The Platinum Guide Blog

Welcome back, beautiful ladies! A wedding is an event that should be praised forever, for the only reason that two soulmates join their lives forever! Now, we will continue presenting you with the outcome of this fantastic event. The fascinating Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas was the venue that our lovebirds choose to celebrate their reception after a lovely ceremony. It was the perfect way to bring the wedding festivities to an end. The talent from Alpha Events and Décor managed to amaze us again with an elegant decor filled with a traditional flair that created a warm environment. It was just perfect! Our lovely couple showed after the religious ceremony to the venue, and they were received with an arch formed by their bridal party. With such fantastic well-selected music and lighting from our friend from DJ Riz Entertainment, who put everyone on their feet to dance during the whole night. Something to remark it was the beautiful look that our Maharani showed thanks to the beauty skills of Blushbar and, of course, the elegance from ELEGANT SAREE DRAPING who took care of the draping style needs of Ashely. She looked so fashionable! You will be able to admire this fantastic event thanks to the tremendous work from Neville Wedding Stories, who captured every single detail from that night! So make sure to visit today's gallery to take a closer look.

Make sure to visit us for more ideas that will inspire your heart!

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Good morning, Maharanis! It is time for a new love story. In this first installment, we are presenting you with the angelical wedding ceremony from Ashely & Robin. Rev. Dr. Abraham Mathew performed the wedding at the exceptional The Mar Thoma Church of Dallas Farmers Branch. Just a perfect place for an ideal love union! The ceremony was so beautiful that it is almost impossible to put it into words. Although everything was marvelous and charming, it was our gorgeous Maharani who stole the attention! Thanks to the fantastic talent from Joy Alukkas, she took her bridal fashion style to the next level and looked like a fairy tale princess! The beautiful makeup and hairstyle designed by Blushbar, raised this Maharanis' beauty in such a fantastic way that we are almost out of words to describe how much we loved her look! And not to mention the draping style from ELEGANT SAREE DRAPING that added a perfect and final touch to our Maharani's look. Just fantastic! What a beautiful way to steal everyone's breath. Just a dream come true from our lovebirds. If you want to relive this great moment, make sure to visit our today's gallery brought to you thanks to the marvelous work from Neville Wedding Stories. I bet you will be super inspired! 

Stay tuned for the outcome of this magical story. More to come!

DJ Riz Entertainment and ELEGANT SAREE DRAPING are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Welcome back, Maharanis! Can you imagine joining your life to the person you've always dreamed of at the most epic beach location? Well, that is exactly what our lovely Maharani Bhrugini and Raja Vishal did! And we can't get enough of their beautiful day! The images of Novia Mia Photography show us every detail of this phenomenal ceremony. Raja Vishal observed with admiration the arrival of his dazzling maharani, who also left everyone in awe for her splendid natural beauty that was certainly enhanced thanks to the talent of Styling Trio. She was a dream come true! Everything was exactly as our lovebirds planned and envisioned thanks to the splendid job of the one and only, Preeti Vasudeva. Thumbs up for her! The venue looked amazing, the aqua and white colors for the mandap matched perfectly with the magical waters of one of the most spectacular beaches in Mexico. There is no doubt that the skills of Alquimia Events made this place look phenomenal. Once the ceremony was over DJ USA turned the night on with fantastic music that made everyone had a blast. Choreographies, great food, family time, and of course, the memories of a unique love were the perfect combination of elements to create a grand celebration. To relive this story, make sure to visit our gallery. You'll get tons of inspiration from this tropical wedding spree!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Vishal and I met through a dating app. On a very cold Wednesday night in March 2016, just like everyone else, I was watching the usual lifeless soaps when my phone beeped. The on-screen notification displayed “Congrats! Vishal is madly in love with you” (or something along those lines ;)). I clicked on Vishal's profile to find he was hollering at me all the way from MX. I was a bit skeptical but decided to msg him anyway and this is how it went...
Bhrugini: “hey how's it going? do you really live in MX?”
Vishal: “Hi there, it’s going well. Wait, is it on my profile because I don't recall adding my location? or Are you a stalker? Because that would be interesting in its own way."

Since day 1 our conversations had a natural flow, followed by an amazing 3-day date in NYC to our first trip to Cabo (which pretty much started off with us missing our flight and Vishal being extremely sick the entire trip); from this very eventful week in Mexico we knew we could get through anything together and I also found out that he is my kind of crazy :)

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
After dating for about a year, Vishal and I planned for our families to meet for the first time in New York. Since Vishal lived in Mexico at the time I had no idea a proposal would even be on the surface because when would he have time to go ring shopping ;). To add to my surprise, Vishal had already custom designed my beautiful engagement ring, asked my dad for permission to marry me and had our families in on the proposal. I’m still amazed at how everyone was able to keep it a secret.  On the proposal day our families met during the day and in the evening Vishal had planned a dinner with both of our siblings at his cousin’s brand new restaurant, Queens Bully.  Vishal being so detailed he even planned where I would sit at the dinner table so that I couldn’t see anyone else coming in. At dinner, Vishal thanked everyone for coming and then moved on to saying some of the sweetest things about me/us (and I was still so clueless about what was to come) until he got down on one knee and popped the question....I was completely shocked and couldn’t stop smiling and after a few seconds Vishal asked “so is it a yes?” And I said of course YES! I then turn around to find our families standing there and slowly an army of his friends joined in on the celebrations. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect proposal.

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.
Vishal mentioned the idea of a destination wedding to make the celebrations even more fun for us and our family and friends. I hadn’t really considered it until then because I wanted all the traditional events and my entire family/friends to be part of my big day. We talked to our parents and after doing some research learned that we could have both, so we decided to move forward with it. We had gone to scope out a venue in Cancun but weren't too happy with it.  Luckily, during the same trip I called the Paradisus wedding department to request an appointment and they were able to accommodate us the same day.  We went to see the venue and instantly fell in love.  Planning a wedding in another country is a challenge in itself, fortunately there have been many Indian weddings in Cancun, MX so it was a matter of finding the right Vendors and getting into the details with each to bring our vision to life.  Our siblings/cousins stepped in and saw everything through each event during the wedding week which was a great help. As far as the decor, Vishal and I are both of the opinion “less is more”. All of our events were held outdoors/in open areas so we could enjoy the deep blue ocean and the resorts Zen garden backdrops. 

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I had a simple red outfit in mind and was pretty sure of the style, etc. However when I actually went shopping in India, after about 3 hours there was no sight of a simple red outfit. I branched out to other colors and as soon as I tried on the wedding outfit, both my parents and I said this is it! Cream with neon green and pink, never would’ve thought of this combination but loved it!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Vishal and I making decisions together, even if we didn't agree on everything we learned to compromise.   I also appreciated the unconditional support from our families through the process. Lastly, the dessert tasting because we both have a sweet tooth!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The fact that it was a destination wedding and it was a first Indian destination wedding in both of our families. Everyone loved the resort, the music at the wedding reception (we had lot of wedding crashers from the resort), DJ Juicy from DJUSA is the best DJ ever, a full Gujarati meal after the wedding ceremony (my sister-in-law taught the non-Guju caterers how to make most of the dishes over the phone/txt msgs) and most importantly relaxing which is unheard of at Indian weddings since there are so many events and a lot of sleepless nights and running around.  Finally, the way the days were planned out; with the events all ending on Friday night, most people stuck around for the weekend and we all got to hang out post wedding; instead of flying out the day after the wedding.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
It’s hard to choose one because there were so many moments that actually constantly replay as if it was yesterday... our first look on the day of the wedding (filled with so many emotions), our first dance, the heartfelt speeches, the amazing dance performances, super packed dance floor, the look on Vishal's face when he saw the surprise fireworks, my crazy husband, some of his groomsmen and my brothers jumping in the pool at the reception, and seeing everyone smiling and showering us with love there and from afar. Still feels so surreal...

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Relish every moment of the wedding planning including the stressful ones and when things go awry. The wedding WILL be beautiful! :)

I hope you love this wedding as much as I do! Let me know in the comments below.

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Today we put together a charming feature that allows us to meet a sweet couple that shines with adoration! Eakta and Rahul are the lucky ones who tied the knot in a beautiful big Indian wedding that was captured from start to finish by VisionOne Studios! The adorable images take us through their wedding journey, starting at the Aria Dining & Banquets where a vibrant Sangeet helped to set up the celebratory state for both families to the splendid ceremony at the Indian Community Center! Our lovely Indian beauty, Eakta was a true stunner thanks to the dreamy updo and makeup that the beauty pro TM's Makeup Artistry created on her, while her multi-layered Kaleere added a big touch of gold to her already wonderful look. All the decorative grace and luxe was thanks to the creative crew from Eve Decor who festooned the hall with a sumptuous and elaborate white carved mandap. The flowers also reigned during the ceremony embellishing the scenery with peach, pink blush, and white colors. Our dapper Punjabi groom, Rahul flaunted the greatest currency garland I've ever seen and matched his bride's look with a hot pink scarf and turban! Check out Eakta and Rahul's full gallery for more pictures from their big affair!

Come back for the second part of this sweet Punjabi wedding story!

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It’s time to get the party started for Sneha and Ashif! Fully orchestrated by Platinum Dream Events, the stunning reception was pure joy and fun! The night began with DJ USA setting the party mood with energetic music and the good-looking couple amazed the crowd with a unique entry and an incredibly upbeat first dance, the video of the scene has reached over a million views on Youtube! No wonder why they have decided to help prepare other couples for their own first dance, just amazing! As elegant as the couple was, the shimmery gold and white wedding cake that ChocaL8kiss created was amazing and flawlessly blended with the décor! This cute pair looked simply glamorous! Maliha Khan created a drop-dead gorgeous hair and makeup combo for Sneha that made her glow in her glittering lehenga. The dashing groom, Ashif, looked perfectly lovely in a full white tuxedo jacket and a pair of elegant black velvet smoking slippers. Look over Mood Republic Studios’ amazing images of this Bollywood style soiree in our full gallery!

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.
Wedding planning overall is never easy, especially for the big fat Indian weddings with multiple ceremonies on multiple days. My husband is Bengali Muslim and I am Hindu Tamilian so we decided to combine our backgrounds in every element of our wedding process. We served Rooh-Afza and Mango Lassi during our ceremonies as light refreshments - two traditional drinks of the Bengali and Chennai cultures, respectively. We also coordinated music, dress, and events that would cater to guests from both sides. Our pre-wedding events consisted of a traditional Bengali-style Haldi in Long Island and a Mehendi in Maryland. Our Nikkah, Brahmin wedding ceremony, and reception were all on the same day at Sheraton Mahwah, NJ.

Although it took a lot of time planning everything, we enjoyed making all of our selections and being creative throughout the process. My husband was very involved throughout everything and took care of so many details which made it a lot easier for me!

As far as venue, hair/make up, and décor - I've had a lot of friends get married around the New Jersey area and all of them had detailed excel spreadsheets with vendors listed. This made it a lot easier for me to narrow down my search and figure out what I wanted. The details sort of just fell into place, checklist after checklist. We had so many people helping us throughout the process so it never felt too overwhelming. My bridesmaids and maids of honor were amazing in taking care of so many things from setting up my parents' basement for my Mehendi to organizing transportation and housing for each other during our events which were in 3 different states! We also had the amazing help of our wedding coordinators (and good friends!) Mayank and Payal at Platinum Dream Events who helped every step of the way! I remember in particular one night when both of them were on the phone with us until midnight on a weekday helping us hash out details. Honestly, it takes a village to make a wedding come together and it truly was a spectacular and special experience. It made the actual day so much more worth it after all the effort. 


How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I wore flowered jewelry and a sari from Bangladesh for the Holud, a simple colorful lehenga for the Mehendi, a maroon and gold lehenga for the Nikkah, a 6-yard and then 9-yard Kanchipuram silk sari for the Brahmin wedding, and a light teal sequin lehenga for the reception. I had my mom and my brother select my wedding saris in South India and I went to Delhi to select my Mehendi and reception lehengas and my husband's outfits. I knew that regardless of what I wore, I would feel amazing because of the people and the love in the room. The only preferences I had were a Nikkah lehenga that was deep maroon/gold and a reception lehenga that weighed nearly nothing so I can dance the night away! I was happy that I was able to find both within 1 day in Delhi with the help of my mom's best friend! I was initially hesitant about my light teal reception lehenga as this is not a very traditional color for a reception... but boy did I LOVE wearing it, especially for our first dance! I truly felt like a princess the whole day! Teal was always my favorite color but now I love it even more every time I see an outfit in that shade. 

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I think our guests enjoyed the energy of our wedding, simply put. The air was just filled with exquisite joy the whole time. The messages, social media posts, emails, and phone calls after the wedding just overwhelmed us with so much love that we knew that our wedding day seeped with this feeling for everyone. 

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
I was carried into the room at 8:30 am by my brother and my cousin brothers on a Doli. The doors swung open. I saw a whole crowd of people that I love. And in the center of all of it was Ashif. He started crying immediately. But he was so handsome and majestic. To the side were my parents and Ashif's mom, also crying. And then I started crying. I will never forget that feeling. It gives me goosebumps right now. There was just so much love at that moment. 

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Brides - you are beautiful, loved, and celebrated. This is a big event and a big day for you. But spend some time during all the madness to zoom out. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Smile. Feel blessed and feel loved. It’s hard not to stress especially the days leading up to the wedding... trust me I know. But nothing is the end of the world. Realize that it will never be perfect but it will always be okay at the end of the day. Just have fun in the process and soak up the love on the actual day, because, girl... you deserve every bit of it! 

Get some more ideas for your own grand Bollywood nuptials tomorrow!

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