Welcome to a tale of romance and splendor in the breathtaking wedding of Anisha & Jake. Nestled in the serene beauty of Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch, their nuptials were a dream brought to life by the meticulous planning and design of TruElegance, who ensured every detail shimmered with love and sophistication. Anisha was adorned in exquisite bridal fashion by Fashion Queen Bridal, her beauty further accentuated by the skillful touch of Makiaj Beauty for her hair and makeup. Her presence was like a delicate bloom, perfectly complemented by The Wildflowers AZ's enchanting floral arrangements and décor. As the day unfolded, A Cakes Bakery unveiled a masterpiece of confectionery that was as delightful to the palate as it was to the eyes. The reception, a kaleidoscope of joy and celebration, saw Anisha in a stunning outfit from Silk Threads by Ruby Bhandari. The ambiance, set alight with music and laughter by DJ Isaac Entertainment, had guests swaying to the rhythm of happiness, capturing memories that David Jesse Photography immortalized with their artistic vision.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met Jake while working on a political campaign in 2016. We never really officially started dating and just fell into being together. Over time, our lives became more intertwined, and I just realized that all the Taylor Swift love songs I used to listen to started being about him.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Jake proposed at Bryce Canyon National Park as part of a national park road trip that we went on in 2022. We went for a gorgeous sunrise hike, and knowing what a huge swiftie I am, when he proposed, he said, "I'd like to hang out with you my whole life." The proposal wasn't too much of a surprise, so we were both dressed up and had a photographer present, because what better time and place to get our engagement shoot done!
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.
Going into planning this wedding, I had a few specific things in mind: I knew that I wanted at least one of the events to be Rajasthani-themed, as I had been in 2008 and fell in love with the culture, food, dancing, and music, I wanted the actual wedding and my outfits to be fairly traditional for a Gujarati bride, but not at all fussy or heavy, and that I absolutely did not want a hotel/ballroom wedding.
Starting from those premises made planning pretty easy. I narrowed my search of venues to outdoor, ranch-style locations that allowed outside catering. The venue we ended up choosing, Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch, is really close to my parent's house and a place that I'd often wanted to stay at - little did I know that we'd be having the ultimate staycation there!
In terms of decor, we wanted to keep things pretty simple because the venue itself was stunning, and we wanted to highlight the natural beauty around us. We kept the mandap pretty minimal, with just flowers in the trees.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
In terms of outfits, I wanted a traditional-looking panetar, but I didn't want it to be too heavy. It was the only outfit that I absolutely wanted to see in person before buying. We took a trip to Edison, NJ, and went to a few shops. I tried on a few traditional bridal outfits but was overwhelmed by how heavy they were. I found my panetar in the regular, non-bridal section of the store and absolutely fell in love and had my "say yes to the dress moment." My mom had my second dupatta come from India and had a custom-made border with Shrinathji on it so that part rested atop my head.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I loved selecting our caterer and doing our taste-testing. It was a rigorous endeavor, and we asked a lot of places, but we ended up placing all our faith in Sukhadia Caterers, and it was absolutely the right decision to make. They were able to accommodate all the styles of food we were looking for and the dietary restrictions of all our guests, as well as facilitate the family-style reception. Everyone raved about the food throughout the events, which was reflected in our taste.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I think our guests' favorite part of the wedding was the venue. It was just a completely different experience from what people were used to, and for those who were able to stay at the ranch, it was a really cool, communal family experience. There were so many different little event areas for us to use as well, like the corral, pool area, and lodge, which made for such fun picture ops.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
For the Western wedding, we'd asked folks to dress with a southwestern twist, which I wasn't expecting a lot of people to get into. That said, an absolute highlight of the events for me was seeing my uncles, cousins, and nephews come in cowboy hats, boots, and jeans. It really meant a lot that my family leaned into that!
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 went all out for the Rajasthani-themed mehndi/welcome dinner with puppet t-lights, elephant hangers, and Indian-style cots. Our centerpieces were urlis with diy-ed disks of sand so that the puppets inside helped create these little "scenes" of Rajasthan. Our dances were on Rajasthani-themed songs like Ghoomar, Chaudary, and Rajvaadi Odhani.
We did theme the reception around national parks, so we were able to get a cute national park sign. We made all our table numbers national parks and used postcards to identify the tables. It was really important to me that the reception meal was served family style, which Sukhadia's delivered on!
My cat, Hamilton, escorted me down the aisle for the Western wedding, which was really important to me. He had a cute little suit/vest thing that matched Jake and his groomsmen's suits, and it was just special to have him there.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Pick the one or two things that you really care about and stick to them. A lot of wedding planning is compromised with parents, family, the groom, vendors, etc., but if you can focus on the one or two things that are really important to you, it's easier to make those compromises elsewhere.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
I almost didn't get a cake, but opted to close to the last minute. Like all things in the wedding planning process, I wanted the traditional thing (the cake) but with a twist. We ended up with this gorgeous reddish-terracotta cake that was made with spray-on chocolate, and Armana created these 16 chocolate bars for the cake that reflect the national parks that we've been to together.
I also really loved that we had Robert Jackson on site to create portraits of our guests for wedding favors. I think it was a cute way to give our guests something from our wedding that was reflective of them.
I hope you enjoy this feature. Until next time, stay in love and keep celebrating every heartbeat.
