Hello, Maharanis! Today we'll be sharing Amrita and Kamal's enchanting Sikh wedding with you, captured fabulously by the talented folks at Wedding Documentary Photo + Cinema! There were gorgeous details in abundance throughout this shaadi, starting with the spectacular pre-wedding celebration decorations by R&R Event Rentals, around the 0:04 mark. Make sure to pause to admire every glittering detail! After their Sikh wedding ceremony, the lovely couple headed to the spectacular Santa Clara Marriott for their dream reception. Shakor Decor brought the newlyweds' vision to life, using an abundance of flowers to create a garden indoors. We're in awe at the amazing centerpieces at the 3:24 mark, and the sweetheart stage (at 3:26) looks absolutely magical! As the fog rolled onto the dancefloor during Amrita and Kamal's first dance, it looked like a scene from a fairy tale! Enjoy all the heartwarming speeches and amazing details in the video below!
Maharani Amrita on how her Raja proposed:
"Kamal proposed to me unexpectedly on our one year dating anniversary. I didn't suspect anything because I had always said, 'I wouldn't want to get engaged on a holiday, Valentine's Day, our anniversary or my birthday,' as I felt it was too cliche. Our anniversary fell on a Monday, so after work I quickly got ready and on my way out the door my mom was teary eyed as she hugged me; I couldn't understand why. On our way to San Francisco for dinner, I noticed Kamal seemed really nervous and was more chatty than usual but again didn't suspect anything. He took me to a beautiful restaurant with pink roses at the table. He's a romantic so this was not out of the ordinary for a special occasion. Following dinner, he suggested taking a walk on pier 7, a pier we frequented as friends. I complained the entire walk down the pier because my heels were getting stuck in the wood planks but we finally made it to the end where we exchanged anniversary gifts. I unwrapped a book (I LOVE to read) which I opened up, and it turns out it was a decoy jewelry box with my ring tucked inside. I was so shocked and surprised as he got down on one knee; I couldn't stop smiling. There was a photographer on site as well to catch every beautiful moment. I was in such shock I forgot to say yes, but of course did in the end!"
On her wedding style:
"Unfortunately, I was not the bride who had her whole wedding planned from childhood so I had to start entirely from scratch. I didn't realize that I had no idea what I wanted until I got engaged and realized we had a wedding to plan in 9 months! After looking online, flipping through magazines and of course talking to my mom, I narrowed down that I wanted something feminine and elegant with a hint of a garden theme. We originally wanted an outdoor reception, but we couldn't find anything in the Bay Area that could accommodate a party our size; so we brought the outdoors in. Regarding our reception decor, Bahar at Shakor Decor took what I was describing and brought it to life better than I could have imagined. Our reception was every bit elegant, feminine and soft with the right hues of pinks and blush plus a hint of glam. It was like stepping into a garden with all the flowers, greenery and candles; there were such intricate details on each table ranging from the center pieces to the individual table settings. All along our backdrop there were smaller flowers and tiny candles, plus swanky draping on each entrance to cover up the neon exit signs. For the morning ceremony at the Gurdwara, I relied on the warmth of burnt orange and gold for the langar hall to enhance the feeling of fall; perfect for September. I didn't want any floral arrangements for the wedding ceremony because I knew we had plenty of fresh flowers for the reception! Raman with R&R Event Rentals did a beautiful job with my mehndi night decor at Palm Dale Estates. Again, it had the perfect bit of sparkle and elegance I wanted."
On her favorite part of planning:
"I enjoyed connecting with my cousins and family who live oversees and were visiting specifically for this occasion. It was a great bonding experience staying up late working on wedding related projects, brainstorming, shopping and laughing together. Every one of my family members helped in some aspect of the event and for that I'm grateful."
On finding the perfect lengha:
"I definitely spent hours on the internet researching to see what's in style now and to see what a more classic look would entail. In the end, I decided on a very classic red and gold bridal lengha for the morning ceremony with a touch of pearl work. I am not the most traditional person and felt one of the only times I could experience that is on my wedding day and I am so glad I did! I absolutely loved the style and fit of my lengha plus the jewelry and nath I decided to add at the last minute. With my reception lengha, I remember seeing a royal blue piece with a gold top online that inspired my look. I did not want anything too flashy, yet wanted to shine none the less. I worked with Geeta Sarin in London who has a boutique called Rivaaz. In person, she was lovely to work with and provided detailed input about styles and cuts which would best suit my body type. She kindly shipped my pieces to me in California, but I would always suggest picking them up in person just in case things don't fit quite right!"
On the most magical moment of the wedding:
"When we were finalizing our venue locations, Kamal and I would stand in the reception hall and play our first dance song, 'Wanted.' We looked at each other and would pretend dance to see how we felt in that location and if it's where we saw ourselves on September 26th dancing together as husband and wife; it sounds silly but it's a special moment I remember. When we played the song together in the ballroom at the Marriott, it all fit with the lighting, the Tuscan chandeliers and large wooden beams overhead; it was precisely what we were looking for aesthetically and emotionally."
On choosing a song for their first dance:
"Kamal and I danced to the acoustic version of 'Wanted' by Hunter Hayes. The Hunter Hayes version is a song we both loved from the beginning of our relationship and one we had sent back and forth to one another just to let the other know we're thinking of them. During the wedding planning process, we went through tons of songs trying to find the perfect one we could listen to over and over again without getting tired of it. One day, while Kamal was out of town, I was sitting in my room and the original version of wanted came on my playlist; I paused for a second before realizing this is it! I searched for an acoustic version and replayed the song over and over falling in love with it more each time. I finally sent it to Kamal and he agreed immediately that it just felt right."
On her wedding day look:
"With my makeup I wanted something to enhance my features without actually wearing too much makeup. I don't wear much makeup on a daily basis anyhow and my biggest fear was not looking like myself in photographs. I found Sharona Usher online and after viewing her extensive gallery decided she would be perfect for my bridal makeup at both the wedding and reception. I did not have a trial session with Sharona which in retrospect was risky, but I trusted her work and awesome reviews. She arrived right on time both days, was professional in responding to my emails and texts and made me feel incredibly glamorous while still looking natural. For my hair, I knew I had to have an updo for the wedding ceremony as my dupatta had to be pinned in to the bun. For the reception, I went back and forth between an updo and keeping my hair down with curls. I didn't make a decision until the morning of the reception! I showed Jasmine with Lilly's Beauty World a couple of pictures and she worked off of those. I decided on keeping my hair down with curls and my usual side part, with one side slightly pinned back which helped me resist the urge of running my fingers through my hair and allowed me to expose the gorgeous earrings I had on!"
On how her friends and family contributed to the wedding:
"My amazing bridesmaids (my cousins and best friends) assisted me in shopping for centerpieces, putting them together and decorating the tables at the Gurdwara langar hall the morning of the wedding. They then packed up my centerpieces and brought them home for me after the wedding procession. One of my bridesmaids also picked up my reception shoes for me two days before the wedding and a couple of other odd and ends I desperately needed. They gave me such peace of mind, I don't know what I would have done without them!"
On her favorite wedding detail:
"My cake was one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process. The design and layout of the cake was the only item I had decided on many years back. I wanted a multi-tiered cake in the shapes of pillows with flowers on them. I remember seeing a pillow cake almost 15 years ago at my cousin's wedding in London and decided then that I had to have something similar. The cake was beautiful, making it difficult to cut into at the reception; it sat on bed of fresh flowers surrounded by candles, with detailed piping on each tier. In the end, we did cut the cake and it was delicious!"
Tomorrow's Indian wedding video is also a double feature on the main blog, so don't miss it!
