Welcome back, Maharanis! We've reached the end of another fabulous week, and as promised, we have the fabulous outcome from Avani & Matthew's wedding festivities. In our previous installment, we featured the traditional Hindu ceremony from our lovely duo. In this episode, we will show you a second ceremony. This time we are laying our eyes in the marvelous Christian ceremony hosted in the beautiful gardens of The Merion. You will love how these phenomenal gardens were perfectly decorated by Anderson Wedding Flowers, who took the beauty of this backdrop and leveled it up. If you are wondering who was the mastermind behind the fabulous look of our beautiful Avani, we have the answer for you! It was no other than Makeup By Karishma who assisted our Maharani with her different beauty needs throughout the entire festivities, highlighting her natural beauty and making her look like a princess. Such an outstanding job! As you scroll down, you will admire the fantastic talent from the good friends at PhotosMadeEz, who captured all emotions and memorable moments of this event and transformed them into a magnificent gallery. So make sure to check it out!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We both are CPAs and we met at work six years ago. Our initial conversations were mostly on the topics of tax and accounting . Over the years, we became very good friends over coffee breaks, lunch breaks, and our special "non-sense" time! Our conversations during "non-sense" time went from opening up a restaurant named Pesto Fry Fusion... to buying a Helicopter.
One day Matt asked me out on a date, and I neither accepted nor declined. This got repeated many times. Matt was persistent and I finally said YES to go out on a date.
Our first date was at one of our favorite restaurants IndieBlue, followed by an episode of Game of Thrones! We started enjoying each other's company. One of our favorite weekend activities is to cook a meal together (I am the head-chef and Matt is a sues-chef). Matt got me more into watching sports and playing in fantasy football league. I got him into exploring new restaurants Philly has to offer.
Despite cultural differences, we found similarities in values they were raised with. We connected well with each other's family, which was very important for both of us to move to the next stage in our relationship.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was a Saturday in February. We were working that day (tax season ). Matt went home early to prepare for dinner for both of us. When I reached his home, to my surprise, I saw it was decorated with candles and rose petals. I followed the signs and markings on the floor, leading up to where Matt stood wearing a traditional Indian outfit. By this point I was completely overwhelmed with excitement and emotions. He got down on his knee and asked, "Avie, will you marry me?" I said, "Yes!!!" with the biggest smile on my face.
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.
Matt and I both wanted a fall wedding. We wanted to have two ceremonies, Hindu and Christian, to honor both of our cultures. Soon after we got engaged, we toured four local venues. We fell in love with the Merion in Cinnaminson and booked it three weeks after our engagement. It offered everything we were looking for (outdoor wedding space, beautiful ballrooms, delicious menu, and impressive service!). Both ceremonies were held at the Merion and they catered for both ceremonies. Yes, the Merion chef catered an Indian wedding and they prepared vast varieties on Indian appetizers, entrees and dessert!!! I did not need a wedding planner because my event manager Jolene Cross and other staff were so good that I didn't feel the need to hire one.
We booked all other vendors a month after we booked the venue. My hair & make up team, Makeup by Karishma, was a recommendation from my friend. I had seen Karishma Mehta's excellent work at a friend's wedding and I knew I did not need to search further. She made me look stunning as a bride at both weddings!!!
I found my Photo and Videographer team, PhotosMadeEZ, from vendor search on Maharani.com. Mou Mukherjee is very passionate about her work and just from the phone conversations, I realized that I can trust her to capture the most important day of my life!
I also found my DJ team, Doom Events, from vendor search on Maharani.com. I was looking for a DJ who can throw an exciting party at a mixed wedding. They had a large portfolio and testimonies of the mixed fusion weddings. I booked them because the owner Milin Jani & team were very professional and easy to work with. They had everyone dancing at the baraat and at the reception!
I met my florist and decorator, Anderson Flowers and Weddings, at a Dulhan Expo. The owner Howard Kramer has an amazing personality and has an in-depth knowledge about Indian culture and wedding rituals. He even explained Indian wedding rituals to Matt! Hiring him was an easy decision!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I purchased Hindu Wedding lehenga through a video call to Asopalav, Ahmedabad, India. They have an excellent bridal lehenga selection. Their service was great and fitting was perfect! My lehenga had green and red color with gold design. I fell in love with it when they showed it to me!
I purchased my Christian Wedding gown from Bridal Garden in Marlton, NJ. I was looking for a gown that's body hugging and comfortable enough to dance. My gown was champaign color with lace design. When I tried it, I knew that was it!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I enjoyed the wedding planning process from start to finish. I did not have a specific vision, but it started coming together during the planning process and seeing it come alive was an amazing feeling. I could not have done it without the help from our family and hard work by all vendors!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The guests loved Merion's food, open bar and excellent dessert hour. The DJ team kept the dance floor full the entire evening. We had several guests mentioned that ours was the most fun wedding they've ever been to.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Matt and my first dance on "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" by Frankie Valli just keeps replaying in my mind!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Don't go crazy during planning stage. Focus on the big picture and stop stressing about details. Trust your vendors. It's your big day that goes fast. Have fun and enjoy it!
Please visit us tomorrow. You will love what we have prepared just for you!
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