Welcome to Maharani Weddings

Happy Thursday, Maharanis! It is a great day to share a new love story with you. This time around we'll be diving into Anupama & Andy's love journey into their happily ever after. If you are ready to be inspired and captivated, let's jump right into it! We'll be joining Andy at the Baraat procession that took him inside the halls of the exceptional Artifact Events, where the wedding ceremony took place. This Baraat procession combined all the things we love: Music, dances, merriment and a lot of vibrancy and color. Andy showed up in style, driving a luxurious blue sports car from DS Luxury Chicago. And we cannot help but think that this was a great way to arrive at his wedding! After the arrival of the Baraat, Anupama & Andy carried on with the ceremony that united their lives in marriage. For this life-changing event, our gorgeous Anupama looked like a princess on her teal Saree. Kate Johnson Artistry complemented this dazzling look by praising her natural beauty with a dreamy makeup and a classy hairstyle! Andy embraced his new culture and dressed up with an elegant Sherwani suit, and we love how well these two look together. To ambiance this wedding ceremony, our lovebirds combined the best of the best! The Simply Elegant Group took care of the planning and execution, Trablume Floral Studio crafted terrific floral arrangements, and Art of Imagination took the wheel on the decoration. And what a great combination it was because the overall conceptualization of this event was incredible! But don't take our word! Go ahead and take a look into our gallery to be amazed by the fantastic shots captured by Cage + Aquarium and let yourself be captivated by this fabulous and romantic event. You are going to love it!

This story is full of details and inspiring ideas, so stay close for more!

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Welcome back, Maharanis! We are wrapping up Arshia & Neil's wedding festivities by taking a look at the elegant and vibrant reception party held at the Jersey City Hyatt. And before we even start, we will give you a spoiler: This reception party was out of this world! But it is no surprise that this event turned out to be amazing as our lovebirds decided to bring Tum Hi Ho Events on board to plan and execute this event. And what a great decision it was, as this wedding reception is one for the books! The beautiful decoration that Elegant Affairs put together for this event created a romantic and elegant atmosphere that could only be overtaken by our gorgeous couple. DJ Sunny Entertainment set the musical mood for the evening while Moghul Caterers took care of the tasty plates that everyone loved! Arshia & Neil had their first dance as husband and wife right before sharing the delicious cake that Carlo's Bakery created for this unique life-changing event! If you want to relive every bit of this fantastic wedding celebration, you cannot miss the gallery that we have prepared for today! It is incredible! And if the gallery is not enough for you, you can always take a look at the fantastic clip that PhotosMadeEz created, and that featured in our Films Blog! You have no excuse not to enjoy this awesome event, so get ready to be amazed!

See you tomorrow, ladies! You cannot miss the upcoming surprises, so stay tuned! 

PhotosMadeEz and Tum Hi Ho Events are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Welcome back, ladies! We are wrapping up this fantastic journey through the paradisiacal lands of Cancun Mexico by joining Neena & Ajay at their wedding reception party! These two lovebirds wanted to bring their wedding festivities to an end with a flourish! So, they threw a fantastic reception party to celebrate their happiness in the company of their family and friends. But right before heading to the reception party, they decided to have one last photoshoot to immortalize this beautiful moment. The talented crew from Pixan Photography worked their magic to capture the most romantic scenes of these newlyweds, and we love every shot! After the photoshoot, it was time to head over to The Grand at Moon Palace to have some fun! Magic Mike DJs fired up the dance floor and set the musical mood for the different activities that took place during this evening! We love the elegance and vibrancy that surrounded this reception party as it made everyone had a great time! Hands down the entire wedding festivities were a total hit! But there is no surprise here as Neena & Ajay decided to have Indian Destination Weddings as their ally to take their wedding celebration to the next level. And when you have a team like this one, that combines talent and expertise, you can only expect perfection. And that's what we got: A perfect destination wedding for the ages! If you want to relive this entire celebration, you cannot miss the gallery that we have prepared for today! It is fantastic, so make sure to check it out!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Ajay and I met in residency in New York. While on the liver transplant service we had a common patient -- he was the surgical resident and I was the medical resident. He just pulled a chest tube and offered to update me on the results of the patient's chest x-ray -- that was his way of casually asking for my number.  It was very endearing and he seemed like a down-to-earth nice guy.  We had so much in common in terms of family, education, and career interests so it felt like we had known each other for a long time. 

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
After a hectic month of moving to Philadelphia and settling into Fellowship, Ajay casually suggested we visit Longwood Botanical Gardens and have brunch.  I used to love visiting the Bronx Botanical Gardens while living in New York, and I thought this was the perfect day trip to relax after a crazy move. Little did I know he was planning on getting down on one knee and proposing that day! He even had a photographer to capture the moment. 

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.
I have always wanted a small intimate wedding with close family and friends, and I knew that if I had a local wedding it would be hard to keep the party small. I also knew that I wanted something fun and enjoyable where our families could really get to know each other in a relaxed setting. I met Ateet Ahuja of Indian Destination Weddings at the DC Dream Shaadi showcase and he introduced the idea of a destination wedding.  My parents deserve the credit of meeting with Ateet and picking out the perfect venue -- The Grand at Moon Palace in Cancun, Mexico!  After choosing the resort our families traveled down to Cancun for a site visit and to meet with the local vendors. The Moon Palace is an all-inclusive resort and specializes in Indian weddings. They work with preferred vendors, offering everything from a local Hindu Pundit (who spoke English), to Mehendi services, to White Horses for the Barrat, to Indian food caterers and Decorators who provide a variety of structures for Mandaps. The only vendor we hired and flew down from the U.S. was our DJ and Dhol player -- Magic Mike DJs-- they did an incredible job. 

After choosing the vendors and specific services from a brochure; my local wedding event planner, Preeti Vasudeva of Preeti Exclusive Events, worked with the on-site coordinator at the Moon Palace to ensure that all the services were booked and confirmed.  Preeti and my Mother went back to Cancun for a second site visit and met with several of the vendors the December prior to our wedding. My job is very demanding and I had limited time to plan. I would not recommend a destination wedding for someone who wants to micro-manage every detail, but if you are hands-off and have limited time/energy to devote to planning (as in my case) the process of planning a destination wedding is manageable. 

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My mother and Nani went to India and chose all of my outfits and I was thrilled! They have fantastic taste and I couldn't be happier with their choices. I gave them a few guidelines, but apart from that, they put the outfits and jewelry together. I am very lucky that my Mom and Nani were able to make the trip out to India on my behalf -- I would have loved to join but unfortunately, I couldn't afford to take a month off.  My sangeet lengha was a Ritu Kumar design and my wedding lengha was an Anita Dongre design. I am unsure of where they purchased my reception lengha but it was in stunning rose gold.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process was when my Mother and Nani returned from India and I was able to try on my outfits -- that's when all the planning and prepping felt like it was coming together. My lengha blouses only needed minor adjustments and everything fit beautifully.  

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We had just over 100 guests attend our wedding. Some came from as far as India but most were from the East Coast and Mid-West U.S. We got married in early February so the trip out to Cancun was a warm winter get-away. Our guests truly enjoyed the Resort property and everything it had to offer -- the all-inclusive restaurants (serving a variety of cuisines including Mediterranean, Asian, American, Mexican) to the beaches, pools, day spa, and golf course. We also organized half-day group trips to Chichin Itza and Tulum for our guests -- these were big hits!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
There were so many memorable moments from our wedding weekend.  

1. We had our Sangeet outside on a terrace with a Tikki bar -- it started raining temporarily but everyone was having so much fun they danced through the rain. The great thing about tropics is that the rain does not last long. 

2. We did our first look on the beach -- it was a lot of fun and the pictures turned out beautifully. 

3. We had a wedding ceremony in an outdoor glass gazebo overlooking the beach -- it was a beautiful backdrop for such an auspicious occasion. Having our family and friends all together to celebrate our union was so incredibly heartwarming. 

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.
At our Sangeet, our family organized several performances -- they were fantastic! It turned out to be an incredible talent show and a lot of fun. We also organized Fire Dancers from the Resort -- they were great and definitely added an awe factor to the night. 

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
My advice to brides planning their wedding is to prioritize what is important to you/your groom/your family -- you're not going to be able to please everyone with every decision you make but if you keep everyone involved informed and also let your family members have some choices/say in the planning process the whole experience will be more enjoyable.  For me, it was important to have my closest family and friends together to celebrate my marriage in a relaxed, enjoyable and fun setting! 

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
The catered food at the resort was fantastic! For the Sangeet we had a Mexican buffet. After the wedding ceremony, we had an Indian high tea by the beach and served chai, lemonade and several finger hors d'oeuvres. At the Reception we had an Indian buffet. The restaurants at the Resort are also very good -- there is a mix of formal sit-down restaurants and buffets that are offered.

See you tomorrow for another fantastic adventure! Have a great rest of the day!

Indian Destination Wedding and Pixan Photography are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Welcome back, ladies! We hope you are ready to dance and to have some fun because we are taking you into the Nasher Sculpture Center for you to be part of Simer & Andres' reception party! This was a vibrant and harmonious reception party that was able to combine both the Indian and Mexican cultures, and we want to make a special shoutout to Significant Events of Texas for the incredible planning and execution of this event. It is not easy to combine two different traditions and cultures in such a fantastic way, but they nailed it, creating a beautiful and elegant event that everyone loved! We also want to take a moment to appreciate the incredible decor that Prashe put together for this reception party. Once again they were able to amaze us with the on-point ornaments and the marvelous floral arrangements that were created for this gala! Everyone had a great time, and thanks to DJ Dominic from LeForce Entertainment, that managed to mix the best Bollywood hits with the harmonious Mexican tunes, the dance floor was on fire the whole night! Without any question, this was a night to remember and thanks to the incredible shots that Steve Koo Photography captured, we get to enjoy every moment of this special event just as if we were there. If you want to relive this romantic and charming wedding celebration, go get yourself a cup of tea and some snacks, and head into our gallery, you are going to love it! 

Happy Thursday, Maharanis! We are really excited to share Amil & Pragya's wedding celebration with you as it is a celebration like one you haven't seen in a while! So, let's jump right into it! To start, we have a surprise for you, as today we are going international! Yes, you heard right, today we will take you to Malaysia, and we hope you are ready to submerge into a colorful and traditional pre-wedding ceremony as we are joining Amil & Pragya at a Haldi ceremony that you will never forget. Bright, colorful, and playful, those are the words that best describe today's featured Haldi! And we can not stress how much we love this pre-wedding ceremony. It is so impressive that you cannot help to feel cheerful at the same time that a smile is drawn on our face by just contemplating the incredible shots that were captured by the talented crew from Knotty Days. For this installment, the beautiful gardens of the Palace of the Golden Horses were completely transformed to host this pre-wedding ceremony, and there is no denying that the incredible decor and the beautiful floral arrangements were major contributors to take this pre-wedding ceremony to the next level! But there is no surprise here as Aspra Events is well known for creating unique and magical settings for these special and once in a lifetime events. And we are loving every bit of this fun-loving event! If you don’t want to miss any detail of this incredible Haldi ceremony, do not forget to visit the gallery that we have prepared for you. You are going to love it!

We still have more to come, so stay close if you don't want to miss any detail!