The Platinum Guide Blog

Good morning, dears! Today's entry will take us back to a cozy winter day for Jinnie & Kevin's wedding. Our protagonists had a magical celebration at the One and Only Westmount Country Club. This venue offers the intimacy and elegance every Maharani deserves for their special event. Our couple couldn't resist the alluring views they encountered here, instantly falling in love with its timeless enchantment. The venue's natural refinement played perfectly with the classy decor Dalsimer Spitz & Peck crafted. The lovely bouquets were my favorite detail. The gorgeous tones matched Jinnie's sophistication and color scheme, making her the center of attention. Our Maharani had the remarkable Color Me Rouge for her bridal party's makeup and Mona Chebli Makeup Artist for the ceremony. The two capable and experienced artists were more than perfect to embellish the already gorgeous bride! Our Maharani had a whole team of experts behind her look, and she was divine, ladies. Her traditional white dress was dreamy, and she dazzled more than one with a charming lengha later on. We cannot leave the handsome groom behind. Kevin had his full charm on display and a dashing tuxedo to shine with his marvelous partner. The lovebirds were a vision! Studio KSD didn't miss any chance to capture their love, giving them a splendid set of photographs to treasure for eternity. Jinnie & Kevin's adoration for each other is evident in every single frame! The enthralling gallery is ready for you to get creative, my dear Maharanis. Wait no more to check it out! 

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I first met Kevin at a Knanaya Jacobite Convention back in 2012. It sounds kind of crazy, but that first day I knew somehow that he was different and we hit it off. But despite the instant connection we felt, life had other plans for us and it didn't really pan out. We talked on and off a few times over the years In 2019, I guess we finally had our timing right. This time around, it stuck, and here we are, finally married over 9 years after our initial meeting.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Kevin proposed to me in December 2020 at a beautiful gazebo covered in Christmas lights. I was admiring it and the tree inside when I noticed that there was a man standing inside...Kevin. As I walked toward the gazebo, I could hear one of my favorite songs, Dhadke Jiya, playing in the background. I walked up to meet him and he got down on one knee and proposed. It was a perfect moment, captured by a good friend of ours, Ronnie Stephen. Afterward, we met up with our family and friends at Kevin's parent's house to 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.
Kevin and I decided rather quickly that we wanted to get married, and we came to this decision during the pandemic. We ended up calling over 30 venues and visited 12 or 13 venues in one weekend. It was exhausting, but we picked our venue that same weekend. We chose the Westmount Country Club because they had experience with Malayalee Indian Weddings and because they had an incredible food spread. They were also very easy to work with. Once we had our venue and the date, we started reaching out to vendors, starting with finding a church, photo and video, DJ, and HMUA for myself.

We got married at St. Mark's Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in Paramus, NJ. The church itself was stunning, with beautiful high ceilings and lots of natural light. It was clean and elegant, and Rev. Fr. Joseph Chamoun was so welcoming and kind.

I knew early on that I wanted to book Mona Chebli for my hair and makeup; I had been following her on Instagram for years.

We spoke to a lot of different photo and video teams but ultimately chose Studio KSD because we loved their work and felt comfortable with Tina.
We chose M4U for our DJ Team and DJ Vik and MC Vik really know how to host a party. They set such an amazing vibe and had the whole room going.

We chose our florist/decorator based on recommendations from the Westmount Country Club. John from Dalsimer Spitz and Peck was so easy to work with, and understood the vision I had for my wedding decor and florals so clearly, and brought it to life.

Keys2Vocals, led by our friend Vineeth Thomas, handled the choir details for our wedding ceremony and gave us all the feels on the day of.

I had the most fun designing my bridesmaid's outfits. I worked with Chinnu from Amayaa Collections in India, and she brought my vision to life.

MehndiKalogie did my bridal mehndi and brought the vision I had for my mehndi to life.

Colour Me Rouge did hair and makeup for my bridesmaids and their team was excellent.

PleatsBySher did draping for my mom and MIL, as well as my manthrakodi draping and she was so easy to work with and made me feel absolutely beautiful in my saree.

Eventify was our DOC for the weekend and hands down the best decision we made with regards to the day. Aji, Jino, Tina, and Rupali were our dream team for the weekend and took so much of the stress out of the day. We knew after our first call with Aji and Jino that they were the team that we wanted with us on the most important day of our lives, and they did not disappoint.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
So I always knew for the church portion of the wedding, I wanted to wear a white gown. I had SUCH a hard time finding "the dress." Everything I thought I would love (lace, long sleeves, A-line) ended up being everything I hated. I finally figured out that I was a satin girl all the way, and that less is more. I tried on over 30 dresses at so many bridal salons before I finally found my dress at L&H Couture in Doylestown, PA....5 minutes from my house.

My Manthrakodi was purchased in Cochin, Kerala, India from Seematti Silks. As per tradition, my parents and I went shopping with my mother-in-law and father-in-law to purchase the sari. I didn't have much of an idea in mind but both moms had their hearts set on traditional red, which is what we ended up picking out.

My reception outfit was purchased at Made by Milan, in Cochin, Kerala. This lehenga was an absolute dream and was my favorite outfit of the entire day. It was all the sparkle and drama that I wanted in a reception outfit. Big skirt, tons of sparkle, a ruffled dupatta, and all in shades of white, ivory, and silver that made me feel so incredibly bridal.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why? 
I think for me, the best part of wedding planning was all the time I got to spend with my family and Kevin's leading up to it. From planning pow-wows to dance practices, it was such a fun time to get together with the people I love, and even though it wasn't always easy, I still have such awesome memories of some of these times.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
My husband and I chose our wedding venue based on the food, and sure enough, that was what my guests RAVED about after our wedding. We heard so much about how much our guests enjoyed cocktail hour and the endless options they had.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
There were so many moments throughout the day that I replay in my mind. If I really had to choose one, I think it would be the moment in the morning when I read Kevin's letter to me. It was probably one of the only quiet moments I had during the day, and honestly, his words were exactly what I needed to hear before walking down the aisle to him. It centered me.

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.
The night before the wedding we had our traditional Mylanchi and Chantham Charth, but we decided to have them together at the same venue, since we both had so many guests come in from out of time, especially extended family. Masato Events designed our staging for the event in peacock colors. It was a fun night filled with Knanaya traditions, and family dances. I did a traditional look for this event, and got all glammed up by Swara Kasbekar from Artistry by Swara Kay.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Try to soak as much of the day in as you can, and try not to worry about all the details the day of. Things will inevitably go wrong, but everything works out in the end. The whole day passes in a blur so really try to be present in the moment and enjoy the day.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Cake - Palermo's

All right, darlings, I hope you are feeling inspired. Keep coming back for more romance!

Studio KSD and Color Me Rouge are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Happy Thursday, my dear Maharanis! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with love and inspiration. Let me be a part of that with the astonishing story I am about to share with you! Anjali & Suraj had a celebration full of glamour and love. The Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump served as their love nest for this commemoration. The flawless planning execution done by Weddings by Reema and the charming decor from Gulmohar Weddings gave the event a fresh breath of creativity. It was perfect for our Maharani's delight! Now that we are talking about Anjali, ladies, I swear her attires were heavenly! She looked like a goddess with three different fits for the celebration, including Neetu Rohra and Lista Jewels designs. You'll fall in love with all of them as well! Complemented with the graceful touch only Styles By Swati - Salon SBS can bring with her makeup artistry, our Maharani shone brighter than the stars thanks to the jewelry from Lista Jewels. Our bride was pampered by Jignasa Choksi - Mehendi Artist, and her gorgeous Mehndi design. Her sweetheart, Suraj, enamored everyone his way. The spectacular entrance he did for the Baraat couldn't have been possible without Olde Towne Carriages' services. Maharanis, he was a complete prince! This flawless wedding only got better as the night went on with music and fireworks courtesy of Luxe Event Group, making everyone burst with joy. Aroma's catering was perfect for this sweet event as the guests enjoyed their cuisine. Maharanis, I am sure every guest will take Anjali & Suraj's special day in their hearts. Studio Nine Photography + Cinema professionals made it possible by capturing a lovely set of pictures. They are all available for you in this splendid gallery. Wait no more and fall in love, ladies!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
It was my last year in dental school at VCU when I was introduced to Suraj through our mutual friends. Suraj was a 3rd year at VCU medical school at the time and even though we had some mutual friends, our paths had never previously crossed. I knew I was leaving for residency soon but I was excited to meet him! We ended up really liking each other and began dating. We spent a year doing 6 hour drives between Richmond and Philadelphia while Suraj finished medical school. When it was time for him to rank his residency list, he only chose Philadelphia programs (which I didn’t know at the time) and matched into his number one spot and moved up to Philly so we could finally be together!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
On a cloudy day in March, Suraj and I drove down to Richmond. He told me we were going to his Dad's retirement party (His Dad said this was the first time in his life that he had lied - just for me!). He took me to the James River, with the city skyline as our backdrop, and the sound of the rushing water. As we walked across the bridge hand in hand, Suraj asked me to continue walking with him through life in this same way. As we got to the middle, there was a bench covered with roses - and that was where Suraj bent down on one knee (I tearfully followed) and proposed! Our amazing (& very cold) sisters hid on the bridge and captured all the incredible moments. We then recreated our first date, at the spots where we first met. Finally, Suraj took me to dinner and surprised me once again with a room full of our family to end the greatest day.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My jewelry was really special to me for all the events. For my Sangeet, I wore my paternal grandmother's wedding jewelry. She had passed it down to my Mom who saved it for me for my wedding. It is an opal set that was made around the 1940s. For the wedding ceremony, I wore my Mother's wedding jewelry. It is a 'Rani haar' that my maternal grandparents had made for my Mom for her own wedding. Since all my grandparents have passed away, these little touches helped me feel like I had a small part of them at my wedding.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
A lot of my family from India could not make it to the wedding due to COVID. I was really sad to not have such a big part of my life and family there for the big day. Suraj surprised me with an amazing video of them during the Sangeet. It was a beautiful and touching video of them sharing their blessings and doing some dances. It was so emotional for me to watch that and have them virtually present for the wedding!
My cousins from the US also put together an amazing skit for us on Sangeet night. Whenever my cousins have gotten married, it's become a tradition for us to do a skit that showcases how each couple met and makes fun of them a little too! Usually I'm the skit planner and choreographer, but this time they all planned everything themselves! Which must not have been easy during a pandemic and with them all having kids! But it turned out amazing and I could not stop laughing and smiling the entire time! It was the best performance!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Try to remember the big picture! It is so easy to get wrapped up in the small details and making sure everything is perfect. But try to remember why you are having this wedding in the first place - to celebrate the love you two share. Try to set aside some time at some point during the events to soak it all in and appreciate the love and people you both brought together!

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Having my Father passed away a few years ago, it was really important for me to have him and his memory honored at the wedding. I chose to have his picture on the mandap stage so my mom and him could "give me away" together during the ceremony. I also had a mother-daughter dance for my wedding instead of the traditional father-daughter dance.

My loves, this is all for this entry. Keep coming back for more romance!

Studio Nine Photography + Cinema, Styles By Swati - Salon SBS, Olde Towne Carriages and Luxe Event Group are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Good morning, dears! Today, we have a delightful story for you starring Liliana & Praveen. These lovebirds said "I do" on a cozy fall day at the Rolling Hills Country Club. This luxurious venue was excellent for our lovebirds' wedding celebration. The astonishing views and private environment made all the guests feel at home while enjoying the tasty cuisine from India's Oven and the splendid scene in front of them. The Portofino Hotel & Marina was the place with undeniably gorgeous, where our couple hosted their magnificent Sangeet and where they decided to stay along with their beloved family. The phenomenal team from Deepti's Florals Designs & Mandaps made sure to transform it into a lovely dreamland with her artistic flowery touch. With Absolutely Fabulous Events & Productions Inc's stagging, our couple had a picture-perfect setting for their extraordinary events. The flowers' tones were carefully combined with our Maharani's attires, making her shine brighter. The stunning Liliana was a vision! Her magnificent lengha seemed to be taken out of a fantasy and Dolled up by Lulu excelled with her makeup skills. She highlighted every single one of our Maharani's already beautiful features. And thanks to Nisha Mehndi's henna design, Liliana looked glorious, ladies! The handsome groom didn't miss a beat with his traditional yet stylish clothing for the day. I am sure all the attendants were dazzled by the couples' look and incredible moves while dancing to Special Occasions DJ & Lighting's cheerful music set. Everyone was also amazed by the Bollywood dancers from Lunasha Bollywood Company and the magical team from Essense Entertainment. I adore them! This event was beyond perfection! Liliana & Praveen flawlessly mixed love and fun while creating everlasting memories with their loved ones on their special day. Skyline Entertainment and Capture Pod Studio were in charge of the photo booths that allowed everyone to enjoy unforgettable moments! From exquisite churros from Barts Carts and delicious treats from Chocolate Fountain SoCal to the sweetness of the cotton candy from the Candy Kingdom. Our couple pampered their beloved guests with delightful pleasures! Meanwhile, Lin & Jirsa Photography captured every instant for them in a sparkling set of pictures. I know you can't wait to see them, loves. We have them in this marvelous gallery, available for you to get your inspiration!

I hope you loved this story, Maharanis. Keep coming back for more!

Deepti's Florals Designs & Mandaps and The Portofino Hotel & Marina are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Good morning my queens! What a beautiful day we have ahead of us, and, as always, it is my pleasure to share with you a new story to be inspired. Our sweethearts, Christine & Jerin, celebrated their lovely union at the VIP Country Club surrounded by their special ones and the gorgeous sun during a perfect summer day. The delightful colors of the decor Stylish Events provided were the perfect contrast for the delicate ones our Maharani chose for her lengha. Her elegant white dress was perfect. I adore it! But my favorite part about her look was the stunning shades Heena Das Beauty applied for her makeup. Christine was glorious! I am sure you won't believe how incredible the couple looked standing together. The traditional attires were just the beginning of a magical night for everyone. Of course, with the joyful music M4U Events brought, the guests couldn't be kept away from the dancefloor. There is no better companion to a happily ever after than a vibrant soundtrack. Now, ladies, I know that minor aspects during one's special day can be overwhelming at times. That's why our bride contacted the professional team from L&B Events to keep everything in check. This fabulous wedding couldn't be possible without them taking care of every feature, giving our lovebirds all the time to enjoy the beauty of their forever. Jashim Jalal Photography's pictures captured all the love and adoration Christine and Jerin have for each other. My wonderful Maharanis, I have a dazzling gallery for you. Go check it out and be enchanted by this phenomenal love story.

My loves, that's it for this entry. I'll see for the next love story!

Stylish Events, M4U Events and L&B Events are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Happy Tuesday, Maharanis! Today we have a marvelous story starring Jennifer & Alvin. Love blossomed on a beautiful spring day at every corner of  The Venetian, where our couple celebrated their union. This elegant venue was sensational, with a touch of luxury and uniqueness that the floral design and adornment from Florista Decor brought to the newlyweds. With their passion for bringing decor visions to reality, they showcased our couple's most momentous day as astonishing as it should have been. Our charming bride, Jennifer, trusted Cinderella Bridez with her look, and their skillful team of professionals gave her the care and heart every Maharani deserves. Ladies, Jennifer was shining! Her majestic dress and the carefully crafted boutonniere Montvale Florist provided were breathtaking! The lovebirds delighted their guests with fabulous fireworks courtesy of DJUSA and their elite team of entertainers that kept everyone amazed throughout the night. Ladies, imagine how amazing it would be to conclude your wedding day with a touch of fantasy to make a dream come to life. I am positive Jennifer and Alvin cherished every second of it! And, of course, for such an enchanting wedding with many unimaginable details, our couple decided to contact the experts from L&B Events, allowing Jennifer and Alvin to enjoy the day while their team handled everything for them. The memories made during this celebration will be everlasting because of the love shared by our couple, and the fantastic work Live Picture Studios did while immortalizing the most significant moments of the night. Now, sweethearts, I know you are eager to see these stunning pictures. So don't wait any longer and take a closer look at this magnificent gallery. You will love it!

That's a wrap for today, loves. I'll see for the next grand romance!

Florista Decor and L&B Events are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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