We are so pleased to give you the wedding journey of Neha and Anup, together with the talented Vibrant Captures Photography! The nature-inspired pre-nup shots are my favorite as well as the couple’s picture perfect looks. Neha’s silk and brightly colored saree combined with her net mehndi design by the renowned henna expert Mehndikalogie are to tie for, while Anup embraced his inner Raja with a stylish golden waistcoat! The Marathi ceremony happened at the groom’s family property in North Jersey, this picturesque private and its endless nature served as background for the ceremony rituals which took place in the sweetest pink mandap! The blush canopy was embellished with a wonderful garland of greenery and bright flowers specially provided by Little Big Farm for the wedding solemnity! Dive into the heartfelt intimate affair of Neha and Anup in our full gallery now!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
A few years ago, I was talking to my mom on the phone and she told me that she was watching Chopped on the Food Network the night before and the chef who won was very cute. She told me to go to his restaurant in New York and meet him. I thought it was a crazy idea but I did go to Tertulia that week with a friend and asked to meet him. The staff told me that he wasn't there that night so I didn't think anything more of it. I had posted a picture from there on Instagram and tagged them and was shocked when the next day I had a follow from @anupjoshinyc. When he had gone in the next day, they had told him that a cute Indian girl was asking about him and based on the tagged pictures from the night before, they had figured out that it was me. We followed each other for about a year and a half, intermittently liking each other's posts and low key flirting, but never actually meeting. Imagine my surprise when I woke up one morning and Anup had slid into my DM's and asked me to coffee! We had our date two weeks after that as he was out of the country when he asked me out and the rest is history.
Our first date was mid-November and he told me as the holiday season approached that if I needed a plus one for any holiday events, he was the guy for the job. He made himself available to me all the time and was interested in putting in the time to genuinely getting to know me. That is when I knew that he was the one.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was Anup's birthday and we had planned to see Groundhog Day on Broadway and then do a late dinner afterward at Villanelle. We were walking to the restaurant from the train and I was busy talking up a storm. As we were about to head into the restaurant, Anup said: "Oh, just one more thing." I turned around to look at him and had to look down as he was down on one knee with the ring in his hand. I could not believe that this was happening on HIS birthday and kept asking him if it was a joke. Of course, I said yes, and we went in to have dinner where one of his friends had cooked us a special engagement dinner. We shared the news with our family and close friends and had a beautiful night.
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 knew that we did not want a cookie cutter wedding at a huge venue devoid of personality. We wanted something that was true to both of our personalities and sense of fun. Anup's parents live in North Jersey and since we had been together, I had always thought that we would get married on their property. So we did all the planning with that venue in mind. The upside was that we were able to customize everything according to what we wanted but the downside was that we had to manage EVERYTHING. We even had to hire porta potties for our guests.
Because the wedding was at the end of May, I wanted our flowers to be bright orange and pinks. Other, than that we didn't really have wedding colors. We found a florist who delivered the flowers to us and we made the centerpieces ourselves. I had also heard of Sukhadia before and it was a no-brainer to hire them as they are located in New Jersey. We had a fantastic tasting with them and all of our guests still tell us how good the food was at our wedding.
I found Jacqueline Cicala for hair and makeup online and had an amazing trial session with her. We hired Dhara to do the makeup for the bridal party and another vendor for hair. All the clothes for the bridal party were bought in India.
We couldn't have done any of this without our families, especially my sister. She pretty much took on the role of wedding planners and helped plan and make everything from our beautiful mandap to centerpieces, to hiring extra vendors.
We had a rehearsal dinner hosted by Anup's parents two nights before the wedding and a Henna party the day before, also at their home.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I'm Maharashtrian and we usually wear five different saris for the wedding ceremony itself. However, I wasn't planning on doing that so I really wanted a show-stopping sari. I wanted a bright red with full gold embroidery.
For the reception, I wanted a lehenga that was a bit modern and not extravagantly expensive. I didn't have a specific color in mind but more how it was going to make me feel. I was able to find both of these in Mumbai when we had gone shopping there in November.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part for me was planning everything with Anup. He really was there for all of it and did his best to make sure that I got everything that I wanted.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests absolutely loved the food that we had. They were also amazed by how beautiful and big Anup's parents' home was.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The moment that replays in my mind is Anup and I talking to all of our guests at each table during the reception. Everyone was so happy to be there for us I was overwhelmed with the show of love and support. I also think about all of the speeches by friends and family, and especially Anup's speech, which was incredibly special and left everyone in tears.
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.
If I could use one word to describe our whole wedding weekend, it would be modern. I wanted everything to be bright, fun, and light-hearted.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The most important advice that I would give brides would be not get tangled up in the minor details of the day. We had a few mishaps on our big day--we forgot to put out the wedding favors, we forgot to serve the cake (we had a LOT of other desserts), etc., but none of that really mattered in the end. I had told myself that I would take everything as it came and not stress and ended up having the most amazing day.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
See you in a few for a detailed feature of the magical reception!
