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Long Island, NY Sikh Wedding by A.S. Nagpal Photography

March 9, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

Welcome back, Ladies! As promised, we are back with all the details and insights of Avneet & Raymon's beautiful wedding celebration. For this final installment, we are taking you to the grand Plainview Gurudwara, a perfect Sikh Gurdwara temple chosen by our lovebirds to swear their eternal love. Underneath a beautiful Mandap, our lovebirds promised undying love, and everyone contemplated, in between sighs, this beautiful moment. Avneet, our dazzling bride, enhanced her natural beauty during the festivities thanks to the talent of Kanwal Batool, who took care of her beauty needs, making her look like royalty. For the fashion department, Bhumika Grover showed off why they are the go-to-guys when looking for someone who takes your fashion game to the next level. And we can't forget the fantastic Mendi design created by Mehndikalogie. Once the ceremony ended, all guests headed over to the phenomenal Villa Lombardi's for a grand wedding reception, and let me tell you that everyone had a blast! And we want to take a moment to appreciate the decor that Exclusive Events NY crafted, creating such a magical environment for this gala. We also want to give a big shoutout to the talented folks from A.S. Nagpal Photography, who share the marvelous photo captures of this grand wedding celebration so we can enjoy them in today's gallery. Remember, you can also check the visual masterpiece created by With This Ring Wedding Films by clicking here.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

Raymon and I met at Sikh Camp when we were 14 years old. There were a group of boys playing a pick-up game of basketball, and I really wanted to play as well. Raymon was the team captain, and a mutual friend told him to pick "Avi" without him knowing that it was me. We played a couple games of basketball and I was instantly attracted to his skill. After that encounter, we chatted nearly everyday on Aol Instant Messenger and have been inseparable ever since. I knew he was "the one" pretty early on, but from high school through medical school Raymon has always pushed me to work harder and be the best version of myself, in a way that no one else was capable of doing. That's how I knew that we had a unique connection.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

Raymon knows me better than I know myself, and planned our proposal intricately. It was the weekend of our Residency Match Day, so there were a lot of emotions already as we both matched into programs that we really wanted to train at. He wanted to celebrate with a weekend getaway to Montreal, and told me to pack and dress well. He picked me up from my parents house and I was under the assumption we'd be traveling to Montreal. Instead, he took me around my hometown with a beautiful lunch and a stroll through the park. In the park, he gave me a personalized picture book that took us through the journey of our relationship from high school onwards. The last page said, "and our next chapter awaits...", at that point he played my favorite song from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and took me onto a beautiful bridge over a pond that was decorated with a banner that said "Will You Marry Me?" We then had a mini photoshoot and went home to tell my parents. When we got home, our friends and family of nearly 100 people were waiting for us on the driveway to celebrate, and we had an amazing engagement party that night!

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.

We had so much fun planning our wedding! I think the most challenging part was picking a venue that had our time frame available and fit all of our criteria. We explored many different venues from NYC to NJ, and ultimately fell in love with Villa Lombardi's in Long Island, NY. Once we had our reception venue set, everything else fell into place. I used Maharani Weddings for vender suggestions and was really happy with our results. Through different suggestions we were able to put together a vender group that worked together to bring our dream wedding to reality.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?

I've always had an idea of how I wanted my bridal outfit to be. I love the color fuchsia and was pretty set on it prior to even beginning shopping. We went to India for a couple weeks which was a unique experience in itself, but after several days of exploring different options, I decided I wanted to completely customize my outfit to my liking. I ended up choosing a magenta color with floral work on the lower half, and simple beaded work on the upper half. I wore an Anarkali for the Anand Karaj.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?

The most enjoyable part of the planning process was trying to envision what our guests would love the most. We wanted to throw in little surprises here and there to optimize our guests experience. For example, we had a unique traditional Punjabi video shoot in Punjab that was so much fun shooting. We kept it a secret for months without sharing any photos with friends or family. We showed the video during our reception and everyone was shocked but loved it. It was very much so out of our comfort zone but we knew it would be loved and appreciated.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

Our guests gave us great feedback on our wedding weekend. We are very punctual people and wanted to make sure our wedding events were well organized and had a good flow to them. Besides that, two particular moments come to mind that our guests really loved.

We had a day between our Sangat and Anand Karaj to relax and for smaller events. We decided to use that time to bring our friends and family together in a unique way by hosting a Bride Vs Groom Wedding Olympics. Our cousins actually hosted this event for us, and hired an event company to come in with different kinds of relays and games in a field day type event. Everyone got customized T-shirts depending on which side of the family they were. Then, multiple teams were made to mix up the friends and family as a great way to mingle and get to know one another. Everyone had a lot of fun participating in friendly competition. It was a unique experience for everyone and we ended the event with a Mr. Softee Ice Cream truck to relive our childhood days.

Another moment that guests loved was during the reception, my parents surprised us by flying out a Dhol group from the UK, Beats by Lion. They did an incredible job getting the party started and bringing everyone onto the dance floor for the entire night.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?

I always think about our dances - we choreographed one for the Sangeet and Reception together. Raymon and I were captain's of our bhangra team in College, so dance is really meaningful to us. We had a lot of fun choreographing our traditional Bhangra dance for the Sangeet, and a western fusion dance for our reception. I love to reply and watch the videos of our dance because it is evident how happy we are in those moments to be together on the dance floor.

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.

For our decor themes, we wanted a very traditional sangeet. We actually let our parents have a lot of fun with the decor and bring out their creativity. I think my favorite part of the decor was having the kites hanging from the ceiling over the dance floor. It gave such a unique vibe and really brought the whole hall together. Our Anand Karaj we kept on the simpler side because we wanted the beauty of the Gurudwara to shine on its own. We used florals that matched well with our theme of Peach & Teal. For our reception, we wanted to go elegant and classy. We went with a floral theme with lots of pastels and candles spread throughout the hall. But, ultimately the venue itself was so beautiful. Our wedding was in September, which in NY is my favorite month because the flowers are in full bloom. The outdoor area for our cocktail hour was full of beautiful flowers and greenery.

Our Sangeet was full of dances, singing, and speeches from our loved ones. My favorite movie growing up was Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and my favorite actor was Hrithik Roshan. Our friends and family loved to make references to that throughout their dances and speeches, especially because Raymon proposed to me playing that theme song in the background.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

My advice for future brides would be to stay calm and start planning early! It is great to have enough time to really explore the different options available and decide what you love the most. Having a basic idea of how you envision your wedding to be is fundamental to having a smooth planning process. Organization is key – lots and lots of excel sheets that keep all the details straight! And most importantly, it’s ok to ask your loved ones for help and delegate tasks. Ultimately, you’ll have the final decision but to have some extra hands doing the basic research is really beneficial!

We have a new magnificent event prepared for you. So visit us tomorrow!

STYLE
GUIDE style
Traditional
Romantic
Contemporary
season
Autumn
color

Long Island, NY Sikh Wedding by A.S. Nagpal Photography

March 9, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

Happy Monday, Maharanis! We were dying to get back to you with more inspiring ideas, and that is why we have prepared a little surprise, just for you. Today, we are double featuring Avneet & Raymon's wedding festivities, we not only have the fantastic shots down below but we also have a mesmerizing film created by With This Ring Wedding Films that you can check here. So, you will have plenty of beauty and finery to admire today! But let's get this started by taking a peek at the phenomenal imagery captured by the talented and fully experienced team from A.S. Nagpal Photography, during the Sangeet ceremony. This well-known photographic studio exceeded all expectations immortalizing every detail surrounding this pre-wedding celebration with so precision and charm that we were left speechless! The Sangeet was hosted at the grand Hilton Melville, in a perfect decorated hall with kites hanging from the ceiling over the dance floor, where everyone had a blast. Avneet, our Maharani, looked so spectacular that she completely stole the show once she burst into the room! But there is no surprise here as the distinguished style from Kanwal Batool, the detailed fashion from Bhumika Grover, and of course, the artistic Mehndi design from Mehndikalogie created a winning combo that we can't stop seeing! Visit today's full gallery for more amazingness!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

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.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?

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.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

Please come back, we have the end of this magical wedding!

STYLE
GUIDE style
Traditional
Romantic
Contemporary
season
Autumn
color

Atlanta, GA Indian Wedding by Wildcolors by abi

February 28, 2020 Posted by: Shawna 2 Comments

TGIF! Maharanis, you will love what we have for you today! The beautiful feature of Bindiya & Himesh's wedding ceremony. So let's go to the grand Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta, a magnificent venue that harbored the celebrations for our lovebirds! And there's no doubt that they made the right choice! If you were waiting to see the look of Maharani Bindiya, let me tell you that you will be astounded as she entered the marvelous hall dazzling everyone with a perfect look from head to toe. Her incredible style was thanks to the incredible team of Edge & Priss Luxury Bridal Glam, who glamorized our lovely lady on her special day! And how can we forget to mention the fantastic saree she wore? Shyamal & Bhumika did a great job creating the perfect bridal outfit for her. To conclude this phenomenal gala, a tremendous reception was held to celebrate the love of these two! While, our friends from Encore Entertainment put everyone on their feet, entertaining all guests and creating a memorable party! Amazing beats! If you want to relive this fantastic moment, visit today's gallery, brought to us thanks to Wildcolors by abi. You will be inspired.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

We actually met during my fourth year of college at a UGA vs UTK college football game in Knoxville, Tennessee. We had mutual friends, but had never crossed paths before. I remember the first day I was in Knoxville and my cousin had introduced us, and Himesh actually ignored me and showed zero interest in making an acquaintance. I remember thinking "wow people in Tennessee are rude."

The next day after the game, in a bar of course, I had a second encounter with Himesh. My friends and cousins had gone to the bathroom, and I was sitting by myself. Himesh came over to to talk to me (probably to console me after UGA's tragic loss) and we just had a casual conversation that neither of us really thought much of. I remember he asked me the same question twice in regards to my major.

After we parted ways, I remember being back in Athens and getting a friend request from him on Facebook. I messaged him first thanking him for giving me company in Knoxville and the rest was history! We instantly connected and talked about our childhood memories, life goals, family, interests and of course I had to make fun of him a few times. I eventually agreed to go on our first date. He was in medical school in East Tennessee at the time and showed up to my apartment late! Of course all the restaurants were closed at this time so I decided to just cook dinner for us. I made him falafel (which he loved -- and if you know Himesh you know he loves food), we talked for hours, and soon realized we were two pieces of the same soul. We dated for 3.5 years until we finally got married and moved to Jacksonville, Florida for his residency at Mayo Clinic!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

- The groom's perspective (Himesh Zaver):

Someone once told me "when you know, you know." From the beginning, with B, I knew I was in for a lifetime of laughter and smiles...on a full stomach. The hardest part of the proposal was not picking out the perfect ring or asking her father for her hand in marriage, instead it was planning something she would never forget. I've always tried my best to remind her she's worth a million bucks and more, and I went through hundreds of scenarios, locations, and ways I would ask. With B, it has never been the gift that put a smile on her face, but the handwritten card or letter that went with it. In the end, I decided on the things that matter most to her.

Our proposal was made possible with the support and help of many of our family and friends. Bindiya's day began with a letter, a painting, and her favorite breakfast. Her first letter highlighted how we met, our first date, and playful clues on what to expect throughout the day. When first getting to know B, she told me her favorite flower was the Black Dahlia. On our first date, I brought her Black Dahlia flower seeds because I was never able to find the actual flower. Fast forward two and a half years and I still have not been able to get my hands on those flowers so I had a painting made of the exact jar of seeds I brought her and the full bloomed Dahlia. As the day went on, Bindiya received more letters, had a manicure with her sister, and finally arrived at Piedmont Park where I nervously awaited for her arrival. I was under a gazebo, and although I forgot how I asked, and honestly even if she said yes or not, I do remember how perfect she looked, and how happy I was to now call her my fiancé!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?

I flew to India specifically for wedding shopping. I found all of my outfits for each day's events in Bombay. I definitely had an open mind when I began my wedding shopping. I saved pins on pinterest and had a few ideas in mind. I spent the first 3 days just browsing at various stores and designers so I could see all my options.

I remember walking into Shyamal & Bhumika and just falling in love with the hand embroidered work and contrasting colors. I never saw myself wearing "all" red, but I knew I wanted to incorporate the color in my wedding lengha as it's a traditional color in Hindu weddings. Ironically, I ended up selecting a bridal lengha from Shyamal & Bhumika that I had a screen-shot of on my phone. Before I even saw it in person, I loved this dress but never really thought it was suit me or be within my reach. I really loved the contrasting mint, peach, pinks, and coral red's within my outfit and my husband's outfit! I was truly blessed with this beautiful dress! I wouldn't have it any other way.

In addition, on the day of the wedding, I was able to also wear my mother's wedding sari (33 years old I might add) for the Baraat and groom welcoming. It was really important to me to be able to share a piece of my parents' wedding on my special day because we both share the same wedding anniversary. That's right, April 20th was also my parents' wedding date. This wasn't planned but it's funny how things turn out. I'll always have this memory with me and remember them as I celebrate the years to come with Himesh!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

A unique part of my wedding was that all five events of my wedding were at the same venue. All the guests, both bride and groom's side, stayed at the same hotel where the ballroom was also located. Everyone was able to hangout during downtimes and get together and talk. I remember everyone telling my parents and me that they had such a blast because of the convenience and timeliness of all of the wedding events. My dad and I planned my wedding on our own and made sure everything ran according to schedule.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

A wedding comes once in a lifetime. It took me a long time (near the last month really) to get over the stress of wedding planning and actually start to enjoy the process. Now looking back on it, I truly loved spending time with my family planning the events, and I'll always cherish these memories. The amount of love and support you receive throughout this process and on the big day is truly indescribable. For all future brides-to-be, I really recommend remembering the true meaning of marriage and the point of having a wedding. At the end of the day, it's not about the little details like a fancy car, forgotten dessert, technical AV difficulties, but solely about you getting to marry the love of your life on a day you will never get back or forget.

We have more, visit us in a bit for more of this great love story.

STYLE
GUIDE style
Traditional
Ballroom
Luxury
season
Spring
color

Wildcolors by abi and Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

Wildcolors by abi VIEW PORTFOLIO

Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

Somerset, NJ Indian Wedding by House of Talent Studio

February 25, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

We are glad to have you back, ladies! Anjani & Pranay's love story continues, and we are sure you will love what we have prepared for you. For this installment, we'll be taking a look at the reception party that brought these wedding festivities to an end!. And we want o make a big shoutout to House of Talent Studio as this fabulous gala is presented to you thanks to their remarkable work! They did not only captured the fantastic scenes featured below, but they also prepared the visual masterpiece being featured in today's Video Blog. For this reception party, we are taking you back to the grand The Marigold, whew this unforgettable event took place. Right from the start, we have to say that we absolutely loved every single detail surrounding this event! But there is no surprise here as everything was thoroughly planned and orchestrated by Chandai Events. Impressive talent! And we want to take a moment to admire the beauty of our lovely Maharani! You will love the way Anjani showed up at her reception wedding, looking like a princess dressed in a beautiful lehenga that captived everyone. Jasmin Rahman complemented this ravishing look taking care of Anjani's beauty needs and endowing her with so much beauty that made everyone sigh. This gala turned into an epic party where everyone enjoyed the delicious food, emotive speeches, and of course, the phenomenal beats from D&S Event Solutions, who enlivened every moment of this extraordinary event. You are more than welcome to relive this moment by visiting our gallery! Believe us; you are going to love it!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

We were in Barcelona, which had been a bucket list trip for me for a long time. I thought for sure he was going to propose on this trip, but by the time we reached the last day, I thought maybe I was wrong. We were staying in a hotel that had a highly rated restaurant we had been DYING to try. He had set up a lunch reservation and as we were getting ready, he let me know that the hotel concierge had called to let us know our reservation needed to be pushed a half hour. For the “inconvenience”, they told us to head up to the rooftop bar and they would have drinks for us while we wait. As we started to head upstairs, there were signs on the elevator saying “Out of Order” so we ended up having to walk upstairs. (It turns out the hotel had placed these signs to dissuade anyone from coming to the rooftop while we were there) Once we went upstairs, we were seated in a private area overlooking the city and he told me he had a gift for me! He gave me a photo album he had put together with photos from our 10 years together and once I reached the end, he got down on one knee!

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.

It was definitely a challenge planning a wedding in NJ from LA. I am so thankful to both of our parents who did so much running around to make sure every detail is exactly what I envisioned. Our vendors were also amazing and flexible in taking meetings over the phone and arranging in person meetings around the few weekends we were available.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

The number one thing we still hear from guests is that the food and the music were perfect! All the food we had at the wedding was well executed and I don’t think there was a SINGLE dish or piece that wasn’t loved. We also had a number of “special requests” that were handled easily and efficiently. The music and our DJs were also great! They had guests on the dance floor the entire night up until the very last song!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?

We each have one sister, who over the course of my and my husband’s relationship, have become incredibly close to each other. Together, they created a lot of special moments for us throughout the wedding weekend but one of my favorites is the surprise dance they put together for our reception. The dance included at least 5 different songs (and they choreographed the entire thing!!) The best part about this dance is how they fused together a large group that included friends and family from both sides! It really was such a great representation of our families and friend groups joining together as one.

Come back tomorrow! We have more inspiring stories for you.

STYLE
GUIDE style
Traditional
Ballroom
Romantic
season
Summer
color

House of Talent Studio, Chandai Events, D&S Event Solutions and The Marigold are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

House of Talent Studio VIEW PORTFOLIO

Chandai Events VIEW PORTFOLIO

D&S Event Solutions VIEW PORTFOLIO

The Marigold VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

Chantilly, VA Indian Fusion Wedding by Akbar Sayed Photography

February 24, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

Welcome back, beauties! It is Monday, and we are ready to give you another shot of inspiration to start your week in the best possible way! And we want to give a big "thank you" to the fantastic team from Akbar Sayed Photography, who captured every detail from this memorable wedding between Vishaka & Harrison. The fantastic wedding reception hosted at The Bellevue; in a perfectly and well-decorated hall by Shagun Weddings, amazed everyone with its exceptional environment. Before the celebration, our lovely duo entered from the opposite side of the staircase towards each other for a brief Christian ceremony, which was enchanting! Walking down the stairs as a married couple accompanied by fireworks was one of the epic moments of the night, and this was the beginning of this celebration. If you don't believe in fairy tales, today, you will change your mind as Vishaka showed up looking like a princess! This was thanks to the enormous talent from Styles By Swati - Salon SBS, who made sure to deliver such a royal look. And before we go any further, we want to make a big shoutout to Mehndi With Heena for the marvelous Mehndi designed for our lovely Maharani. An exquisite mix of art and beauty! This was a real party, and the beats from DJ Lucky (Platinum Entertainment) and Bellevue AV Creations enlivened this gala, making everyone dance the night away. Relive this fantastic event, by taking a look at today's full gallery and Video Blog!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

We met at a trivia night in Dayton, Ohio, shortly after the Air Force stationed us both here! The rest is history.

From the Bride:

Harrison always makes me feel safe and protected. He made me feel comfortable being my true self since day one, and before I knew it he broke my walls down and was my best friend. I never had to doubt he would stand by me and stand up for me, but also encourage me to be my best self and grow with me.

From the Groom:

Vishaka always puts me and my needs above her own from the first day and every day since. Her love inspires me to be my best self and I've known from the beginning that she was the woman i wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

He proposed at Disney World, during HIS birthday dinner, on the shores of the Grand Floridian resort while watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks across the lake!

Because it was his birthday I told him he could pick any restaurant that sounded good to him and he said he would make the reservation. When I found out the time of the dinner reservation I was initially super stressed out because we would be missing the Magic Kingdom fireworks, which would start around 15 minutes after our reservation time. He apologized and said he really wanted to eat at this one restaurant and this was the only reservation available, I softened up a bit and told him that we could just watch fireworks at the park the next night. Little did I know that our dinner reservation was at a restaurant with a patio across the lake from Magic Kingdom! He had planned with the restaurant for the waitress to offer to take a photo of us because it was his birthday, at which time they brought out my ring on a platter tucked into Cinderella's slipper along with champagne! Not only did he sneakily manage to capture our big moment with photos, but we also got to watch the fireworks from the patio of the restaurant with the show's audio streamed straight to the restaurant speakers! It was a fairytale night.

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.

We did our mehndi party at my parents house and kept it at an intimate 70 guests (haha!), whereas our wedding ceremony and reception sat at 200-250 guests.

Wedding day started off with a 3AM wakeup call to start hair and makeup for myself, my mother, and the bridal party. Although it was such an early start to the day, we enjoyed each other's company and my amazing day-of coordinator made a Starbucks run for us. (I absolutely love planning and I wanted to have a say in every detail of our big day, while being respectful of the traditions and rituals that my parents cherish and value, so finding balance was really important. We got a wedding coordinator involved fairly early in the process so that she could make sure all of our voices were heard and so she could bring my vision and planning to life on the big day while my groom, our families, our bridal party, and I were all able to truly enjoy the day. Definitely one of the best investments in wedding planning- we love Anisha from Our Day Events and are so grateful to have her team as part of our dream team!)

We had a tradition-meets-glamour Tamil Brahmin Hindu ceremony in the morning, followed by lunch. This was at a Hindu community center. It felt more spiritually focused than a hotel ballroom but was also a more elegant and private venue than a temple. Because it is a long ceremony and our American guests as well as many of the Indian guests don't know about the beautiful meanings behind the traditions, we did a lot of research with the help of our priest, and put together a narrative script for my cousin (who was my Maid of Honor) to read through so the guests would understand the significance of each phase of the ceremony.

Manju Mehta from Shagun Weddings was great to work with because she makes sure she gets to know each couple and each family to truly personalize your decor and bring your vision to life. She went through every aspect of decor with me from lighting to fabrics and layout of each event space. She also toured the venues with us to ensure that we would get what we wanted. One of the tricky things with a big ceremony like that is when close family members and the bridal party are actively involved in the ceremony it is often hard for guests to be able to watch the ceremony. We rented out special 2 feet tall risers for the whole mandap and jhoola/oonjal (Swing) so that no one would have to stand up or move around to be able to watch our ceremony.

The guests had a few hours of downtime to rest, and in the evening we had cocktail hour, followed by a Christian ceremony at the reception venue that led us straight into our reception. This venue was the embodiment of glamor-- marble floors, grand staircases, and huge chandeliers with an AV system that was out of this world. I really wanted cold sparks (indoor fireworks), and they were able to make that dream come true, but also able to include versatile uplighting, dance floor lighting, and fog/cloud effects for our first dance. The AV systems were incorporated into the venue, so planning for our DJ and lighting and special effects was easy because it all came part of the package!

The evening was basically a luxurious fairytale dream. My family is very traditional in their Hindu background and my husband's side of the family has non-denominational Christian backgrounds, so we wanted to be able to incorporate both traditions into our big day. We are both active duty Air Force officers (which is how we met in Dayton, OH) so he wore his mess dress uniform (or as I like to call it his "Prince Charming getup") for our Christian ceremony and reception.

The trickiest part of wedding planning is figuring out priorities and budgeting. Although parents are often as generous with their wallets as they are boundless with their love, it is important as an Indian-American woman to be able to contribute to her own wedding and minimize unnecessary expenditure when possible. Instead of getting a multi-tiered traditional wedding cake in a few flavors, we opted for a unique twist with Nothing Bundt Cakes! We got a cupcake tower from Amazon, had them place our bundt cake on the top tier, and filled the remaining tiers and our dessert table with bundtinis (their version of cupcakes) in 7 or 8 different flavors! We bought gold cupcake liners from Hobby Lobby in lieu of the dark brown standard ones the bakery uses so that they would tie into our decor theme a little better, and that small detail made a very pretty difference. We also had a variety of Indian pastries on platters, so our guests had a vast repertoire of desserts (and flavors) to indulge in. There were several things we definitely splurged on -- especially venues and photo/videography, but we wouldn't change that for the world. Our venues were beautiful, our decor was true to our vision, we had a dream-come-true day, and above all of it we have breathtaking photography and videography that artfully capture our memories.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?

For our Hindu ceremony in the morning, I have been dreaming of a luxurious red kancheepuram silk saree from Chennai Silks since the moment I saw it on a commercial several years ago. It was part of their Vivaaha collection and my mom actually went to India to get it for me! I felt so elegant in that saree.

My favorite part was my 9-yard saree which is traditionally worn during the second half of a Hindu Brahmin wedding. I didn't want a cookie-cutter maroon one, but I wanted it to be fun and true to who I am while paying respect to our roots. I actually ended up getting a saree made straight from the silk looms of Kancheepuram with multicolored checkers and a border in my favorite colors: hot pink with gold embroidery!

I knew there was no way I could pull off wearing an all-white gown in front of my parents and 200 of their best friends (as all-white is often considered inauspicious), so my white gown dreams came true in the form of the most beautiful ivory lehenga I've ever laid eyes on (thanks Meenal aunty from Meenal's Indian Fashions in Herndon, VA!).

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?

We scripted our Christian ceremony ourselves (as in, I did it with his help in selecting scripture readings) and a close friend of his from college (the United States Air Force Academy) also happens to be an ordained minister so we had her officiate our Christian ceremony. It was a really special and personal touch we were able to add to our day.

I also really enjoyed putting together the narrative for my MoH to read during our Hindu ceremony. Not only did it help our guests understand the phases of the ceremony but it also helped us better understand and appreciate the traditions that we were honoring.

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.

We DIY-ed a lot of stuff! We got blush and gold gift bags in bulk from an online outlet, designed and made our own Thank You stickers using Avery software to put on the bags, and even made our seating cards for our guests at the reception with Avery software and cardstock.

With the help of some of my bridesmaids, I was able to make a sign for the shoe room at the ceremony venue, welcome signs for the ceremony and reception venues, a Pinterest-style sign for free seating at the lunch, and a sign in memory of my great-grandmother for her seat at the wedding ceremony.

Using the Audacity app, I cut the music for several of the dance routines: our first dance, another choreographed Bollywood duet we did, a bride and maid-of-honor duet dance, as well as the music for each of the bridal party entrances and our Christian ceremony entrance! I actually counted the number of steps at our reception venue and timed the counts of music for us to make it down the stairs at the same time and meet in the middle for the ceremony. It all takes time and hard work but all the personal pieces made our day so special.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

We had an unforgettable day that still feels like a dream, and we hope it helps inspire other couples to believe you really can have all you want in your big day if you plan for it and make it happen-- no matter the different backgrounds you come from, it'll be a beautiful dreamy union of you and the person you love and choose and fought for, but also your families. Remember that the people you include in your dream team for your dream day should be the people you want and trust to make the best of the day for you.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)

Instead of bouquets we did diyas (clay lamps) for each of the bridesmaids to carry down the aisle. We used LED candles inside the lamps and the outside of the lamps were decorated with mirrors and intricate Indian paint patterns.

Mehndi with Heena was an amazing decision for us. Heena aunty and her team were stellar in personalizing my Mehndi and making each woman's experience so special. She included every unique detail of my and Harrison's love story and life into my henna design, and even did a beautiful pattern on his hand with my name written in it. Fabulous genuine high-quality art which I will remain forever grateful for.

For more inspiring stories as this one, visit us again. You will be delighted!

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Long Island, NY Sikh Wedding by A.S. Nagpal Photography

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Long Island, NY Sikh Wedding by A.S. Nagpal Photography

Long Island, NY Sikh Wedding by A.S. Nagpal Photography

Atlanta, GA Indian Wedding by Wildcolors by abi

Somerset, NJ Indian Wedding by House of Talent Studio

Chantilly, VA Indian Fusion Wedding by Akbar Sayed Photography

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