Ladies, don't miss Aparajita & Grey's fabulous wedding bash in today's Platinum Guide Blog!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Grey and I met in college when we were both in Concert choir and an a cappella group together. We were friends for years and I always say that is the foundation of our friendship. A few months after college we started officially dating and it was definitely work with me applying for medical school, him pursuing the military, and both of us living in separate cities. I think I knew he was “the one” when he left for basic training for 4 months. We were only able to talk twice on the phone during that time but we wrote letters to each other to keep in touch. I knew then that I never wanted to be without him again for the rest of my life!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I was doing my surgery acting internship at UAB on Cinco De Mayo. My friend told me that her parents wanted to take us out for her pharmacy school graduation so as soon as I got done at the hospital I had intentions to rush home to change. I may have made a detour to get margaritas (because it was Cinco De Mayo)! Of course I insisted on napping when I got back to my apartment but Grey kept his cool the whole time. When we finally got to the restaurant, we went out to this beautiful back patio and that’s when he proposed! What was so special was that my family, his family, and a couple of my close friends were all hiding in the back patio and came out to surprise me! He even had my friends bring me things to do my nails because I couldn’t have my nails done on my surgery rotation. He truly thought of everything.
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.
My venue was Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville, Alabama. I had been to so many weddings here growing up that it was surreal to see how it was transformed into my vision of my special day.
All of my Indian outfits were purchased during a December trip to India. We shopped in Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai. The experience was so amazing and my husband actually came with us for a bit of the trip and got to see India for the first time! I was able to hand pick and alter or design all of my outfits which was very special.
My makeup artist was Maleigh McCloy who is based out of my hometown of Madison, Al. I stumbled upon Maleigh's makeup page on Instagram and immediately saw the talent she had for creating stunning makeup looks. She did my makeup for my engagement party and it was FLAWLESS. I knew she would be the perfect choice for my wedding. She managed to pull off 4 separate looks for the weekend with absolute perfection in addition helping out with some of my family's makeup as well.
My hair was by Gwyneth Morales based out of Birmingham, Al. I have been going to Gwyn for a few years now to get my hair cut and colored so I knew she would be someone I could 100% trust with my hair for my wedding. She went ABOVE AND BEYOND for my wedding weekend. We had multiple trials so she could get used to the jewelry and other accessories. She even had her mom sew in clips to my wedding dupatta so it would not fall off my head! I truly was so lucky to have her as my hair stylist.
My decor was done by Mital Dodhia with Myar Decor. Mital and I immediately clicked when we realized we both had similar taste for decor. Simple, elegant, traditional, with a contemporary twist. Her ideas were more than I could have ever even dreamed of. She flawlessly executed transitioning between the American ceremony and the more traditional Indian ceremonies. Her team was even able to build me a custom bar for my backyard Sangeet. She created the absolute perfect backdrop for the best weekend ever!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My bridal dress was from David's bridal in Birmingham. I knew that I wanted to get somethings simple and elegant that would juxtapose well against the lavish Indian outfits and that would not break the bank (as I would only be wearing it for our morning ceremony). I fell in love with a v-neck, A-line dress that had POCKETS! It made me feel so beautiful and confident!
My Hindu ceremony wedding dress was from Kolkata. IBengali brides traditionally wear red Banarasi saris for their ceremonies.I had always wanted to wear a lehenga for my wedding and I was able to find fabric that was beaded in a Banarasi print which I made into my lehenga. I wanted my blouse to be simple so that my jewelry would stand out. The designers in Kolkata were able to dye the fabric to the perfect red color and make my dream lehenga come to life!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the process was having my whole family help with all aspects of the wedding. From designing our signs, to choreographing for the sangeet, my family and close family friends were so incredibly helpful. There were times that I was feeling very overwhelmed because in addition to planning a wedding I was also applying and matching into residency, having to prepare to move to a different state, and having to buy a house to live in for the next 5 years while I'm in residency. My family did everything they could to help my out when I needed it. I also loved getting to celebrate our engagement and bridal showers with my aunties and uncles!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We were so lucky to hear so many compliments about things that people enjoyed about the wedding. People LOVED the food from Kabobish. They went above and beyond to provide an amazing menu for us. I also have heard so many compliments about the decor! A lot of future brides have reached out to me and I have recommended Myar decor whole heatedly to them!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
It is so hard to pick just one. A truly special moment was getting to enjoy the Sangeet performances. Seeing all the hard work my aunties, uncles, family members, and friends put into dancing and singing still brings so much joy into my heart. I am so lucky to have such a loving community who would work so hard to make my sangeet unforgettable. An especially sentimental moment was when my Dad surprised me bringing me on stage to sing Akele Hum Akele Tum with him. This was a song that I sang with him when I was 3 years old on stage for the first time. We sang the song after the video of the original performance played for everyone. I barely made it through the song and definitely shed some tears along the way, but it made for such a perfect memory of that night!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Enjoy the process!! Wedding blues after your wedding is over is a real thing. It is so easy to get consumed with things that don't go right or with hitting deadlines and making decisions that you lose sight of the big picture. You will remember your wedding day forever, but the memories of planning the wedding are such a huge part of the memories you will create. Surround yourself with supportive people and have the best time!!
