Welcome to Maharani Weddings

Happy Friday, ladies! How about a new love story before we get to the weekend? If you are up for a real-life fairytale, you cannot miss Deena & Anson's fusion wedding celebration! It is the perfect love story for you to sit back, relax and get ready for the weekend. This time, we will take you to the impressive halls of The Legacy Castle for you to enjoy an event full of energy, love, and emotions. For this long-awaited day, Reshma looked stunning thanks to the exceptional work of Heena Das Beauty, who made her look like a princess. From the exquisite makeup to the wavy hairstyle, it was all a perfect combination to highlight this Maharani's innate beauty. Thanks to this, every photo captured by Studio KSD seemed taken from the pages of a fairytale. After the ceremony, these lovebirds had their first dance as husband and wife while DJUSA Events and Sharad Did That played the perfect melodies to sweeten up this moment. Hands down, this was a dreamy celebration! But there is no surprise here as AVA Event Management planned this event down to the smallest detail while Stylish Events crafted a luxurious decor that impressed everyone! The colors, the dim lights, the fancy chandeliers, and the overall decoration helped make this event unique and memorable. There is no doubt that this lovely couple will keep a fantastic memory of this day and relive every moment and every feeling each time they look at this gallery. And we are sure you will love it as well! So don't think twice and get ready to enjoy the jaw-dropping shots we've compiled for your enjoyment.

Enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to join us on Monday for more!

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Happy Wednesday, beautiful Maharanis! If you were looking for inspiring ideas to start planning your wedding, you've come to the right place! Shelly & Bivin's wedding festivities overflow with all the things we love: elegance, joy, traditional style, and above all, lots of love. No wonder why this fabulous wedding is already featured on the blog and the pages of our Best of 2020 Magazine! Hands down, this love story is one you don't want to miss. From the Sangeet to the grand reception at The Brownstone, this event was a plethora of charm and flair. And thanks to the blockbuster film by John Martin Productions, we get to dive into it just as if we would have been there. And we have no words to describe how much we loved every bit of this wedding orchestrated by Betcy Achankunju - Nitasha Uppal, and fully decored by Legacy Events. But don't take our word! Hit the play icon below and get ready to enjoy this visual masterpiece that will make you fall in love with this beautiful young couple. Believe us; you will be amazed!

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

It certainly was not your typical Bollywood beginning.

There was no music, no impending parental disagreement, and no love-at-first-sight, but our story is truly a fairy tale.

We have known each other for four years, but oddly enough, we never had a one-on-one conversation until we were on a medical mission trip in December 2018. In those years, we'd been to the same weddings, attended the same Church events, and even worked together to plan our mutual friends’ proposals. And yet we had never had a single conversation alone. Thank God that soon changed.

In December, Bivin and I ventured to Kenya to volunteer at the local Christian Hospital in a small village, called Maseno. There, in Kenya, we finally got to see into each other’s hearts. It's ironic that it took traveling halfway across the world to get to know one another in a few short days. We carried forward our relationship after coming back to America, and we soon realized how much he was the one I prayed for.

So basically, a Bollywood-obsessed girl from NJ and a sports-loving boy from the suburbs of NY learned that they needed each other more than Shah Rukh Khan needed Kajol, more than Michael needed Scottie. The thing that brought us together initially and continues to help bind us together is our faith and our commitment to service. It is no coincidence we “really met” while serving abroad, and it is no surprise that it will continue to be a pillar in our relationship. This is just the beginning of our fairy tale though, and we can’t wait to see what life has in store for us!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It’s my dream Bollywood story that came to life! The proposal was so intimate and detailed where Bivin subtly recreated the first day we hung out without me realizing it. It started off at a church in NYC and by the end of the night I was on a rooftop jasmine garden with my loved ones around and the most perfect ring on my finger

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 went from a 600 person wedding with a bridal party of 44 (yes 44 people!) to an intimate 42 person wedding due to Covid restrictions. The whole experience was both humbling and beautiful. Because of the ongoing pandemic and since my husband and I are both healthcare professionals we had to reschedule our wedding date which was very humbling for me and my husband. But when we decided we could not wait any longer, we decided to get married with the present restrictions in place. This wedding would not have been possible without our photographer John Martin, hair and make up artist, Maliha Khan and Anu Sarin, my mendhi artist Jinal Parmar, the Gaurav Gupta team, Henry Couture Paris, our decor provided by Legacy Events and our venue The Brownstone, which accepted us a month before the wedding when our other venue cancelled on us. Finally nothing would have happened without our priests and my Church, St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church, allowing the ceremony to happen in a safe and professional manner.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
When every country was in lockdown, my mom, who never fails to disappoint, was able to work with the wonderful staff at Gaurav Gupta boutique in New Delhi to retrieve my customized wedding lengha.

Because I am accustomed to getting allergic skin reactions to certain fabrics, I was very selective of my wedding outfit. I wanted something with embroidery and details that looks so elegant close up and shines even from afar. I wanted something comfortable that I was able to do Bhangra all night!
And specifically, I wanted something off the shoulder and I fell in love with the unique bowing design of the blouse.

I really felt like the most beautiful woman in the world that day, especially when I saw my husband's smile when he first saw me.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I’ll be honest: The pictures/video footage we received after was my favorite part of the planning process because that’s the only time my husband and I could relax and see the unveiling of our vision. The wedding planning is very stressful because not only did plans change and we had to reschedule the wedding because of Covid, but this is a wedding of two families conjoining. We had to keep a delicate balance of proudly showing our own two unique cultures (I’m Punjabi and my husband is from Kerala) while we wanted to still express our love story

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I think our guests loved the intimacy of the wedding. The ceremony and reception were all in English and so everyone understood the beauty of the Sacrament and because it was only 42 of our loved ones there were no awkward moments but only laughter and joy. My father in law even remarked how surprised he was that not only did everything come together in the midst of Covid, but that everything came together so smoothly and with so much love.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Two moments from our wedding constantly play in the mind. First, the words of the priest when he told us we were now one and joined together in Holy Matrimony is a memory I never will forget. I felt like I truly belonged right there at that moment. Secondly my husband wrote a hilarious song called “I wanna be your Shah Rukh Khan” and sang it to me on our reception. I grew up watching Bollywood movies and so the lyrics of his song were so intimate to my favorite movies and I felt like a princess that night in so many ways

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.
Again because of the pandemic we weren’t allowed any formal dancing which was really tough for me since I have been dancing for as long as I can remember.

When it comes to decor, our faith is very important to us so we tried to incorporate that as much as we could through our decor and style.

Our families did such a great job in making us feel special amidst the pandemic. We had slideshow presentations from family and friends wishing us a happy married life as well as skits from family joking about my husband and my funny quirks.

As mentioned before, my husband did sing for me which is something I will always remember.

Finally we had both the ceremony and the reception live streamed so we felt the love and prayers of all our family and friends here and abroad.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
I was given a unique opportunity because of the covid pandemic to really focus on the most important thing on our wedding day- being joined together with my soon to be husband. Yes, everyone should feel like a princess but it is more important to focus on the beauty within and the beauty of marriage. Meditate on the beauty within and the married life that will bloom through the seeds of sacrifice and selfless love.

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Hi, Maharanis! Don't miss Komal & Patrick's wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog. You will love it!

SV Bridal Concepts by Sanjana Vaswani, Chand Palace and The Westin Governor Morris are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Good morning, Maharanis! It's Friday again, and we are glad to have you back as we were dying to share this charming wedding celebration with all of you! Today's magical love story follows the romantic journey through Parul & Chetan's fusion wedding. And all we have to say is that this celebration is what all Maharanis dream about. So let's not wait any longer and jump right into it. From the colorful and fun-loving Sangeet celebrated at Quality Inn to the magical ceremonies at the Irie Gurudwara, everything was perfect beyond words! But there is no surprise here as Peacock Creations Event Design was the mastermind behind the fabulous decor that set the mood for this event. And you know that anytime this talented and highly experienced team is present, there is nothing else but perfection delivered, and this time was no exception! For her big day, Parul had the best allies by her side to create the ultimate bridal look. Pittsburgh Makeup Artist took care of her beauty needs, and Designer Dream Collection was in charge of the fashion department. The final result: a beautiful bride that still has us sighing! Luckily for us, the good friends from Jorge Santiago Photography were there to capture all the beauty and amazingness surrounding this wedding affair as words are not enough to describe how breathtaking everything was. If you want to take a closer look at this dazzling wedding celebration, don't miss the full gallery that we have prepared for today. We are sure you will love every bit of it, not to mention that you will take tons of inspiring ideas.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
It was a very casual interaction the first time we met. He stopped by my parents business while I was stopping by on my way to work. He had just moved to the area and didn’t know anyone so he would occasionally stop by to help my parents out, hoping I would be there. His genuine care and respect towards my parents made me realize that he was the one.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Chetan and I had known each other for nearly a year and he said he liked me from the beginning. I had instantly “friend-zoned” him and we hung out casually. He would come over for dinner or we would go out but we weren’t dating. Believe me, my parents and sisters were telling me how crazy I was to not see how much he liked me but I thought we were just friends. Then one day, while we were talking, he asked me to marry him and I shot him down. Things got awkward for a while, but he never made me feel bad or uncomfortable. Some time later, his family in India asked him to come back so they could introduce him to someone else. Reluctantly, he obliged but his heart wasn’t in it. You know what they say, “you don’t know what you have until you don’t.”  After having a heartfelt conversation with my parents, I realized that he is the right person for me and asked him if he still wanted to get married. Well, about 5 months later we got married!

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.
I am truly very lucky that my family took care of all the planning, calls, research, bookings, finding vendors, EVERYTHING for us. My sister found all the vendors either in Ohio or Pittsburgh. She knew what I wanted and what I was looking for. I didn’t have to stress about calling people, getting quotes, comparing with other vendors or negotiating. My parents took care of everything local and all the catering.  Although our wedding was put together on a short time, it all came together so beautifully. Starting with the decorations, the ballroom looked so elegant! Tara was a true professional! She worked with our budget and gave us some amazing choices to pick from. The centerpieces, the backdrop, the bicycle for photo-op were placed so strategically that all eyes went directly to the highlighted points.  The makeup artist was a dream to work with. Ramsha asked for our looks we desired beforehand and everyone looked stunning! Our hair and makeup looked fresh and lasted throughout the event. The DJ was spectacular! DJ Ajay got everyone pumped and dancing through the night. He amazing songs and had everyone on their feet.  The catering was done by Safron Patch in Ohio and the food was delicious! Kadambari made the trip from Pittsburgh to do my henna and it turned out so beautiful. She also did an amazing job for my mom and sisters. She was a pleasure to work with. Most importantly, our outfits,  were designed by Anjali and everyone asked how we got designer outfits made to perfection in such short amount of time. Anjali is a miracle worker and she worked tirelessly to get my wedding sharara, my sisters outfits, mom’s outfits, dad’s & brother in laws sherawani custom made and delivered from India in time for our June wedding!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My cousin in India had found this beautiful lengha that I loved and was so excited to wear for the wedding. It was this beautiful shade of light purple/pink with this beautiful beaded dupatta. Unfortunately, it got damaged in transit to a point where I could not wear it at all. My mom and I drove to New Jersey few times, hoping I could either get the lengha fixed or find something similar but couldn’t. But you know what they say “everything happens for a reason,”because my sister found Anjali who is the owner of Designer Dream Collection. One call to her was all it took for us to give her the entire order for our family’s outfits. I cannot say enough about her professionalism and creativity! We told her what we wanted and in what colors; she designed our outfits that went above our expectations! She also had the perfect & matching jewelry to go with our looks. Designer Dream Collections is a one stop shop. We couldn’t thank her enough.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
My favorite part of planning was not having to stress about anything! I just showed up and was ready to be glammed and dance the night away. Honestly, not having to worry about vendors and deadlines was a blessing.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved the mehendi party! The decorations were so nice and everyone was lined up to take pictures with the bicycle! The food was also delicious and guests raved about the variety and taste. The music was good and everyone was up dancing.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
One of my favorite memory is of my little nieces, who were the flower girls, all dressed in the same outfits throwing petals down the aisle and giggling. My nephew sticking close by me and not leaving my side. I’m so glad I have pictures of these moments to look back on. Another fun memory is when my sisters stole not only my husbands shoes but mine too!!! It was too hilarious to watch as they were asking for Sagan in exchange for the shoes and busted out in an impromptu & synchronized dance while asking for money! I also feel so lucky to have my entire family around during the week. So happy that we all got to spend some time together.

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.
My sister, Heena, and our family friends daughter, Gurpreet, surprised Chetan and I with a beautiful dance performance! They practiced the night before and pulled off a great dance! We had no idea whatsoever about what they were planning but it was a great surprise! Our guests loved it too!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Weddings are stressful but it shouldn’t turn you into a bridezilla! Find someone you trust and knows what you like or dislike. Whether an event planner or someone in the family that you can rely on. Share your vision with them and let them help you find vendors or at least narrow your choices down. Let someone else take charge so you can simply enjoy your day! Enjoy having the family & friends around. Don’t forget to breathe and eat! At the end of the day, something will probably not go how you planned it or wanted but it’s not in your control, so let it go! Everything will go by so quick and it’ll seem like a blur so really stop, breathe, and take it all in. Take mental notes about cute and sweet moments. That’s what you’ll look back and smile about.

That is all for this week, ladies! See you on Monday for more.

Riana & Alec's fusion wedding is now live in our Platinum Guide Blog. It will take your breath away!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Alec and I met through our best friends, Karen and Anthony. They tried to set us up for over a year before we actually met, but we always made excuses for one reason or another. Alec is in the Air Force based at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, and I was living in Jersey City at the time, very career driven and enjoying life in NYC. We felt too opposite and didn’t think we’d have much in common. Then one night we randomly met at Karen and Anthony’s home. As cliche as it sounds, I walked in, we locked eyes and that was it. We had our first date the very next day and by the end of it, I knew he was “the one”. While we are opposites in many ways, at our core, we share the same values and share a deep love and respect for one another. He’s my person in every way and I thank God every day for bringing him in to my life.

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 started wedding planning right at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020. It’s so crazy to think now that we planned every aspect of our wedding virtually. Given that we couldn’t do site visits, we initially relied on internet reviews to find a venue near water that fit our aesthetic and vibe. Thankfully, I knew of the perfect venue in my hometown, the Boathouse at Mercer Lake, that checked all of our boxes and we felt very comfortable selecting without seeing in person. Once the venue was locked in, we worked with our wedding planner, Priya from Xquisit Events, to find a decorator, photographer, and hair/makeup. Priya recommended the awesome mother/daughter duo from Partyland Sajawat for wedding decor and we knew from our first phone call that we were in great hands. I didn’t have a decor theme in mind, but rather found some inspo on Pinterest that I guess qualifies as “classic modern”: blush/neutral tones, with foliage and lots of bling. On the day of our wedding, I was blown away at how perfectly they captured what I wanted, but didn’t know how to describe. Next up was our photographer/videographer, Tina from Studio KSD. I really appreciated Tina’s process and the thoughtful questions she asked in our first few phone calls. I felt as though she took to the time to know us as individuals and as a couple so she could capture our essence in the photos and video. (For the record, she and her team nailed it!) And I I must give all the credit to my sister, Reeshelle, for introducing me to our last two main vendors. It was an honor and pleasure to work with Cinderella Bridez again on my big day and of course, DJ Shilpa, who we knew would keep a mixed/ethnically diverse crowed hyped and happy throughout the day. Wedding planning during a pandemic is not for the faint of heart, but I must admit it was made a little less stressful because of how flexible our vendors were. We were lucky enough that all of the dates we selected happened to work with everyone involved and on our final date, everyone was excited to go through with the day as planned.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
As I mentioned previously, almost every aspect of our wedding was planned virtually, including my bridal lengha. I worked with an amazing studio based in Chicago, StudioEast6 to create a custom Falguni Shane Peacock bridal lengha. I loved one of the designs I saw on their website, but had a blush pink color in mind vs. traditional red or white/silver. The StudioEast6 team made the process so easy from color selection, to various modifications of the skirt, blouse, & dupatta to measurements. They sent pictures and videos pre and post production, but I must admit, it was still nerve wrecking to make such an important purchase without ever having seen it in person. When the lengha arrived, I remember feeling extremely nervous, almost sick to my stomach. But once it was on and I saw my family’s reaction, I felt so much better. It was an extremely unique outfit and one that I felt fit my aesthetic of classic, yet modern.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
After 2 rescheduled dates, we were finally able to have our wedding in mid April 2021. Restrictions were beginning to lift slowly, and vaccinations started rolling out. Our wedding was the first gathering most of our guests attended in over a year, so it was a really joyous and momentous occasion. Alec is white, raised Christian, and I’m Trinidadian, raised Hindu and we opted for a semi-traditional Hindu ceremony. We wanted to keep the ceremony to an hour or less and wanted to make sure that our guests understood and appreciated the significance of certain mantras and steps during the puja. Our priests, Pundit Ravi and Acharya Bankim Gossai, did an excellent job navigating the ceremony and we had so many of our guests comment that they’d never been to a Hindu wedding before and loved how touching and sentimental it was. We didn’t opt for a traditional baraat, but instead started with the milni ceremony where the two families meet. It was special for Alec and his family to experience this part of the ceremony, and our guests to witness, since our families were not able to meet prior to our wedding week due to the pandemic. Beyond the two cultures joining, Alec’s military family was also meeting my friends & family for the first time, too. It was just really special to see all these worlds come together with us, and for us.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The moment that constantly replays in my mind is the moment the doors opened and the bridal entrance song began to play (Arziyaan by Devangi Chopra). The lyrics of that song always choke me up, and in that moment, I was completely overwhelmed by all of the faces in the crowd - people I hadn’t seen in over a year, who traveled from near and far (still in a pandemic!) to support us on our wedding day. In that moment, I was overcome with a deep sense of gratitude for our loved ones and it honestly took my breath away. Once I turned the corner and locked eyes with Alec, I felt calm again and so blissfully happy that we were finally able to have our dream wedding. This day was a long time coming and it was truly a relief that we made it through all of the ups and downs of wedding planning and we’d finally get to have our day.

Xquisit Events and Studio KSD are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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