Hello, Maharanis! Get ready to be enchanted by the magical wedding of Aashal & Neil, a celebration that epitomizes romance and elegance. Their love story unfolded beautifully at the stunning Four Season Westlake, where every detail was meticulously planned and designed by the talented Nika Events by Monica. As Aashal walked down the aisle, the breathtaking floral arrangements by Kismet Event Design created an ethereal atmosphere, perfectly framing the radiant bride and her groom, Neil. The incredible Bogdan Weddings captured the magic of the day with finesse, whose photography immortalized each heartfelt moment. Their expert use of lighting and composition brought out the wedding decor's vibrant colors and intricate details. At the same time, Sohi Productions' cinematography added a cinematic touch, ensuring their love story will be cherished forever. From the intimate glances they exchanged to the joyous celebrations with family and friends, every frame tells a story of a love that is pure and enduring. We invite you, darlings, to immerse yourselves in the beauty and romance of Aashal & Neil's wedding day! Lose yourself in the magic!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
During our freshman year at UCLA, I met Neil through mutual friends. For the next several years, Neil and I created endless memories as friends as we navigated college. We often found ourselves spending late nights in the library (me giving Neil notes for all the classes he skipped), being paired as dance partners at our Culture Show, and exploring Los Angeles’ many hidden gems as part of an Arts and Architecture class (which forced me to spend more time with him).
As we entered our final year of college, our friendship turned into companionship. Neil found an ice cream shop which made eggless taco waffle shells. He knew the way to my heart was with sugary desserts. We ventured all over LA to discover the best desserts that summer. He braved through multiple Bollywood movie nights, and somewhere along the way we found a permanent spot in each other’s hearts.
The love, care, and support Neil shows towards his loved ones day-in and day-out remind me how blessed I am to have such a genuine, kind-hearted partner.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Neil pulled off the most incredible proposal. I had always joked with him that he wouldn't be able to pull off a surprise proposal, but he proved me wrong. He asked my parents for their blessings almost 5 months before the proposal day. He went to see them while I was away on a work trip. My mom and him quickly narrowed down a date and the planning began. After the proposal, I learned there was an extensive Google doc that housed many of the details for the day of, a Facebook messenger chat that he would periodically join and then leave before I was around, phone calls with both sets of parents while he was away on a medical school rotation so I would have no way of knowing about these conversations. In October or so, my mom told me my aunt was planning a 60th birthday party for my uncle during his birthday weekend in November. On November 19th, I drove with my parents and we went to this surprise birthday. Neil wasn't joining us and was going to be with his friends watching a football game. Sure enough, his location on find my friends truly showed he was at his friend's place (an iPad he had planted there so find my friends would show he was there). As we drove to the birthday party venue, my mom said we needed to pick up my cousin so we took a slight detour. She "missed" the house number we were supposed to stop at and said she'd turn the car around at the end of the street. The end of the street landed us right in front of a gazebo with the ocean behind it. Neil was waiting there to propose. It was perfect. From there, we went to celebrate with our friends and family, where I was surprised by loved ones who had traveled from near and far (including my sister, who left her phone in Florida so I wouldn't trace anything to find my friends). We felt so incredibly loved and blessed. A day I'll never forget.
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 main thing Neil & I wanted to make sure was that wedding planning didn't consume our lives, which it easily can. We had an incredible support system with us as our families helped with anything we asked for. They wanted to make sure we were happy at each stage. My mom took so much work off our plate with her impeccable planning abilities and her incredible attention to detail. We used dolledupbylulu for my hair and makeup. Her team did family hair and makeup. We loved her work from my sister's wedding. For decor, Neil's the creative one between us so he came up with the idea for our mandap (acrylic) as well as making sure the reception stage was to our liking. Our planner and our decor team really did an amazing job. We gave them a lot of creative freedom and loved what they would sketch and put together for us. For our Friday welcome dinner/haldi/mehndi night, our planner and decorators came with up with a Greece/Santorini theme and executed on it really beautifully. We loved our mandap and were left speechless with our reception ballroom. The venue team was great as well, making sure the weekend went smoothly and that we had what we needed at all times.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I worked with my mom's childhood friend, Krina Patel, who is a designer in India. We have always loved her work and trust her opinion on all things clothes and jewelry. She's a part of the family - constantly designing clothes for the family, and she also did my sister's wedding outfit, which was incredible. I met with her in India, and we sketched the vision. From there, we left it to her creativity. All I knew was I wanted it to be red and ivory and from there listened to her on her suggestions when it came to the design and details.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
We both love our support systems. So for us, the favorite part of the process was getting to spend time with friends and family-- the bridal shower, bachelor party, bachelorette, getting everyone together for dance practice (so we can hang out), and the week of the wedding as the family flew in. We enjoyed spending the days leading up to the wedding and the wedding weekend itself having those we love all in one place. To see how people took time out of their schedules and how far guests traveled was incredibly heartwarming. We are forever grateful.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I think our guests loved the venue and the food! We went through several tastings to ensure we loved each item on the menu, and our caterers did an awesome job of delivering the day off. We loved being able to host each of our 3 events in a different part of the hotel to enjoy the venue's beauty.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our first dance was really special to us. We choreographed it together (more Neil than me) and were so happy with what we had come up with. But we wanted to make sure we could execute smoothly the day of. Midway there's a spin where he lifts me (and my reception lengha was incredibly heavy). After that part was over, I felt the energy get even more electric in the room,
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Vendor insta tags if you need them!
Hair and makeup: @dolledupbylulu
DJ: @iamvynlmusic
Caterers: @sumitsharema_mantra and @rasraj.foods
Planner: @nikaevents
Decorator: @hellokismet
Venue: @fswestlake
Photo/Video: @sohi.productions
Henna: @hennabyamita
Wedding Outfit: @krinapatelstudio
Sound & Lighting: @3dsounds
We hope this enchanting celebration leaves you inspired and filled with love. Until next time, loves!
