With a wonderful Pithi ceremony Twinkle and Jeegar inaugurated their wedding celebrations! The auspicious occasion was a celebration of love and happiness for the new marriage! Bride and groom were rubbed with traditional turmeric paste to make them glow for their wedding day! Peter Togel Photography photographed the joyful pre-wedding rituals and portrayed the couple that was more than ready for the marriage. After the well-planned Pithi, both, Bride and groom showed up for the ceremony in Nazranaa designs. Twinkle opted for an exquisite light gold outfit enriched with silver embroidery. To match the bride’s look, Jeegar decided to wear a pristine white sherwani with an elegant red Safaa. Not only the couple looked good, the charming bridesmaids also looked their best on the big day for the camera posing outside the fascinating BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta on downright awesome red sarees with the charming lovebirds! See all the wonderful pre-wedding images in our full gallery!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Our families facilitated the setup. Jeegar and I live in D.C. so we met shortly after exchanging a few humorous emails, texts, and phone calls. He seemed so knowledgeable about the most random things and constantly made me laugh. Our first date was on August 6, 2015. He arrived early with The Economist in hand so I knew he was a news junkie like me. It was also the first day of the Republican Party presidential debate. Since I work in Congress, Jeegar thought I was very eager to watch the first round of debate and made sure to have the television on the right channel. However, neither of us really focused on it as we were engrossed in conversation. Next day at work, he sent me an email of the debate highlights so I would not feel left out during any water cooler conversations.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Jeegar and I love hiking. When we travel, Jeegar always manages to find a trail to explore. With that in mind, Jeegar thought of the perfect location to propose - somewhere local where we both met while doing what we both enjoy - hiking the trails around Teddy Roosevelt Island.
However, the weather was not in our favor. Jeegar's alternative plan was to propose on top of his favorite building, The Kennedy Center, overlooking Teddy Roosevelt Island. On our way to The Kennedy Center, a science march was blocking the roads by the Trump International Hotel. With time to kill, we hung out at the hotel lobby. We headed over once things started to clear and Jeegar got the queue from the photographer who was stationed on the roof terrace. I was under the impression that Jeegar wanted to see the current Bhudda exhibition, but he took me towards the opposite direction onto the rooftop terrace. He nervously looked around, spotted the photographer, got on one knee, and proposed. True to form, Jeegar's speech was both sincere and hilarious.
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.
My sister, Trushnaa, played a pivotal role in vetting through countless vendors and I had the fun and easy job of the final selections. Since I was in D.C. and the wedding was in GA, she did the bulk of the planning. Along with parents and family members, my sister enlisted the help of a wedding planner, Nilima Patel with Crimson Bleu Events & Wedding Planning. Nilima and her team were very efficient and helpful.
My hair and makeup were done by Dina with Dina Marie Makeup. She was highly recommended and knew how to work with Indian skin. After carefully listening to my suggestions during the trial, she perfected everything on the day of. She made sure I was completely comfortable with my look.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I envisioned a bridal outfit that would be timeless, elegant, and with traditional red and white colors. At Nazranaa, I was drawn to the first outfit I saw and was able to customize it to my liking. The outfit has light gold and subtle silver embroidery with pearl embellishments. After I completed my look, Jeegar selected his attire to complement mine. His pagdi was hand wrapped around his head by our talented friend Chirag. We both wore Indian juttis (shoes) to complement each other and complete the overall traditional Indian look.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I have an interest in design so along with creating our bridal look, I really enjoyed designing the invitations. Fortunately, my brother Akshar was traveling to India for work and found a great shop, Avasar. Together, we were able to customize the invitations to compliment the theme of the wedding.
I also enjoyed planning the post-wedding reception with Jeegar. It allowed Jeegar to truly create an event that was entirely ours. He had the opportunity to fully leverage his creativity and try some out of the box ideas.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The venue is at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta. The place holds a very special meaning for me. This beautiful temple assembled like a 3-D puzzle was built in 17 months with 1.3 million volunteer hours. As one of the volunteers, I took part in smoothing out the intricate stone carvings. Because of this venue, the ceremony had both traditional and religious elements with the addition of live instrumental classical music performed by Jashn. Many guests felt as though they were in India. Till this day, the guests are still raving about the venue, the traditional Gujarati menu catered by BAPS Shayona, and the music.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our Officiant, Yogendra Jani, explained the vows that Jeegar and I were promising each other as we begin our life together. It was very special and humbling to hear such nice, selfless words.
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.
Purnimaben with Abhilasha Events designed the backdrops for the mehndi, pithi/vidhi, and the mandap during the wedding.
My family surprised me by performing a few choreographed dances during the mehndi. It was one of my favorite moments because I felt the love and excitement days leading up to the wedding.
For the post-wedding reception, Jeegar and I decided to rent out a rooftop patio at a brewery and host a fun party. This goal was to keep a laid back informal atmosphere where our guests had an opportunity to really talk with us and have some fun. We served hors devours and had an open bar. Jeegar found a local DJ to spin some of our favorite songs and guests made it to the dance floor after a few cocktails.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Work together during the wedding planning process. As much as this is the bride's big day, you want it to be a positive experience for your groom as well. You both will reflect back on this important day.
Enjoy the day. Do not worry about the small things that do not go according to plan. It is important to enjoy the small moments and remember them. The day goes by quickly and if don't pay attention, you could miss something.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
My jewelry was customized by Bharatbhai at Gehena Jewelry. I showed him my bridal outfit and he guided me towards the perfect look for the jewelry. His service and attention to details made the entire process was seamless.
After all the beautifying process jitters these two were on their way to the ceremony! Don’t miss all the details.
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