Good morning, lovely Maharanis! We hope you are ready to dive into a new love story because we have a Lockdown Wedding in Paradise that we are sure will leave you sighing! So, let's wait no more and get ready to enjoy all the fabulous details surrounding Sonam & Rohan's intimate wedding celebration. This time, we will take you to The Beach House in Honolulu, Hawaii, to enjoy this memorable and once in a lifetime event thoroughly planned and designed by Mira Savara Events. After having a conversation with their family, these lovebirds decided not to wait indefinitely and chose to celebrate their wedding celebration during the lockdown. And what a great decision it was because exchanging vows on the oceanfront along with a picture-perfect view, amongst the people who love them the most, is what a real-life fairytale is all about! With the paradisiacal landscape, and lovely ornaments and floral arrangements that Todd Oshiro - Always Flowers put together, there is no denying that this was the perfect scenario for Sonam & Rohan to say "I do" in front of their family and friends. Our gorgeous Sonam stole the show as she looked stunning in her beautiful red lengha, designed by Siddartha Tytler. To complement this fashionable look, she took care of her makeup to play it safe during these challenging times. But that is not all! Sonam trusted her glamorous hairstyle to Face Art Beauty, who delivered nothing but utter perfection! If you are as excited as we are, hit the play icon below and get ready to enjoy this cinematographic delight by IMF Visions. It is a cornucopia of beauty and flair that will take your breath away! So, check it out now!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Two years ago we were introduced by a common friend at some social gathering but i didn’t remember that introduction at all. So the next time my husband saw me was at a party.. he walked right up to me on the dance floor and acted like he was my best friend. I was like - who is this guy again? And then thought to myself "What the hell.. he’s cute, let’s explore! ” We got along like a house on fire and that very same night we spoke for three hours. After that we went on several creative creative dates and before we knew it we were officially dating. They're absolutely correct when they say " the right person will walk into your life & you'll have no idea from where he’ll come from" - mine literally walked up to me!
My experience was truly mystic and magical. Marriages really are made in heaven.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was straight out of a movie! We had gone to Bangkok for the weekend, to celebrate the sale lf his company in India. We extended the trip 3 times and stayed 14 days, because we just couldn't get enough of partying and spending time together. On the second last day he tells me that he's booked us for dinner at a really nice restaurant. Unsuspectingly I went along, it was on a boat and beautifully done up. The boat docked in front of a Buddhist temple and he asked me to come uo to take a look. Then and tehre he went down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I was in tears, while everyone else on the boat was cheering. It was even more meaningful because I practice Budhism and he decided to do it in front of a Budhist temple which was lit up fully at night. The view and the proposal left me speechless.
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.
So blessed to have had the most surreal, intimate and beautiful wedding on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
Exchanging vows on the ocean front along with a picture perfect view of the sunset, amongst the few people who love you the most - this truly was a fairy tale wedding.
As a true Delhi girl I always expected a big fat Indian wedding, but I knew that these challenging circumstances wouldn't allow that for a long time to come. Sometime in the 2nd week of June our parents decided to not wait indefinitely and go ahead with a traditional Hindu ceremony here in Hawaii- where all of us have been spending our lockdown. With just 2 weeks in hand we managed to organize both our outfits from New Delhi - fortunately I had brand new one which I'd bought earlier for my sisters wedding & for Rohan we actually did a video call with the designer and I took the measurements. The forces of the universe conspired to make this wedding flawless - outfits were tailored on time, couriers reached on time, we found a learned priest here in Hawaii, a venue with a view thats breathtaking, a talented hair artist who was available - trusted & with full safety measures, jewelry from his aunt whose based on this island, chura and mangalsutra flew in from LA, the best and most well-known team of photographers & videographers here and most importantly - perfect pleasant weather with no rain! Thankfully my husband's aunt here is a wedding planner - she was super resourceful with full attention to detail on every aspect.
The video team on my instructions had dedicated one person to take care of the zoom call using the stand that was organised. Watching my loved ones who had dressed up for the occasion virtually & taking their blessings was an incredible experience. I'm no make up expert, but somehow that day I did it perfectly - a look that soft, feminine, flirty, elegant yet a bit glamorous.. Apt for a day wedding. In my experience, a lot has to do with being happy within and as a bride your face just glows with joy, I didnt miss having a makeup artist at all!
With just 10 people physically present and several others there virtually - I enjoyed every moment of my wedding . Every moment sank in slowly and I lived/absorbed all of it with no chaos around, only the sound of waves :)
The one thing that we were all very particular about was that every vendor had to wear a mask, every surface/tool/gadget we touched was sanitized, we had sanitizer bottles everywhere. We also ensured that the family members attending as well as the ither vendors had been taking adequate safety measures a few days before the wedding. We didnt want to let our guard down for even one day - small risks could endanger someone's health and that would be terrible, as a result of this joyous occasion.
For everyone out there whose having a lockdown wedding - you should totally be on cloud nine, its your big day and your intimate wedding can be the most meaningful one if you're happy on the inside. Also, now with so many ideas out there its totally worth it to get a wedding planner as theres so much you can do!
Eg. Your bridesmaids can co ordinate their dress for zoom
- You can send out wedding favors/gifts with props for the call
- Favours can be sent after the wedding I had this organized in New Delhi. Sent a hamper of Royce chocolates with a personalized note to the extended family.
The zoom/e invite can be nicely drafted.
Milnis and other ceremonies on zoom
Personalized masks and sanitizer bottle covers.
And lots more! Get creative
Believe me, theres nothing like marrying the one you love amongst the people who really matter - its blissful, its joyful and an experience you ll never forget.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Fortunately for me I had a brand new heavy bridal lehenga by Siddharth Tytler lying with me in Delhi. I had bought it a few years agi for my sisters wedding and didn't end up wearing it, because I bought so many more! The shopaholic that I am :)
With such a short notice and during these challenging times it was impossible to get a lehenga in Hawaii. Hence I had this one couriered. I was quite sure it wont reach on time and was planning a back up outfit. But to my surprise the parcel came within a week and I could wear that lovely red bridal lehenga. It's true, you really do feel like an Indian bride once you're all dressed, and the traditional red lehenga has a huge role to play in that.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
R. It's like an exciting project! I think I had the best time choosing the venue. Because we were getting married on this beautiful island, every location was stunning. It was going to be a small intimate wedding and hence I wanted the best view. The venue, the flowers, the decor and figuring out a zoom display. All of it was fun, unique, unexpected and quite an adventure
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The fact that it was only family and as loved ones they could be a part of every moment, absorb everything thats going on. They coyld bless us and witness every ceremony peacefully. This is what got everyone very emotional and I had a momemt of realization - that this is what a wedding ceremony should be like. With large weddings a lot of my friends barely remember the rituals/traditions followed because there's so many people, so many thoughts in your head.. Its chaotic.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The moments when neither my husband nor I could understand what the priest was saying as he was talking in Sanskrit and my prankster husband decides to say/do things to amuse us. Several times we were caught giggling on camera during a very serious ceremony. I'll never forget that, for me those were the moments I decided that we are now going to be together forever..
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.
For me it was all in one day! Starting from the chura, baraat, my entry as a bride, the hindu wedding ceremony, the griha pravesh, muh dikhai and the celebrations with some bubbly.
I was fortunate to be able to have all the ceremonies despite my challenging circumstances. I got married in Hawaii,
my Lehenga came from India, my Chura came from LA, I had worn my husband's aunts jewelry, did my own make up, the decor was stunning, the food was fabulous and the videographers were the most co operative as the had to keep on eye on the zoom video telecast too. All the vendors that we worked with were so helpful, they would take a lot of interest, make exceptions when its not necessary etc. I thought to myself this is the spirit of Hawaiian people, they're just so friendly and caring.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Live every second of your wedding!
Especially for Covid Brides -
Its still yoir special say, you're the star.. Never onve feel that your wedding was a compromise because it actually is a blessing in disguise. You ll feel so much more with just tbise who matter around you.
The glow only comes from within, hence pls do everything you can to remain happy those days. There is no need to stress, wnough people arw working to make your wedding the most special.
The one thing you can focus on is your pictures, makeup and your look. Those who couldn't attend the wedding will live it through the photos and also in future your children /grandchildren will see these. Images are timeless.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
I did have a really cute and colorful Mehendi ceremony the day before at our home. His parents and relatives came over and we had a blast with the dholki and singing traditional punjabi songs. Of course all this was also telecast on zoom for my family that wasnt there. His aunt did my haldi and put mehendi for me on my hands and feet.
I felt so touched, that everyone throughout this wedding had gone out of their way to make me feel special. I wouldn't have it any other way :)
What a great way to start the day! Remember that we have new stories every day, so make sure to join us tomorrow for more.
