattended cheese board and sign with my name on it, and, out of nowhere, Amar appeared from behind a willow tree and proposed!! Seconds later, the rest of his family appeared along with the photographer, and a photoshoot commenced with both of our families present!
What was so special was how Amar recognized how much it meant to me to have a big loving family all together, including our pups!
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 started with finding a wedding planner (Sokha Im from Apsara Events). We then picked our venues (Hilton Clearwater Beach and Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach) and dates. We decided to have our ceremony and reception on two different dates so that we could really enjoy each event and not have to be sleep deprived. This was probably our favorite decision! After that, we then started to find our other vendors, like hair and makeup (CMinerva), decor (Myar Decor), photo/video (Bhowmik Dave Photography), mehndi (Henna Allure), DJ (DJ Rishi Rex and MC Ashish with M4U), and caterer (Tabla). I did a pre-wedding trial with our hair and makeup vendor, and we also did an engagement shoot with our wedding photographer, which I highly recommend doing! It really made us feel so much more at ease when it came time for the big weekend. We also wanted to include our dog Maple as well as my sister's dog Remy in the wedding, so we hired Furry Ventures to handle the pups for us, which was so helpful! Another really special detail of our wedding was our priest, Achala Bapat. We worked with her to streamline the ceremony to fit within our time goals, as well as modernize and customize the content we wanted to include. She was also incredible at interpreting the religious and symbolic meanings of each step for us and all of our guests. She even did a walk-through with us the night before the wedding so that we felt super comfortable on the mandap.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Do you have a favorite color in mind?
Since Amar and I are both of Maharashtrian background, I decided to wear a traditional nauwari sari for the ceremony. However, I wanted a modern take on this traditional type of outfit. To achieve this, I went to India with my family and had my outfit custom designed with exactly the colors, materials, and embroidery that I wanted. For the reception, my father-in-law surprised me with my dream Sabyasachi lehenga!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of wedding planning was when Amar and I would make the planning into dates. We would go to a cocktail bar and work on our planning over some fancy drinks. Another fun part of wedding planning was concocting our signature cocktails with Amar's sister and practicing all of the choreographed dances with my sister and our families. The next most enjoyable part of wedding planning was when it was over! Wedding planning can be so stressful that we were honestly very happy when we were done planning and could just watch our dream become a vision before our eyes!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved the food, the venue, and the music! The dance parties were unreal, and every single person was on the dance floor with us!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our first dance is my favorite moment of the entire weekend. Amar and I both love to dance, so we truly enjoyed choreographing, practicing, and performing our first dance! And the best part- Amar, who has been a singer his whole life, surprised me by serenading me with a jazz tune right before our first dance!
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.
Amar and I loved the little touches we were able to add to our events. For example, we had an ice stamp made of our logo, so all of our signature cocktails (which we also concocted together with our sisters) had a specially stamped block of ice in them!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning is stressful no matter what. Try your best to make as much of it as enjoyable as possible. Turn the planning sessions into dates with your fiance, and remember to focus on the best part- that you are marrying your favorite person!
Stay tuned for more unforgettable tales; until then, may your hearts be filled with everlasting joy.
