Cancun, MX Hindu Wedding by Mike Cantarell Films

Hola amigas! I am sure from my salutation, you know exactly where we are headed today for a threefold royal affair that is sure to make you smile. Maharani Nimisha wed her husband at the ever so romantic Grand Velas Spa & Resort. Known for endless white sand beaches and the Mayan jungle, I absolutely love this luxurious all-inclusive resort that is a dream come true for any wedding. This multiple day affair consisted of a mehndi night with the popular mehndi artist based out in Mexico, Veronica de la Paz. The  henna commencements was based out the terrace at the Grand Velas with the Satak (Turmeric Ceremony) held in the beautiful garden outdoors. Ever dream of having a big fat Indian wedding on the beach? Well, this fairy tale came true for this Maharani who walked down the sand dusted aisles in a gorgeous, one of a kind lengha with palm trees designed in India. Planning a destination wedding from another state is no easy feat. Nimisha hired Sobi Qazi two and half years before her wedding event (who is based in Texas, whoa!) to plan her big day. Needless to say, Sobi designed the wedding of a lifetime. The floral and decor was crafted by Euforia. As quoted from the bride, “Pulling a traditional Indian wedding at an overseas destination was not easy, but, with the right people, it was a dream come true for me and my husband, Vishall.” One of my favorite aspects of an Indian wedding is seeing family members from all over the world flying in for the big day. Nimisha had an overwhelming response with her guests from India and England, taking the time out to celebrate in the Riviera. With the help of Diana Romo who styled and beautified the guests and Vo Evolution, known for their artistry skills in the Riviera, everybody looked picture perfect for Claudia Rodriguez Photography. As anyone can agree when figuring out the details of the big day, fine cuisine is a must. The chefs at the Grand Velas crafted a menu so wonderful, that the guest couldn’t stop clamoring about the amazing Indian food derived in Mexico. Beating on the dhol all the way from Texas, Desi Junction DJ’s brought in the Bollywood beats for the perfect ending at the reception party held indoors at the Grand Velas. This visual treat, shot by Mike Cantarell Films will have you dreaming of a beach side Indian wedding of your own! We are in for a treat from the bride! Check out all the details below! 

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

We first met in college 9 years ago at university of Houston. We were both in the medical background and taking (most of them) same courses. We were friends for two years and started dating our last year of college. He knew before we were even dating that i was the "one" and it took me about a year to realize he was the "one" when i moved away to florida. we are both from Houston,Texas and had plans to pursue our career to become a doctor (graduate school) even if that meant moving away from Houston. After about a year of dating,we both graduated college and I was accepted into optometry school in Florida and had to move there for graduate school. It was than that i realized how much i missed him and he was the "one" for me. Shortly after, he was also accepted into the same university for medical school and moved down to florida. So, eventually faith brought us together and allowed us to advance in our career.

Do you have a super romantic proposal story or engagement memory?

Our proposal/engagement was very traditional where the two families were introduced to each other and things went very smoothly afterwards into engagement and the wedding. Due to our busy career and schedule, we fortunately were able to "plan" everything and did not keep much for a "surprise.”

Tell us about your wedding style. When you sat down to really figure out how your dream wedding would look, did you start with one central color, a palette of colors, or a theme that served as your inspiration?

We wanted an intimate yet traditional ceremony away from Houston. Since we are both from Houston, Texas, we knew having a wedding there meant having 1,000 people and we just did not see us having that kind of wedding. We wanted to make sure we had a small, intimate wedding where we were able to communicate with all of our guests and enjoy their company. We had members that flew from England, india and all over U.S. (California to New York) so, we really wanted to appreciate and spend time with everyone that came to celebrate the wedding with us to Mexico. We initially narrowed down the location to Riviera maya, Mexico after looking at 10 different resort in our 1st visit. Grand Velas riviera maya resort stood out to us from the very beginning. It is such a classy, quiet and one of the best all inclusive resort in Mexico. Our wedding kind of all worked out around this resort and we wanted to enhance every part of the resort and incorporate the space into our wedding. 

How did you choose your lengha or lenghas? Did you work with a certain designer? Did you spend hours on the internet first?

We had decided our dates, ceremony locations and etc before we flew to India. I went to India with an open mind regarding the wedding lengha and wanted a traditional look but with something more personalized and meaningful. I was determined to stay positive and find my dream lengha in India and so i did with the help of my brother. I feel in love with my wedding lengha when I saw the palm trees on it and knew it was the "one". It was not a designer lengha but I got it from mumbai and it was love at first sight. Living in Florida for last 5 years and having our wedding in Mexico with the resort surrounded by palm trees and having our wedding ceremony on the beach was all clues pointing towards the palm tress lengha. I tried it on and it was perfect.

Looking back, was there a really special moment that you remember from your wedding that stands out as the most magical?

It was that Sunday before the wedding ceremony; before the wedding ceremony started, i saw the groom for photos on the beach (1st reveal or bridal reveal). It was that moment when I saw him that this is all happening and this is real. After being together for 9 years with many ups and downs, we are finally here at the beach, in Mexico, with our closest family and friends to get married. We were both enjoying our personal moment saying "wow this is really happening huh" and enjoying some peaceful time before the ceremony.

How about hair and makeup? Did you already have a style in mind or did you work with a specialist to find your perfect look?

It is VERY HOT in Mexico during the month of May. I wanted to mostly keep my hair up so it does not create a mess and also most of my outfits had work on it to where I had to put my hair up or otherwise it would be tangled up in there. I was more excited about makeup than hair. I wanted to be a simple bride and natural look. I did not want my makeup to melt in the heat and have someone keep touching up every 5 minutes. I chose styling trip (company) for my personal hair and makeup and Vo evolution hair/makeup for all of my family members (15 of them). Vo Evolution had a great team to accommodate my large bridal party and styling trio was able to give me that personal attention for my own hair/makeup.

Did family or friends help out with certain special details that really added to the event?

All of our family members came forward to help during the wedding. We could not have been more thankful! 

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

Mehndi night was my favorite day, it was just perfect timing and weather. It was on a Friday night at 6 p.m. on a terrace, over looking the beautiful ocean and stage set for dancing/garba/party and just a great night for everyone to arrive, mingle and enjoy this beautiful resort. I wanted to keep my Mehndi very minimal yet bridal. I was able to achieve that look with the help of Veronica De La (company).

Bridesmaid: Getting bridesmaid saris were difficult in India since most of the bridal attires are very heavy and intricate. Most of my bridesmaid have never been to an indian wedding, let alone wear an indian outfit. They were very excited to wear a sari for the wedding day but, also wanted to be comfortable due to the heat in Mexico. I was very happy that i was able to find my bridesmaid light weight saris with exquisite beading work on the blouse and pearl border(to match my dupatta for the wedding day) as their bridesmaid outfit. They were happy because they were comfortable and able to walk in saris while having the whole traditional indian wedding experience.

We wanted our wedding to be private, intimate and small. We wanted our families to be able to spend time with everyone while enjoying the great resort, food and drinks. We were able to accomplish all of the above at Grand Velas resort with the help of Sobi Qazi and company. Pulling a traditional gujarati wedding at a oversea destination was not easy but the with the help of right people, it was a dream come true for me and Vishall. Our family was very happy with the outcome of the wedding.