What an amazing feature this is, Maharanis! We can't wait for you to check it out and get absolutely inspired by this gracious couple and of course, by our gorgeous Maharani. Regal Palette Studio and their talented team created for us the highlight reel of what was Payal & Hiten's marvelous Indian wedding. It was an outstanding night filled with love, joy, choreographies, laughter, and lots of fun! The beautiful ceremony and reception were housed by the always elegant Hanover Marriott in Whippany, NJ. Charmingly decorated by none other than Mayank Amin from Platinum Dream Events. I know! Some serious design went down for our lucky couple! But that is not all, Maharani Payal turned into a true eastern princess thanks to the glam squad she recruited. Flawless Beauty by Pauline and Stylebysmita embellished our bride and her family and as you will see, it is safe to say: mission accomplished! So, grab a partner to giggle along and get ready for today's feature film!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Hiten and I met online. We spent a few weeks chatting back and forth before we decided it was time to meet face-to-face. From the beginning, I could tell that Hiten was kind, respectful, and an overall fun-loving person. I had to postpone our date until the end of July of that year because I was finishing up some classes. Hiten thought I was flaking on him, but unbeknownst to him, I truly was planning to reach out at the end of the month. So, I did. We met up for dinner, which ended up lasting about 6 hours as we talked about life, family, friends, and everything in between. Hiten was my first and only online date, and I'm extremely lucky to have found my partner in him. I knew he was "the one" based on his thoughtful gestures, the way he treated my parents with sheer kindness, and how he so naturally put my needs above his own.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Hiten proposed on 3/18/2017 in Philadelphia near the AMOR sculpture in Logan Square. At the time I was a part of Exodus Artistry, a dance company (hire them for all your dance needs), so Hiten had them plan a fake dance gig in Philly to get me there without suspicion. We started that Saturday with brunch at Bar BomBón, after which we headed to Logan Square. Hiten insisted on getting a photo in front of the iconic sculpture, so we made our way there. When we arrived, we asked a woman to take our photo, and this woman proceeded to take a photo of us not only on our phone camera but also on her professional camera. I started telling Hiten that we should ask her to delete the picture, etc, etc. Before I knew it, Hiten got down on one knee and started to propose! He explained why there's a woman taking our photo, why we're here, and how he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. I always thought I would cry during my proposal, but honestly, all I felt was pure happiness and I could not stop smiling. Within minutes, all of our closest friends and family from all over the country (& world) walked towards us with decorations and signs. Then, Hiten had organized for my girlfriends and Mom to bring outfits, makeup, and hair tools to get me ready before we went out for the rest of the night. The day was absolutely perfect. He is perfect.
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.
Since Hiten and I had discussed getting engaged, I had started the planning process quite early. I had several email drafts already saved to vendors that I knew would deliver perfection. I had known my makeup artist for 2 years (since she did my MOH's hair/makeup at her wedding), so that was easy. I actually picked my wedding date around her availability. We chose the venue that had those dates, fell within our budget, and looked like a place we could envision our wedding. The one question to ask yourself when choosing a vendor is "Are they flexible and easy to work with?". If you don't enjoy talking to them or feel comfortable with the vendor, don't waste your time.
Outfits: We went to India for all of our outfits. It was quite the hassle dealing with vendors in India, but you do get a ton of options. In the end, we were happy.
Decor Theme: This was probably one of the hardest parts for me. Even though I had an overflow of ideas from Instagram and Pinterest, it was difficult to choose just one theme and put it all together. I knew that I wanted a colorful garba, modern yet traditional mandap style, and elegant reception, so Hiten and I chose the decor that best fit that criteria.
Wedding Planner: That was easy! Hiten knew Mayank from Platinum Dreams and we had heard great things about the team. And boy, did they deliver! Not only were we pleased, but our guests were boasting about the Platinum group for weeks.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I worked with Suruchi Parakh from Surat, Gujarat to design my wedding dress. I always knew I wanted to have a green and gold lengha, so she helped bring my vision to life.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Wedding Ceremony:
We were fortunate to have little to no chatter from a crowd of 320 people, and our guests seemed to appreciate that. We also heard that the ceremony was timely and organized.
Reception:
Our DJ made the evening extremely enjoyable. Because we had limited speeches(for an Indian wedding), we maximized the amount of time our guests could spend on the dance floor. After the wedding, many of our guests said that they had never seen a wedding where everyone immediately joined the dance floor and had a good 4-5 hours of dancing, no interruptions. That was VERY important to us. The reception is a time enjoy and we are so happy to hear that our guests had fun.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our reception hall reveal gave us a few minutes to soak in what had just happened a few hours prior -- we got married! We also rehearsed our first dance, which gave us a more intimate feeling than performing it at the reception. Hiten will argue that his most special moment was the nap he squeezed in after the ceremony before the reception ;)
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
1. It's never too early to start planning
2. Complete your guest list first
3. Book your vendors early (esp in NY/NJ)
4. Schedule a weekly date night with your fiancé and don't talk about wedding planning
5. Remember that it all does come together, so don't forget to reflect during the planning process and appreciate the end goal.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
We could discuss every single detail about our wedding for days on end, but I think our pictures do it justice. This was the most perfect day that came together because of our love for each other, support from friends/family, and immense planning. No matter how your wedding ends up, it is a dream come true. I wouldn't change anything about our wedding week, except maybe have a repeat button because I never wanted it to end!
Stay with us for more glam! Relive Payal & Hiten's images in our
photo feature!
