Hey there, ladies! It is Thursday, the weekend is quickly approaching and we know you are getting ready for that bash coming up. Either it's your nuptials or from one of your girlfriends, such special occasions require for you to look absolutely dazzling. For that reason, today's wedding is a no-miss if we are talking about style. Mili & Saurabh came up with a vision for the ages, combining tradition and contemporary elements, just as we like it. For the task of bringing the ideas to life, the lovebirds recruited both Chandai Events for the planning & design and Exclusive Events NY for the floral & decor wonders of the gala. As we will see, this pro pair did what they do best and crafted a wedding that will surely leave you wanting for your special day to arrive quickly. Let us get to today's gallery thanks to the amazing work of James Anderson and get those ideas going! 

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maharani,rajah,photo session
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indian bride,indian groom,indian wedding ceremony

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
My *husband* works 28 hour days every 3rd day (such is the life of residents in medicine..). He told me he wanted to switch to working every 2nd day, so that we could go to NYC on a Friday night. My spidey senses immediately started tingling - why would you willingly work more just for a random trip to NYC? 

NYC happens to be where we met - when I was in medical school and he was doing a research year. He took me to the lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge. That bridge is special to us as it literally and figuratively connected us - he would drive from his home in New Jersey to see me in my Washington Heights apartment, which overlooked the GWB and the Hudson River. Sometimes I could see his car on the GWB from my window! 

We had been to the lighthouse a few times before, on runs down the Hudson River. So he took me for a walk down there, recounting our memories along the way. After he proposed with a surprise photo shoot, we needed to get back up to the street level.. which proved harder than expected. We spent the next 45 minutes trying to figure out how to get back up, attempting to cross a heavily trafficked highway, having a cop ask us why we were trying to hail a cab on the side of a highway. All the while, we were intermittently dancing, hugging, and exclaiming that we couldn't believe we were getting married! 

We ultimately made it back to the road, celebrated with a cake, and spent the next few days on an "engagementmoon" in Jamaica!

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.
I'm lucky to have been a part of planning 2 weddings in my immediate family before this, along with a dozen or so cousins and family friends that have gotten married. Our vendor search was largely based on recommendations from friends and family-- and we were incredibly lucky to find wonderful vendors who made our day so special! 

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
A trip to India for shopping.. seemed absurd to my friends back home, but was always a known part of my wedding planning. It was my mom and I by myself - my dad willingly excused himself as he didn't want to be part of our week of arguments of red vs. pink, elaborate vs. simple. What an adventure! We went from store to store in Bombay, but ultimately, the bridal lengha itself was decided on day one. I fell in love with it - rich, elegant, agreed on by both my mom and myself.. and it made me feel like a queen! 

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved the ambiance - set on a backdrop of the ocean on a blissfully perfect day in early May where they were able to get their first tans of the season. Beyond that-- everyone was stunned by the amount and quality of the food! They loved the speeches and the "love" that they felt resounded through the air in our vows. And of course -- the best part was hearing from them that "the dance floor was lit"!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Walking down the aisle and seeing everyone you know and love, literally there in this same time and space to see you. What an incredible feeling! Declaring personally written vows on the mandap, not often present in an Indian ceremony, was also a true way to express our love, in our own words and style. And lastly - we had way more fun being up on the mandap and actually undergoing the rituals than we had imagined. 

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.
Our sangeet was full of color and energy- our decorator really took our vision (the main word that I used was "COLOR") and made it come to life. Our friends and family did vibrant dances -- I loved seeing my non-indian friends dance Bollywood-style! Our reception was full of energy, to say the least. We started the night out with transitioning from our first dance into a surprise fast choreographed dance that opened up the floor -- we didn't leave the dance floor once after that!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Have fun! All the details don't really matter at the end of the day. Everyone is there because they love you -- and if you're having fun, they'll have fun.

Stick around, more weddings to come. 

STYLE
GUIDE
style
Traditional
Contemporary
season
Spring
color
DJ: Dhoom Events Indian Wedding DJ | Planning & Design: Chandai Events | Floral & Decor: Exclusive Events NY | Floral & Decor: Exclusive Events NY | Lighting: Dhoom Events Indian Wedding DJ | Photography: James Anderson | Sangeet Venue: Chateau La Mer | Ceremony Venue: The Piermont | Reception Venue: The Piermont | Hair & Makeup: Naz Beauty NY MUA | Catering: Benares Restaurant & Catering | Cakes & Treats: Francesco's Bakery | Cinematography: Intrigue Wedding Films | Mehndi Artist: Henna by Sajani