We're back at the Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa, where today's beautiful Indian bride is about to take her walk down the aisle and say "I do" to the Raja of her dreams! Lito Sy Photography was there to capture all the candidly captivating highlights from the happy couple's wedding ceremony, which featured Maharani Nish in a spectacular, burnt sienna-colored, bridal lengha. The event's decor, by Pink Flora, was delightfully divine — with fabulous florals and an exquisite mandap. Following the morning's vow exchange, the groom, Raja Sono, held a uniquely unforgettable anime-themed soireé, dubbed Sakura + Sake! Maxx Entertainment's own Sadhu Beats delivered the party's body-movin' sounds and kept partygoers happily on their feet. Head into the complete gallery for and exclusive look and more exciting details from the post-ceremony celebrations, including the black tie reception!
The bride, on her wedding style:
"Our style was to just enjoy those three days with our friends. We had people from so many places flying it, we wanted to be able to spend time with them.
Each party was planned in a way that represented us or what we really enjoyed. Our welcome dinner was Cuban themed, because on our first date we ended the night at a salsa bar and danced the night away. Our wedding was in the morning, so that evening began with an Anime-themed dinner and after-party because my husband loves all things Japanese. It's as much the groom's wedding as it is the bride, and it's funny that they never really get to plan much. My husband thought of everything for this party, from the activities to the signature cocktails. We even had an outdoor sake bomb bar. Our poojas and pheras were all standard Sindhi rituals, as we both are Sindhi. Our reception was a garden theme, black tie - full of laughter, lots of food, dancing, and merriment."
On selecting her dream wedding lenghas:
"I decided to go to Delhi for a week about 3 months before the wedding to buy EVERYTHING. Lots of pressure to finish in 7 days. I had no intention of going to a designer or spending too much time on one dress, I left it to more of a gut feeling. I had an idea of what I wanted to wear long before, from an Indian Bridal magazine in NY.
I figured if you are going to wear red this one time, it might as well be classic and traditional. It was only my second day in Delhi and once I tried "the dress" on, I knew. I ended up leaving it behind thinking it was just my second day there and I may find something else I liked. I came back to the store, and they had sold it. It was a frustrating moment. But my soon to be mom in law saw the emotion, and came to the rescue. We quit shopping at the point, and went out to dinner and had a bottle of wine. Two days later, on my last full day in Delhi, we found the exact same dress in a small hole in the wall store and did not think twice.
For the other occasions, I purchased at stores like Aza where I was looking for colors that went with the themes we had chosen. My Japanese outfit was ordered online. It all just comes together."
On her most memorable wedding day moment:
"Sono and I had completed all the reception rituals - the walk in, the dance, the cake (cupcakes!). But there was a point during my husbands thank you speech that we looked at the crowd and had this vibe. We had never been in a room radiating with that much love, laughter and all around good cheer. There was an energy that you cannot describe, which filled the ballroom."
On her and her Raja's first dance song selection:
"We danced to Return of the Mack, by Mark Morrison. It is not a love song at all. It's not slow or romantic. It has been one of my favorite songs, though, since high school. My husband knew that all too well, we danced to it during our first night out. He spent a lot of time on this and found a doo-wop version, slow beats and one we could slow dance too. Best. Husband. Ever."
On her hair and makeup looks:
"I am really not fussy when it comes to make up perfection. My make up artist and team had come recommended and since they are in fact artists, Gari-son had all the freedom to come up with looks for each event. The team spent time looking at my outfits, and went all out. Traditional bridal looks for the poojas and the wedding, then they took it to the next level when we were doing my Japanese look. Great team with lots of laughs."
On the role that family and friends played in making her dream day a reality:
"From the food to the activities, we had advice everywhere. Our guests even brought party goodies to Cebu for us. But the most important thing - Our family and friends kept us sane through the planning."
Sound advice from the bride:
"In the end, you just have to roll with it. There will be things that come up, that you have to deal with and face, in the months before or the days prior to the wedding; things you may never have encountered before...stress from all avenues...but in the end, it is about you both and celebrating that union. Don't forget that."
Hope you all enjoyed this wedding gem with us today. We'll see you again tomorrow for another amazing affair!
