Dive into today's Platinum Guide Blog to unfold the charming details of Manjari & Sankar's wedding.
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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Our story starts in the spring of 2020. I realized I was ready to quit the dating apps and figured I would swipe right on one last person before deleting Hinge. I sent Sankar alike based on one of his icebreakers regarding cooking that included a swipe at Gordon Ramsay. Now, the description was admittedly corny and cringe. But hey, look at us now. From there started a never-ending conversation filled with sarcasm, gif wars, and one too many dad jokes. A few weeks later, we decided to meet at White Rock Lake's dog park, an open setting, as a precaution during the pandemic. I was more keen to meet Sankar's two dogs, Chance and Bella, than him. Well turns out dogs were more than welcome, but not needed as the conversation flowed seamlessly with endless laughter. I asked Sankar out for another date the following weekend, and the rest is history. He makes me laugh every day, even when the mundane routine has set in. He makes the ordinary feel exciting!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
With the help of some of Manjari's closest childhood friends, Sankar planned an entire act involving getting Manjari out of the house by a certain time to meet her friends. Sankar, our families, and closest friends decorated Manjari's parent's house and backyard in record time. Once all was set, Manjari was dropped off at her house, where she walked into a surprise of one of our favorite songs playing, pictures of us, and a trail of red roses leading to the backyard, where Sankar popped the question with Chance and Bella.
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.
It took a village to plan this wedding, and there is no way I could have done it without my family and close friends! Sankar and I knew we wanted a big Indian wedding in Dallas to celebrate with all of our relatives and friends. We wanted our wedding to honor our Tamil familial traditions and ensure our guests had a phenomenal time. I do want to take this time to give a shoutout to our incredible team of vendors who guided us through the planning process to figure out our vision and bring it to life:
Catering: Malgudi Garden @malgudigarden
Decor: Elegant Affairs @elegantaffairdfw
DJ: DJ Tej Bhatia @djtej
HAMU (Bride): Ms Painted Lady @mspaintedlady
HAMU (Mothers): Glam Studio By Anshu @glamstudiobyanshu
Henna Artist: Sheetal's Henna Designs Dallas @sheetals_henna_designs_dallas
LED Screens: DJ Jazz Entertainment @djjazzentertainment
Photo and Video: Epique Cinema @epiquecinema
Sari Draping: Pattu Pleats By Akila @pattupleatsbyakila
Venue: Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront
Wedding Planner and Coordinator: Navi K Productions @navikproductions
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Leaning into tradition, the wedding ceremony required me to wear two saris: a 6-yard sari and a 9-yard sari (madisar). I envisioned a mix of modern and traditional Tamil bride looks and knew I had to wear a kanjivaram silk sari. Traditionally, these saris are hand-woven and originate from a small town in India called Kanchipuram. It can take anywhere from 3-4 weeks to weave one sari. It was imperative for me to purchase my saris from local textile co-ops that continue to uplift weavers and craftspeople. While I did not have a particular color in mind, I wanted my saris to have specific motifs representing my heritage. To me, these saris are timeless elegance. One of my proudest moments was carrying my cultural heritage with me down the aisle.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I would have to say it is seeing our vision come to life. We spent a lot of time and effort choosing small details to have our wedding represent us, our heritage, and our appreciation to our loved ones. Finally seeing it come together on the day of was unreal!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We focused on the top three things that any guest cares about at a wedding: food, drinks, and vibes. We ensured that the food and drinks were not only delicious but provided variety as well, like our dosa and street chaat stations. At our reception, we had a 360 video booth and a live jazz band to keep our guests entertained. We wanted our guests to know how much we appreciated them, so writing personalized thank you cards was the best way for us to show them. Hands down, that was the favorite part of our guests!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
1. Wedding planning can be very stressful at times. Make sure you take time to recharge and take care of yourself first - whatever task there is, it can wait :)
2. Planning comes with decision fatigue. Figure out early on what matters to you the most and spend your energy there. Delegate the items that are lower on your priority list
3. Enjoy the small moments along the way!
Darlings, this celebration expressed cultural pride and joyous love for the union of two souls.
