Happy Friday, Maharanis! We're ending the week with a luxurious Florida Indian wedding, expertly planned by the team at Envi Event Planning! Held at the Hilton Orlando, this fabulous shaadi had the renowned team from Occasions by Shangri-la design the decor and lighting for all the events, and we especially loved how Occasions by Shangri-la executed the Bollywood theme for the welcome night (2:45)! We also adored all the fun WeGoDisco brought to the shaadi, with a lively dhol team (2:53) and a masterful DJ playing the perfect party songs. Amita S. Photography captured amazing photos of all the celebrations, which we can't wait to share with you, but for now delight in every second of the incredible video Fandango Studios filmed!
Maharani Aarti on how she met her Raja:
"I met Kunal through Shaadi.com. Kunal sent an interest request and I accepted. A month later we met in Stamford, CT and our first date was at an aquarium and dinner at Barcelona (Spanish Tapas place). I knew Kunal was the one after seven months into the relationship, when I realized how much he makes me laugh, always tries his best to make me happy, shows how much he cares for me and wants the best for me. He gets along with my brother too, which was really important to me."
On the proposal:
"Kunal and I were on our way to Portugal and we got to the airport and found out that the airline was on an airline strike and our trip to Portugal was canceled. We decided to stay in London and go to Marbella, Spain the day after. Kunal was stressing out because his plans to propose in Portugal were ruined. We came back home and I took a nap while Kunal was trying to figure out another plan. Later that afternoon we decided to go London and do some sight seeing. We were on the London Bridge and in the background was the Tower Bridge. He asked me to take a picture with his new camera that I got for him for his birthday. He asked some random guy on the street to take a picture of us. We were ready and I kept telling Kunal to stand straight but what he was doing was getting down on one knee and he proposed. I was totally shocked and froze for a few seconds and finally gave him an answer of YES! We took more pictures. Then he surprised me by taking me to the London Eye to have a special champagne toast."
On her wedding style:
"I always dreamed of a destination wedding and we went to a few places and landed in Orlando, FL. We decided Orlando because it was great for all ages, we wanted that resort feeling and it was somewhere in the States that's easy to travel to. I knew I wanted my wedding to be traditional but different at the same time. One of my events had a Bollywood night theme which was the Welcome Night. I love Bollywood movies and music and especially the late 80s and 90s. The DJ played 80s and 90s music all night long which was awesome. I wanted my wedding outside with a nice water fountain that Hilton Orlando had. For my reception I wanted that 'Cinderella/Princess feeling' with a crystal theme decoration. We had a nice round chandelier hanging from the ceiling with a white round dance floor with curved estate tables."
On her favorite part of planning:
"I enjoyed planning everything about my dream wedding, especially when my wedding planner, decor and DJ vendors knew what I wanted and executed the plan. All my vendors were amazing. Nadira Merali and her team from Envi Event Planning from Atlanta were amazing and so helpful to me and my family. They took care of everything so we weren't feeling stressed. The food was great: from Khasiyat (vegetarian food all events) and Mynt (Orlando, FL) for reception food. My decorations were amazing by Remmal from Occassion by Shangri-la in Orlando. My photographer was Amita Siddiqui (Tampa, FL) and Ram Hernandez from Fandango Pictures (Miami, FL) was my cinematographer. My DJ and Dhol team were from WeGoDisco in the Atlanta area. My makeup artist Susmita Patel (NJ) was amazing as well. My venue Hilton Orlando on Destination Parkway was beautiful."
On choosing her bridal outfits:
"We went to Mumbai for shopping and spent few weeks there. I had some ideas for what I was looking for but I really looked around and when I laid my eyes on the right one I just picked it. I had the colors already picked out in my mind before I went to India. I had looked on Pinterest as well."
On the most magical moment of the wedding:
"The most magical was when I entered my reception venue and saw how beautiful it looked, I was surprised. It was more magical than what I had dreamed of. On top of that, my makeup artist Susmita Patel made me feel and look like a princess too."
On her first dance:
"Yes, our first dance was a mix. It was 'Thinking Out Loud' by Ed Sheeran and 'Lean On' by Major Lazer & DJ Snake. I wanted to be different and not a typical slow song for the whole dance. I love to dance and Kunal was willing to 'spice' it up."
On her hair and makeup looks:
"Susmita Patel was my stylist and she did all the magic. I didn't have to say anything; she did her job and made me look flawless. I was so impressed with her vision! She made sure I didn't look the same at all my events and made sure my look was simple but elegant at the same time. Michelle Renee from Orlando did my mendhi hair and makeup along with my bridal party's hair and makeup at the wedding."
On how her family helped:
"My parents and brother helped me out a good amount with food tasting, decor and making sure we had everything lined up for a destination wedding. My brother-in-law Kishan Patel from WeGoDisco was very helpful and made sure my dream was coming true."
Closing thoughts from the bride:
"My venue the Hilton Orlando was absolutely beautiful. It was in a great location and a great resort with a wonderful pool and activities for everyone. The hotel staff were wonderful as well and that made everything easier. All my vendors were great. We had Dippin' Dots come during the wedding to serve rainbow ice. We had several desserts from Gigi Cupcakes being served at the reception. We had a paan stand during the Welcome Night and two dance performance by Knights Kangna from UCF during the welcome dance.
My father daughter dance was different as well. My dad and I did a mix with 'Ye Betiyan Tu Baabul Ki' and 'Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai.' My dad did a great job; I was so proud of him because this was way out of his comfort zone."
Have a wonderful weekend, Maharanis! We'll see you Monday for more shaadi magic!
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