Good Morning, Maharanis! And Happy New Year! We hope you are up for an adventure because we are starting this 2020 by taking you on a trip to the paradisiac lands of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to take a look at Gopi & Ronak's big wedding festivities! For this installment, we'll be taking a look at a vibrant and colorful Sangeet Ceremony that kicked off with the wedding festivities! And there is no surprise that everything turned out to be amazing, as these lovebirds had Indian Destination Weddings as their best ally to make the most out of every event! The sublime landscapes surrounding the Hard Rock Riviera Maya and the spectacular decoration put together by Latin Asia could only be overtaken by the beauty of our gorgeous Maharani! She looked ravishing dressed in a pale turquoise lengha that made her look like a princess! And in case you were wondering who is the responsible behind such mesmerizing look, it is no other than Alex Corbanezi Beauty & Co! Without any question, this was a fun-loving night that everyone enjoyed! Just look at all of the guests having fun and dancing on top of the lightened dancefloor set up by PSAV Mexico! Remember to visit our full gallery for a closer at all the shots captured by Sarani Weddings! You are going to be amazed!
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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Ronak and I met my freshman year of college at a dance competition we hosted at UT Austin. We randomly kept in touch as friends for several years after that and met up again in Chicago when I went to visit some friends in 2014. We talked nonstop after that and officially started dating a few months later. We did long distance for about 2.5 years before we both moved to Philadelphia to finally be closer to each other!
I'm not sure if there was an exact moment in time that I knew Ronak was "the one", but I knew pretty early on that he was someone I could see myself spending the rest of my life with. :)
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Ronak proposed on Friday, October 5th, 2018 at a gazebo behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I arrived thinking I was just attending a 'Yelp Elite' wine tasting event with my soon-to-be sister-in-law and another friend. When we arrived at the top of the hill and started walking towards the gazebo I saw Ronak standing in the middle of it, suited up and looking as handsome as ever. :) I immediately started to cry (lol) and he held out his hand and asked me to dance (he had 'Thinking Out Loud' playing on his phone in his pocket haha). He said a bunch of sweet things that I can honestly hardly remember but before I knew it, he was down on one knee asking me to marry him! Then both of our families came and surprised me, and we all went to dinner together. Just when I thought the night couldn't get any better, Ronak pulled off one final surprise by throwing a huge party with all our closest friends at the rooftop of his apartment building. It was truly one of the most perfect days! :)
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 off venue shopping in Texas last year (where I'm from and where my parents live), thinking that's where we'd be hosting the wedding. After spending an entire weekend looking at venues and hotels that all looked the same, I came back to Philly and complained to Ronak that I didn't find one I loved. He threw out the idea of doing a destination wedding, and I laughed and said our parents would probably never agree to that. Long story short, they agreed and we decided on a destination wedding in Mexico, and it was honestly one of the best decisions we made!
Besides working with Ateet Ahuja from Indian Destination Weddings to help our guests get booked, I decided to do all the planning myself. I'll admit it was very hard at times since the majority, if not all, of the planning was done via email since we weren't able to go meet our vendors in person. But honestly all the vendors there are great to work with, and so understanding of what we need for an Indian wedding. Here's who we worked with for everything:
Travel Concierge: Indian Destination Weddings
Venue: Hard Rock Riviera Maya
Decor: Latin Asia
Florist: Tulipania
Food: Hard Rock Riviera Maya
Hair/MUA: Alex Corbanezi Beauty & Co.
Photo/video: Sarani Weddings
DJ: Dhoom Events - DJ Milin Jani
Audio/video equipment: PSAV Mexico
Entertainment:
Producciones Arteum - salsa lesson for our Welcome Fiesta and live saxophonist for the cocktail hour
Drums in Paradise - dhol player and vintage car for the baraat
Pyrotech - cold fireworks for the reception
Quiroo photobooth - photobooth at the cocktail hour and reception
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I didn't really have a clear cut vision of what I wanted, but I'm so glad I took the time to try on a variety of styles because I really didn't like some of the styles that I thought I'd love. I went home to Houston one weekend to get some shopping done, and after looking up and down every store on Hilcroft and not finding anything, we decided to check out Panache by Sharmeen, as I'd heard great things about her and her selection. We originally went to look for reception outfits there, but my sister came across this beautiful red lehenga. She made me try it on and we all fell in love with it! Sharmeen worked with me on making a custom blouse for it since I knew I wanted to have emerald green, and we also custom made the dupatta's I wore. I love how it all turned out and Sharmeen was great to work with!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Probably selecting the decor details and then seeing it all come together towards the end! And of course having the weekend go as smoothly and flawlessly as possible, and hearing our guests tell us how much they enjoyed everything was just the cherry on top :)
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
From what we've heard, everyone really loved and appreciated the uniqueness of the destination wedding. I know they're getting increasingly popular these days but the majority of our guests had never attended one, and everyone just loved how our wedding also served as a mini-vacation for them!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
It truly went by in the blink of an eye, but seeing Ronak on our wedding morning for our first look photos is a moment I'll never forget. :)
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.
Check out my wedding highlights on my Instagram page for all the deets :)
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Enjoy the process! Wedding planning isn't always the most fun, but it pays off and will truly be the most memorable time in your life! Also, try on different styles of outfits before committing to one! Everything always looks better on Pinterest, but you may not always love how it looks on yourself. :)
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Check out my wedding highlights on my Instagram page for all the deets :)
There is still more beauty left to see, so stay tuned if you don't want to miss it!
