The Platinum Guide Blog

Good morning my beloved Maharanis! The weekend is getting closer, and I want to make sure you start enjoying it with a romantic story that will get you inspired. Sarah & Akash promised to love each other and celebrated that magnificent event at The Westin Anaheim Resort. This place lets you turn your wedding dreams into reality with the splendid venues and phenomenal details they have! Kismet Event Design created an ambiance worth a thousand ovations to make the room even nicer! I know the newlyweds felt happy to see their personality reflected on the decor! The person in charge of planning this cornucopia of magnificence was the well-known Monika Patel - Nika Events! Kudos for a job perfectly done! Maharanis, let me tell you about a very romantic detail we cannot leave behind! Vogue Candles added a candlelit ambiance to Sarah & Akash's wedding, and the results were unforgettable! Sweeties, we have to take a moment to compliment the stunning Maharani on her diverse bridal looks. Our lovely Sarah was always the most captivating girl in the room, either on her beautiful gown from KYNAH, or her lengha by Seema Gujral Design. Dolled up by Lulu and Hair by Kate Frances did a great hair and makeup design to accentuate our bride's innate beauty. She certainly dazzled her handsome groom! Beauty by Rachana designed a lovely Mehndi art, and it stole everyone's looks! My dears, I believe a film is always an excellent option to relive the most remarkable moments of your big day. So, we should highlight the great job Vanilla Film did with a blockbuster the newlyweds will enjoy! Maharanis, I also want to take the time to mention the most captivating photographs Lin & Jirsa Photography captured during this event. They are phenomenal, and I am glad to share today's gallery! Trust me, as soon as you check it out; you will fall in love! 

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met in St. Louis, Missouri. Akash had just finished the last stage of his medical training at Washington University, and I happened to be working as a lawyer for the hospital where he spent most of his time. Sometimes the world produces strange coincidences, and this one happened to be a particularly happy one. Akash quickly won me over with his intelligence, humor, and love of desserts.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
One Sunday morning in 2020, Akash suggested taking my dog Benji for a walk in Forest Park. Forest Park is a large and very pretty park in the middle of St. Louis, where we live, and it was nice to be outside during the early pandemic. After walking Benji around for a while, Akash got down on one knee and popped the question. I wasn’t expecting it at all! I was so shocked and excited that I plucked the ring right out of the box and put it on my hand myself. Akash tells me that I was so distracted by the ring that I never actually said yes, but here we are!

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.
Akash and I looked at various traditions and put together a wedding weekend that honored but modernized elements of a traditional Indian wedding in a way that would accommodate our diverse guests.

For example, we held a combined pithi and mehndi party for the bride and groom that gave my extended family a chance to meet Akash's extended family in a more intimate setting than a full blown wedding. We also hosted a welcome party on a yacht instead of traditional sangeet so our guests from out-of-state would enjoy a bit of California. Our food, too, was a mix of Indian fusion and non-Indian dishes. Finally, and I think this was Akash's favorite part, we eschewed the traditional horse-led baraat in favor of an exotic car. Not only was this easier to plan and nicer to animals, it made for some really wonderful pictures.

We did most of our wedding planning with the help of a dedicated planner, Monika Patel (@nikaeventsbymonika). Monika was worth her weight in gold and cared about us. There are so many behind-the-scenes details to get right and Monika provided tremendous structure to the planning process, which was especially helpful as we were in St. Louis and planning a wedding in Southern California. I also think that we got the response that we did from our vendors because they liked working with Monika.

So much of the actual experience with each vendor is unique from couple to couple, but I can share two general experiences. First, you should provide clear guidance and vision to your vendors, but don't be afraid to receive guidance from your vendors either. As an example, our wedding and reception decor was designed collaboratively with Kismet. We shared our design aesthetic and trusted their judgment for what would work and what wouldn't, and we were absolutely floored by the end result. Second, don't be afraid to ask questions. Indian weddings can be expensive and it is perfectly reasonable to ask about modifications or alternatives to food, design, and venue that help you stay within budget.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Most of my outfits were modern, so I wanted my wedding lengha to be more classic. I decided early that I wanted a traditional red color and worked with a tailor in India to customize my lengha with a beautiful temple design that did not distract from the richness of the red.

For my welcome party lengha, I selected a Seema Gujral design that I purchased from KYNAH. I first saw the dress on KYNAH's Instagram and fell in love. After an online consultation with Aisha Rawji and a visit to the KYNAH pop-up in Santa Monica to try on it on, I knew I had the perfect, fun outfit for our welcome party.

My video visit with Aisha also pointed me toward my reception dress, another Seema Gujral design. Seeing it in person at the pop-up confirmed that the color and style would match the overall feel of our reception. The dramatic sparkles and tassels looked really beautiful under reception lighting and made for really great photos.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
For me, watching the baraat from my room's balcony was really special. It was great to see everyone having so much fun, and when Akash turned around and waved to me from ten floors below, I knew it was going to be a wonderful day.

Akash would tell you that his favorite moment was the start of the wedding, when I walked in with my brothers. Akash does not show his emotions often at all, but he admitted to me that he almost became emotional at that moment. Almost.

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.
Akash and I I generally have a more modern aesthetic, favoring clean lines and simple color schemes. We really enjoyed working with Kismet to create unique designs for the ceremony and reception.

For the ceremony we kept things simple and airy. Everything was white and acrylic with subtle gold accents. The raised aisle was lined with dozens of candles, which was a really stunning effect.

The reception design was also modern but slightly more elaborate, bringing in greens and muted pinks in addition to the white and gold. Hello Kismet even managed to hang two giant chandeliers on the stage! The look was finished off with a white and gold marbled dance floor and matching panels behind the stage. Overall, our events all favored a simple, modern, and airy design that gave a clean but sophisticated look.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
My primary advice is to relax and be flexible. There are inevitable hiccups in any wedding, especially during a pandemic. While I don't intend to advocate simply accepting everything that happens, I do think it is important to maintain perspective. As I've come to appreciate, most Indian weddings are at least somewhat chaotic, and yet everyone always ends up having a good time.

Maharanis, keep coming back for more romantic stories!

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Tuesday is here, Maharanis! I am eager to share a lovely Indian wedding festivity that will inspire you. So, without further ado, let's begin with Nikitha & Sagar's special day! Their love started when they both worked at the same clinic, the handsome groom asked Nikitha on a date, and she realized that she couldn't be the best version of herself without him. Sagar is amazing at surprises, and his proposal was a complete surprise that came with an email invitation to a fake event, a beautiful floral canopy set up on the beach, and friends that made the proposal even more perfect! They planned their wedding through distance as they were in two different states. However, their love and passion for each other and their big day were immense, so they managed to plan their events with Divine Wedding Details' professionalism and elegance! These lovebirds decided to host a magical reception at Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West, a luxurious place that is all about tradition, plus it is so romantic and chic! To help with the decor of every event, the Prashe Decor team did their best, and the results were adorable! This lovely couple made sure to go above and beyond with every detail so the guests could enjoy and celebrate their love. To put the musical touch on this event, Desi Junction DJs played the best songs and provided the energy to make everyone dance all night long! Our newlyweds also wanted to make sure everyone had fun, so a photo booth by Plush Photo Booth was in order! Maharanis, we cannot leave behind the delicious treats of this event! Haute Sweets is a team that creates exquisite pastries, desserts, cakes, and more delicious treats. They made this event sweeter and memorable! My favorite part of the entry is here! Fashionable outfits, perfect makeup, and magical looks were present throughout Nikitha & Sagar's special day. Styles By Swati - Salon SBS, Jtorry Makeup & Hair Artistry, and Paper Dolls Makeup highlighted our Maharani's delicate beauty! I cannot stress enough how gorgeous she looked. You can see it yourself by heading over to this spectacular gallery by Lin & Jirsa Photography!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met Sagar when I was a medical student in Dallas, Texas. He was a second year resident training in Ophthalmology at the time. I was interested in Ophthalmology, and I happened to be assigned to his clinic that day. Sagar had actually seen a picture of me on social media over a year before we met while he was living in Denver. He told his younger sister, who went to the same medical school as me, to keep an eye out for me (lol), but he had forgotten about it completely until that day when I walked into his clinic. Eventually, he asked me on a date, and from the beginning, I was always intrigued by him. He is so unpredictable and spontaneous with his wit, intelligence, and curiosity. He is also one of the kindest and most empathetic people I have ever met. I don't think there was one standalone moment when I knew he was my life partner, but over time, I realized that I couldn't be the best version of myself without him.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Sagar is amazing at surprises, and his proposal was a complete surprise (I'm not lying lol). He thought of every detail to keep it a secret, and it worked. He created an email account for a fake pharmaceutical company and sent me an email inviting my residency program to a drug rep dinner at a nice steakhouse in Laguna Beach, where he actually was going to propose on the beach. He got my friends to convince me to go with them, and he told me he couldn't be there because he was on call, but that he would join later. I had just gotten off of a night shift that morning and was planning on bailing on this dinner. I texted my friends to try to flake, and of course, they wouldn't take no for an answer. So I begrudgingly got ready for the dinner and went with them to the resort. We had a great time bar hopping before the drug rep dinner, and it just so happened that same night was actually prom night for the high schools in the area, so there were people dressed up all around the hotel. My friend said there was this really great spot on the beach that she wanted to show us, so all of walked down to the beach. As we were walking across, I saw Sagar from a distance, and my first thought was "Oh, great, he made it to the dinner!". I saw a beautiful floral canopy set up on the beach, which I thought was for the high school prom. It wasn't until I saw a photographer taking pictures of us that I realized the set up was for me, and this was my proposal! Sagar said some beautiful words and of course, I said yes. We reunited with all of our friends, and I still thought there was a drug rep dinner we all had to attend, because Sagar's lies were so convincing!

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 basically planned our wedding twice because of COVID, as many other couples have had to do as well due to canceled weddings. To make things even harder, we were both still in training AND doing long distance; I was in residency in Dallas, and he was in fellowship in Los Angeles. You wouldn't think a 2 hour time difference was that significant, but it really was, especially when almost everyday we had a wedding planning meeting. Since we had to reschedule our wedding, it was definitely tough to coordinate new dates with all of our vendors. But we truly had a much easier experience due to our amazing wedding planner (Divine Wedding Details). One of the venues we had booked would not allow rescheduling or refunds despite the pandemic, which was unfortunate, but other than that, everyone was so accommodating and helpful. The theme for our wedding was initially "The 20/20 Experience" after Justin Timberlake's album, since we are both ophthalmologists, and our wedding was scheduled for 2020. We even modeled our Save The Date magnets after that album cover, which we later made into crew neck sweatshirts and hoodies for our wedding guests! Obviously, the 2020 Experience was terrible for the entire world, so we dropped the title and kept the cool picture of us. The vision for our wedding was always to make our weekend a unique, memorable, and fun experience for our friends and family. We wanted everyone to have a great time and were willing to go above and beyond to make sure our guests were taken care of. The other parts of the wedding weekend were just details to us. We collaborated with Bilen Walga with Prashe Decor for decorating our big events, and he made the process so fun and efficient. He picked up on what our taste was in our first meeting. The rest of our vendors were also really great to work with and their experience in the wedding business really showed. Both of our outfits came from a variety of different designers, some of which include Anita Dongre, Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, Valdrin Sahiti, Dolce & Gabanna and my personal favorite, Falguni Shane Peacock. I wore a traditional Telugu sari from India for our ceremony. We coordinated with the Indian designers via WhatsApp and video calls, which was great given that we could not travel there at the time. Planning a big Indian wedding is definitely a lot of work, especially when you have demanding jobs, but we both were so happy with the outcome of everyone's hard work! My favorite part of our wedding weekend was adding personal touches for those we love. For example, my sister loves Dippin' Dots, so we actually had Dippin' Dots cater part of the dessert at our Sangeeth!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I always knew I would wear a traditional South Indian sari for my wedding, and thankfully, I had the help of my mom and one of my best friends (Ambika Shivarajpur) to pick out the perfect one. I didn't have a color in mind, but when I shop for clothes, I know right away if it's the "one" or not. We went to about 12 different sari stores in Hyderabad (pre-pandemic) to find the right one (I am pretty picky), but I think it turned out pretty great.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the process for both me and Sagar was filming our own music video to be played at our entrance at the Reception! I had always wanted to film a music video for our wedding, and Sagar is someone who would never think to do that. That's one of the themes of our relationship; I constantly have crazy ideas for us, and most of the time he goes along with them. But he not only participated, he was the best part of the whole video. One of his favorite songs is Right Above It by Lil Wayne ft. Drake, so that's the song we chose. We bought all the equipment to shoot a music video the same day and we recruited one of our best friends (Dheeraj Reddy: https://www.dpr.photos/) to film it for us. We had our closest friends and my sister direct it, and it turned out amazing. The video really showed us in our true element. It was one of the most fun parts of our wedding for both of us.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests have told us so many positive things about our wedding, and that's all that mattered to us:  our family and friends to have a memorable and fun time. Guests told us they felt very well taken care of; we had meals and drinks for all guests for the whole weekend even if there wasn't an official event. We also made sure every single guest was fully vaccinated for COVID before attending, and we made it mandatory to be vaccinated to attend. We also had sanitizing stations, masks, temperature checks, and rapid COVID testing on site at each event. As a result, our guests felt much safer celebrating with each other, and they felt grateful to feel a sense of community after a long time. That's what meant the most and made us feel like our hard work had paid off. We had a lot of people tell us that they loved our speeches and the fact that our personality showed in our planning.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Sagar has never been a dancer, and I am the total opposite. I have been dancing my whole life, and it truly is one of my passions. I was on an all girls Bollywood Fusion dance team throughout college, and we competed nationally. I still teach at a dance studio; dance is something I will always be passionate about. Sagar on the other hand, truly has zero coordination on the dance floor. I had always wanted to do a fun Indian dance together at our reception, but I knew he wouldn't be able to because it truly stresses him out! At our reception, Sagar surprised me with a 5 minute long Bollywood dance performance that he secretly coordinated with over 30 of our friends! He did a dance to Chura Ke Dil Mera with a bunch of my girl friends who were on my dance team, and it took every bit of self control I had to not jump on the dance floor with them! He looked amazing, and I was having the time of my life watching him dance. It was my personal favorite part of the whole weekend, and it shows the type of person Sagar is. He would do anything for the people he cares about, even conquer two of his greatest fears: dancing and dancing in front of an AUDIENCE. I probably watched his dance over 50 times on repeat the week after our wedding.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning is HARD. And if you have a full-time demanding job, it's even harder. And if you are doing long-distance with your partner, girl, say a few prayers. But a good planning team, friends and family that care about you two, and reliable vendors make the process much easier. I have only planned one wedding, so we don't have a whole lot of wisdom on the matter, but I will say, make the wedding memorable the way YOU want it to be remembered. After all is said and done, you and your man should be able to look back and feel like it was exactly what you both wanted. Also, take time to relax during everything. I remember my sister pulled me aside the week of the wedding and forced me to slow down and meditate with her for 10 minutes (she's the best). Don't forget to take care of yourself, mentally and physically, because you're going to need that energy! Sagar's words of wisdom are as follows: "Have fun and may the Lord be with you". LOL, but seriously.

That is all for today, Maharanis! See you tomorrow for a new romantic story!

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Maharanis, Thursday has come to enlighten your day with a romantic love story, Palak & Naman's. After eleven years of sharing enchanting moments and magical adventures, these lovebirds decided to begin their journey as a married couple. They hosted a moving ceremony and a gorgeus reception at The Marigold. It is a great venue to celebrate a great love like this one! Events by Heena planned and designed all the details for this wedding to be one of a kind! Florista Decor put together the ambiance that made everyone sigh! Maharanis, one thing about this wedding we cannot leave behind is the impressive Baraat by M4U Events. Everyone, including me, adored it! This team also energized the reception with their incredible music playlist! My favorite part of every entry is the elegant fashions, the gorgeous looks, and the lovely starings between the bride and groom! So let me tell you all about these details of Palak & Naman's big day! The enchanting bride wore beautiful gowns designed by AsoPalav and Cinderella Bridez. The last team also did her hair and makeup, and oh boy! She looked adorable! Rita Shah Mehndi Artist did a delicate Mehndi design that stole everyone's attention. I love how dedicated she is! You know how significant it is to have a film to relive your wedding as a Bollywood movie. Lucky for our couple, Unique Visions Studio are professionals in their field! Maharanis, I have great news. Thanks to the amazingly great job Buscemi Photography did with the photographs, you can see how impressive this wedding was. We have put a gallery you cannot miss! So wait no more and get ready to enjoy it; I promise you will be amazed! 

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.
As a Covid Bride, postponing and replanning our wedding was definitely very stressful.   We were fortunate to have had the best vendors that were very accommodating throughout the entire process. A big shout out would go out to our Day of Coordinator - Henna Patel.  She took care of us from the beginning to the end of the journey in the most cool, calm, and collected way. Everyone was shocked at how organized and on schedule our wedding was, especially for an Indian wedding! Heena and her team allowed me to be stress-free and have fun throughout my entire wedding day.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I was set on a maroon colored bridal lengha but I didn't have a clear vision of the exact outfit that I wanted.  I was not able to go to India for wedding shopping but my parents were able to.  They would facetime me every night and show me every maroon outfit there was at the shop. Eventually, I picked out certain parts of different maroon outfits that I liked, to make my own.  I absolutely loved the way my lengha turned out and am thankful for my parents for making it happen.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Me and Naman have been together for 11 years!  One of our biggest blessings from this is that our families and friends have also known each other for a long time.  Our wedding was not a celebration of two sides coming together, it was a celebration as a whole unit.  I think this was something so special to have at our wedding and it brought a different type of energy to our wedding.  Many guests told us how much fun and love they felt at our wedding and I would credit that to the energy brought by our close family and friends.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our wedding day truly was one of the most fun days that I have ever had, there were so many special moments throughout the day.  A special moment that stands out to me was reading the letter that Naman wrote to me right before our first look.  With all the adrenaline and emotions that come with the morning of a wedding, it is easy to lose sight of what is important.  Reading the letter brought me back to the only thing that matters - my relationship with Naman. Naman's letter ended up being almost identical to the letter that I wrote him and at that moment, everything felt so right. I couldn't wait to go see Naman!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The one thing that I kept in my mind throughout my wedding weekend was that this is the only time in my life where all of my favorite people will be under one roof at the same time.  This helped me live in the moment, instead of focusing on things that might have been going wrong.

Maharanis, please keep coming back to read more love stories!

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A New Year is getting closer, and we are excited! Maharanis, to celebrate love, Tuesday brought with it a new engagement photo session, and I am pretty sure you will adore it as much as I do! Let's begin! Amina & Saif got engaged and chose to do an extraordinary photo session to capture the best moments of their love to commemorate their big decision! This event took place in Tampa, surrounded by fantastic weather and incredible views. Maharanis, one detail we must mention is the couple's looks! The color palette they chose perfectly combined with their personality: A passionate red dress and an elegant black suit. I adore their fashion style! I think they look phenomenal! Our lovely Amina wore subtle makeup that made her look like the cutie she is, and the handsome groom couldn't stop staring at her! In every picture, the love they feel is evident. I believe their life as a future married couple has lots of blessings and so much tenderness! Maharanis, the team in charge of capturing these fantastic pictures, was the well-known Hakim's Studio! As you can see, they preserve memories with elegance, class, and style. If you check out the gallery we have put together for you, I guarantee you will adore every picture! So, wait no more, scroll down below, and get ready to enjoy all the beauty and flair surrounding this engagement photoshoot. It'll take your breath away!

That is all for today, darings! See you tomorrow for more.

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Good morning ladies! Thursday is here, and brought with it a sweet love story! Chandana & Anupam are our protagonists. Let me tell you why. As we all know, our world has changed in the last two years, and the new reality made weddings and love celebrations a bit different, but that is not completely bad. Our lovebirds knew that nothing could come between true love, so they decided to marry at Honda Center. It was an intimate yet moving ceremony. Nevertheless, the traditions were not left behind! The evening before their civil ceremony, Chandana's mother decorated their home with gorgeus marigolds, rangoli, and lots of beautiful flowers. She also drew a beautiful Mehendi on our Maharani's hands and feet. Anupam's parents showed up at their door and surprised the couple. Their moms put Haldi and coconut oil on them, so they were ready to become husband and wife. Maharanis, I know you love glamour, fashion details, and perfect planning as much as I do. And guess what? This wedding had all of that! So, let me tell you all about it! After becoming hubby and wifey, Chandana & Anupam celebrated their love through a great party hosted at Westdrift Manhattan Beach and decorated by Exotic Green Garden. I think every detail of the wedding went beyond perfect! Minted designed the most enchanting invitations, and I am sure every guest said "Yes" to this event! Tempo Entertainment was in charge of the music and dancing. You know how important it is to have your favorite songs played on your big day! Another must-have is excellent food! Manohar's Delhi Palace enchanted the guests with their delightful dishes. I think our couple will hear from this for a long time! Maharanis, let's talk about our gorgeous Chandana and the incredible hair and makeup Drea V Makeup did. Thanks to the infinite passion they have, the bride looked phenomenal! Kudos to this great team! Lucky for this couple, Inari Film recorded every moment of their big day. And thanks to Mae & Minh Photography, we have the most incredible shots from Chandana & Anupam's celebration! So wait no more, jump into this gallery, and fall in love with today's couple!

Maharanis, come back to read a new love story! 

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