Happy Tuesdays, Maharanis! We hope you are enjoying the company of your close ones during this quarantine. We are going to get this through together! Today, as always, we are here to give you a daily shot of inspiration. We are pleased to bring to you all details and beauty surrounding Reshma & Marshall's big wedding festivities. To begin this journey, let me take you to the exclusive JW Marriott Austin, the ideal venue chosen by our lovebirds to celebrate their eternal promise of love. Right from the start, we have to say that you will love the detailed and on-point organization of this spectacular wedding. Our friends from SB Events Co. perfectly planned and trimmed every segment of the event down to the smallest detail, delivering nothing but perfection. Simply amazing! Everyone loved the natural beauty from Reshma, our gorgeous Maharani, who stole the show with a royalty look. She trusted the talent from Ms Painted Lady, who made sure to deliver a traditional but glamorous look for her. And let's not forget about the fantastic Mehndi art that Samira's Henna Designs created for our beautiful bride. To turn this gala into an epic party, our friends from DJ Riz Entertainment jumped into the stage and played their fantastic beats, making everyone dance the night away! To relive all of these details, make sure to visit today's gallery. I bet you will be inspired!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met at work in October of 2014! On January 15th, 2015 Marshall took me on our first date at Del Frisco's Steakhouse in downtown Dallas. I couldn't have been more nervous! He sensed that, and tried everything to make me feel comfortable. We talked about our past college experiences, funny stories, and he spent the evening trying to ask me every question in the world to try and get to know me better.
Soon after we became inseparable! It was such an exhilarating feeling falling for Marshall. He was so full of energy, love, care and commitment. Our bond created something so unique and I was positive that our relationship cultivated deep within our hearts.
In October 2015, Marshall was promoted and had to move to Columbus, Ohio. As nerve racking as it was, we courageously fought to stay close and build our relationship besides the distance. In this time, we grew to love each other in ways we never knew possible.
I have never been in an interracial relationship before, and Marshall eased my worries by showing so much gratitude and appreciation for my culture. He genuinely took interest, embraced it, and accepted my roots and welcomed them as a part of his life. I was in awe in how easily it was for him to blend with my family, friends, and culture that it became evident that it was impossible for me to go through life without him. I quickly learned, happiness came from within, and Marshall and I were meant to be. I am forever thankful to Marshall for never giving up on us and working so hard to be the amazing man that he is today.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Marshall and I planned a trip to Barcelona and Ibiza in May 2018. On our second day in the beautiful city of Barcelona, we decided to check out "Bunkers Del Carmel" a beautiful site that over looks the entire city. We took the hour long car ride up to the hill, and Marsh and I chatted the entire way, like we always do.
We finally get to the top of the hill, and I see tourists in athletic gear, and I am confused as Marsh and I were more dressed up (we had lunch reservations at a restaurant Picasso frequently visited), but I initially didn't think much of it. We slowly walked up to the top of the hill where there were a few people soaking in the view. As we reached the top, I looked out over the horizon and felt blessed to be there. As I'm doing so, I look over and Marsh turns to me and pulls out a dark blue box - and I KNEW in that moment it was happening! He opens the box (UPSIDE DOWN!) and he get's down on one knee, and I (of course) begin to cry. I excitedly say YES!!!
Marsh had hired a photographer to capture the moment and I felt so incredibly loved. We took photo's at the proposal site and at the Barcelona Cathedral. At night, we had a separate photoshoot at the Magic Fountains and a dinner reservations at Pepito - a romantic restaurant in downtown.
My heart was so full of love as our families and friends showered us with support and excitement. Marsh made me feel like a princess on May 3rd, 2018. I will never forget the feeling in my heart knowing I was going to spend the rest of my life with my best friend!
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.
Planning a wedding is no joke! Planning an interracial and interfaith wedding comes with a different set of challenges, but also welcomes the idea of creating a fusion of two cultures that bring to light a union of love and compassion. During the process, Marshall and I wanted to make decisions together and respect both families opinions.
The JW Marriott stands tall in downtown Austin, and even though we had visited over 8+ venues, the JW always took our breath away. The beautiful tall ceilings and warm welcome when you walked in, felt a sense of joy and excitement to be there. I've seen the work of all my vendors, and knew that each of them were the perfect fit to my vision. From hair and make up to decor and music - each vendor carefully took their time to understand what I was looking for and bring to life the ideas in my head. My wedding planner was the icing on top!
Our goal was to truly give our guests the "fusion" wedding experience. We wanted to incorporate traditional Indian customs with an american flare. We chose to have 3 different types of cuisines (Mexican, Italian, and Indian) to ensure our guests had a variety of flavors over the weekend. The Baraat was a 90's hip hop vs. Bollywood and dhol beat dance off - combining Indian culture with my husbands love for hip hop. We also made sure the dancefloor on both nights gave everyone a reason to come up and break a sweat!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the process for me was having the opportunity to travel to India for my wedding shopping.
Initially I was not sure if I would be able to travel so far as I had just started a new job, and the seasons in India were either extreme heat or monsoon - both not ideal! None the less we decided to brave the heat in June 2019. To me, going to India was not just about buying outfits, jewelry or invitations for the wedding. It was so much more than than that. It was about the experience I had with my mom and Dad trying on different outfits and laughing at the ones I didn't look good in or being excited for the ones that did. It was about the joy of my family members in India getting to bless me before the wedding. Feeling the love despite our interracial union. The excitement of describing my day to Marshall who was so intrigued about my time there. That trip was the most special part of the entire process.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The feedback that I hear the most about our wedding is that people could genuinely feel the love between us. They heard and felt our voices in our vows, speeches, and pictures. The hardest part of wedding planning, is to remember why you're doing this. Things can get difficult and stressful, but when the weekend came - I didn't care if a groomsmen's outfit got lost by an airline (Yes, that happened!), I just wanted to share the experience of getting married to my best friend in front of all of the people who have played such key roles in our lives growing up.
Our priest was very adamant of wanting the guests to learn about the Hindu marriage and what each step stood for. Often times, at weddings we don't get an opportunity to learn why we say and do what we do on the mandap. Guests mentioned that they really enjoyed learning about the meaning behind the actions.
We also had 9FT tall LED Robots come to our reception! That was fun and unique for them to experience!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
My favorite moment of the entire wedding weekend was my mothers speech. I still tear up thinking about it today. She spoke from her heart, and as she held back her tears, she said she wanted both of us to remember one thing: collect moments not things. She then asked the entire audience to light up their flashlights on their phones and wave them for us. She said, "remember this moment, this is your moment - take it in". It was absolutely beautiful.
My mother put her entire heart into planning this wedding, and I am so grateful for her (and my dad & sister's) dedication to making our dreams come true. As brides, we often forget that this is such a profound and emotional moment for our parents too and we owe them all the love in the world for going above and beyond for us.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The most important thing to remember is do not get caught up in the image of your wedding. i.e. making sure every picture looks perfect, that the decor/lighting/positioning of chairs are perfectly positioned. We're all guilty of a couple bridezilla moments, but remember to make sure your bridal party, family, and friends feel the love from you and your fiance. Your wedding doesn't have to be in a grandiose location, with the most lavish decor - people don't remember those things, but they do remember how you made them feel during your wedding process and the weekend of. Remember to show compassion to your partner, your parents/in-laws and bridal party. Even when things get stressful - take deep breaths and know they are also doing their best. However, make sure the elements of your wedding is truly what you want and stand-up for the aspects that you envision being a part of your special day.
Lastly, soak up all of the weekend events. It goes back way too quickly, in a blink of an eye it is over! Laugh a lot, cry happy tears, dance a little extra, and make sure to have the time of your life!
We have more prepared for you, so make sure to join us tomorrow. You will not regret it!
