Lovebirds Shivani and Anand had a crystal clear vision for their wedding: simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! They didn’t want anything too over the top, and Shivani wanted everything from her bridal look to the decor by Linens By Celina to reflect the couple’s down to earth nature! It was also important that they didn’t have a cookie-cutter event, and when they toured the unique White House Banquet and Event Center, they knew they’d found the perfect venue! As a professional event coordinator at Black Pearl Events, Maharani Shivani is literally a pro at pulling off dream weddings! She explained, “Discuss your vision and thoughts about your big day with your fiance before you begin the planning process. This will help keep the both of you on the same page, and will help when there are a lot of decisions that need to be made.” Such a smart way to avoid misunderstandings! Check out our interview with Shivani below for more expert planning tips. The couple looked beautiful in their custom designed wedding fashion, with Shivani’s delicate blush lehenga suiting her perfectly! Further enhancing her natural beauty was glowing hair and makeup by the excellent Dolled Up by Lulu. Meanwhile, Anand and his guests took over the streets of Anaheim with a joyous baraat with entertainment by 3D Sounds. The resulting photos by Kelly Waterman Photography can be viewed in the full gallery and prove that this was one breathtaking affair!
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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.
The venue was the hardest thing to find. Although I had a lot of venues in mind, I knew I did not want to have a "cookie-cutter" event in a hotel. Through lots of research and endless site visits, we found our venue, which was a banquet hall, and we were able to bring our own alcohol (which was a huge plus!)
For makeup, I wanted to go for a simple and elegant look that enhanced my natural beauty. I did not want my makeup to looked caked on, or melt off throughout the day. I didn't have any specific hair styles in mind, but I had so much confidence in my hair & makeup team that I let them just doll me up!
My wedding outfit, along with Anand's outfit, was custom designed. I actually had it made based on some of the ideas and colors that I wanted to incorporate. We did not have time to actually make a trip to India, so everything from designs to fabric selections were done via Whatsapp and email (thank god for social media)!
For the decor, we both really didn't care for stuff that was over the top. We are both very simple people. We wanted something simple, yet, elegant. I decided on blush pinks, red, and gold for the wedding, since those were the colors our outfits were. For the reception, since my reception outfit color was so unique, we did gold, whites, champagne, and some pops of orange floral. It complemented our outfits very well.
Our main goal was to have both sides of the family have a great time and come together to celebrate this special day with us. We did not want to have a long program and bore our guests, so we kept it short and sweet and got the party started early!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The words of wisdom I have as a past Bride (and a professional event coordinator) would be to discuss your vision and thoughts about your big day with your fiance before you begin the planning process. This will help keep the both of you on the same page, and will help when there are a lot of decisions that need to be made, especially when the parents give their input. Parents will always want to be involved, so just know what is truly important to you both, and let the other small things go. Your day will go by very quickly, so just be relaxed and enjoy the moments. These are the best memories you will have as a couple. Be aware that something always comes up on event day, but know there is always a solution. Don't stress out! Stay calm, and just let the person in charge or the coordinator solve the problems. Most importantly, have fun!
Amazing advice! We'll see you in a jiffy with Shivani and Anand's dreamy reception details!
