Welcome to Maharani Weddings

It’s a bit sad to leave paradise and head into reality. Sigh, but the only way to do it is dive into the clear, Fijian waters as we celebrate the last big event in Natasha’s wedding. I could go on and on about the gorgeous clothing, dancing, the bright colors contrasted with the clear blue waters and I still would not be able to give this wedding the justice it deserves! For her reception night, the bride opted for a backless gown that was form fitting in the most sultry way! Stanley from Fiji Bridal Professional Hair & Makeup bewitched the bride with a soft makeup look paired with a sophisticated updo that was sure to turn heads. The reception party took place outdoors, designed with an elegant touch in mind by Paradise Bride Weddings & Events Fiji. Catering was provided in house at the Intercontinental Resort & Spa Fiji who is known for fine cuisine and delectable desserts. 3rd Above provided entertainment that kept guests dancing all night underneath a fistful of stars. Jashan Photography captured all the image still images in the gallery with Freedom Films ensuring all the live action memory was forever memorialized.

We hope you enjoyed all that went into the gorgeous affair and we will see you tomorrow. Have a fab day Maharanis!

When Maharani Natasha started planning her destination Indian wedding, she knew she was up for the challenge. However, there was one element that was entirely sure of the moment she was proposed to. Her Indian wedding lengha. Scouring through Pinterest, she finally decided on a design and enlisted Kavita from RE Mumbai and miraculously was able to convey the bride’s vision without stepping foot out of the country. What resulted is a stunning traditional yet modern red and gold lengha. I especially loved the tapestry pattern on the hem of the flowing skirt. The bride was beautified by Stanley of Fiji Bridal Professional Hair & Makeup and this makeup artist did not skip a beat. The bride was an outright stunner. The venue took place beach side at the Intercontinental Resort & Spa Fiji and the outdoor venue just dazzled with pizazz from the works of Paradise Bride Weddings & Events Fiji. Swimming in the gallery are a treasure cove of images that just need to be doted on. Hats off to Jashan Photography for their stellar work in the photography business! The details of the wedding are coming from the bride herself and she has more to dish down below! 

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?

In all honestly planning an overseas wedding in Fiji was as exciting as it was a headache at times. Fiji time meant everything moved slower and getting responses took longer. With 4AM Skype calls due to the time difference it was a long year of planning but each time we managed to lock something in and the day we arrived at the resort and caught up face to face with our decorators and hotel staff and I felt at ease knowing they would make our vision come to life.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

Everything! It was a holiday through and through for every single person. As none of our family were involved in the planning process everyone was able to relax sit back and enjoy. Our entire wedding was unplugged as we wanted people to interact, our friends to meet our family and for everyone to engage with what was going on around them. Many of our friends had never been to a Hindu wedding before let alone Fiji so it was an experience for them all.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?

At our wedding reception when we opened up the dance floor my grandfather got up took off his jacket and started circling it above his head and started dancing with my grandmother. As they are both in their 80s and had just made a journey halfway across the world and weren't sure how they would handle it with their health to see them get up and enjoy themselves so much meant the world to me. To see my family come together after 26 years and to be up together having fun every night till late was exactly what we wanted from our wedding - and we made it happen.

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.

As Fiji is naturally so beautiful we tried to host all our events outdoors so people could admire the view and take in the amazing surrounds. With this in mind we wanted all the décor to simple but elegant so it was a subtle enhancement of the surroundings. We wanted our guests to be involved actively in as many events as we could. We designed and printed booklets for each event describing what was happening every step. We hosted our Pithi & Sadhak together so all our friends and family were together all of the time. With a beautiful water feature background with Frangipani trees we got all our guests involved in Pithi and all our friends had a go at smothering us! The only dance we organised was our own First Dance at the Reception which was hosted by a friend who does stand up comedy so everyone was in tears of laughter most of the night.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

Have fun whilst planning as hard as it can be and try and savour every moment. Even with a 4 day wedding it goes so quickly. Enjoy the small moments with your family and your husband every chance you get - these are some of the best memories you will have.

One last stop for the rocking reception! See you in a Fiji minute!

Happy Tuesday dolls! Hope your week has come off to a good start and if not, let’s travel together to Maharani Natasha's destination wedding to the beautiful island the Fiji Islands. This tailor made Indian wedding was chock full of family, fun and clear blue waters but, it was quite the task getting the festivities planned and primped. It took one whole year of early morning skype calls, linking up with vendors and what we can imagine (exciting) frustration. But, as you can see in the images captured by Jashan Photography, it was all worth the wait. Shocking enough, Natasha managed to keep her series of events a surprise from her family! As guests trickled into the Intercontinental Resort & Spa Fiji, guests were left speechless. The venue is a luxurious haven for those escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life and every Indian bride dreams of having a romantic, beach side wedding ceremony. The mehndi night was a fun night for all in the wedding party with the girls being treated to bridal henna from Bridal Mehendi by Patel Megha and the boys enjoying a round of golf at the world class PGA International Golf Course located on site. The sangeet night was held outdoors under colorful, bright lanterns and the clear, Fijian skies. Nothing beat the beach side venue of the Intercontinental Resort & Spa Fiji which is just glistening from every angle with the images from the gallery. Also, the bride checks in with Maharani Weddings with tips and how she managed to plan a destination wedding all on her own down below! 

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

I met Zamil in 2013 and like all good Indian stories we first met through a "set-up" by his aunty who had grown up with my family in Zimbabwe. However our first meeting was definitely not a love at first sight and I thought he was an alcoholic and he didn't like my face!! However I was friends with his circle and started hanging out more and more with him in a group, it got to a point where we were texting to each other more and more and started catching up on our own outside of a group scene. We both knew we wanted a relationship that was going somewhere so it took about 6 months of us seeing each other before we made it official with family and friends. I knew Z was "the one" when I realized I missed him when I was not with him, I looked forward to finishing work so I could talk to him at night and the weekend so I could see him. I could be completely myself around him and feel comfortable and I felt butterflies in my tummy every time I see him. Being with someone who made me constantly laugh and smile and made me feel like I was stronger and could achieve anything made me realize how much I wanted to have that feeling all the time and I knew it was with him.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

Proposal was a total surprise - which was easy given how gullible I am! My family still lives overseas, mainly in Zimbabwe, and I wanted Zamil to meet my grandparents and see where I grew up before we took things further. We planned a trip in May 2015 and we did not tell my grandparents we were coming as we wanted it to be a surprise. Zamil had a lot of gifts in his suitcase which he said were for my family - totally normal as Indians give gifts all the time! We landed in Zimbabwe and my parents picked us up late Friday night. Early Sat at 5AM we made the drive to my grandparents house and knocked on the door by 7AM when they were having breakfast. As expected they were ecstatic when they got over the shock of seeing us. For me this was the end of surprises however Z wanted to have a nap and so my aunt asked me to go into town with her to get some groceries which I did. Later I found out I needed to get out the house so he could ask my parents (in person) for my hand in marriage. Upon returning and having lunch Zamil decided it was a good idea to take a drive to "Tony's" my childhood favorite café in the mountains of Bvumba. I had been telling him about this place for months so came as no surprise to me that he wanted to go. After ordering tea and cake and admiring the beautiful landscape I told Zamil how happy I was for him to meet my family and come here with me, which gave him the perfect intro to get down on one knee! I remember nothing of what he said at this point and started crying tears of happiness but it was the most perfect place and way to propose! He told me none of my family knew this was happening so I started devising ways of how I would surprise them with the ring and news when we got back home. Upon arriving home my mum opened the door and my family yelled "Surprise"! They had spent the afternoon decorating the house and getting a cake and champagne ready so we could celebrate.

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.

We thought about getting a wedding planner however our wedding was the first full 4 day Hindu Wedding the resort would ever have hosted as well as no planner and done a full Hindu wedding either. We ended up planning the wedding entirely ourselves. We picked the venue as a destination was a must for us and as got engaged in my home town we thought Fiji was appropriate as it was where Zamil's family was from. The resort was somewhere special to his family and looked amazing so was an easy choice. I spent a week in Fiji with my mum about 4 months into the planning phase to confirm the exact locations around the resort we would host events, meet decorators and lock in my hair and makeup artist. Hair and makeup was easy as Stanley was fabulous from the day I met him to understanding what I wanted and being so at ease with getting his whole crew to and from venue to accommodate our events over 4 days. He recommended my Mehendi artist who was exceptional as well. Through whatsapp and Facebook we sent images back and forth to lock in everything. Our decorators were amazing and were happy to take calls until 11PM at night to ensure we were on the same page and they were delivering the correct colours/ ideas etc.

This is a three part feature, so we will be returning for the wedding which will be coming right up!