Good morning, Maharanis! We are beginning a new phenomenal week, and along with it, a new filmy time is here! So get ready to be amazed by all the beauty overflowing from Sonal & Patrick's big wedding festivities. The ceremonies held at the marvelous Kyland Barn and also at the exclusive Castle Farm Inc were out of this world. Yes, this celebration had two beautiful ceremonies that left everyone speechless. You will love how two different cultures and families gather to celebrate the promise of eternal love of their favorite ones. If this love story sounds familiar is because we have previously presented you this magical celebration thanks to the photos captured by Lightyear Studio, which you can relive here. The beauty from Sonal delighted everyone, especially by the mehndi art that Bhavna’s Henna and Arts created for her. We can't conclude this post without mentioning the amazing reception party held at Castle Farm Inc. Everyone enjoyed the phenomenal beats from Luxe Event Entertainment, who turned this gala into a marvelous and memorable party. It was the best way to conclude this celebration. So don't think twice and click the play icon below. I know that you will enjoy this visual masterpiece created by Lightyear Studio. It is mindblowing!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Patrick and I met during our first year of dental school in Boston, MA. We were just casual friends until we went on our first date during our third year. I realized he was the man I was going to marry when we did long distance for a year after dental school - I was doing my residency in North Carolina and he was stationed in Maryland as a dentist in the Army. Going in, we were both nervous about long-distance, but we drove to each other every other weekend and the year was done before we knew it. I know long distance is hard, but this felt like a breeze!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I was obsessed with dark green and gold as the overall color scheme for the wedding so I decided to have a dress designed in those colors. A lot of my friends and cousins sent me various dress styles and I fell in love with this dark green, gold, and pink floral lehenga. My cousin in India had her tailor recreate a similar version of the dress in silk (yes, I did pick out the silk in India over video chat). The blouse was hand-embroidered and I was insistent that it has a high neck so I could wear a long necklace with it - I had this vision in my mind and I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out. It took about 4 months once the tailor started making it but once it was done, my cousin refused to let me see it over WhatsApp because she wanted it to be a surprise. My brother brought it back from India just a couple of weeks before the wedding. I saw it and tried it on for the first time one week before my wedding and IT.WAS.PERFECTION.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part was making wedding decisions with each other. We worked really well together (for the most part, haha) and I feel like I had a 50-50 partner throughout the whole process, making it much more efficient and stress-free than it could've been. We had less than a year to plan our 3-day celebration and I don't think I could have managed it without Pat's help and support.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests absolutely loved the venues we chose on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Grah Shanti/Peethi and Mehndi/Sangeet were at Kylan Barn in Delmar, MD. It's a barn-style wedding venue complete with a tractor, a pond, and string lights everywhere. Our Hindu wedding, American wedding, and reception were at Castle Farm in Snow Hill, MD, which is a breathtaking Andalusian equestrian farm turned wedding venue, horses and all. Both locations are very non-traditional for an Indian wedding and that's what made it unique and enchanting. Patrick's guests also really enjoyed experiencing different cultural events and food. And of course, EVERYONE loved the extensive open bar on Friday and Saturday nights.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
In addition to my moments with Patrick, my most memorable moment was being in the limo with my mom, my sister, my brother and the bridesmaids right before the American wedding ceremony started. The amount of love, excitement, and support packed into that vehicle was overwhelming and everything was perfect in that moment... not to mention the part where my mom (who doesn't drink) started popping champagne bottles and filling up everyone's flutes.
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 bridal henna was done by Bhavna Naik. She does fusion henna, incorporating the bride and groom's personal stories with traditional henna designs. I sent her the details on how Patrick and I met, our personal interests, our families, etc. and she put together a custom design incorporating my favorite designs. She even did a one hour consultation with me to go over all of this information and sent me sketches along the way to show her progress. I especially loved the Boston and Annapolis skylines which showed where we started and where we ended up. Everyone was in awe at how beautiful and intricate my design was.
Both of our venues had their own natural beauty and lots of greenery so Pat and I really wanted that to stand out. We decided to pick decor that wouldn't overshadow this element. Our pre-wedding events were vibrant with colorful drapes, decorated animal figurines, matlas, and floor cushions. Our wedding venue had more simple and elegant decor with ivory, muted gold, and light peach/pink tones to complement the green all around. To go with this theme, I opted for a naked cake with some florals with the same light hues.
Since Pat and I love horses and we were getting married at a venue that's all about horses, I figured, what better way to do our vidaai than in a horse carriage? He finally gave in to this whim of mine and it truly was magical.
The owner of Castle Farm custom-made the mandap for us because I wanted it to be made of wood. Our florist, Autumn decorated it based on pictures that I shared with her of what I envisioned. When I saw it walking out on my wedding day, it was exactly as elegant and graceful as I had pictured it.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The things I took away from the process are:
-Don't try to do it all yourself. Remember to delegate to people who know how to get the job done.
-Be on the same page as your partner and make sure your vision is the same.
-Take one day every week where you don't work on any wedding-related activities.
-Try to minimize any last-minute changes/additions because it will only add more stress when what you really need to do is relax!
-Make sure a few other people know the entire plan for the weekend, inside and out. You'll be so busy that you won't have time to troubleshoot anything when the big weekend comes.
-Once you're there, just enjoy it and let the small stuff go!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Catering
Friday AM/PM: Mother's Catering (Maryland)
Saturday AM/PM: Moghul Hospitality Group (NJ)
DJ: Luxe Event Entertainment (Philadelphia)
Photography/Videography: Lightyear Studio (Philadelphia)
Hair and Makeup
Friday Night Mehndi/Sangeet: Monica Virga Cosmetics (Philadelphia)
Saturday Hindu and American Wedding: Mala Amin - Makeup By Mala (Maryland)
Henna
Guest Henna: Mala Amin (Maryland)
Bridal Henna: Bhavna Naik - Bhavna's Henna & Arts (Maryland)
Decoration Coordinator: Mukesh Kashiwala (NJ)
Indian Wedding Priest: Pandit Vimal Raval (NJ)
Florist: Autumn Farber - Bleached Butterfly (Maryland)
String Instruments: The String Poets (Maryland)
Cake: Kristine Jones - Cakes by Krissy
Make sure to stick around, we have a phenomenal story prepared for you tomorrow!
Cinematography: Lightyear Studio |
Cinematography: Lightyear Studio |
Sangeet Venue: Kyland Barn |
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Castle Farm Inc |
DJ: Luxe Event Entertainment |
Floral & Decor (Decoration Coordinator): Mukesh Kashiwala |
Floral & Decor (Florist): Autumn Farber - Bleached Butterfly |
Cake & Treats: Kristine Jones - Cakes by Krissy |
Live Music (String Instruments): The String Poets |
Mehndi Artist (Guest Henna): Mala Amin - Makeup by Mala
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