I am a firm believer that just like your beloved romance, your wedding day style should be just as epic! Just ask Maharani Alisha who ensured that her Sikh Indian wedding incorporated all the personal elements that personified her celebration to Tj. It takes a special Indian wedding photographer to capture the bride in her element and Akbar Sayed Photography perfected every angle of Alisha. The couple honored their Sikh upbringing at the Guru Nanak Foundation of America. Alisha channeled the appearance of a Rajasthani bride with a shiny matha patti and gleaming nath in her nose. Hair was kept neat in an ebullient bun decorated with shiny jewels. The entire celebration was joyous from beginning to end and was truly a pleasure to peruse. We head to the Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport for the reception soon with Bollywood Bistro, but, in the meantime, take a stroll through our gallery, Maharanis!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met TJ through friends. I knew he was the one when he would always make himself available to me and listened and remembered everything I said to him.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
TJ had told me that he wanted me to take a vacation a couple of days for 5 months. He said he was going to propose but didn't tell me which month. The first month he told me to get my nails done and we just did dinner. The second month, he told me to get my nails done and I refused to. He told me to go in the basement and look behind the couch for a box. It was a dress and he told me to wear it. He said he would come to pick me up in about an hour and we would go somewhere. He drove me to our favorite winery. There was a table set up with wine, pictures of us, and food. I didn't think anything of it because I thought it was just another month and part of his plan to throw me off. He made small talk for as long as he could then proposed there!
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.
Planning our wedding started off with picking out the venue and date together. We searched the Baltimore area until we got the deal we wanted with the ideal date which was July at the Hilton BWI.
Venue: Karin took care of us really well and made sure we had the best experience at her hotel. She was responsive and worked with what we wanted. Even after the wedding, she called to make sure everything went according to plan and addressed the things that did not. We were very happy with our venue experience.
Hair & Makeup was done by Makeup by Dina: Overall they did a great job. Sana is quick and amazing at hair.
Outfits: All my outfits came from New Jersey because we did not have time to go to India. I got most of what I envisioned. I had trouble finding a wedding ceremony outfit but was able to customize it to my liking.
Decor: Event Envy is amazing. Amina went above and beyond our expectations. I had a vision and she made it come to life!
Overall, our wedding planning experience was hectic but the week of, it was very smooth. My husband and I planned well to make sure that everyone had a great time and we discussed how most issues were going to be solved the day of the wedding if it were to come up.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went to New Jersey to get my outfit. I selected my bridal lengha by trying on many of them. At first, I wanted gold or light pink, but both colors made me look washed out and it did not look bridal to me so I went with the traditional red. After I picked the color, I found a lengha I liked and customized it.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process was having our family and friends involved. Although TJ and I were able to do a lot of things ourselves, we had a lot of help from family and friends that helped make the process way smoother.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I think our guests like the food the most. We catered from Bollywood Bistro in Virginia. They also liked that during the reception, we did not have a drawn-out program. It was short and the dancing started right away so people were not stuck in their seats for over an hour. I also think people liked that everything was on time. There were very minimal delays if any.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
One special moment that replays in my mind is when my dad gave me the palla indicating that we were married.
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.
The reception backdrop- we were very happy with and that is what we envisioned
The style of the reception was supposed to be elegant purple and gold. We had 2 kids tables so the kids would not get bored. We had a photo booth which everyone loved. The dance was done by both of our siblings and cousins which was a mix of Indian and English music. Instead of doing favors. we donated to a Children's Village in India.
For the Sangeet, the dance was done by our friends and me. The Sangeet was colorful and traditional. There was singing by the ladies and Jagoo. The food was "street" food from Bollywood Bistro. We had a Paanwala which made us 3-4 different types of paans.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Don't focus on little stuff. It only gets frustrating! Don't pack every day with activities all day. Spread it out if possible, it makes it enjoyable for you and your family and friends. Enjoy the week of the wedding! Most brides are engrossed in things that cannot be changed and then it gets frustrating. Go with the flow because all the planning is now done, no use in dwelling. You planned for months, now its time to enjoy it!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
My mehndi lady, Rehma, was very sweet and fast. It took her about 3 hours to do full arms and legs and I loved it!
Our DJ was good too, DJ Solace. It was a fusion wedding because some of my family are Trinidadian and TJ's family is Punjabi. We gave him a list of Trinidadian music and told him to mix it in with the Punjabi and Bollywood music and he did an awesome job!
We wanted a simple cake with flowers and got just that from Touche Touchet in Columbia, MD.
See you in a twinkle!
Venues: Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport |
Photography: Akbar Sayed Photography |
Catering: Bollywood Bistro |
Cakes & Treats: Touche Touchet |
DJ: Solace |
Floral and Decor: Event Envy |
Hair and Makeup: Sangeet- Masooma |
Hair and Makeup: Wedding/Reception- Yvonne (makeup) and Sana (hair) |
Mehndi: HennaInk |
Venue: Guru Nanak Foundation of America | Ceremony
Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport,
Akbar Sayed Photography and
Bollywood Bistro
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