Happy Thursday, my dear Maharanis! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with love and inspiration. Let me be a part of that with the astonishing story I am about to share with you! Anjali & Suraj had a celebration full of glamour and love. The Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa/Short Pump served as their love nest for this commemoration. The flawless planning execution done by Weddings by Reema and the charming decor from Gulmohar Weddings gave the event a fresh breath of creativity. It was perfect for our Maharani's delight! Now that we are talking about Anjali, ladies, I swear her attires were heavenly! She looked like a goddess with three different fits for the celebration, including Neetu Rohra and Lista Jewels designs. You'll fall in love with all of them as well! Complemented with the graceful touch only Styles By Swati - Salon SBS can bring with her makeup artistry, our Maharani shone brighter than the stars thanks to the jewelry from Lista Jewels. Our bride was pampered by Jignasa Choksi - Mehendi Artist, and her gorgeous Mehndi design. Her sweetheart, Suraj, enamored everyone his way. The spectacular entrance he did for the Baraat couldn't have been possible without Olde Towne Carriages' services. Maharanis, he was a complete prince! This flawless wedding only got better as the night went on with music and fireworks courtesy of Luxe Event Group, making everyone burst with joy. Aroma's catering was perfect for this sweet event as the guests enjoyed their cuisine. Maharanis, I am sure every guest will take Anjali & Suraj's special day in their hearts. Studio Nine Photography + Cinema professionals made it possible by capturing a lovely set of pictures. They are all available for you in this splendid gallery. Wait no more and fall in love, ladies!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
It was my last year in dental school at VCU when I was introduced to Suraj through our mutual friends. Suraj was a 3rd year at VCU medical school at the time and even though we had some mutual friends, our paths had never previously crossed. I knew I was leaving for residency soon but I was excited to meet him! We ended up really liking each other and began dating. We spent a year doing 6 hour drives between Richmond and Philadelphia while Suraj finished medical school. When it was time for him to rank his residency list, he only chose Philadelphia programs (which I didn’t know at the time) and matched into his number one spot and moved up to Philly so we could finally be together!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
On a cloudy day in March, Suraj and I drove down to Richmond. He told me we were going to his Dad's retirement party (His Dad said this was the first time in his life that he had lied - just for me!). He took me to the James River, with the city skyline as our backdrop, and the sound of the rushing water. As we walked across the bridge hand in hand, Suraj asked me to continue walking with him through life in this same way. As we got to the middle, there was a bench covered with roses - and that was where Suraj bent down on one knee (I tearfully followed) and proposed! Our amazing (& very cold) sisters hid on the bridge and captured all the incredible moments. We then recreated our first date, at the spots where we first met. Finally, Suraj took me to dinner and surprised me once again with a room full of our family to end the greatest day.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My jewelry was really special to me for all the events. For my Sangeet, I wore my paternal grandmother's wedding jewelry. She had passed it down to my Mom who saved it for me for my wedding. It is an opal set that was made around the 1940s. For the wedding ceremony, I wore my Mother's wedding jewelry. It is a 'Rani haar' that my maternal grandparents had made for my Mom for her own wedding. Since all my grandparents have passed away, these little touches helped me feel like I had a small part of them at my wedding.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
A lot of my family from India could not make it to the wedding due to COVID. I was really sad to not have such a big part of my life and family there for the big day. Suraj surprised me with an amazing video of them during the Sangeet. It was a beautiful and touching video of them sharing their blessings and doing some dances. It was so emotional for me to watch that and have them virtually present for the wedding!
My cousins from the US also put together an amazing skit for us on Sangeet night. Whenever my cousins have gotten married, it's become a tradition for us to do a skit that showcases how each couple met and makes fun of them a little too! Usually I'm the skit planner and choreographer, but this time they all planned everything themselves! Which must not have been easy during a pandemic and with them all having kids! But it turned out amazing and I could not stop laughing and smiling the entire time! It was the best performance!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Try to remember the big picture! It is so easy to get wrapped up in the small details and making sure everything is perfect. But try to remember why you are having this wedding in the first place - to celebrate the love you two share. Try to set aside some time at some point during the events to soak it all in and appreciate the love and people you both brought together!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Having my Father passed away a few years ago, it was really important for me to have him and his memory honored at the wedding. I chose to have his picture on the mandap stage so my mom and him could "give me away" together during the ceremony. I also had a mother-daughter dance for my wedding instead of the traditional father-daughter dance.
My loves, this is all for this entry. Keep coming back for more romance!
