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Explore today's Platinum Guide Blog to glimpse Andrea & Mihir's romantic wedding details!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

I first met Mihir in one of our neighborhood bars in 2019, except he was my bartender and I was on a date with another person. We hit it off before my date got there, but once the date officially started I didn't see Mihir again for another year. A year later, I bump into him again. And again, we hit it off. I start seeing him around the neighborhood over and over again to the point I started avoiding bars and cafes so it didn't seem like I was stalking him. Turns out he not only worked near my apartment, he also lived a few blocks away. Knowing that COVID lock-down was going to happen, I went out one last time before everything shut down in NYC on March 15 and was able to finally get his number. We talked everyday via Zoom as his parents took him back home to NJ and we didn't see each other for 6 months (until his parents gave us the ok!). So long story short - I knew he was the one when he surprised me with flowers at my apartment door. We hugged for the first time and it felt like I was hugging someone I knew a lifetime.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Honestly, there's no scoop! He popped the question 5 minutes before my therapy session because he got too excited after buying the ring. He was no longer able to propose in my hometown as our flight was cancelled due to a snow storm, so he improvised.

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 was important for my husband, Mihir, and I to find a venue that was accessible with all food diets. The second we saw the food menu with Pier Sixty/Current, we knew the were the right venue for us. We wanted a venue that was in NYC as we wanted our non-city family to be able to enjoy and love the city we adore. To have a venue on the water was just an added bonus!

All of our vendors were amazing, and would recommend them anyday.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went to a few bridal shops in NJ and NYC, with both family and friends. I didn't have a favorite color in mind, but I was avoiding one color - pink. I purchased my lengha from NDNY in NYC and there was some miscommunication on the base color. When I opened the box, to my horror, it was all pink!

But Vaishali from NDNY convinced me to stay with the color vs purchasing a new lengha and I'm glad I did. I have never been one to wear colors other than black. Now, I see pink as a color that brings back wonderful memories of our wedding and I'm much more comfortable and happier wearing it. Thanks, Vaishali :)

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
So many things - we connected with our vendors a lot. Our photographer, Ellie Mae, had a few calls with us to chat photo ops but also to just check in on us. She was great and chatting with her always reminded us how much we love each other even if things felt stressful.

Lilly Rivera, my MUA, and I had so much fun during my hair and makeup trial that it lasted around 4 hours (oops)! We really did love our vendors and how down to earth they are!!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The food, the dancing, the music and the company. To this day, we still are told that our wedding was one of the best weddings they have been to.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Two moments, actually. The first special moment was when Mihir, my MIL and I had an impromptu dance scene once didi tera devar deewana started playing. Everyone thought we rehearsed it. People weren't expecting it, and honestly neither did we.

Second moment was when a guest convinced the DJ to stay at the venue to play Mr. Brightside. I had no idea people loved that song so much - everyone went crazy and it was the moment we both realized how much fun everyone was having.

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 wanted to highlight our Indian and Italian backgrounds when it came to the food at the venue and for the wedding favors. I'm gluten and dairy intolerant, so food was a huge detail when choosing a venue. The venue totally killed it and did an amazing job combining flavors, dishes and adapting on the spot to guest's dietary restrictions. People still rave about it to this day.

For our wedding favors, we chose brass elephant tea light holders and brass pomegranate dishes for guests to take home.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

Take it a day at a time. Wedding planning can be extremely stressful and things will go wrong, that's just life! But when those moments where things go wrong happen, just remember that you and your partner are in it together. Those moments will be the ones that will strengthen and test your relationship.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)

Our henna artist, Sejal is the best! You can view her work at @trendyhenna.

Sweeties, don't forget to tag us and share your favorite moment from Andrea & Mihir's big day!

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Take a look at Shilpa & Maneesh's stunning wedding journey in our latest Platinum Guide Blog!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met online, and after texting back and forth, we met for our first date in Brooklyn, where I lived at the time! We went out for dinner, and the conversation flowed naturally as we realized how much we had in common. I knew he was the one who had a similar personality, how he always made me laugh at silly jokes, and especially because we bonded over our common love language of sharing food!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
One of my favorite shows has always been The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Knowing this, he recreated a Bachelorette finale and proposed with a traditional Bachelor proposal! We were on our way to what I thought was his work holiday party, with plans to meet some friends at The Fleur Room in NYC beforehand. As we stepped into the empty rooftop, I assumed we were the first ones there until he played a video from Jesse Palmer welcoming me to my final rose ceremony and proposal! After I said yes, he surprised me with our parents, family, and friends coming to The Fleur Room to celebrate the night with us.

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 planned our wedding in about 8-9 months, and planning involved lots of checklists, Google Docs, and phone/video calls! We did a lot of research to pick our vendors, but once we did, everything fell into place really quickly. We were looking to have a traditional Indian wedding with modern and fun twists, and all of our vendors really helped us achieve this. For our decor and color scheme, the first thing we picked was the colors of my bridal, reception, and bridesmaids' outfits, and then the rest of the decor complemented those colors. Working with our decorator was amazing, she was so creative and really helped to bring our vision to life. We didn't have a specific theme in mind besides the colors and wanted to keep our reception elegant and classy, and with our decorator's help, we designed the perfect aesthetic. Our wedding planners were great and they were really essential for coordination amongst all the vendors for the day of the event. One of the best things we did during the planning process was a walk-through at the venue about one month before the wedding with the wedding planner, decorator, and venue. This really helped us feel at ease that everyone was on the same page for the timing and flow of events of the big day!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I always knew I wanted to wear bright red for my bridal lengha but never really had a design in mind. I went shopping in India with my mom and found my bridal lengha at the first shop we went to! I only tried on 5-6 outfits and instantly knew this was the one when I saw it! I loved the bright color and detailed work and knew it would stand out amongst the color scheme of the ceremony.

Darlings, for more wedding inspiration from this incredible day, follow @maharaniweddings.

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We're thrilled to share Mukti & Bhavik's story in today's feature on the Platinum Guide blog.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

I met Bhavik in the midst of the COVID pandemic through Hinge. I never would’ve thought that messaging my very first Hinge match would change my life so quickly and in ways I never imagined. I was in St. Louis at the time, and met Bhavik in Chicago a few weeks later. Before our first real date, though, we had a FaceTime date and I knew then that he was someone special. When we finally met in Chicago, it felt like I was spending the evening with someone I already knew so well. I left that date knowing that he was my forever.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

In April 2022 we took our very first big trip together to the Amalfi coast! This was the first time we spent a whole week together, and we enjoyed our little escape from long distance with pasta, gelato, and limoncello spritz’s! Our second evening on the beautiful coast was when he planned a special boat “tour of the coast.” To my surprise, I walked onto a private boat and knew it was going to be a ride I’ll never forget! Bhavik got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him - an obvious and easy yes!

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 knew we were planning for a big fat Indian wedding in Detroit, my hometown. This narrowed down our venue options, and ultimately we decided on MGM Grand Detroit. My family has previously had good experience with MGM Grand, and we wanted our guests to be able to enjoy the casino and what Detroit has to offer in between events.

I booked Jahura Hobby well in advance for bridal makeup - one of the best decisions I made! She is so kind, organized, and talented. She created a natural glam look for each event.

Our decor themes were surprisingly easy to decide on. We knew we needed to incorporate an Amalfi coast theme into our wedding, because it’s such a special place for us. This was the theme of our Sangeet and Utsav planners executed our vision perfectly. Our wedding has a traditional red and gold theme, and our reception was a bold black and red.

Food was a universal priority for Bhavik, myself, and our parents. We decided on Rasoi catering from New Jersey and they exceeded our expectations! At the end of our wedding, so many people mentioned how much they loved the food at each and every event.

Our wedding planner, Rajul Pillai, made sure our wedding was everything we had imagined and more! She started working with me well over 14 months in advance, and kept us on track with each detail. She helped me find solutions to each hurdle, and made sure the weekend itself went on seamlessly.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?

I always envisioned myself to be a traditional bride in a red lehenga. That’s exactly what I found when I went shopping in Mumbai.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?

Looking back, sitting on the couch and thinking about what we wanted our weekend to look like was so memorable. We spent countless evenings after work together, making little decisions and talking through things that were important to us. These evenings gave us so much quality time together, and that will always be special.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

The food, performances, and energy. We are so grateful to our friends and family for creating such a fun atmosphere and bringing endless energy to the weekend!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?

There are so many moments from the wedding week that I’ll always hold close to me, but my favorite moment was reading the card Bhavik wrote for me while I was getting ready for our wedding. Those words and emotions made me even more excited to see him that morning, and for our forever to finally begin.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

Have fun with the planning process and soak in all of the quality time with everyone you care about. It’s the only time all of your closest and most loved people will be under one roof.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)

All of my jewelry was specially created by my mom’s friend in Ahmedabad - she truly is an artist!

My mehndi was done by Ekta Kansara. She created the most intricate designs, while we chatted for hours. Her presence is so soothing.

Let this story guide you, leaving you enchanted and dreaming of your magical celebration.

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Maharanis, be sure to check out Anu & Madhu's incredible wedding in our Platinum Guide Blog. 

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
He planned everything behind the scenes, including a photoshoot one week before the actual proposal. I expected the proposal during that photoshoot, but it was nothing more than a scheme to throw me off. The following week on the day of the actual proposal I was not expecting anything because I did not want to be thrown off again and I was so shocked when it happened. He worked with a close family friend vendor (@eventdesignbynithya IG) to set up the beautiful decor on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas. The decor and stunning skyline views made for an unforgettable proposal 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.
We used a wedding planner (@rightoccasion) who was amazing to work with. Through the process, she became one of our close friends. I had mood boards for each of our events, and I wanted all the pieces to flow together, the decor, themes for each event, and the guest experience to be phenomenal. when it came to hair and makeup, I used @mspaintedlady, who took the time to understand what looks I liked and what would look best with my outfits for weddings & receptions. For the wedding, I went with softer colors, full glam to match my outfits, and a floral braid that had a boho spin to it. For the reception, my lengha was velvet, with geometric stone work, that had a rose sleeve. I went with a boho spin as well with a floral half updo bun to match the sleeve of my blouse, stones in my hair, Burgundy eye look, with little pops of highlighter.. For the mehendi & sangeet I had ( @fatimaashraf_beauty) she did an amazing job with my look! I wanted to do something super fun, so I made a high pony with a bold makeup look, lots of color, and a blue shadow liner. I wore hot pink for my mehendi and a cobalt blue lengha for the sangeet. they both were very fun & bedazzled outfits, so I wanted to have a fun look to go with it. the events were back to back. For the sangeet, we had a disco theme with lots of bright colors. we even danced to It the Time to Disco with all of our friends!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went to India to go shopping for my outfits!! for my wedding day look I had two different sarees and we incorporated our favorite colors, my husbands favorite color is green and mine is purple. for my reception lengha, we wanted to go with a darker color. Our venue is very luxe and elegant, and so we wanted to go with a color that would complement that. I wore a Burgundy lengha by (@amitaggaarwal), which was velvet with geometric stonework all the way down. The blouse had a rose on one side of the sleeve, which was one of my favorite elements of the look! Madhu wore a bedazzled tuxedo, which really tied our outfits together.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part was working with the husband to see our vision come to life. He was very involved in the process along with me, and I can truly say we did every part of the process together. It was a lot of fun picking out all of the small details with our planner and then seeing that vision come to life.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We focused on details about some guest experiences to make the event more enjoyable for them. We ensured that the food and drinks were of the highest quality, including things such as a chai cart at the wedding and photo booths at the reception. These small details, among others, were spoken of very highly by guests during and after the events.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
When I was walking down the aisle, all of the emotions hit me at once. My husband was turned away from the aisle as per our traditions, but I could sense his anticipation. I will never forget that moment of pure happiness walking down the aisle, knowing that in just a few short moments, we would be officially husband and wife.

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.
Our sangeet was filled with so many dances. we had a disco theme for the sangeet. We both wore shades of blue, and the decor was shades of pink with disco balls. This made our blue outfits pop even more in front of the decor. Our wedding party loved to dance, and our bridesmaids and groomsmen choreographed all the dances. we had bridesmaids' dances, groomsmen, family, and a wedding party dance that we ended with dancing to Its the Time to Disco from Kal Ho Naa Ho. My husband and I also danced to our favorite songs for the couple's dance.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning is like the biggest group project with our favorite person. It is one of the most joyous moments to plan a wedding with the person you are going to marry. Though wedding planning comes with a lot of stress, just remember to have fun with it!

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Our cake had a modern spin; it was a geometric cake with a marble print on it!

I would just like to take a moment to highlight all our vendors because it would not have been possible without them: planner: @rightoccasion_, photo: @anaphotovideo, mehendi: @sheetals_henna_designs_dallas, haldi/mehendi decor: @eventsbyshanthi, Wedding day decor: @elegantaffairdfw, sangeet/reception decor: @ayalaballoons,@eventdesignbynithya MUA: @mspaintedlady, @fatimaashraf_beauty, reception lengha: @amitaggaarwaloffical, DJ: @djrizent, cake: @biminisweets wedding venue: @sheratonmckinney sangeet/mehendi venue: @verona_villa reception.
Reception Venue: @knotting_hill_place, Saree pleater: @pattupleatsbyakila

We hope you enjoy our features. Until next time, darlings, may your days be filled with love and joy!

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Welcome to a mesmerizing tale woven with love and dreams at the heart of Salona & Niraj's wedding on the serene Pier Deck. Niraj's Baraat was a joyous extravaganza, the beats of Pavan Events stirring everyone's hearts, setting the stage for an unforgettable night. Salona, a vision in her Sequinze & Ladlee couture, pledged her love to Niraj. The meticulous planning by Unique Stories transformed their day into a fairy tale, with Pentaflor's blooms arching overhead like rainbows crafted from the finest flora. As Salona's laughter mingled with the breeze, her locks styled flawlessly by Sara Tamargo and her henna by Loto Mehndi tell tales of ancient love scripts. The transition from day to evening was a magical experience at the El Dorado Ballroom, where the air was filled with the melodies of the talented Pavan Events. Amidst this enchanting setup, Bollywood performers choreographed by Anavi Sharma captivated all with grace and poise. With Shaadi Destinations at the helm, every journey to this wedding was an enchanting and memorable event. Let each Sweet Caribbean Photo & Video photo take you through a journey of emotions and unforgettable moments.

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 actually booked all my vendors in the peak of COVID-19. We specifically wanted a great group of people, so we made sure to book them 1.5 years in advance to secure them. we are so happy we did because they were absolutely the best group of vendors we could have asked for. They literally made our wedding. Our planner, Cristina, helped with organizing our decor and turning our vision to life while also staying within the budget, which is super important.
We knew we wanted the majority of our events to be outdoors so guests could enjoy the views of the ocean. I think the most enjoyable was our rooftop sangeet. We had an Arabian night type of vibe, and the mix of all the colors plus the ocean breeze on top of a roof was a memorable experience. For our ceremony, we knew we wanted the ocean to be seen, but we wanted to make sure our guests were as comfortable
as possible, so that was done at the pier finally, for our reception, we kept that in the ballroom as we wanted some sort of floral rigging structure! We chose not to have a stage or sweetheart table as we wanted to enjoy our dinner sitting with our favorite people instead!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted something not too heavy as I wanted the option to re-wear pieces of it in the future, so I decided to go heavy on jewelry! I saw this dress and tried it on. it was so light and comfortable and looked absolutely stunning against the blue oceans of Mexico!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I loved every moment of the planning process as crazy as it sounds! Cristina and her team made it so much fun! They were highly communicative and were so easy to bounce ideas and options off each other! I also am a DIY so I enjoyed pulling out my Cricut and allowing myself to add small little touched to our special weekend!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our ballroom reveal! After having such a crazy weekend, we were both excited about this event! We closed our eyes and were led into the ballroom hand in hand as "Ferrari" was playing, and we smelled all the gorgeous flowers! When we opened our eyes, we were in awe at how beautiful the setup was, and we were both just soaking everything in! That moment and that song hold a special place in our hearts!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Give yourself enough time to actually enjoy the planning process! Bounce ideas off your planning team and see what sticks! If something doesn't seem in the budget, don't be afraid to ask your planner what an alternative would look like, as a great planner will find ways to make your vision come to life ( I know mine did <3) lastly, do yourself a favor and hand your phone to your MOH or Bridesmaid that morning of the wedding. Be as stress-free as possible, enjoy the getting ready part, and let your planner take over!!!

May you allow your hearts to be captivated by the unforgettable weddings we share, just as we were.

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