The fabulous Priyanca Rao Photography brings to us a first-class Indian fusion affair from Parsipanny, New Jersey! It's Preeti and Cana's big day, and here's a sneak peek of our beautiful bride getting all gussied up by renowned hair and makeup artist KC Makeup by Karuna Chani! The eye makeup is dramatic with smoked out shadows, winged out liner and luscious lashes. Pretti looks gorgeous! Her gold jewels with emerald green accents add even more color to her vibrant, fuchsia lengha. We've got more in store for your inquiring eyes, including top-notch vendors like floral and decor masters —Abhishek Decorators showcasing their best work, and Moghul Caterers serving up the dinner treats while DJ Manan mixes up the beats, but for now, browse the gallery to see this couple's awesome first look photo shoot!
From the bride, on how they met:
"My now hubby and I met while we were in dental school down in Virginia. Our relationship started off just as good friends, but progressively turned into something more special as time went on. His persistence is what won me over. He never faltered in his want for us to be something more, stating he "needed some spice in his life!" haha. Being that we were both in grad school, he saw me at my best and at my worst, and vice versa. Knowing that we could support one another even during some of the most stressful of times, was a true tell of the strength of our relationship. His kindness, unwavering faith in me, and ability to accept me and all my idiosyncrasies along with the importance of my culture are what made him 'the one.'"
The romantic proposal:
"Under the guise of seeing the Rockefeller Christmas tree for the first time, a simple trip to New York City was actually a carefully planned marriage proposal plot. With many parties involved, many moving pieces and one substantial winter storm, the odds of this meticulously planned evening coming together without a hitch were slim to none. Despite the potential pitfalls, the plan came together on a bitterly cold evening in Rockefeller Center. Cana and Preeti walked about the crowed area around the tree, taking in the sights and sounds of the end of Christmas in New York. The hardest part, along from actually making it safely to the city in the wake of a winter storm, was finding a dry place to kneel down as well as a trustworthy looking stranger to snap photos of the momentous occasion. After walking around the tree for 20 minutes or so, Cana finally found the perfect spot to kneel down and not get soaked, with a great view of the tree. He handed his phone to a stranger that looked both trust worthy and not that fast in case he had to chase him to get the phone back. The kind stranger began taking innocuous shots of the tree and us. The stranger then took a knee to get a better angle of the “cinnamon and vanilla” couple. Cana took issue with this kneel down as it was going to steal his thunder for the proposal, so he asked the kind stranger to snap one more quick photo. Cana dropped to one knee and stuttered out a marriage proposal that was much more eloquent in previous practice rounds in front of a mirror. As soon as Cana’s knee hit the ground, Preeti’s eyes welled up and the tears (OF JOY) began to flow. Preeti stood above her kneeling beaux thunderstruck by the public nature of this proposal. Preeti eventually stopped shaking and crying enough to muster up a “yes” to the proposal. The kind stranger was actually very good at photo documenting the entire affair. The phone was returned; the stranger was thanked, and offered hugs. Later in the evening we would celebrate our plans to spend the rest of our lives together with family and friends."
On the hair and makeup:
"I worked with Karuna Chani to find my perfect look. For the wedding ceremony, I wanted something more natural, more fitting for an afternoon ceremony. For the reception, I wanted something much more dramatic, to emphasize the richness of the velvet and deep blue color in my reception lengha. I knew I wanted lots of volume for my hair and again to add a twist with 60's Bollywood glam hair and to incorporate my favorite flower, a white orchid. Both Karuna and Chris were able to establish these different and yet timeless looks."
On the jewels:
"I wanted to wear something different for the wedding and reception. There is so much gorgeous antique jewelry out there, I wanted to experience it all. For the wedding, I went with a traditional Kundan and Meenakari wedding set. Including bichiya (toe ring given to me by my Mammajis), nuthni, payal and jhumkas. As for the reception, I wanted more of a statement piece and went with a blue stoned Polki wedding set. For my mangalsutra, Cana and I chose something the emanates the tradition along with something that I could wear here in the US with western styles as well. I didn’t my mangalsutra to be something that just stayed in a drawer, but something I would be proud to wear after the ceremony as well."
On the fashion:
"As for my own outfits. I envisioned myself in something lace for the wedding ceremony (I am a big fan of vintage lace) and something in polka dots for the reception (I LOVE polka dots!) I did do a lot of online research on multiple blogs, including Maharani Weddings as well as bridal magazines. Time in India is always so limited, and Cana had never been, so I didn't want his first time to be spent only in saree shops. As luck would have it, Bombay was where I hit it really big and found EVERYTHING I was looking for. My fashion mantra for my own style is that simplicity is elegance. I love the old bollywood actresses style. Voluminous hair, dramatic makeup, timeless jewelry, and an outfit to match. Having something elegant and simple is what makes me comfortable and thereby makes me confident. My wedding outfit ended up being a gold lace banarasi lengha with magenta and green detailing, giving me that pop of color I was looking for. I have always loved the elegance of lace, so the fact I was able to find a lengha with that material was amazing. As for my reception outfit, I found the dupatta first, it was this gorgeous polka dot pattern with an intricate gold embroidered border. The lengha was a rich royal blue velvet and hand embroidered gold blouse. I customized the design by making the blouse backless, removing the sleeves, and adding beaded ties as detailing to the back."
The wedding and reception shots are still ahead!
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