Welcome to Aakruti & Ravisher's wedding, a celebration of love, tradition, and culture. As soon as you step into the Motor City Casino Hotel and Detroit Marriott at Renaissance Center, you'll feel the warmth and joy that radiates from the couple and their loved ones. The Baraat was lively, thanks to the talented dholi, Pally Singh. Marigold Wedding Planners did an outstanding job with the planning and design of Aakruti & Ravisher's wedding. The team ensured that every detail was carefully thought out, from the stunning floral arrangements to the intricate decor. The beautiful mandap was adorned with fresh flowers creating a breathtaking backdrop for the couple's nuptials. The reception was equally impressive, combining candles and light installations, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The attention to detail by Marigold Wedding Planners truly made this wedding a dream come true for the couple and their guests. Aakruti looked stunning in her Anita Dongre and Falguni Shane Peacock bridal ensembles, complemented by the intricate jewelry from Sunita Shekhawat. Krupa Thomas did a fantastic job with the bridal mehndi, and Simona Vigh and Jahura Hobby created the bride's perfect hair and makeup look. Sky Films and Productions' lighting design was vital in creating the ideal ambiance for Aakruti & Ravisher's reception. The lighting design elevated the decor and highlighted every aspect of the wedding, from the intricate mandap to the stunning centerpieces. The warm hues created a romantic and intimate atmosphere, while the subtle lighting effects enhanced the beats from DJ Kingh. The catering by India House was delicious, and GaganHarnav Photography captured all the beautiful moments of the wedding perfectly. As you browse through the wedding gallery, you'll notice the love and happiness that these lovebirds share. It overflows with beauty and inspiring ideas you don't want to miss. So enjoy today's feature!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Ravi & I matched on Hinge towards the beginning of lockdown in 2020. We talked consistently and decided to meet up in May after both of us had negative Covid test...I know, romance at it's height! Honestly i dont know when Ravi became "the one", but everything with Ravi felt right. Our relationship started and it felt like we had been together for years! It's hard to believe this May we are approaching 3 years of being together.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Haha, our proposal! The funny thing is Ravi & I had our Roka/Rupiyo July of 2021...this was a whole year before Ravi even proposed to me! Ravi tried his hardest to surprise me with the proposal but I love a good mystery so when it seems like he is up to something I turn on my thinking cap and figure it out. Regardless of me guessing the day he was going to finally propose he still made everything special. Our day started with Ravi and I taking a helicopter tour of Downtown Detroit, i knew he wasnt going to propose at this point because he left the ring in the car console haha. After this we went to Brunch and stopped a cute boutique hotel to change into my second outfit. We ended up having a couple drinks here because is set up crew (sisters) were running a bit behind schedule haha. From here he drove us to this beautiful park and we walked to this lovely water fountain area. Ravi started acting nervous so i knew the moment was coming up. Then all of a sudden i hear old hindi songs and i start getting excited! I saw a camera set up so i knew the spot we needed to reach but because of Ravi's nerves he took me the "long route" and i saw his sisters hiding behind trees haha, He eventually got us to the sweet spot and dropped down to one knee and proposed. I wont give all the details of what he said because some things are meant to be between just us...but obviously i said YES! Then we went to the next part of our surprise. We went to paint pottery while we waited for our dinner reso. My parents and brother drove up to surprise me but when i called to show them the ring my dad was like "oh nice, we will see it soon..we are 1 hour away" hahaha. We ended that night getting picked up in a limo with both our families inside wait to celebrate with us. Went to dinner and it was the perfect end to the 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.
I think like majority of the girls out there i knew what i wanted for my wedding, but being that im Gujarati and Ravi is Punjabi we ended up having 2 wedding ceremonies as well as our Sangeet & Reception. It was important for us to make sure both sides of the families felt involved. I am my parents only daughter and Ravi is the only son of his siblings so the weddings were a big deal on both side. I did all of our outfit shopping in India. I worked with Tina Singh of Marigold Weddings here in Michigan for wedding planning. She and her team were great! I told her what i wanted and envisioned and she delivered where she could and found me solutions to what we couldnt do. Both my hair and makeup girls were local to michigan as well. Simona Vigh did my hair and i personally think he crushed every look. We did a half up do for the Sangeet, 2 different type of low buns for both Weddings and a high ponytail for the Reception. My MUA was JHobby. Jahura was amazing! We picked eyes or lips to make the focal point and explored different looks! All in all wedding planning wasnt stressful and i enjoyed it. It definitely had it's ups and downs but the end results were absolutely worth it!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Most of my outfits where made by a designer friends in India, Pooja & Keyur. My Hindu wedding outfit was Anita Dongre and Reception was Falguni Shane Peacock. Originally i wanted to do a non traditional hindu wedding outfit. I wanted to do a soft pastels color for that ceremony. When my mom, masi & i reached Anita Dongre we started looking and trying things on. I fell in love with their Pichhwai paint work lengha. I picked a magenta one that i really liked! My mom wanted to see me in red so i tried it on and when i saw her eyes light up i knew i had to wear red! Im the type of person where I think i look good in all colors so colors werent as important for me, it was how i felt in the outfit.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
You would have to ask my guests haha! Mostly people loved our food, desserts, dj & party favor. Our food was catered by India House in Chicago, our desserts display was HUGE. Ravi and i both love a good dessert so we wanted to have varieties. We had like 4 cake flavors and so many mini desserts! Our desserts were traditional as well as a few fusion styles. Reva Constantine-Smith did our desserts and i highly recommend her to anyone who asks! We also had to go boxes at the end of the evening at the reception, both for desserts and for the late night snacks we provided. So many people told me they loved being able to take some fries and pizza with them after a long night of drinking & dancing. Our DJ kept everyone entertained and hyped on the dance floor. DJKingh for San Fran!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Take it one day at a time. There will be ups and downs regardless of the style or type of wedding you do. Make sure you and your to be spouse dont lose yourself in the planning. Be open and honest about needs vs wants. It's hard to get everything exactly your way and usually with desi weddings both families are heavily opinionated and involved. You and your partner need to be united and remember the whole weekend is about you guys and your love. Just celebrate your love to the fullest.
See you tomorrow, loves! We have many more Indian wedding stories for you to enjoy.