Welcome back to Puja and Parth’s Indian wedding bash at the Hyatt Regency - Pittsburgh International Airport where guests eagerly waited for the bride and groom to make their grand entrance. The venue was transformed by Weddings InStyle by Sima Patel, who did a beautiful job of incorporating dramatic blues and golds, sparkling chandeliers, and luscious blooms into the decor. Guests were still on a high from the bride and groom sealing their love with their emotional vows, and were ready to get the party started. Puja and Parth made a dazzling entrance in their ornate garb, including Puja's glamorous navy lehenga and Parth’s perfectly tailored sherwani. The main Maharani was completely dazzling in her side swept waves and glittering makeup thanks to the magic brushes of Gayatri Kalia. The couple swept onto the dance floor for their emotional first dance. Puja told us: “Our first dance was to Ed Sheeran's song, "Thinking Out Loud." We both heard it together for the first time and fell in love with the lyrics. We felt that it resonated with our own love story.” Beautiful choice! After dinner, the reception soiree was a nonstop dance party, filled with energy and pizzazz. Studio Nine Photography captured some fabulous shots in the full gallery of all the action, and it’s obvious that was one banging bash. And scroll below for our complete interview with Puja!
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How did you meet your Raja and when did you know he was "the one"?
Parth and I met on Dil Mil. Our journey began in the summer of 2016. We first started messaging each other; talked about the simple things that we most enjoyed and valued. Before we knew it, we were completing each other's sentences. Those everyday texts and phone conversations led to building a strong bond of friendship, which quickly became our love story. As we conversed, we discovered more similarities and mutual connections. Our traditional roots kept us grounded as we realized there was a deeper bond between us.
Do you have a super romantic proposal story or engagement memory?
On September 30, 2016, which marked 365 days before our wedding, and also just about 3 months after our first date, we took a trip to Atlanta to celebrate one my best friend's milestones. Little did I know, this trip would mark the beginning of a new chapter in my life, as well. The weather could not have been more perfect for being the first day of October with 80 degree temperature and clear blue sky. Parth took me to Piedmont Park, where we walked quite a bit. Oh, and not to mention we had already walked 8 miles earlier in the day, in attempting to explore as much of Atlanta as we could. He told me he wanted to take me to this particular spot in the park where the entire skyline of Atlanta was visible. When we finally reached this "particular spot" Parth hugged me really tight and said " So Puja the reason why we have been walking around all day, the reason why I wanted to bring you to this spectacular spot, the reason why this is all happening, is because I wanted to ask you the most important question of my life". He then got down on one knee, and asked me " Puja Shroff will you marry me?". Without any doubt, I said "Yes." The entire moment felt like a dream that had come true.
Tell us about your wedding style. When you sat down to really figure out how your dream wedding would look, did you start with one central color, a palette of colors, or a theme that served as your inspiration?
As Indian weddings are multiple day events, we wanted a different theme for each event but something that blended nicely together. Overall, we wanted everything to be quite traditional, yet with a touch of elegance. Our wedding decorator, Sima Patel from Weddings In Style guided us and made our dream wedding into a reality.
For our Sangeet/Mehndi night, we chose to go with jewel tones similar to the colors of a peacock feather. Since it was a fall wedding, we chose a gold oval mandap crowned with fresh flowers of burgundy, peach, red, and ivory colored; and with red rose petals and candles on the edge of a raised runway. For the reception, we chose royal and navy blue embellished with some gold tones.
What did you enjoy most about the process of planning your dream Indian wedding?
I lived in Pittsburgh, PA and Parth lived in Ann Arbor, MI, which made it challenging at first to coordinate meetings with vendors. Moreover, Parth and I had only known each other a few short months before we were engaged, and the wedding planning provided us with many opportunities to get to know each other better and work as a team. This not only strengthened our relationship, but also brought our families closer together.
How did you choose your lengha or lenghas? Did you work with a certain designer? Did you spend hours on the internet first?
My mother and I traveled to India for wedding shopping for my family and groom, so we would have matching outfits for all the events.
Surprisingly, I spent very little time researching my dream lengha on the Internet. Though, I had fallen in love with Shyamal & Bhumika's collection on Instagram. Fortunately, my lengha was very similar to their style, in regards to the handwork, embroidery, beading, and overall elegance.
Looking back, was there a really special moment that you remember from your wedding that stands out as the most magical?
The entire wedding weekend had felt magical and divine, not only to our families but also to all of our guests. Though, the one moment that stands out the most was our "First Look". We decided to have our First Look before the wedding and pictures taken without all the paparazzi! Haha! As I was walking up to my groom, it brought flashbacks of our first date - the butterflies in my tummy, the excitement of seeing him, the anticipation of what his reaction will be! I stood behind him and waited for the photographer to further instruct me. I tapped his shoulder and he turned around with the biggest smile on his face. In that moment, I fell in love with him all over again and felt like the most blessed bride.
Did you and your Raja have a special song that you danced to as your first dance? How did you choose it?
Our first dance was to Ed Sheeran's song, "Thinking Out Loud." We both heard it together for the first time and fell in love with the lyrics. We felt that it resonated with our own love story. Besides, we had chosen a Bollywood song to dance to for our engagement party, and wanted to do something different for the reception. Thus, we decided to take professional ballroom dance classes at Arthur Murray Dance Studio and have our first dance professionally choreographed. We figured it was also one less thing to worry about, and the dance classes turned into the perfect date nights.
How about hair and makeup? Did you already have a style in mind or did you work with a specialist to find your perfect look?
I came across Gayatri Kalia on Maharani Weddings during my search for a makeup and hair artist for my engagement party. We connected very well and I loved her work and decided to hire her for my wedding, as well. My biggest concern was my thin, fragile hair. Literally, she worked magic on me. Everyone complimented my hair and makeup. Despite having gotten ready at 5AM, my makeup and hair remained flawless. It is very obvious that she is extremely talented and passionate about her work.
Did family or friends help out with certain special details that really added to the event?
Yes, our families were our support system throughout the entire wedding planning process. It was them that added to the celebrations and helped execute our planning. Moreover, our friends, extended families along with our immediate families participated in dance performances, which made our events complete and lively! Parth and I wouldn't be living this dream reality if it weren't for our families' continuous love, support, and blessings.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Food is an integral part of any wedding and especially an Indian wedding. We had food catered by Rasoi, which included a varieties of cuisines for all the different events. We had a separate dessert room with ice cream bar, Indian sweets, vegan desserts and cake. Additionally, music is another vital element of a wedding. Dj Nick from DJ Desi Soundz offered excellent guidance in the months leading up to the big day, in regards to the layout of the agenda and music. Our photographers and cinematographers, Studio Nine, captured priceless memories for us. Lastly, the event coordinator and staff at our venue, Hyatt Regency at the Pittsburgh International Airport were extremely accommodating to us and our guests. The expertise, hard work, and passion of our vendors made our dream wedding a reality, which still feels like a dream when we think back to our magical, divine weekend.
See you lovelies tomorrow!
