Bravo to Farhana and Minhaj! These newlyweds designed and organized their dream wedding celebrations all by themselves and what a great job they did! This time, the bride and groom picked Staten Island’s Grand Oaks Country Club to hold their last big event. To kick off the evening, a cocktail was offered to all guests outside the venue for them to have the chance to admire the amazing golf-course before the sunset. As the attendees entered the ballroom they were accommodated on their tables, brilliantly decorated with soft pinks and roses and eucalyptus leaves. Ruban Events was in charge of the stage décor and they masterfully designed the draped curtains used by Precious Moments NY as a backdrop to portray the bride and groom exchanging rings and garlands. Farhana’s bespoke bridal henna design by Promy's Henna Cavern perfectly complemented her white attire and Minhaj’s well-made suit made him the quintessential stylish groom. I'm so glad that we could relive the newlyweds’ starry eyes and tender scenes thanks to the beautiful film featured on our Indian Wedding Video Blog and through our full gallery by Precious Moments NY!
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.
Our color theme was light pink, dark green, and gold. We used those colors to arrange everything from our centerpieces to the bridesmaids/groomsmen outfits. We decided to purchase our own centerpiece items (fresh roses, eucalyptus, lanterns, tall vases, candles, etc) and Grand Oaks happily helped us set everything up to our liking on the day of.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I have always wanted to wear white on my wedding day while staying true to my cultural roots. Finding a white Lehenga with gold details was not an easy thing to do. After checking out every single bridal in NYC, I decided to venture out to New Jersey and fell in love with the shop Nazranaa. Shia, the owner was incredibly easy to work with and she had so many options in white for me! She actually made me try on the wedding dress that I ended up buying for my big day! The lehenga I ended up purchasing from Nazranaa had a very regal and sophisticated look that I was hoping for.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
We really planned everything by ourselves, and spending that time together really brought us closer together in the process. We both love to be organized and to plan ahead which made us such a good team. While planning the wedding, we were both working full time and I also started law school full time in May. So it was really hard on us but we worked extremely hard in getting everything ready. Having such a hands-on fiance was really SO helpful.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved the cocktail reception which took place in an area outside which overlooked the golf course. We received a lot of compliments on how perfect the venue was for the perfect summer day that wasn't too hot.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our first dance was to Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. We wanted to plan a choreographed dance but didn't have much time to really do it. We decided to slow dance and I'm happy we did because that moment really helped us catch our breath and enjoy the moment.
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.
For the traditional Bengali Gaye Holud night, we picked jewel-toned colors as our theme. Ruban events worked really hard with us to help us design a stage that reflected our vision: a colorful but elegant affair. The hall we picked for the Holud was called Haveli Indian Restaurant went perfectly with our theme since their interior decor included gorgeous hand-painted elephants and other traditional South Asian imagery.
The women on the groom side wore red saris mostly, and the men wore purple kurta pyjama sets. On the bride's side, the women all wore green and the men wore a mustard yellow color.
The women on both sides decorated trays filled with sweets and gifts to be exchanged.
The bride, groom, and their respective bridesmaids/groomsmen also performed for their guests. The groom and his friends serenaded the bride to the song "my desi girl" and the bride danced to a medley of songs: End of time by Beyonce and Navrai Majhi.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
The wedding jewelry was customized by India Trend. I was very particular about the stones, beads, and polish and they were able to customize it perfectly as I imagined!
Funny enough, my henna artist Promy is now going to be my future sister in law. My brother met her during my mehendi night and insisted that I to introduce them and now they're engaged! Her work is also out of this world!
More inspiration for your own wedding will be featured tomorrow, Maharanis!
Floral & Decor: Ruban Events |
Photography: Precious Moments NY |
Holud/Mehendi Venue: Haveli Indian Restaurant |
Ceremony Venue: Bellozino |
Reception Venue: Grand Oaks Country Club |
Hair & Makeup: Beauty By Tamanna |
DJ: Atiar Sound and DJ |
Bridal Fashion: Nazranna |
Bridal Jewelry: India Trend |
Cinematography: Precious Moments NYC |
Mehndi Artist: Promy's Henna Cavern |
Photo Booth: Lady Liberty Photo |
Bridal Flower Jewelry & Garlands: Flowers by Bhanu |
Officiant: Muslim Wedding Service |
Hair & Makeup Mehndi Night: Makeup by Shams
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