Happy Thursday, Maharanis! You might've heard of today's fabulous Indian bride before -- Maharani Kamana is a lifestyle and fashion blogger! Her ultra glamorous Indian wedding was held at the marvelous Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles, and was filled with gorgeous fashion (including a coral bridal lengha by Sabyasachi, 1:10!) and magnificent decor from L'Ambiance (1:22)! Of course, the blushing bride herself was also radiant, with hair, makeup and mehndi all done by the super talented team at Bridal Elegance by Suman Khosla! All her shaadi looks were dazzling, but we especially adored her ceremony look (1:53)! Photographick Studios beautifully captured all the most magical moments of this spectacular event, so witness everything for yourselves below!
Maharani Kamana on meeting her Raja and how she knew he was "the one":
"We met online during the end of December. When Shivanth first came to visit me in DC, the first thing I noticed was his smile. We met for brunch and ended up spending the day together, talking, laughing, getting to know each other. He was sweet, funny, and we ended up on a 10 hour long first date. Even though that winter was really cold, the weekend he came the weather was amazing we were able to walk around and explore the city. That’s the thing with us - everything always works out and feels so much better when we are together."
On the romantic proposal:
"After dating for eight months and meeting each other's family, we were ready to take the next step. I had planned a trip to visit Shiv (my fiancé) in SF, but was not expecting anything out of the ordinary. Shiv mentioned that he had an awards breakfast for work on Sunday. Thankfully, (since he knows me so well) Shiv mentioned that we would be taking pictures. After searching for a week, I found a pretty white shift dress on sale at Anthropology the day before my flight.
On Sunday morning, we drove to the idyllic Chateau St. Jean, nestled in the heart of Sonoma Valley. As we approached the estate, I saw an enchanting castle with vineyards, lush gardens and ivy-covered arches all around. Smelling the scent of vines, grapes and roses entwined with the morning dew, I marveled at how the scenery complimented the crisp summer morning. As we turned into the parking lot, I noticed there weren't many cars. Where is everyone? I wondered. I followed Shiv into the Chateau's secret garden. As I entered, I heard my favorite Atif Aslam song playing (the live acoustic version of 'Pehli Nazar Mein'). Walking in, I saw pink and white rose petals scattered on the walkway - leading to a cozy little couch. Above the couch were roses hanging from two trees with handwritten notes on heart-shaped cards. A monogram with our initials was etched on each mint and coral colored heart (my favorite colors). Inside each card was a message about why he loves me. Reading the cards, I was so touched by the elegance and beauty of each detail he had thought of. Then Shiv went down on one knee....
And he proposed with the most stunning ring I have ever seen. There were so many emotions and feelings of happiness wrapped in that moment. After the proposal, we called our parents to celebrate! We then took photos with our amazing photographer, Melissa, from Weddings by Sunnyside. We had the estate to ourselves since Shiv rented it out for the morning to keep the experience more intimate. Next we went for a reserve wine tasting in the Chateau's private outdoor lounge and enjoyed the estate's award-winning chardonnay. Ending the best afternoon of my life, we had brunch at Napa's historic Auberge du Soleil restaurant. We dined on the patio overlooking the gorgeous vineyards and enjoyed sparkling wine with our favorite dishes, including my favorite - chocolate mousse topped with triple crown blackberries, white velvet cake and pistachio dentelle - so delish!"
On her wedding style:
"Every girl has vision for their wedding day and I knew I wanted mine to be elegant, traditional and fun! When picturing my wedding, I always knew I wanted an outdoor ceremony. We selected the Westfields Marriott for its beautiful terrace and colonial look and feel. While we knew there could be a chance of rain, we decided to hope for the best. In wedding planning and in life, I’ve learned that not everything happens exactly how you wish. You have to trust that whatever happens, happens for the best - including rain on the morning of our wedding. Thankfully our friends and family were amazing and still danced in our baraat (a groom's outdoor wedding procession)! Our wedding planner Sagina saved the day by making sure our wedding ceremony was still as beautiful as we envisioned."
On her favorite part of planning:
"Personal touches. We wanted our ceremony to be a reflection of our love for each other, our family, and loved ones. Shiv and I are both very close to our grandparents. We added century old photos of our grandparents on their wedding day to our entrance and felt their blessings with us."
On choosing her bridal lengha:
"Coral is my favorite color and of course my wedding outfit had to be coral! I love how the color paired so well with our mint and gold decor and custom mint colored saris for my bridesmaids."
On the most magical parts of the weddings:
"While Indian weddings ceremonies run longer than most (over an hour!), we wanted our guests to have fun. The baraat - accompanied by a horse, DJ and dhol player, set the tone for a festive mood. The bride’s side wanted to make sure we had our own fun with 'jutti chupai,' a tradition where the bride’s sisters and bridesmaids stealthily take away and hide the shoes of the bridegroom. Our 'jutti chupai' lasted over a half hour with intense negotiations from the groom's side on how to get the shoes back!"
On the sangeet:
"Of all our wedding events, our sangeet was our favorite. From the start, we set the tone that our wedding should be fun, memorable and a reflection of us as a couple. Most important, we wanted our guests to feel taken care of. Our Sangeet catering, décor and set up was all done by Silk Restaurant & Banquet Services. Sanjeev, the owner of Silk, and his team worked tirelessly with us to understand our vision and create a one-of-a-kind experience. From spending hours going through my Pinterest boards to coming up with his own ideas, Sanjeev and I worked together to design the stage, color schemes, and décor, along with the menu (which our guests still rave about!)."
On the reception:
"Our intention for our reception was simple: have a blast! Let’s be honest, wedding planning can be stressful. Our reception was the perfect way to enjoy all the months of planning and spend time with our family and friends. We kept the program (speeches, performances, etc.) to a minimum and let our dance floor be the focus! With a laid back vibe, our reception was full of fun and one big party!"
Have an amazing day, Maharanis! We'll be back with another delightful wedding tomorrow!
