Happy Friday Maharanis! Today, we spill the details on Maharani Rakhi’s exclusive wedding event that entailed chandeliers, rickshaws and a doughnut bar! Rakhi insisted on having a one of a kind wedding fair and that is exactly what we have to report today. The day full of events started bright and early at the Ritz-Carlton West-End where the bride was ready for a full morning of beauty prep with KC Makeup by Karuna Chani. The bride donned a custom made white and gold Sabyasachi gown that was truly one of a kind. For her wedding ceremony, the bride opted for a glammed up look with long, flowing locks and sun kissed makeup. The groom and his family made an impressive entry with one of kind bicycle rickshaws! There was mostly certainly a theme here as you can see in decor by Prabha Bhambri of Nivanjoli! The spacious ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton was overloaded with shiny, crystal chandeliers! There were a total of 38 chandeliers used throughout the venue! The sweetheart stage was lined with candles that illuminated a decadent hue with lustrous and colorful uplighting. Nothing sets the wedding mood quite like lighting, and this bride knew the exact amount of luxury cush that was needed to look picture perfect for Moshe Zusman Photography Studio. Head into the gallery for images of a wedding planned to perfection by Preeti Exclusive!
Share the scoop on your proposal!
I am a marathoner and absolutely love running. Deepen, however, does not share quite the same enthusiasm as me. But one December Saturday morning, he asked if I wanted to go for a run, which he knew I couldn't refuse. As we approached our usual mid-run resting point (aka Deepen's resting spot) at a gorgeous pier on the Westside Highway, he casually got down on one knee and proceeded to give a rather long winded talk on why we were meant for each other. I shed a few tears and froze my face off, while his friend Jamie captured it all while hiding in the bushes.
After that, he took me away for the weekend in Montauk.
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.
Venue: When you walk into the Ritz Carlton, Washington, DC – it just looks and feels so different from other Ritz locations. The couple loved the dark and warm look and feel. The chic lobby is complete with a fireplace and library that was a perfect fit for this Fall wedding.
Theme: I knew I wanted chandeliers. Everywhere! We had an amazing decorator who really listened to everything and helped bring our vision to life.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
For the wedding, I knew I wanted something different from the traditional/customary red and green color (besides the fact that these two colors look horrible on me). When I closed my eyes and thought about what I would be wearing on my wedding day, I always envisioned white - so that set me off to do something fusion-ish - between both American and Indian cultures.
For the reception, I knew I wanted to be comfortable and had my heart set on an outfit that incorporated Pakistani design, so we ended up going with a gown.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
For the Wedding:
•Mandap made up of chandeliers (instead of traditional four pillars, we incorporate four main chandeliers)
•Raised catwalk
•My aunt translating and explaining each step of the wedding to guests
•Our nieces and nephews strutting down the aisle and owning the catwalk
•Intimacy of of the setting
For the Reception:
•32 total chandeliers throughout the room
•Saxophone player playing alongside DJ Biks
•The two T-Rex costumes that magically appeared in the middle of the reception
•My cousin Naya's amazing dance performance
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
There were a few very special moments that I continue to play back in my head.
From the Wedding:
When the doors opened to the ballroom and Deepen and I saw each other for the first time, from across the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. I couldn’t wait to get to the stage. I don’t remember anything else but looking at him the whole way down the aisle.
From the Reception:
My cousin's (who was also my maid of honor) dance, which was featured on Bollyshake (included link in last email). Instead of giving a speech, she opted to do a fusion Bollywood dance.
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.
Aside from the doughnut tasting, the most enjoyable part of the planning process was picking the details that were unique to Deepen and my personalities. Having been to several weddings in the past, we had a good idea of a few things that we both absolutely wanted the day of. Much of it had to do with the celebration portions (ie. alcohol and after-party), but one in particular the live Saxophone player. Deepen and I love going to concerts and early in our relationships we went to a concert where they had a saxophone player alongside the DJ – from that moment on, we’d always said we would have that at our wedding.
As you can also probably tell from the earlier questions, we went heavy on the chandeliers. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always envisioned darker and elegant décor – over the years, chandeliers and candelabras have been my favor décor pieces.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
EVERYONE will have an opinion about EVERYTHING – from the invitations you send out, to the shoes you pick out, all the way to what you register for. My advice is to just do YOU. Don’t worry about disappointing anyone. Trust me – they will get over it. As much as you obsess over planning and preparing for the big day, when you wake up the morning of your wedding, let it all go and just enjoy what will be the most amazing (and most fun) day of your life.
We have the amazing reception full to the brim with inspiration and ideas coming right up! Also, Planet DJ Productions lights up the venue to excellence and the dance floor has some amazing guests that have to be seen to be believed! See you right back!
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