White Castle, LA Indian Wedding by Ashleigh Jayne Weddings

Welcome back! Is it really already Thursday? Here at Maharani Weddings Headquarters, we are just buzzing with excitement with all the future weddings we cannot wait to share with you from all around the world! Today, we head to a fascinating city with a unique melting pot of culture, food and jazz music. Did you guess New Orleans? Well, then you are absolutely correct! The romantic story between Sonali and Siddharth began with a surprise proposal involving McD’s and candle light. Want to know more details? Make sure you check out the interview we had with the bride below! In Sonali’s decision making process, this Bride made a bold move and let her Maharaja pick the venue of their Indian wedding. I would have to say that I am very impressed with his choice! I have a special place in my heart for homes built in the 1800’s and the Nottoway Plantation and Resort completely took my breath away. The Four-Diamond Property featured a gorgeous antebellum mansion that overlooked the garden where the Indian wedding ceremony took place. Sonali looked stunning in a non traditional hot pink and emerald green lengha with a gold polished green maang tikka. Sonali was transformed into a blushing bride by Alison with Paris Parker Salon. For the wedding this couple kept it simple with a simple floral design by Root Floral. The couple enlisted the help of Angela Marie Events to plan their perfect day. Head on over to the gallery for a peep at the images caught on camera by Ashleigh Jayne Weddings.

Read on as Maharani Sonali fills us in on her big day! 

Do you have a super romantic proposal story or engagement memory?

It was actually funny because I was really upset with him the day of the engagement about something or other, and was going to cancel our evening plans. My brother (who was in on the proposal) had coaxed me not to, so I still went. I had worn the dress he had bought for me a week before, and he picked me up from my home. On our way to "dinner", he mentioned how we need to stop by his house. He took me to the backyard where the scene was set perfectly- a small, bistro table with a vase full of 3 dozen roses and candles, and white lights strung up on the trees. It was a cloudy October evening, with colorful leaves everywhere and the pond in the background. It was just a gorgeous setting. As he got down on one knee, I could tell he was very nervous (which he never is!) and he popped the question. After I said yes! he pulled out a bag of McDonald's from under the table to commemorate our first "date" or meeting junior year of college.

Tell us about your wedding style. When you sat down to really figure out how your dream wedding would look, did you start with one central color, a palette of colors, or a theme that served as your inspiration?

It all started with the venue- my then fiancé had asked for one thing only, and that was being able to pick the venue. I had no idea he would pick a plantation! It was a very unique setting, and from then on I used Pinterest to find different floral blends and a shabby chic theme to go along with the outdoor plantation setting.

Looking back, was there a really special moment that you remember from your wedding that stands out as the most magical?

My brother did a surprise dance with a few of my family members, and it turned out amazing! It got the whole crowd involved, and was a complete surprise to the both of us. It turned out great, and was so creative- it even had the Lion King opening song in it!

Did you and your Raja have a special song that you danced to as your first dance? How did you choose it?

We did not actually have a first dance, but when we were introduced we came out to the song "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit. It was the perfect song to express how we felt about each other- "When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be..."

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

The hubby had my ring custom made to fit the style he liked most best. It was amazing to see how much effort and time he put into that look to make it perfect for me (took him almost 5 months to get the ring completed).

We return back to the gorgeous antebellum mansion for the fabulous wedding location.