The Platinum Guide Blog

Hello there, sweeties! It is time to have some fun at Sunjeet & Paolo's incredible wedding! Held at the Petit Lafitte, this wedding was one for the books! For this event, Sunjeet stole all the looks by wearing a fashionable outfit thanks to Masaba Couture & Pernia's Pop-Up Shop that looked impeccable on her, and thanks to the incredible makeup and hairstyle by Hello Beauty Mx. Paolo did not stay behind and looked handsome and imposing in his outfit. We love the look on both of them! The night was young, and the incredible DJ Riz Entertainment took care of the music and baraat, to turn this great wedding into a vibrant and elegant party that everyone enjoyed! And it was not just the music that everyone loved; it was the food as well! Taste of India Cancun prepared delicious plates that everyone loved, while Petit Lafitte Catering baked sweet and delicious treats and cakes that got everyone's mouths melting! If you want to relive this love story, make sure to visit the gallery that we have prepared for today. We have the best shots captured by Dean Sanderson Weddings, and we are pretty sure that you will love them! Do not think twice, and go check it out!  

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Paolo and Sunjeet initially met on New Years' Day 2017 in San Francisco, CA. She was catching a flight back to nursing school after visiting her friend. They had some time to kill before the flight and their friend, Jonny La, invited them to a friend's house where Paolo first met Sunjeet and was immediately smitten. A few weeks later, Sunjeet went back to SF to surprise that same friend for her bday and the following day, her friend took her to "some guys going away party to NYC". This guy was none other than Paolo. Paolo was so excited she was there and asked for her number. Sunjeet denied him but Paolo's Mom was the ultimate wing woman and got her digits for him. They kept in touch here and there but when Sunjeet moved to NYC in 2018 for her first job as a nurse, Paolo surprised her at the airport and moved her into her 3rd-floor walk-up... which happened to be 1 block away from Paolo. Paolo spent the first year she was in NYC sweeping her off her feet and the rest was history.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I had no idea Paolo was going to propose. I am an oncology nurse in NYC and during that time I was getting my MSN and MBA while working full-time at the hospital. I was so busy and preoccupied and so was he. His company had hit a large metric and he told me that the CEO of his company was coming to NYC and that we were going to meet him for dinner in a few weeks. I scrambled that week to get my eyebrows waxed, get my nails done, find an outfit, and get something other than my scrubs that I had been wearing so often. The day of, I was still shopping and getting my outfit together when he surprised me and had my friend pick up a pair of Louboutins for the dinner that night. I wore matching red lipstick and we were on our way to dinner. Before dinner, we stopped by the Christopher street pier on the west side of Manhattan where we normally would go on our weekend runs. He told me we were gonna meet his other coworker and his wife for a drink before we headed out to dinner but that they were running late. We walked to the end of the pier and he stopped at the end and asked what was in the sky. I turned around and saw a tiny plane far away. As it drew closer, I saw my name... and I saw, "Sunjeet <3 Will You Marry Me". I whipped around and he was on one knee with a gorgeous ring in a tiny blue box. It was all a blur and I said "YES!" Then I asked, are we still meeting your CEO? I still didn't know! Our friends popped out with champagne and congratulated us and then Paolo whisked me off to dinner. As I walked in and was on my phone calling my sister I heard "SURPRISE!" All my closest friends from NY were there and my family and Paolo's family had flown in. We celebrated the rest of the night until morning and it was truly a memory I will never take for granted.
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.
Living in NYC but being from California, Paolo and I decided that getting married in Mexico was the best idea because the weather is beautiful, it is fiscally responsible, and it is an easy distance to travel from NYC and CA. Both Paolo and I have been to Mexico many times and we absolutely love it. We traveled to Playa Del Carmen three times when picking our venue and planning our wedding. We chose our venue because Paolo grew up going to this boutique resort as a child every year. We were the first Indian wedding and the first complete buy-out wedding that the resort ever held. This allowed us to curate the event we wanted with little restriction but also meant Paolo and I had to plan our wedding down to the very last detail. The staff there is amazing and the venue has the most gorgeous ocean backdrop. The chef and mixologists worked so hard to give us the tastiest food and drinks and guests were raving about the food.
About a year in advance, I started following vendors that work in Cancun/PlayaDelCarmen/Tulum a year before the wedding. I reached out to get many lookbooks and quotes and would narrow my top three choices down and then I would show them to Paolo and ask him to help me pick. He was really great and was involved in most final decisions.
For hair & makeup, I wanted a glam look for myself, my family, and my bridesmaids. We went with HelloBeautyMx and they were AMAZING! They had such a good vibe and were very talented. My mom and mothers-in-law rarely wear makeup and they were raving about their looks.
For the American wedding outfits, I wanted to stick colors that would sit against the beachy backdrop while complimenting the various skin tones of my bridal party. For the boys, I picked a blue suit for the boys and allowed the girls to pick a dress that was either champagne, rose gold, or blush. The guys wore brown shoes while the girls went barefoot (including myself).
For our Indian day, I had custom Kurtas and lehengas made by @mayasdesiboutique in Texa for the bridal party in gold and white. I got them bindis and I bought them all a Tikka set from a local NJ shop called zohraArts. I wanted Paolo and myself to have the traditional red and gold while our bridal party created contrast in white and gold. We also matched our majestic white horse, Aladdín.
For the decor, I kept it very tropical and beachy. The picked monstera leaves and greenery with white flowers for the American day and for the Indian day I added red flowers to the mix to make it pop and match my bridal lehenga.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Bridal Lehenga: I always wanted to do the traditional red and gold. I searched for months and months in person and online but it was difficult because of Covid. I finally found a lehenga I loved from an online store in India. When I tried to buy it, they no longer had it. So I took that image and 2 others that I really like and sent it to a custom lehenga designer in India and had it custom-made. It was two months delayed and I did not get it until I was already in Mexico but my mom knows her way around a sewing machine and fixed a few little things and it came out perfect! I loved it!
Wedding Dress: Originally I wanted a super sexy, simple, elegant, all-silk dress. I found one I liked at Grace Loves Lace. After having it custom-fitted, I realized I liked it for the after-party but wanted something strapless with a unique look. I got a gorgeous custom-made Steven Khalil strapless, slim fit, lace dress that had a removable skirt, and truly gorgeous off-the-shoulder detachable straps. I truly found the perfect dress after trying on so many dresses.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I think the best part was creating both an American and Indian wedding that was untraditional yet so authentic to Paolo and me. We curated our wedding to be a story of our favorite vacations, adventures, traditions, and cultural memories and shared them with all of our closest friends and family in a gorgeous location that Paolo grew up visiting as a child.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Only our guests resided at the venue throughout the wedding week which kept it very intimate. At the end of the week, many of our guests told us that they had met so many new friends that they were excited to be friends with following the wedding. New bonds were built and our friend circle grew stronger.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
There are so many but one really special moment was when our amazing DJs (DJ Riz & DR Freddy) turned out dance party into a beach party and brought all our guests down to the beach and we just laughed and danced and nothing mattered but the people surrounding us at that moment. People ran in the water with their bare feet and fancy clothes. It was pure bliss!
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.
Our DJs recommended a dance choreographer (@deviarun97) for our Indian dances. Paolo and I did one, the groomsmen did one, and I did one with the bridesmaids. Everyone loved them and they were really great memories.
We had an incredible baraat where Paolo came in on a majestic white horse and groomsmen carried me in on a throne. The guest partied around us with smoke bombs of all colors. People from nearby beaches crowded around and watched in awe. I love sharing the Indian culture with people who have never experienced its greatness of it. We had traditional Indian food from @TasteIndiaCancun and I wish I had gone for seconds like many of our guests did! Our DJs gave us amazing introductions throughout and had the party popping off throughout the night.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Do not sweat the small things because nobody will notice them. Make sure you focus on the people you want to spend quality time with, those memories will last.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
My mom and sister bought me all my jewelry and gifted it to me at the wedding. It was such a special gift and meant a lot to me. My sister also picked all the jewelry for my mothers-in-law who are not familiar with Indian weddings. I thought that was such a sweet way to mesh two families of different cultures.
We had mehndi done for myself and my bridesmaids while we got our makeup and hair done. We also had mehndi done for all our guests at the wedding if they wanted and everyone had so much fun doing that.
We also had photo booths where everyone could capture memories at.
Having a whole resort of just friends and family was truly special. It made it a week-long vacation for our favorite people.

Thank you for taking the time to read this love story, stay tuned for more. Happy Tuesday, Maharanis! 

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Hello, Maharanis! Today we are going to take you on a trip to the paradisiac Riviera Maya, Mexico for you to join Jessica & Ronak's wedding. This time, it was the impressive and majestic Hard Rock Riviera Maya that hosted this memorable and once-in-a-lifetime event. Definitely, this complex is a perfect combination of exclusive and luxurious architecture with a paradisiacal and majestic natural environment. With the sea and the sunset as the background, and with the lovely ornaments and floral arrangements that Grupo Gama and The Storybook Event put together, there is no denying that this was the perfect scenario for them to say "I do" in front of their family and friends. However, it was our gorgeous Jessica who stole all the looks. She looked stunning in her beautiful gown, undoubtedly a fabulous and fashionable design that was exquisitely made by Anita Dongre. And what about the wonderful hairstyle and makeup that Blush & Glow created for this occasion, it was spectacular! The hairstyle combined volume and smoothness which was perfect for an outdoor ceremony as it allowed the hair to have delicate and beautiful movements without losing the style, and this look was very well complemented with discreet makeup that praised the adorable and captivating smile of our beautiful Maharani. Thanks to Bella Lumi we get to show you a peek at the most splendid moments that happened during this one-of-a-kind event. The fireworks thanks to Pyro Tech lightened the sky and one of the most anticipated moments of the evening took place when our lovebirds had their first dance as husband and wife thanks to the versatile Desi Junction DJs who played the most beautiful melodies, this moment will forever be recalled in the memory of all the spectators. Hands down the entire wedding festivities were a total hit! But there is no surprise here as this couple decided to have Shaadi Destinations as their ally to take their wedding celebration to the next level. If you want to dive into this beautiful celebration of love, don't miss the gallery that we have for you.

I hope you have enjoyed this incredible wedding. Come back for more love stories and tips!

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Good morning, beauty queens! Are you ready for a charming and inspiring story? We know you are! So let's get right into it.  We're starting this Tuesday a little different than we usually do things around here. Today, we'll be taking a look at how an everlasting love story begins by taking you on a visual journey through Anisa & Imran's engagement, so get ready to enjoy! The incredible beaches of Tampa, Florida became the perfect scenario to portray this beautiful young couple's love and happiness while our handsome groom popped the big question. Everything was so romantic and beautiful that we have no words to describe how much we loved every detail! By just taking a look at the jaw-dropping images captured by Hakim's Studio, you can feel the same emotions our lovely Maharani felt. The happiness, the excitement, and the love that these two radiate in every shot are so pure and contagious that you can feel how it gets passed on to you and brightens up your day. Without any question, Anisa is a lucky bride-to-be! Do not miss today's gallery.  You will love it!

Dears, this is all for today! Keep coming for more love, romance, and perfect ideas for your big day! 

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Darlings, I am excited to take you on a trip to Cancun to catch a glimpse at Krupa & Gaurav's deluxe wedding celebration! Our lovebirds got all the attention a newlywed couple could wish for, courtesy of Indian Destination Wedding. This visionary team has all the experience in South Asian weddings to offer their clients and their expertise in the Caribbean and Mexican area to plan a grand event. With their assistance, our couple found the ideal place for their wedding at Planet Hollywood Cancun, perfect for them and their loved ones to relish in the warm weather of the alluring beach while enjoying their catering services, too. With their faultless music set, Naveen Productions completed the fanciful scenery, surrounding everyone with delightful paradisiac harmonies and even a photo booth for everyone to take home a small reminder of this celebration. Now, Ladies, it is time to glorify the divine bride! Our Maharani looked just as singular with her attire from Panache by Sharmeen. I was speechless when I saw how graceful and luxurious she was! The fantastic mehndi art Neeta Desai Sherma did for her was a work of art, and so was Rema Neirma's makeup work that brought all of Krupa's seamless traits to shine! Of course, the dashing groom was brilliant, too, with his polished garments from Rajwadi. Together, Krupa & Gaurav were a sight to behold. The sweethearts had an unforgettable revelry that Killer Creations Photography and Cinematography framed forever in a picturesque set of photos. Their enchanting work with the camera wholly captured Krupa & Gaurav's love, and for all of my beloved Maharanis, we have a magnificent gallery for you to be inspired by! 

Let loose your imagination, ladies. I will see you soon with more dreamy stories!

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Maharanis, I am glad to announce that today is the perfect Thursday to travel to Curacao! So, are you ready to embark on a new and exciting journey? As I know you said "yes!" get your baggage and passport prepared because we're transporting you to another continent. Today, we're taking you to the paradisiac and elegant Marriott Curacao to celebrate Isha & Kishan's traditional wedding. So get ready to have a lovely time! Maharanis, we can start this day by noting the extremely well-executed planning Sonal J Shah Events did. It was a combination of beauty and traditional events that every guest will remember forever! Thanks to magnificent decor, meticulous design, and excellent attention to detail, this wedding celebration was equally stunning and enthralling. The venue was enhanced by the color palette and the ornaments' correct positioning, creating the ideal setting for Isha and Kishan to begin their lifelong married life! And we can't talk about perfection without mentioning the fantastic musical job DJ RAJ Entertainment & Event Lighting did. I can tell you every guest danced all night long! Ladies, I must tell you all about our gorgeous Maharani's stunning looks! Style by Susmita has been the leading force behind some of the most glamorous and stylish Indian brides worldwide. That is why she showcased all of her talent and expertise in making a gorgeous bride look like a goddess on her big day! Aisha Rao, Arpita Mehta, Amit Aggarwal, and Pallavi Poddar are fashionistas in their style. All of them provided a traditional touch and elegance to Isha's look; with the most classy attires, you will not be able to keep your eyes off of them! Maharanis, if you can't get enough of this wedding celebration, check out the rest of the photos in today's jaw-dropping gallery. Thanks to Alain Martinez Photography's visual masterpieces, you're going to be blown away! 

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
My cousin was friends with my husband for years in college before I met him. I used to always hang out with my cousin and his friends all the time but never met Kishan because he was in Boston for work. One day, my cousin says we are going out to dinner with his friends (very common). We get to the restaurant and there he is, I thought he was so cute when I first saw him but he wouldn't speak to me even though we were sitting right next to each other! Of course, later, I learned this is because he is very shy. From dinner, we decided to go out to a bar. I wanted a tequila shot at the bar and out of nowhere, Kishan says "I'll take the shot with you". Kishan did NOT like tequila at all. It was at this moment, his friends knew that he liked me. We went to the bar together to take the shot, we hit it off and the rest is history!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Kishan had moved to Dallas, TX a couple months before and we were long-distance at that time. I had come to visit him 4th of July weekend, my birthday is July 6th and he proposed on July 5th. He proposed to me the day before my birthday because he knew I wouldn't be expecting it. Summers in Dallas are HOT, it was 96 degrees the day he proposed. Kishan took me to a beautiful garden in Dallas called the Arboretum. He said he wanted to make a pit stop before our brunch plans. He was walking me to a specific part of the garden and the whole time I kept complaining about how hot it was and if we could skip this part and just go straight to brunch. When we finally got to where he wanted to propose, it was in front of a beautiful small fountain and he had set up a picnic blanket and pillows. I knew at that time but on the blanket was a puzzle he wanted me to complete (we love to puzzle). The puzzle said will you marry me? And when I turned around he was on one knee. After I said yes, our siblings popped out of nowhere and we celebrated with champagne, of course!
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 always knew we wanted to do a destination wedding. We both have older siblings that already had the big local weddings so we wanted something with a more intimate guest list. When it came to wedding planning, Kishan only had one request - he always wanted to get married overlooking the water. Our next step was to book a wedding planner, we wanted someone who had a lot of experience in destination weddings and went with Sonal Shah of SJS Events. We wanted to book a venue on an island that many people hadn't been, somewhere guests would feel like they're getting a vacation as well. The wedding events were planned at night to ensure guests got the day to sleep in, relax, enjoy the beach, and explore the island. This is how we ended up with Marriott Curaçao Beach Resort, located on the island of Curaçao which is part of the Dutch-Netherlands ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao). Once the venue was booked, we booked the rest of our vendors: Style by Susmita for hair and makeup, Alain Martinez for photography and videography, DJ Raj Gandhi for DJ and MC, a local company Confetti Company for decor, and a local company Massive Productions for audio and visual. Because the wedding was going to be intimate, we wanted to incorporate a lot of small details and experiences for guests. We made welcome bags that included everything from personalized hangover kits with liquid IV, hand sanitizer, and Emergen-C to personalized do not disturb door hangers, Indian snacks, local snacks, and small blue Curaçao bottles. We had a sunset wedding on the beach and once it got dark, we incorporated fireworks which was a nice surprise factor for our guests. There were his and hers personalized scents as a final party favor at the reception. And finally, one of my favorite moments of the weekend is when we decided to forego a traditional cheer at the reception and did tequila shot cheers with everyone instead to commemorate the first time we met. Throughout the planning process, the hardest part was not being able to go to India and working around the pandemic fluctuations, especially with a destination wedding. We had to work around the clock and back and forth via WhatsApp with many vendors in India for our outfits, favors, invitations, jewelry, and other small details. Despite the struggle, we were both extremely happy with how everything turned out.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I wanted to definitely go the traditional route and wanted an all-red outfit. I found a Kolkata-based designer named Pallavi Poddar on Instagram and absolutely fell in love with her Padma lehenga. I immediately reached out to her via WhatsApp and through video/messaging, I finalized my outfit. When I received my outfit, I could not be happier. The work was so intricate and beautiful, and the outfit fit me like a glove.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process was the decor. I am very creative and love to think of outside-the-box ideas. My decorator and I had a very collaborative experience. I was hands-on with many aspects of the decor including the floor plans, lighting, seating chart display, signage, etc. It was especially gratifying seeing it all come together.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
They loved the relaxing atmosphere of the wedding. All of the events were in the evening so our guests got the chance to explore the island, relax on the beach/by the pool, and enjoy their vacation during the day. We provided breakfast, lunch, and of course dinner every day during the wedding weekend, so they didn't need to go too far to find food.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our first look. Kishan's sister tested positive for COVID the day of the wedding and could no longer be apart of any wedding festivities. It was a very emotional time for all of us as we were getting ready and an especially tough time for Kishan as his one and only sibling would not be able to attend his wedding. There were so many times I wanted to just go and see him but I knew I couldn't. When we finally saw each other for our first look, it was a mixture of so many emotions and we both had tears of happiness and sadness. But it was also that moment that we knew we only needed each other to get through life's happiest and saddest moments.
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.
The sangeet was a poolside event, and I immediately knew I wanted the stage to be built on top of the pool. Guests would have the unique experience of being on a dance floor in the pool. We centered the rest of the decor around that. The decor was rust pink and yellow, very boho chic with string lights. The reception was conversely very romantic and glam. The color theme was red black and gold, with lots of red roses and candles lighting up the room. The cocktail hour was in an outdoor courtyard with the seating chart engraved in round wooden boards hanging from the trees, there were also twinkle lights hanging from the trees. For our first dance, we decided to do a mix of songs but we started off with a salsa number to Señorita by Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello which was SO fun to learn!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
So much stress and pressure are put on ensuring everything is perfect but things may not go exactly according to plan. At that moment, remember that things have a way of working out, what's meant to be will happen and in the end, you're going to look back at your wedding as a really special moment in your life. And don't forget to be in the moment and have fun!
Maharanis, come back tomorrow for a new love story!

DJ RAJ Entertainment & Event Lighting is a member of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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