Indian Wedding Videos

My Maharanis, our filmy day is finally here! We have Christine and Rajesh starring in today's entry with their amorous wedding day. The sweethearts had a magnificent ceremony celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul. With its marvelous architecture, this location served as the perfect scenery for our couples' new chapter to begging. The adoring couple could not keep their eyes from each other as they savored their special day. The sweethearts moved on with an elegant reception at the Crystal Team Room- Finley Catering surrounded by their loved ones in this exceptional venue full of life and romance. The event was the perfect example of traditions and the modern world gorgeously colliding. The fantastic decor Florista Decor did for the event gave the comforting atmosphere an even more magical touch, adding to the couples' dreamy day. The guests were all smiles and glee while dancing to Luxe Event Group's faultless music set. With this proficient team in the DJ cabin, there is no doubt everyone will have a night to remember! Now, ladies, get ready to be swept off your feet by the radiant bride and her flawless look! Our divine Maharani and her natural charm enchanted more than one with her heavenly attire from RK Bridal. Christine was a ray of sunshine, dazzling everyone that looked her way! Cinderella Bridez's artistic makeup gracefully accentuated her traits. Her soulmate, Rajesh, was handsome as ever with his dashing style and heart-eyes just for Christine. As our fashionable couple made their way into a shared life together, the skillful Studio KSD team captured every second. The adoration between this two is evident in every second! You can witness this happily ever after, too, dears. Just click the play button below and enjoy!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Funny story- we met on Tinder when I was in New York for a winter break during law school. The next day I returned to Washington, D.C.! We started talking and the conversations were effortless. Turns out we crossed paths throughout our life but ended up meeting on a dating app. We were both from the same small city in New York, we both went to the same middle school, he was in my best friends class, and I went to high school with his brother. We texted for months but did not have a chance to meet in person until one day Rajesh drove all the way from New York to D.C. for a 2 hour date. That's when I knew it was true love. He is the soul you read about in fairytales. He is the kind of person who makes your life better. That's how I knew he was the one.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
On our second date, I took Rajesh to see the D.C. monuments at night. I convinced him that there was no better time to see it than when all the tourists were gone and when all the selfie sticks weren't in sight. As we sat there, on our second date, I became emotional on the Lincoln steps about how much history happened there. Somehow he didn't get scared off at this history nerd having a moment. Three years after that first date my now sister in law decided to tell us she was planning a trip to DC. As the DC enthusiast I was, I sent an itinerary right away with all my favorite things including the monuments at night. Little did I know it was Rajesh's ploy to propose to me at my favorite spot. She then invited me to come on their trip and I suggested we make a siblings trip out of it. Jokes on me. The trip "I planned" had already been planned out by Rajesh. As I am leading everyone up the stairs to the Lincoln memorial, my favorite monument, the people start to move aside. I look down and there Rajesh is on one knee. I was FLOORED. Before I could say yes, my friends and cousins run out from behind the pillars screaming in excitement. Rajesh knew how important it was for me to have my loved ones there and my loved ones all made the trip out to D.C. to be there! The next day, Rajesh had our parents and family come down for an amazing brunch at my favorite D.C. restaurant. I replay that weekend over and over in my head.

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.
I constantly hear about un-involved grooms but that was never the case here. Rajesh is a perfectionist and artist. He knew from the beginning that he wanted to make our wedding perfect. He spent months researching perfect venues and unique experiences for our big day. That somehow had us end up in Philadelphia, a city neither of us lived in. We fell in love with Crystal Tea Room for its history and beautiful aesthetic. But what sold us? THE FOOD. We are huge foodies and we were able to custom make our entire menu. The other vendors fell in love quickly. We met Aji from Eventify and knew right away that he was the wedding coordinator for us. His ability to be on top of things and connect with people made him perfect for the job. We went with Florista for the decor because they understood we wanted an aesthetic that was timeless and natural. Shades of gold and white with romantic candles everywhere. Hair and make-up was easy in that Cinderella Bridez was the only company I contacted. I loved that they made you look like a better version of yourself, not a completely unrecognizable bride. Bhargavi worked her magic and I could not be happier. Photography was something we struggled with for some time. We wanted a mix of romantic, dark, light, impromptu shots, and everything in between. Studio KSD nailed our dreams. Planning was stressful due to the global pandemic but having a partner whose only goal is to make you happy made the process effortless. In a weird way, the pandemic gave us more time to celebrate our love. Our families threw multiple bachelorette parties, pre-wedding events, and random parties in between to make up for the loss of our first wedding.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I always had the image of being a classic bride. I wanted to look back at photos in 30 years and think to myself that I would wear those outfits again. I truly felt I accomplished that. I went to RK Bridal for my wedding dress and immediately Malak knew the aesthetic I was going for. She brought out a simple white, off-the-shoulder A-line gown, and I was SOLD. I started crying when I put it on and it was so confusing. WHY AM I CRYING? AM I ALLERGIC TO SOMETHING? No, I was just so overwhelmed that I had found the perfect dress. My bridal lengha story was even funnier. Let's rewind to February 2020, I am hearing of this thing called covid that is ravaging through China. I hope on the flight to India and think how bad could it really be? My mother-in-law packed me a few masks and I wore it on the flight thinking to myself "man this is super uncomfortable." We arrive in India and it's go go go. We are off to shopping for lenghas, sarees, wedding invitations, bridal outfits, and everything in between. I knew similar to my wedding dress, I wanted a classic lengha. I searched stores all through Kottayam and Kochi and finally found an off-white dress that weighed more than I did. But it was BEAUTIFUL. I bought it and it took up an entire suitcase on the way back.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process had to be the food tasting and seeing all the venues. The different venues treat you like a queen and it's great.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
All we heard about was how great the food was. Our cocktail hour was something we put a lot of effort into. We had so many stations and so many different types of food! We had a New Orleans station with oysters shucked to order, crawfish mac and cheese, fried oysters, shrimp etouffee, and jambalaya. A Neptune station with lobster tails, lobster mac and cheese, mussels marinara, shrimp stir fry, and baby clams. A carving station with slow-braised brisket. A Mediterranean station with gyro, chicken souvlaki, different dips, grape leaves, flatbreads. A Marrakesh station with Moroccan spiced rack of lamb that was carved to order, chicken tagine, saffron couscous, baked white fish chermoula, spiced shrimp briouats. We had a slider station with all different types of sliders, brisket, braised Italian pork, mini Angus burgers, grilled portobello burgers, and truffle fries. For dinner we started with a lobster ravioli as the first course, guests could choose between duck, filet mignon, salmon, or a butternut squash and goat cheese ravioli. Following dinner, we had an entire room filled with desserts. An ice cream sundae bar, cannolis, sfogliatella, tiramisu, all different types of cake, all different types of pastries, coffees, teas, and dessert wines/liquor. In addition to our wedding cakes, After the dessert room, we had a "power hour" around 1 am during the after-party. Here guests could have Philly cheesesteaks, wings, fries, and other bar food.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
A really special moment that replays in my mind on the big wedding days is all the times Rajesh and I got to be alone. Whether it was for a few minutes or a half-hour. We took these videos on our iPhone after each part of the night (ceremony, entrance, cocktail hour, first dance, etc.) We talked about how we were feeling and what we were excited for. I can't wait to show our future kids the behind the scene videos.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Enjoy the process. It's never worth dressing for. DELEGATE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. Teamwork truly made my dream work.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Fun fact: I am highly allergic to flowers and we had wood or silk flowers everywhere. All the bouquets were completely made of wood. No one even noticed!

And that's a wrap, ladies. Come back whenever you need more inspiration!

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Good morning, Maharanis! What a beautiful day we have ahead of us, so how about getting it started with some inspiration? I am so excited for this filmy day! On a warm summer day, the sweet Jennifer & Shaan had a fairytale-like wedding that was gorgeous. They got married in a castle, ladies! What a unique way to start a new chapter in their love story. Our couple chose The Castle at Wildwood Gardens to celebrate their union like royalty. The breathtaking views this venue provides are unmatched, and our couple was definitely aware of this. Their goal was not only to delight their guests but to create unforgettable memories for themselves while doing so. Besides the fantastic venue and tasty treats from Arts Bakery and Cafe, our couple also dazzled their friends and family with their style. With both a classic and modern style for the day, Jennifer & Shaan looked glorious! The bold shades of red contrasted flawlessly with the traditional black and white they wore, too. They were a sight to behold, their love shining brighter than the sun and genuinely enjoying their celebration. This fantasy was brought to life with the planning and design only Weddings By Epic's team can convey. They put as much heart and effort as their clients deserve to make these magnificent events a reality, and Jennifer & Shaan's was no exception. It was enchanting! The beloved Hakim's Studio captured this marvelous celebration from beginning to end in an astonishing video that perfectly captures our couples' essence. You are going to love this, ladies! So, get ready to be part of the royal court, my Maharanis. You just have to click the play button below and enjoy!

This is all for now, ladies. Keep coming back to feel inspired!

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Good morning, my sweet Maharanis! A fascinating love story comes your way, so get ready to get lots of bridal enthusiasm and swipe right to love! Today's protagonists are Anmol & Indrajit, a lovely couple who met on Tinder in 2015. From their first date, fate made them old best friends. After all the adventures, Indrajit decided to pop the question every Maharani loves to hear! And how did he do it! They went to a lovely island for a fourth anniversary, and in between pictures, the handsome groom was on one knee! I know those pictures are amazing! Now, let's talk about their journey throughout their wedding planning! Their first decision was where they wanted to host their reception, so they chose The Tides Estate. The Little Things by Arpita coordinated every detail of this wedding! This team let our couple know that the little things were what made Anmol & Indrajit's big day unique! Our couple called Partyland Sajawat to create an enchanted forest vibe decor, and they excelled their expectations! The ambiance was magical and elegant all at the same time! Maharanis, the music played during the reception was phenomenal; everyone in the room danced all night long, thanks to MVPDJs! They were perfect! On top of the fantastic music, the Bollywood performers from Scarlett Entertainment put the energy that made the guests sigh! I am sure everyone adored them! While the music was playing, the delicious feast prepared by Bukhara Grill was the perfect combo! Here comes what I love the most: Bridal Fashion! Our lovely Anmol is a very decisive bride. So, she bought the first lengha she tried on, and it was an elegant and delicate piece from Tamanna Malik Artistry, and Nazraana also was part of our Maharani's outfits. Suit Supply dressed the handsome groom, and I cannot stress how charming they both looked! Lucky for them, a film is a perfect way to take a closer look at the most beautiful moments of their biggest day. Ray Roman Films was there to record those moments, and the results are unbelievable. Get ready to enjoy it!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met on Tinder in 2015! We swiped right and we met on the corner of 42nd and Broadway. I had just finished having dinner with a friend and Indy had come from a happy hour. He tried to find a bar so we could grab a drink, but his phone ended up not catching data (he was using pay-per-MB data)!  Our first date ended up being drinks at the Olive Garden bar in Times Square. From that first date, it was like fate. We talked as if we were old best friends that had just been out of touch for a couple years. It was strange how easy the conversation was. From that day, through numerous traveling adventures and the ups and downs of life, we've have been inseparable ever since.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Our proposal story started with a trip planned for our 4 year anniversary at a beautiful resort on the island of St. Lucia called Ladera. Indy had been planning this trip during my 2nd year of medical school in between 2 of my semesters during a break.  Although I usually have most of the itinerary planned on most trips we go to, Indy had been planning the details of the actual anniversary day as a "surprise". He had the ring picked out and a photographer at St. Lucia who was supposed to take us to a remote dock by the beach where he would propose and capture the moment on a drone. The photographer captured the moment seamlessly while including the natural beauty of the island.

Indy’s cover story for us wearing matching outfits was that since this resort was a romantic couples getaway, it came with a package deal of a photoshoot that we would use on our anniversary. Then right between a few shots where the photographer had us facing away from one another, I turned around and Indy was on one knee! I was so shocked! I still can’t remember what he said and I froze! The photographer then took us to a few more locations including an abandoned coffee plantation and isolated beaches. Then we returned to the resort and were surprised with champagne, roses, chocolate cake and our entire suite and pool decorated with candles!

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.
Our main strategy when it came to planning was mostly divide and conquer. We started with choosing a venue and both narrowed down options in NJ. Indy took charge of negotiations and budgeting.  As for the other vendors, Indy took charge of researching and finalizing our video/photo and DJ and I took charge of décor, cake, and color schemes for outfits. Buying wedding outfits was an obstacle for us since our flight to India was canceled due to COVID and we decided to get custom designed outfits locally from Nazraana at Oak Tree.

The hardest part for us was asking for an RSVP for our guest count since we were asking guests to respond right in the middle of COVID. To make sure we had an accurate count, we subdivided our list into 3 lists and were sending out invitations for approximately 3 months. We even added a COVID tab on our wedding website to describe our health precautions and ensure that all guests felt safe attending our wedding. Aside from that, we used numerous excel sheets and even created our own wedding programs, welcome bags, weekend itinerary, designed our own dance floor and even our photobooth backdrop. Indy and I (both super type A planners) took the smaller details into our own hands to make sure everything was perfect.

We also want to take a second to thank The Little Things by Arpita for helping us coordinate the wedding day and ensuring every second of our event was magical and exactly what we dreamed it would be! Arpita and her team were nothing but the best and would highly recommend her to anyone who hasn't decided on a day-of coordinator. She was one of our best decisions!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I personally did not have too much time to spend on picking out a wedding lengha since I was in the middle of interviews for residency but luckily I am extremely decisive. I was probably the 1% of brides out there that bought the first lengha I tried on! It was a very versatile and delicate piece that I knew I could creatively change with the dupattas I wore with it. I also hated the idea of wearing a heavy uncomfortable lengha all day long. I am definitely more of the “comfort” bride. My bridal lengha checked off all my boxes – simple, elegant, versatile and delicate.  To my surprise, after seeing lenghas in person, I knew I wanted to do something different and out of the ordinary than the typical “red Indian bride”. Since our theme was Enchanted forest, I knew I wanted to choose more neutral colors to contrast the greens in the décor.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Food tasting and cake tasting (of course)!! So many favorite parts of this process, including picking decor, shopping for a venue, and doing our pre wedding photoshoot in California. I think every aspect of planning that helped make our dream wedding vision become a reality was enjoyable. However, our favorite part of the process was all of our family and friends meeting one another on the days leading up to the wedding!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved the heartfelt speeches given by my dad, Indy’s mom, the best man and the MOH/sister of the bride as well as the decor and dances at the reception. They were blown away by how accurately we followed our theme and how much effort everyone put in all the performances not only in the reception but also the Sangeet. The dance floor was full all night!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Every moment of the entire wedding week was so special to the both of us. From graduating medical school, to Indy’s 30th birthday and each and every event that same week there was not one event more special than the next. We both put in so much energy and effort in making sure everything went perfectly. Ultimately, even with all the weather mishaps and changing our outdoor wedding to be indoors, we were blown away by the love, happiness and support we felt that entire week from family and vendors.

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 make our wedding theme an experience for the guests, so we including low lying fog as guests were entering the grand ballroom, dancing LED ballerinas and hanging greens that the guests would have to  walk through to enter into the room. We made sure to stick to the theme even when hiring our live musician and we chose a Harpist to greet the guests during cocktail hour. From the save the dates to the dance floor, we even incorporated our wedding logo in every aspect of the wedding (on the save the dates, invites, dance floor wrap, photobooth printouts and more). We coordinated with our Décor team to incorporate our favorite greens like Eucalyptus on every table, hanging greens and a touch of gold in every event. For the ceremony we decided to incorporate a golden gate that would be the entrance of the aisle to give a magical feel to the mandap design.
Although we were upset that so many of our guests could not make it from India due to COVID, our family asked family in India to record a congrats message that we would play at the reception to surprise us! Instead of giving our guests wedding favors we chose to donate to the COVID fund for India in memory of our late grandparents.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Everything will work out in the end, don't get dragged down by the small details! Be decisive, move forward and always lean on each other for support during the wedding planning process. If you as a couple can survive wedding planning, especially during COVID, that’s a testament to your marriage!

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Mehndi- I graduated medical school the same morning as my mehendi. Luckily, I was able to attend my ceremony, hop into an Uber the second after the graduation ceremony ended and head straight to my mehendi event without missing a thing! Also to commemorate my graduation, I was able to get a small medical logo on my designs along with my graduation year "2021".

Wedding cake- We had our cake stand custom made by our decor vendor Partyland Sajawat to give it an enchanted forest vibe. It helped not only elevate the cake but because it was decorated in greens it looked like an edible part of the cake itself!

Wedding lehenga - Because of COVID, I was unfortunately unable to visit India for all my shopping but instead I was able to get a little more creative in making my lehenga unique. I chose an outfit that fit more of a reception look and created a double dupatta bridal look. I had 2 custom dupattas custom made in India that helped contrast the neutrals/rose gold tones in my lehenga with a peach and bold red, contributing to the whole whimsical, yet Indian bride vibe.

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Happy first day of December, my beloved Maharanis! A new beautiful entry is about to begin. Bhavna & Siddarth is an in-love couple who decided to keep their promise to love each other forever in the presence of their beloved family and friends at an elegant venue, the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles.  Maryam Shah - Embellish LLC put their excellent touch to create a heavenly setting more than perfect for the occasion! My dears, our precious Bride, Bhavna, has an innate beauty worth thousands of sighs. She knows this, and for her special day,  Bridal Elegance by Suman Khosla highlighted her natural tones with exquisite makeup. She looked like the Maharani she is in every scene. The handsome Groom was astonished by our lovely Bride! Her wedding dress was designed by Bridal Elegance by Suman Khosla; I think Bhavna looked phenomenal. I adore her! Also, an essential part of this magnificent event was the Mehndi designs by Henna By Shazia. It was astonishing! We cannot leave our Groom behind; Siddarth looked incredible thanks to the exclusive designs by Ted Baker London (Tuxedo),  Eton Shirts (Bowtie),  Christian Louboutin (Shoes), and Tiffany & Co (Cuff Links). They all combined perfectly to make him look like the Raja he is. My dears, our lovebirds, wanted to make every guest feel the music to celebrate their love; DJ Shiv - Shivish Entertainment was the team to go to. They played the best songs to keep everyone on the dance floor! To relive the most meaningful moments of this event, Maria Fasih Studios captured a beautiful set of pictures but that's not all, they also produced a beautiful film that will melt your heart. I promise, when you click the play icon, a whole new wave of inspiration will make you fall in love!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I’d lived in New York for several years when Sid and I matched on a popular dating app - Coffee Meets Bagel. I remember our first date vividly. We met at a quaint sushi restaurant in the Upper West Side for lunch, and instead of going off to run errands afterwards as planned, we ended up spending over six hours together! We made our way through various Upper West Side bars, talking about everything under the sun. It was like we had been friends forever and I was super excited to see him again.

Given Sid had just moved to the New Jersey to start his Endodontics residency, meeting was difficult. But we met whenever we could, and we both always left our dates feeling so comfortable and at ease...usually after sharing an amazing meal together. It was clear we had built a foundation of friendship which is so important in a relationship. But a few months later, I found out some amazing news - I was moving to California for a dream job at Google! Sid was so supportive of this, but we decided it may not be the best time do pursue a relationship, especially long distance. We did, however, decide to remain friends.  Our friendship continued with many phone calls and FaceTime calls, until  on a whim, I invited him on a work trip to Barcelona - and he said yes! It only took about one romantic meal and a glass of wine the first night for us to realize we couldn’t fight destiny any longer. That weekend was the most special weekend of my life, because I realized I was in love with my best friend. The rest we say, is history!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Sid was wrapping up his residency and I was taking a work trip to Singapore. The timing fell right around our one year dating anniversary, so we decided to make a big celebratory trip out of it! The plan was to spend a few days in Singapore after my work event and then fly out to Langkawi, Malaysia for some beach time. We arrived late on a Saturday night so we could spend some time exploring on Sunday before work kicked off for me on Monday. I woke up Sunday extremely jet lagged and cranky, but Sid suggested we go watch the sunrise at the Singapore Orchid Gardens - a UNESCO site right outside the city. The morning was a mess. I accidentally flooded my hotel bathroom when showering (long  story), Sid blew out his lower back, and I ended up realizing I needed to finish one thing for work before my event on Monday. By the time we made it out to the gardens, not only had we missed the sunrise, but it was over 90 degrees, humid, and extremely crowded. We walked around  and made the best out of it, but we both surely weren't in the best of moods. It was only as we were leaving the gardens, Sid noticed a beautiful fairway full of lush green grass and suggested we sit and take everything in after a whirlwind morning. As we finally were able to relax and chat about being together for a year and how happy we were, I was staring out at the beautiful landscape. I didn't even realize Sid was getting the engagement ring out of his pocket! It was then he popped the question, and of course I said yes. Given the time difference, we were able to just enjoy the moment and celebrate 1:1 for several hours before we made our calls to our family and friends back home, which made the moment all the more special.

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 were supposed to be married in May 2020, but the universe had a different plan for us and the many other would-be 2020 brides and grooms! I am extremely detail oriented and admittedly picky, so while I did get stressed at times, I really enjoyed the process of planning out every last detail of the wedding. Thus, when we had to cancel our wedding in 2020, we really just had to think about "lifting and shifting" the majority of our plans to a rescheduled date.

Coming from Punjabi families, we knew we wanted to have all of the traditional Punjabi and Sikh wedding events, while mixing traditional and western traditions. We held two events at my parents' house: a Chunni (engagement) ceremony for the families, and a Mehendi for all of the female guests.  I always knew I wanted to do some of my wedding events at my parents home and it really exceeded my expectations! It was extra special as my sisters and I did the design and decor on our own for the home events.

Our sangeet and wedding venue, the Westfields Marriott, was a dream. The #1 reason I wanted to have our wedding there was because of their beautiful terrace surrounded by lush greenery -  I always wanted to have an outdoor Anand Karaj (Sikh Wedding Ceremony) and the terrace was just perfect for it. I had a really clear vision for our ceremony - a simple, clean rustic theme - and ur decorator, Maryam, absolutely nailed my vision. I loved the reception hall we chose for the. massive chandelier and the huge windows. We kept the decorations simple with a same green and white motif as the ceremony.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
When I went to India (New Delhi) for my wedding shopping, I never expected to fall in love with such a traditional dress. I was laser focused on something modern and non traditional, probably in a light pink! But the second I tried my dress on, ONLY due to the insistence of my mom and Masi (aunt), I knew this was "the one."

My wedding lehenga featured a burgundy satin velvet blouse embellished with zadozi embroidery, done with dabka, nakshi, sequence and zarkan work, in intricate goodly floral jaal and dense merging grids, paired with tonal satin velvet lehenga embroidery inspired with tradionational architectureal, floral and grid patterns, coupled with tonal embroidered net dupatta with scalloped heavy border and floral jaal all over. From @frontierraas "Regalia" collection, I felt like a real life Punjabi Queen from the Mughal Empire! My outfit featured a second dupatta in a light peach net to compliment my husband's sherwani, which featured peach dabka embroidery, and our bridal party's peach and gold outfits. It was pulled together with a matching crystal tassel belt.

My beautiful kundan chooda, from @sangini_accessories in Delhi,were paired with ruby and gold kalire.

I kept my wedding jewelry fairly simple, with an antique champagne stone and ivory pearl choker, matching earrings and tikka, and a pearl embellished naath (nose ring).

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the wedding planning process was definitely pulling all of our looks together and doing wedding shopping in India. Given work constraints, we only had 8 days to shop for clothes and accessories for myself, Sid, Sid's brother, my mom, my two sisters, two nieces, two nephews, AND our bridal party of 15 (!), for 4 events total. Though stressful, it ended up being really fun to find the perfect pieces and we literally would be out from dawn to dusk each night. When we returned home each evening, we would do a show and tell for our family of the days finds. We got really lucky that we were able to stay with our family that lives in a great area for new and upcoming designers, Shahpur Jat, so I was able to find some really unique pieces.

Once we finalized our outfits, I really loved the process of figuring out "the look" for each event. Shout out to Suman Auntyji for helping me bring my vision for each event to life!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
After a year and half of being stuck in the house during a pandemic, I know our guests really loved the intimacy of a small Indian wedding (which is pretty rare) and the energy on the dance floor the sangeet and reception night. We would be remiss if we didn't give DJ Shiv a HUGE shout out for absolutely killing the music selection and providing the energy to keep everyone on the dance floor until the very last minute. He took it all in stride for some our guests favorite dance floor moments, including letting me steal the mic for impromptu raps and speeches, an impromptu limbo session during the reception, and many "naagin" (snake move) dance circles. The vibe was just perfect each night and really brought everyone together to let loose and have a well deserved good time.

We also are still hearing from our guests about our wedding cake, which was a three tier "Rasmalai Inspired Cake" from a local baker, Tahirah Khan, of Sultana Sweet Delights, as well as the Chole Bhature at the wedding lunch, which was made by our wedding caterer, Diya Bistro.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The wedding ceremony itself. I didn't expect to feel so emotional, but I was just so overwhelmed with love for Sid and our family and friends, most of whom traveled from all over the country to be there, freshly vaccinated in the midst of a pandemic. During our "lavaan" (marriage rounds) three of my best friends turned brothers - Rob, Satwant, and Gurpreet- stood at each corner, as well as my cousin brothers Vikas, Amit, and Deepak. I felt so blessed and loved having them by my side during such a milestone moment. My sister, Reena, who is a beautiful singer, sang a Shabad (Sikh Hymn), accompanied by her husband, Eran, on the keyboard. After the Anand Karaj, Sid and I exchanged our own vows, which were from the heart and brought both of us to tears. It was truly a wedding representing a union of two souls, as well as two groups of friends and families.

I should note that during our ceremony, there were tons of cicadas flying around. The 17-year cicadas  hide underground and only make their appearance every 17 years, like clockwork, in the northeastern quarter of the United States in order to mate and lay their eggs before going back underground. Remaining underground for so long gives the next generation a survival advantage when they eventually emerge again in 17 years. While they weirded out some of our guests for sure, in looking back, I find the symbolism of the cicadas being present at our wedding to be really beautiful. It's almost how we all had to quarantine for a year before the wedding and then emerged for a beautiful union and beginning :)

Also during my Sangeet, my parents surprised us with a “Punjabi tappe,” which was called “Kothe te aa Mayya.”

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.
It was awesome to have the chunni ceremony the day before formal events, as it served as a sort of "welcome dinner/meet and greet" for our extended families. For the Mehendi, my friends, who live all over the country, flew in and came straight to my house and kept me company while I was getting my mehendi done. For the official function, we sang traditional Punjabi wedding songs and also some American hits like Backstreet Boys, accompanied by the dholki!

On Saturday morning we had the choora ceremony while Sid (the groom) had his haldi ceremony with his family. It was so fun to see my kalire fall on the heads of ALL my single friends, which means they are all next to the wedding altar. That evening we had the Sangeet, hosted at the hotel, where our friends and family surprised us with a slew of singing performances and dances! Sid and I are both very much into music and I am a HUGE dance/Bollywood fan so I always dreamt of a performance-filled Sangeet. We had songs sung by cousins, friends, uncles, our siblings, and my parents, as well as speeches from Sid's best friend Prashant and my best friend, Courtney. For the dances, my best friend Monika, who is an TOP NOTCH choreographer, coordinated a huge dance with our friends and cousins, along with a solo performance of my favorite Punjabi folk song, "Lathe de Chadar." My sisters Reena and Navita, and best friends Gurpreet and Namita, also did amazing Bhangra dances. To top it off, my little niece, Iyla, and nephew, Evin, did their very first Bollywood dance, and we all melted!  Sid and I also surprised the crowd with a couple's dance to "Morni Banke." This was probably one of the most special moments, as Sid is not a dancer, and had never performed before! Just for me, he learned this choreography so we could fulfill my dream of having a true Punjabi Sangeet -- and he killed it!!!

Sunday was the big day. We kicked off with Sid's Baraat, where he chose to ride in a white Jeep Wrangler Renegade decorated with marigolds instead of the traditional white horse. Before entering the building, we had the Milni ceremony and my bridesmaids and bridesman made sure no one would enter until the groom paid up :).

The reception was the grand finale of the weekend. Sid's brother, Sunny, and his uncle and mom made very heartfelt speeches. My sister, Navita, also made a beautiful speech. I surprised Sid with a singing performance of Etta James' "At Last," to express how much he means to me. Much to our surprise, our family, friends, and nieces and nephews had more dance performances planned, the highlight being an epic performance to "Jalebi Baby," a classical performance by my sisters to "Ghar More Pardesiya," and dances by my brother in laws, Vani and Eran. The rest of the night was followed by many drinks and non-stop dancing in true Punjabi style.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Choose vendors you connect with and trust. You end up spending a year or more with these people planning, and if you have the wrong people by your side, you should trust your gut to go with someone else. There should be nothing stressful about your wedding weekend . If you feel that will be the case during your planning process, you should act accordingly.

I'd also say make sure you get your timeline for the weekend right and go over it several times with ALL of your vendors. For example, your photographer should confirm you have enough time for photos etc., your caterer should have input on when the food should be set up, etc. That synergy is key to ensuring everything runs smoothly! I'd also say have a point of contact for both families to assist with moving things along, even if you have a planner.

My beloved Maharanis, come back tomorrow for more! 

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My lovely Maharanis, Wednesday is here, and with it, a film that will bring back sweet memories from a magnificent event, Claire & Ritam's wedding. A match made in heaven! As you may recall, this lovely couple decided to say I do in a breathtaking venue, The Merion. A place where their elegant décor makes every event feels like royalty. Elegant Events Planning & Design put together the most outstanding ambiance to ensure every guest felt like they were in a fairy tale. Maharanis, every detail went beyond ideal thanks to House of Catherine and Petals Lane. These two teams embellished the salon with unique details, beautiful flowers, and spectacular colors. Trust me, Claire & Ritam's happiness is more than noticeable! I think we all can agree that this event was remarkable! Why don't we talk about the beauty of our gorgeous Claire? LadyChebli Beauty Bar did the makeup for our Maharani, and she looked natural yet elegant, classy yet sweet. She was just stunning! Remember, with delicate makeup comes a magnificent gown. Mari Mi Bridal knows this, and their priority is to create an experience and make you say "I do" to the perfect dress, so they did with Claire's wedding gown! But that is not all my queens; Mehndikalogie designed an exclusive Mehndi art that took everyone's attention to the lovely bride! You know dancing at a wedding is a must-do! DJ Sunny Entertainment got everyone to the dancefloor. I am sure this was a night to remember! And the best news is here! PhotosMadeEz captured every detail of this enchanting celebration, along with the love, happiness, and these two beautiful souls getting together for life! They have shared the blockbuster film below for our delight. Click the play button, and get ready to relive this fairytale. 

That is all for today, my favorite Maharanis! See you tomorrow for another love story! 

PhotosMadeEz and Mehndikalogie are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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