Welcome to Maharani Weddings

Happy Fri-yay, Maharanis! I hope you are having an incredible day. To kick off the weekend, I am about to tell you all the details about Rubina & Anuragh's celebration of love. Their journey began on a sunny morning in October of 2013 on the gorgeous and romantic Caribbean island of Antigua & Barbuda. They both woke up determined to change the world and headed to volunteer at a community health fair as passionate medical students who had never met before. Rubina's innocence and cuteness made Anuragh fall in love almost immediately! He introduced himself, and they ended up conversing for hours to get to know each other. They made memories that will last a lifetime, from adorable lunch meetings in between sessions to romantic excursions on the island! The handsome groom proposed, and our Maharani said "Yes!" to a life full of happiness, adventures, and infinite love! To celebrate their new chapter, they chose to have a lovely ceremony and an elegant reception at The Addison Park. Gladly, Abhishek Decorator made sure to create an ambiance to make every guest feel like they were on a fairytale. I am pretty sure everyone loved it. My dears, you know how much I love to dance! That is why I want to tell you who put every guest on their feet. Raj Minocha played the best hits and brought vibrant energies to the room! Prime House Productions made sure to record every sweet moment during the wedding for the bride and groom to treasure forever! You know that a good banquet is always an excellent way to make your guests feel special. Our couple knew this and made sure to call Bukhara Grill for a new dining experience featuring the flavors of the long-forgotten Northwest frontiers of India. Maharanis, let me tell you all about our Maharani's look. Rubina made sure to get her traditional and classy attire at Ashu Kapoor- Centushti by Ashu. They sure know how to pamper a lovely Maharani. Prime House Productions teamed up with Catch Motion Studio to immortalize every moment of this gorgeous wedding. The first team recorded a film for the newlyweds' delight! The second crew made sure to photograph these lovebirds' most emotional moments and turn them into a jaw-dropping gallery brimming with love, luxury, and pure joy. So, make sure to check it out down below!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
This is our "Jab we Met" story from the Groom's perspective that was used for our wedding website: Our story begins on a sunny morning on October 5th, 2013 at the beautiful and romantic Caribbean island in Antigua & Barbuda.As passionate medical students who never met each other, we both woke up at a crack of dawn, ready to save the world, and headed to volunteer at a community health fair. It almost felt like our stars had aligned and we were assigned for our tasks at a quiet corner of a library in medical school. I approached Rubina to introduce myself, and we ended up talking for hours to get to know each other, Rubina’s innocence and cuteness swept me off my feet. It was almost love at first sight. Our stories unfolded and our bond and friendship grew as years passed as we finished medical school. From our cute lunch dates in between classes to romantic getaways on the island, we created memories that we will carry with us forever. Our endless facetimes during our time apart and my surprise visits to come see my Rubina made us realize that even distance could not keep us apart. I proposed her to be my girlfriend on July 2017 in the midst of festivities at Rubina's sisters' wedding. Our happiness and relationship grew from there, and we haven’t looked back since.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
In the midst of the pandemic, I was visiting Anuragh for Memorial Day Weekend in NYC. On the last day of my trip, he convinced me to get all dolled up for a date. We drove up to the Brooklyn Bridge where he had the most beautiful set up ready for me. He proposed to me on May 24th, 2020 on a breathtaking backdrop of Manhattan and Brooklyn bridge.  Anuragh had already contacted all my closest friends and family to send video messages to help curate a beautiful memory for me to watch during the proposal while still being safe during the pandemic. It was one of the happiest days of our lives.

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.
Over the years of being in the relationship, I had imagined what I would want our wedding to look like. So I had a good idea going into it and decided to start looking at venues right away after the proposal due to the COVID weddings being postponed to 2021. As soon as I found my beautiful venue in NJ, the rest all fell into place. I was able to book all my top choice vendors smoothly. Due to living in Tennessee for my medical residency, I was unable to do a makeup/hair trial so I trusted my gut and went with my MUA and I'm glad I did because she was absolutely amazing to work with. Fortunately, my mother is a Indian fashion designer who was able to fly to India and put together my beautiful wedding wardrobe. For decor, I wanted a breathtaking floral mandap with wisteria and fresh flowers surrounding us. Luckily, my decorator was able to customize everything I had in mind with perfection.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Red has always been my favorite color growing up so choosing that color for the bridal lehanga was a no-brainer for me. I knew I wanted it to be unique and also incorporate Anuragh's name in it. So for the design I went for a lehanga that showed the Baraat embroidery throughout it. I also incorporated my groom by having "Anuragh ki Dulhania" as my Latkan. And this was possible thanks to my mother, Centushti by Ashu.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Putting together everything I dreamt about and having it all come into place especially during the pandemic was the best part of it all. I honestly did not think this wedding would have been possible due to COVID-19 but I was truly blessed with the best vendors who help me make my dream into a reality.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Guests loved our outfits and decor at the wedding and the Viennese buffet at the reception.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Walking down the aisle, I saw Anuragh standing there just staring at me under the most beautiful mandap I could have imagined. Nothing else mattered around me at that moment, I had the biggest smile walking down the aisle to marry my husband.

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.
We started off our wedding festivities with a Chowki the weekend at my parent's house in Maryland. We had my Mehendi at a banquet hall in Maryland a couple of days later, where we partied and danced the night away. Next morning, was my haldi and chooda ceremony where my sister and brother-in-law put the chooda on me. Everyone color coordinated their outfits and wore shade of yellow in honor of the haldi ceremony. For Sangeet, we wanted a more traditional setting so we had the decorator do a beautiful background with colorful umbrellas while we sat on the Jhoola. We had lovely performances by my cousin, our families, bridesmaids and a surprise performance by me and my groom.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Just enjoy the process. It is time consuming but everything does fall into place. During our first look of the reception hall, I was able to take time out and have a private first dance with my husband. It was amazing to be alone and live in the moment without everyone's eyes on you on your special moment.

Maharanis, keep coming back for more love and romantic stories!

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Maharanis, don't miss Isha & Kishan's dreamy wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog. You'll love it!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
My cousin was friends with my husband for years in college before I met him. I used to always hang out with my cousin and his friends all the time but never met Kishan because he was in Boston for work. One day, my cousin says we are going out to dinner with his friends (very common). We get to the restaurant and there he is, I thought he was so cute when I first saw him but he wouldn't speak to me even though we were sitting right next to each other! Of course, later, I learned this is because he is very shy. From dinner, we decided to go out to a bar. I wanted a tequila shot at the bar and out of nowhere, Kishan says "I'll take the shot with you". Kishan did NOT like tequila at all. It was at this moment, his friends knew that he liked me. We went to the bar together to take the shot, we hit it off and the rest is history!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Kishan had moved to Dallas, TX a couple months before and we were long-distance at that time. I had come to visit him 4th of July weekend, my birthday is July 6th and he proposed on July 5th. He proposed to me the day before my birthday because he knew I wouldn't be expecting it. Summers in Dallas are HOT, it was 96 degrees the day he proposed. Kishan took me to a beautiful garden in Dallas called the Arboretum. He said he wanted to make a pit stop before our brunch plans. He was walking me to a specific part of the garden and the whole time I kept complaining about how hot it was and if we could skip this part and just go straight to brunch. When we finally got to where he wanted to propose, it was in front of a beautiful small fountain and he had set up a picnic blanket and pillows. I knew at that time but on the blanket was a puzzle he wanted me to complete (we love to puzzle). The puzzle said will you marry me? And when I turned around he was on one knee. After I said yes, our siblings popped out of nowhere and we celebrated with champagne, of course!
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 always knew we wanted to do a destination wedding. We both have older siblings that already had the big local weddings so we wanted something with a more intimate guest list. When it came to wedding planning, Kishan only had one request - he always wanted to get married overlooking the water. Our next step was to book a wedding planner, we wanted someone who had a lot of experience in destination weddings and went with Sonal Shah of SJS Events. We wanted to book a venue on an island that many people hadn't been, somewhere guests would feel like they're getting a vacation as well. The wedding events were planned at night to ensure guests got the day to sleep in, relax, enjoy the beach, and explore the island. This is how we ended up with Marriott Curaçao Beach Resort, located on the island of Curaçao which is part of the Dutch-Netherlands ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao). Once the venue was booked, we booked the rest of our vendors: Style by Susmita for hair and makeup, Alain Martinez for photography and videography, DJ Raj Gandhi for DJ and MC, a local company Confetti Company for decor, and a local company Massive Productions for audio and visual. Because the wedding was going to be intimate, we wanted to incorporate a lot of small details and experiences for guests. We made welcome bags that included everything from personalized hangover kits with liquid IV, hand sanitizer, and Emergen-C to personalized do not disturb door hangers, Indian snacks, local snacks, and small blue Curaçao bottles. We had a sunset wedding on the beach and once it got dark, we incorporated fireworks which was a nice surprise factor for our guests. There were his and hers personalized scents as a final party favor at the reception. And finally, one of my favorite moments of the weekend is when we decided to forego a traditional cheer at the reception and did tequila shot cheers with everyone instead to commemorate the first time we met. Throughout the planning process, the hardest part was not being able to go to India and working around the pandemic fluctuations, especially with a destination wedding. We had to work around the clock and back and forth via WhatsApp with many vendors in India for our outfits, favors, invitations, jewelry, and other small details. Despite the struggle, we were both extremely happy with how everything turned out.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I wanted to definitely go the traditional route and wanted an all-red outfit. I found a Kolkata-based designer named Pallavi Poddar on Instagram and absolutely fell in love with her Padma lehenga. I immediately reached out to her via WhatsApp and through video/messaging, I finalized my outfit. When I received my outfit, I could not be happier. The work was so intricate and beautiful, and the outfit fit me like a glove.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process was the decor. I am very creative and love to think of outside-the-box ideas. My decorator and I had a very collaborative experience. I was hands-on with many aspects of the decor including the floor plans, lighting, seating chart display, signage, etc. It was especially gratifying seeing it all come together.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
They loved the relaxing atmosphere of the wedding. All of the events were in the evening so our guests got the chance to explore the island, relax on the beach/by the pool, and enjoy their vacation during the day. We provided breakfast, lunch, and of course dinner every day during the wedding weekend, so they didn't need to go too far to find food.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our first look. Kishan's sister tested positive for COVID the day of the wedding and could no longer be apart of any wedding festivities. It was a very emotional time for all of us as we were getting ready and an especially tough time for Kishan as his one and only sibling would not be able to attend his wedding. There were so many times I wanted to just go and see him but I knew I couldn't. When we finally saw each other for our first look, it was a mixture of so many emotions and we both had tears of happiness and sadness. But it was also that moment that we knew we only needed each other to get through life's happiest and saddest moments.
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.
The sangeet was a poolside event, and I immediately knew I wanted the stage to be built on top of the pool. Guests would have the unique experience of being on a dance floor in the pool. We centered the rest of the decor around that. The decor was rust pink and yellow, very boho chic with string lights. The reception was conversely very romantic and glam. The color theme was red black and gold, with lots of red roses and candles lighting up the room. The cocktail hour was in an outdoor courtyard with the seating chart engraved in round wooden boards hanging from the trees, there were also twinkle lights hanging from the trees. For our first dance, we decided to do a mix of songs but we started off with a salsa number to Señorita by Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello which was SO fun to learn!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
So much stress and pressure are put on ensuring everything is perfect but things may not go exactly according to plan. At that moment, remember that things have a way of working out, what's meant to be will happen and in the end, you're going to look back at your wedding as a really special moment in your life. And don't forget to be in the moment and have fun!

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Happy Wednesday, my beloved Maharanis! As you know, the last film feature of 2021 is here, and we were dying to share this lovely story with you. So get ready to be a part of Kripa & Devesh's big day! This charming couple decided to say "yes" to each other and celebrate their new journey at a very romantic venue, Crystal Springs Resort. Maharanis, I cannot stress enough how elegant this resort is. I know you would adore it! To make everything even more perfect, the newlyweds called The Little Things by Arpita so she and her team could plan their event, and let me tell you, my dears, the smallest details went beyond perfection and made this event a magnificence! We all know how important it is to ensure your guests have a good time but let me share an infallible tip you will love! For your guests to have a blast on your big day, you must have incredible music played by Insomnia, delicious cooking from Moghul Caterers, and undeniable love! That last one was all over the place for how Kripa & Devesh stared at each other. I adore these lovebirds! I also adore how incredibly stunning Kripa looked! She wore a gorgeous gown, and  Divya Bhawnani complemented it with splendid hair and makeup. My dears, Devesh could not take his eyes off of her! We know why! We cannot leave behind the incredibly delicate Mehendi art Henna by Tejal did on our Maharani! She took everyone's breath away! The newlyweds wanted to have something to relive the happiest day of their lives, so they contacted PhotosMadeEz, who recorded the most incredible film. So wait no more, click the play icon below and get ready to dive into this real-life fairytale. I promise you will love it!

Maharanis, come back for more lovely stories! 

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Happy Monday, beauty queens! I hope your week begins with lots of love, enchanting moments but most importantly, so much inspiration! Let me help you with the last one! Today I want to share a sweet love story that will melt your heart. Our couple, Kripa & Devesh, decided to promise love to each other and celebrate that decision at a beautiful venue, the imposing Crystal Springs Resort. I know the newlyweds felt more than excited to see the place adorned with beautiful flowers and magical colors. My dears, The Little Things by Arpita, coordinated the event flawlessly, and I think every guest will remember this day forever! What they also will remember is Insomnia's musical touch! He played the best tunes to dance all night long; the guests had a blast! Maharanis, having a professional to do your hair and makeup is a must. Our lovely Kripa knew this, so she called Divya Bhawnani. She did impressive yet subtle makeup. Oh boy! I am sure every guest sighed when they saw how stunning our Maharani looked. Devesh sure did! Sweeties, you must remember this: pampering yourselves is always necessary to look fabulous for your big day! If you want to look like the Maharani you are, you should call Henna by Tejal. Her Mehndi designs will steal everybody's attention! That is what happened with our Kripa, and if you let me tell you, she looked phenomenal! To relive the most significant moments of this event, PhotosMadeEz recorded the most touching moments and captured an excellent set of photographs. My dears, we've put together a charming gallery for you to get inspired. So please take a moment and go check it out. You will love it so much!

Maharanis, come back tomorrow for more romance and love stories! 

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Good morning, Maharanis! It's Friday again, and we are glad to have you back as we were dying to share this charming wedding celebration with all of you! Today's magical love story follows the romantic journey through Parul & Chetan's fusion wedding. And all we have to say is that this celebration is what all Maharanis dream about. So let's not wait any longer and jump right into it. From the colorful and fun-loving Sangeet celebrated at Quality Inn to the magical ceremonies at the Irie Gurudwara, everything was perfect beyond words! But there is no surprise here as Peacock Creations Event Design was the mastermind behind the fabulous decor that set the mood for this event. And you know that anytime this talented and highly experienced team is present, there is nothing else but perfection delivered, and this time was no exception! For her big day, Parul had the best allies by her side to create the ultimate bridal look. Pittsburgh Makeup Artist took care of her beauty needs, and Designer Dream Collection was in charge of the fashion department. The final result: a beautiful bride that still has us sighing! Luckily for us, the good friends from Jorge Santiago Photography were there to capture all the beauty and amazingness surrounding this wedding affair as words are not enough to describe how breathtaking everything was. If you want to take a closer look at this dazzling wedding celebration, don't miss the full gallery that we have prepared for today. We are sure you will love every bit of it, not to mention that you will take tons of inspiring ideas.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
It was a very casual interaction the first time we met. He stopped by my parents business while I was stopping by on my way to work. He had just moved to the area and didn’t know anyone so he would occasionally stop by to help my parents out, hoping I would be there. His genuine care and respect towards my parents made me realize that he was the one.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Chetan and I had known each other for nearly a year and he said he liked me from the beginning. I had instantly “friend-zoned” him and we hung out casually. He would come over for dinner or we would go out but we weren’t dating. Believe me, my parents and sisters were telling me how crazy I was to not see how much he liked me but I thought we were just friends. Then one day, while we were talking, he asked me to marry him and I shot him down. Things got awkward for a while, but he never made me feel bad or uncomfortable. Some time later, his family in India asked him to come back so they could introduce him to someone else. Reluctantly, he obliged but his heart wasn’t in it. You know what they say, “you don’t know what you have until you don’t.”  After having a heartfelt conversation with my parents, I realized that he is the right person for me and asked him if he still wanted to get married. Well, about 5 months later we got married!

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 am truly very lucky that my family took care of all the planning, calls, research, bookings, finding vendors, EVERYTHING for us. My sister found all the vendors either in Ohio or Pittsburgh. She knew what I wanted and what I was looking for. I didn’t have to stress about calling people, getting quotes, comparing with other vendors or negotiating. My parents took care of everything local and all the catering.  Although our wedding was put together on a short time, it all came together so beautifully. Starting with the decorations, the ballroom looked so elegant! Tara was a true professional! She worked with our budget and gave us some amazing choices to pick from. The centerpieces, the backdrop, the bicycle for photo-op were placed so strategically that all eyes went directly to the highlighted points.  The makeup artist was a dream to work with. Ramsha asked for our looks we desired beforehand and everyone looked stunning! Our hair and makeup looked fresh and lasted throughout the event. The DJ was spectacular! DJ Ajay got everyone pumped and dancing through the night. He amazing songs and had everyone on their feet.  The catering was done by Safron Patch in Ohio and the food was delicious! Kadambari made the trip from Pittsburgh to do my henna and it turned out so beautiful. She also did an amazing job for my mom and sisters. She was a pleasure to work with. Most importantly, our outfits,  were designed by Anjali and everyone asked how we got designer outfits made to perfection in such short amount of time. Anjali is a miracle worker and she worked tirelessly to get my wedding sharara, my sisters outfits, mom’s outfits, dad’s & brother in laws sherawani custom made and delivered from India in time for our June wedding!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My cousin in India had found this beautiful lengha that I loved and was so excited to wear for the wedding. It was this beautiful shade of light purple/pink with this beautiful beaded dupatta. Unfortunately, it got damaged in transit to a point where I could not wear it at all. My mom and I drove to New Jersey few times, hoping I could either get the lengha fixed or find something similar but couldn’t. But you know what they say “everything happens for a reason,”because my sister found Anjali who is the owner of Designer Dream Collection. One call to her was all it took for us to give her the entire order for our family’s outfits. I cannot say enough about her professionalism and creativity! We told her what we wanted and in what colors; she designed our outfits that went above our expectations! She also had the perfect & matching jewelry to go with our looks. Designer Dream Collections is a one stop shop. We couldn’t thank her enough.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
My favorite part of planning was not having to stress about anything! I just showed up and was ready to be glammed and dance the night away. Honestly, not having to worry about vendors and deadlines was a blessing.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved the mehendi party! The decorations were so nice and everyone was lined up to take pictures with the bicycle! The food was also delicious and guests raved about the variety and taste. The music was good and everyone was up dancing.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
One of my favorite memory is of my little nieces, who were the flower girls, all dressed in the same outfits throwing petals down the aisle and giggling. My nephew sticking close by me and not leaving my side. I’m so glad I have pictures of these moments to look back on. Another fun memory is when my sisters stole not only my husbands shoes but mine too!!! It was too hilarious to watch as they were asking for Sagan in exchange for the shoes and busted out in an impromptu & synchronized dance while asking for money! I also feel so lucky to have my entire family around during the week. So happy that we all got to spend some time together.

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.
My sister, Heena, and our family friends daughter, Gurpreet, surprised Chetan and I with a beautiful dance performance! They practiced the night before and pulled off a great dance! We had no idea whatsoever about what they were planning but it was a great surprise! Our guests loved it too!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Weddings are stressful but it shouldn’t turn you into a bridezilla! Find someone you trust and knows what you like or dislike. Whether an event planner or someone in the family that you can rely on. Share your vision with them and let them help you find vendors or at least narrow your choices down. Let someone else take charge so you can simply enjoy your day! Enjoy having the family & friends around. Don’t forget to breathe and eat! At the end of the day, something will probably not go how you planned it or wanted but it’s not in your control, so let it go! Everything will go by so quick and it’ll seem like a blur so really stop, breathe, and take it all in. Take mental notes about cute and sweet moments. That’s what you’ll look back and smile about.

That is all for this week, ladies! See you on Monday for more.