Good morning, dears! Today's entry will take us back to a cozy winter day for Jinnie & Kevin's wedding. Our protagonists had a magical celebration at the One and Only Westmount Country Club. This venue offers the intimacy and elegance every Maharani deserves for their special event. Our couple couldn't resist the alluring views they encountered here, instantly falling in love with its timeless enchantment. The venue's natural refinement played perfectly with the classy decor Dalsimer Spitz & Peck crafted. The lovely bouquets were my favorite detail. The gorgeous tones matched Jinnie's sophistication and color scheme, making her the center of attention. Our Maharani had the remarkable Color Me Rouge for her bridal party's makeup and Mona Chebli Makeup Artist for the ceremony. The two capable and experienced artists were more than perfect to embellish the already gorgeous bride! Our Maharani had a whole team of experts behind her look, and she was divine, ladies. Her traditional white dress was dreamy, and she dazzled more than one with a charming lengha later on. We cannot leave the handsome groom behind. Kevin had his full charm on display and a dashing tuxedo to shine with his marvelous partner. The lovebirds were a vision! Studio KSD didn't miss any chance to capture their love, giving them a splendid set of photographs to treasure for eternity. Jinnie & Kevin's adoration for each other is evident in every single frame! The enthralling gallery is ready for you to get creative, my dear Maharanis. Wait no more to check it out!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I first met Kevin at a Knanaya Jacobite Convention back in 2012. It sounds kind of crazy, but that first day I knew somehow that he was different and we hit it off. But despite the instant connection we felt, life had other plans for us and it didn't really pan out. We talked on and off a few times over the years In 2019, I guess we finally had our timing right. This time around, it stuck, and here we are, finally married over 9 years after our initial meeting.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Kevin proposed to me in December 2020 at a beautiful gazebo covered in Christmas lights. I was admiring it and the tree inside when I noticed that there was a man standing inside...Kevin. As I walked toward the gazebo, I could hear one of my favorite songs, Dhadke Jiya, playing in the background. I walked up to meet him and he got down on one knee and proposed. It was a perfect moment, captured by a good friend of ours, Ronnie Stephen. Afterward, we met up with our family and friends at Kevin's parent's house to celebrate.
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.
Kevin and I decided rather quickly that we wanted to get married, and we came to this decision during the pandemic. We ended up calling over 30 venues and visited 12 or 13 venues in one weekend. It was exhausting, but we picked our venue that same weekend. We chose the Westmount Country Club because they had experience with Malayalee Indian Weddings and because they had an incredible food spread. They were also very easy to work with. Once we had our venue and the date, we started reaching out to vendors, starting with finding a church, photo and video, DJ, and HMUA for myself.
We got married at St. Mark's Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in Paramus, NJ. The church itself was stunning, with beautiful high ceilings and lots of natural light. It was clean and elegant, and Rev. Fr. Joseph Chamoun was so welcoming and kind.
I knew early on that I wanted to book Mona Chebli for my hair and makeup; I had been following her on Instagram for years.
We spoke to a lot of different photo and video teams but ultimately chose Studio KSD because we loved their work and felt comfortable with Tina.
We chose M4U for our DJ Team and DJ Vik and MC Vik really know how to host a party. They set such an amazing vibe and had the whole room going.
We chose our florist/decorator based on recommendations from the Westmount Country Club. John from Dalsimer Spitz and Peck was so easy to work with, and understood the vision I had for my wedding decor and florals so clearly, and brought it to life.
Keys2Vocals, led by our friend Vineeth Thomas, handled the choir details for our wedding ceremony and gave us all the feels on the day of.
I had the most fun designing my bridesmaid's outfits. I worked with Chinnu from Amayaa Collections in India, and she brought my vision to life.
MehndiKalogie did my bridal mehndi and brought the vision I had for my mehndi to life.
Colour Me Rouge did hair and makeup for my bridesmaids and their team was excellent.
PleatsBySher did draping for my mom and MIL, as well as my manthrakodi draping and she was so easy to work with and made me feel absolutely beautiful in my saree.
Eventify was our DOC for the weekend and hands down the best decision we made with regards to the day. Aji, Jino, Tina, and Rupali were our dream team for the weekend and took so much of the stress out of the day. We knew after our first call with Aji and Jino that they were the team that we wanted with us on the most important day of our lives, and they did not disappoint.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
So I always knew for the church portion of the wedding, I wanted to wear a white gown. I had SUCH a hard time finding "the dress." Everything I thought I would love (lace, long sleeves, A-line) ended up being everything I hated. I finally figured out that I was a satin girl all the way, and that less is more. I tried on over 30 dresses at so many bridal salons before I finally found my dress at L&H Couture in Doylestown, PA....5 minutes from my house.
My Manthrakodi was purchased in Cochin, Kerala, India from Seematti Silks. As per tradition, my parents and I went shopping with my mother-in-law and father-in-law to purchase the sari. I didn't have much of an idea in mind but both moms had their hearts set on traditional red, which is what we ended up picking out.
My reception outfit was purchased at Made by Milan, in Cochin, Kerala. This lehenga was an absolute dream and was my favorite outfit of the entire day. It was all the sparkle and drama that I wanted in a reception outfit. Big skirt, tons of sparkle, a ruffled dupatta, and all in shades of white, ivory, and silver that made me feel so incredibly bridal.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I think for me, the best part of wedding planning was all the time I got to spend with my family and Kevin's leading up to it. From planning pow-wows to dance practices, it was such a fun time to get together with the people I love, and even though it wasn't always easy, I still have such awesome memories of some of these times.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
My husband and I chose our wedding venue based on the food, and sure enough, that was what my guests RAVED about after our wedding. We heard so much about how much our guests enjoyed cocktail hour and the endless options they had.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
There were so many moments throughout the day that I replay in my mind. If I really had to choose one, I think it would be the moment in the morning when I read Kevin's letter to me. It was probably one of the only quiet moments I had during the day, and honestly, his words were exactly what I needed to hear before walking down the aisle to him. It centered me.
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 night before the wedding we had our traditional Mylanchi and Chantham Charth, but we decided to have them together at the same venue, since we both had so many guests come in from out of time, especially extended family. Masato Events designed our staging for the event in peacock colors. It was a fun night filled with Knanaya traditions, and family dances. I did a traditional look for this event, and got all glammed up by Swara Kasbekar from Artistry by Swara Kay.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Try to soak as much of the day in as you can, and try not to worry about all the details the day of. Things will inevitably go wrong, but everything works out in the end. The whole day passes in a blur so really try to be present in the moment and enjoy the day.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Cake - Palermo's
All right, darlings, I hope you are feeling inspired. Keep coming back for more romance!
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