Happy Tuesday, ladies! Today we are very excited to have Anchal & Parag's featured wedding film! It comes straight out of National Harbor in Maryland and I'm just loving the overall vibe of the nuptials. Imagine that you, without knowing, have been knowing your significant other for 13 years before realizing he was the one? Amazing isn't it? That is exactly the case of Maharani Anchal and Raja Parag. A truly special story indeed! The ceremony and reception were both held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, and of course, our couple needed the pros for the floral and decoration of the venue. Nivanjoli fit the description and created the beautiful love scenography that saw our couple tie the knot. We also are well aware that weddings can get hectic, especially Indian weddings with all the glam and glitter. Our couple had it covered with CG & Co Events, who planned and designed the entire spree. It is safe to say that it was a massive success! Smiles and dancing all around by the beats of Planet DJ Productions. This next highlight reel comes thanks to our very good friends from Photographick Studios. They did an amazing job putting together the moving images that will for sure, move you, Maharanis at home. So, get those lenghas ready, secure your tikkas, and prepare to dive into Anchal & Parag's love story.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
My family and Parag's family have known each other from the southern Maryland Indian community since 2002. We were acquaintances for years. The extent of our conversations were “hi” and “how are you?” for 13 years. In April 2015 during my sister’s wedding, I talked to Parag and said we should hang out sometime since I know his siblings so well, but not him. I randomly received a text message from Parag in November 2015 during the week of Thanksgiving asking if I was free to hang out. I said I was available on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Parag drove to pick me up that Friday from my house, and we went for dinner at Bollywood Masala. Our dinner lasted for 7 hours, and I told my mom I was going to marry Parag the morning after our dinner!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Parag and I were flying to Chicago for Christmas. On the way to the airport, we stopped in DC to see the national Christmas tree. Parag proposed in front of the tree, which is where our second date took place. We love this tree and have made it a tradition to buy the White House Christmas ornament each year.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Selecting a bridal lengha took a lot of time! I knew I did not want to wear the traditional bridal lengha so started researching bridal designers online. Since our wedding was in December, I wanted to wear the color emerald green. I consulted with a designer in Mumbai and had many lengthy discussions on how to incorporate this color into my bridal wear. My all-time favorite color for clothes is baby pink/blush pink, so we collectively decided to put together a bridal lengha with the color combination of emerald green and blush pink. Additionally, I really wanted champagne gold incorporated with this outfit but had already selected my jewelry, which was white gold. Therefore, we decided to integrate champagne gold and silver into the handwork.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The food carts! We had 5 different cuisines at our wedding: Thai, Mexican, Indo-Chinese, Indian, and Italian. Each station had a name like Punjabi Haveli, Thai Palace, Italian Grotto, Bombay to Beijing, and Mexican Rivera. Parag and I had spent so much time on getting these food carts made and are so happy everyone enjoyed the food options!
Additionally, guests loved the gold oval bar we had rented during the reception. The bar was gigantic, and because of its size and number of bartenders hired, there was never a line to get a drink.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
YES! Walking down the aisle with my dad and looking at Parag at the mandap was the best moment of the day! I felt so many emotions all at once it was truly incredible!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
YES! Do not take the burden of wedding planning upon yourself! It is your wedding, and you should enjoy the entire journey. Delegate to family members and close friends. Enjoy the day, and do not worry if everything is executed as planned. One thing or another will happen, but it is best to let someone else handle the obstruction-not you! Most people will not even notice if your plan is not executed perfectly.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
We loved our pastry chef and cake. Our cake was a tiered cake, but it had a lot of texture and layers, so it unfolded like a rose. We also loved the Riverview Ballroom in the Gaylord National Resort. It gave a very outdoor feeling with floor to ceiling glass windows instead of an enclosed ballroom wedding. The view was incredible, and the Ferris wheel looked awesome at night.
The decor for our wedding and reception was gorgeous. We wanted an indoor garden theme for our wedding ceremony. For the wedding reception, we wanted to continue the indoor garden theme but also added a romantic vibe with hundreds of candles on the tables and stage. Also, at the reception, we rented trees and planters to divide the ballroom in half. We used one half of the ballroom for cocktail hour and the other half for the reception. This allowed the cocktail hour to flow with our indoor garden and candlelight theme instead of in an enclosed hallway.
Stay with us, ladies, for more!
