The Platinum Guide Blog

Ladies, we are excited to present today a wedding extravaganza that a pandemic couldn't stop! Darshana and Ankur are a glamorous Indian couple that held an intimate union in California. We are glad that Peter Nguyen Studio delivered the impeccable images you are about to peruse, and that will keep all the wedding bliss alive and fresh in the couple's mind. Before walking down the aisle, the bride and groom saw each other for the first time prior to the vow exchange, and the striking pictures unveil the special moment. Maharani Darshana surprised the Raja of her dreams in a spectacular red lehenga with sparkly blooms motifs. Neha Assar adorned her hands with a maroon mehndi design, and she had the best beauty artist Dolled up by Lulu create a glowing makeup to complete her bridal look. At the same time, dapper Ankur proudly flaunted a floral sherwani that made him looked as royal as ever. Shree Ramkabir Mandir was the perfect setting to celebrate their affair with the ceremony taking place in an impressive draped stage produced by Unique Flowers and Events by Milan; this event was one for the books. The creative team also created customized the lovely floral arrangements that decorated the aisle while a blush color tent harbored the guests with style. I love the endless blush and champagne shades they picked. Every color provided an elegant visual feast! Nisha and Rakhee Event Planning helped organize and plan this sensational garden affair filled with romance and extraordinary details. Make sure to visit our complete gallery. There is so much inspiration to unpack here.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met Ankur on the Bumble dating app. I knew he was the one when he agreed to go see Aladdin the musical with me.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
The proposal was a COMPLETE surprise!!! We were traveling to Spain to visit my sister and her family. My sister and her family were showing us around and we went to Parque del Retiro. We were walking around and Ankur led me to a gazebo which was decorated with flowers! Next thing I know he was down on one knee proposing!!!!

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.
Social media was very helpful while planning for my wedding during the pandemic. I used IG pages and facebook to contact vendors for hair/makeup, outfits, decor, and mendhi. Everyone was very helpful and understanding due to the pandemic.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I wanted a traditional red bridal lengha. I wasn't able to go to India and my mom and aunt were very helpful. They knew I wanted a red bridal lengha. Whatapp video calls were very helpful.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part was planning on what I wanted for my bridal mendhi. I wanted something that represents both Ankur and I. Neha Assar did an amazing job with my bridal mendhi and working with her was a great experience!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The guests enjoyed the intimate wedding.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The moment that replays in my head how my family and extended family worked together to make my wedding happen. Everyone played a significant role.

So much beauty in one wedding! Don't you think? Leave your thoughts below.

Dolled up by Lulu and Peter Nguyen Studio are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

Dolled up by Lulu VIEW PORTFOLIO

Peter Nguyen Studio VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

Welcome back, Maharanis! We've reached the end of another fabulous week, and as promised, we have the fabulous outcome from Avani & Matthew's wedding festivities. In our previous installment, we featured the traditional Hindu ceremony from our lovely duo. In this episode, we will show you a second ceremony. This time we are laying our eyes in the marvelous Christian ceremony hosted in the beautiful gardens of The Merion. You will love how these phenomenal gardens were perfectly decorated by Anderson Wedding Flowers, who took the beauty of this backdrop and leveled it up. If you are wondering who was the mastermind behind the fabulous look of our beautiful Avani, we have the answer for you! It was no other than Makeup By Karishma who assisted our Maharani with her different beauty needs throughout the entire festivities, highlighting her natural beauty and making her look like a princess. Such an outstanding job! As you scroll down, you will admire the fantastic talent from the good friends at PhotosMadeEz, who captured all emotions and memorable moments of this event and transformed them into a magnificent gallery. So make sure to check it out!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We both are CPAs and we met at work six years ago. Our initial conversations were mostly on the topics of tax and accounting . Over the years, we became very good friends over coffee breaks, lunch breaks, and our special "non-sense" time! Our conversations during "non-sense" time went from opening up a restaurant named Pesto Fry Fusion... to buying a Helicopter. 

One day Matt asked me out on a date, and I neither accepted nor declined. This got repeated many times. Matt was persistent and I finally said YES to go out on a date.

Our first date was at one of our favorite restaurants IndieBlue, followed by an episode of Game of Thrones! We started enjoying each other's company. One of our favorite weekend activities is to cook a meal together (I am the head-chef and Matt is a sues-chef). Matt got me more into watching sports and playing in fantasy football league. I got him into exploring new restaurants Philly has to offer.

Despite cultural differences, we found similarities in values they were raised with. We connected well with each other's family, which was very important for both of us to move to the next stage in our relationship.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was a Saturday in February. We were working that day (tax season ). Matt went home early to prepare for dinner for both of us. When I reached his home, to my surprise, I saw it was decorated with candles and rose petals. I followed the signs and markings on the floor, leading up to where Matt stood wearing a traditional Indian outfit. By this point I was completely overwhelmed with excitement and emotions. He got down on his knee and asked, "Avie, will you marry me?"  I said, "Yes!!!" with the biggest smile on my face. 

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.
Matt and I both wanted a fall wedding. We wanted to have two ceremonies, Hindu and Christian, to honor both of our cultures. Soon after we got engaged, we toured four local venues. We fell in love with the Merion in Cinnaminson and booked it three weeks after our engagement. It offered everything we were looking for (outdoor wedding space, beautiful ballrooms, delicious menu, and impressive service!). Both ceremonies were held at the Merion and they catered for both ceremonies. Yes, the Merion chef catered an Indian wedding and they prepared vast varieties on Indian appetizers, entrees and dessert!!! I did not need a wedding planner because my event manager Jolene Cross and other staff were so good that I didn't feel the need to hire one.

We booked all other vendors a month after we booked the venue. My hair & make up team, Makeup by Karishma, was a recommendation from my friend. I had seen Karishma Mehta's excellent work at a friend's wedding and I knew I did not need to search further. She made me look stunning as a bride at both weddings!!!

I found my Photo and Videographer team, PhotosMadeEZ, from vendor search on Maharani.com. Mou Mukherjee is very passionate about her work and just from the phone conversations, I realized that I can trust her to capture the most important day of my life!

I also found my DJ team, Doom Events, from vendor search on Maharani.com. I was looking for a DJ who can throw an exciting party at a mixed wedding. They had a large portfolio and testimonies of the mixed fusion weddings. I booked them because the owner Milin Jani & team were very professional and easy to work with. They had everyone dancing at the baraat and at the reception!

I met my florist and decorator, Anderson Flowers and Weddings, at a Dulhan Expo. The owner Howard Kramer has an amazing personality and has an in-depth knowledge about Indian culture and wedding rituals. He even explained Indian wedding rituals to Matt! Hiring him was an easy decision!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I purchased Hindu Wedding lehenga through a video call to Asopalav, Ahmedabad, India. They have an excellent bridal lehenga selection. Their service was great and fitting was perfect! My lehenga had green and red color with gold design. I fell in love with it when they showed it to me!

I purchased my Christian Wedding gown from Bridal Garden in Marlton, NJ. I was looking for a gown that's body hugging and comfortable enough to dance. My gown was champaign color with lace design. When I tried it, I knew that was it!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I enjoyed the wedding planning process from start to finish. I did not have a specific vision, but it started coming together during the planning process and seeing it come alive was an amazing feeling. I could not have done it without the help from our family and hard work by all vendors!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The guests loved Merion's food, open bar and excellent dessert hour. The DJ team kept the dance floor full the entire evening. We had several guests mentioned that ours was the most fun wedding they've ever been to.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Matt and my first dance on "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" by Frankie Valli just keeps replaying in my mind!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Don't go crazy during planning stage. Focus on the big picture and stop stressing about details. Trust your vendors. It's your big day that goes fast. Have fun and enjoy it!

Please visit us tomorrow. You will love what we have prepared just for you!

PhotosMadeEz and Makeup By Karishma are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

PhotosMadeEz VIEW PORTFOLIO

Makeup By Karishma VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

It is Friday, Ladies! We don't want to end this fabulous week without giving you a shoot of inspiration. So get ready to be amazed! Today we will enjoy the beauty surrounding Avani & Matthew's wedding festivities. We'll start by taking a look at a marvelous ceremony hosted at The Merion, where two cultures became one to celebrate the everlasting union from our lovely duo. The ceremony was performed in a fantastic hall, underneath a minimalist yet beautiful mandap, decorated by Anderson Wedding Flowers with mixed flowers, providing the best setting for our lovebirds' promise of eternal love to each other. This was a perfect ceremony, and everyone had tons of mixed emotions. Speaking about perfection, Avani, our marvelous Maharani, walked down the aisle with a unique look that everyone loved. Raja Matthew looked at how she approached him, dazzling everyone and especially him, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Hands down, she made the right choice trusting Makeup By Karishma for her beauty needs. We are lucky to have all of these moments captured by the talented team from PhotosMadeEz, who transformed them into a phenomenal gallery. So don't hesitate to take a look at it. We are sure you are going to love it!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We both are CPAs and we met at work six years ago. Our initial conversations were mostly on the topics of tax and accounting . Over the years, we became very good friends over coffee breaks, lunch breaks, and our special "non-sense" time! Our conversations during "non-sense" time went from opening up a restaurant named Pesto Fry Fusion... to buying a Helicopter. 

One day Matt asked me out on a date, and I neither accepted nor declined. This got repeated many times. Matt was persistent and I finally said YES to go out on a date.

Our first date was at one of our favorite restaurants IndieBlue, followed by an episode of Game of Thrones! We started enjoying each other's company. One of our favorite weekend activities is to cook a meal together (I am the head-chef and Matt is a sues-chef). Matt got me more into watching sports and playing in fantasy football league. I got him into exploring new restaurants Philly has to offer.

Despite cultural differences, we found similarities in values they were raised with. We connected well with each other's family, which was very important for both of us to move to the next stage in our relationship.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was a Saturday in February. We were working that day (tax season ). Matt went home early to prepare for dinner for both of us. When I reached his home, to my surprise, I saw it was decorated with candles and rose petals. I followed the signs and markings on the floor, leading up to where Matt stood wearing a traditional Indian outfit. By this point I was completely overwhelmed with excitement and emotions. He got down on his knee and asked, "Avie, will you marry me?"  I said, "Yes!!!" with the biggest smile on my face. 

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.
Matt and I both wanted a fall wedding. We wanted to have two ceremonies, Hindu and Christian, to honor both of our cultures. Soon after we got engaged, we toured four local venues. We fell in love with the Merion in Cinnaminson and booked it three weeks after our engagement. It offered everything we were looking for (outdoor wedding space, beautiful ballrooms, delicious menu, and impressive service!). Both ceremonies were held at the Merion and they catered for both ceremonies. Yes, the Merion chef catered an Indian wedding and they prepared vast varieties on Indian appetizers, entrees and dessert!!! I did not need a wedding planner because my event manager Jolene Cross and other staff were so good that I didn't feel the need to hire one.

We booked all other vendors a month after we booked the venue. My hair & make up team, Makeup by Karishma, was a recommendation from my friend. I had seen Karishma Mehta's excellent work at a friend's wedding and I knew I did not need to search further. She made me look stunning as a bride at both weddings!!!

I found my Photo and Videographer team, PhotosMadeEZ, from vendor search on Maharani.com. Mou Mukherjee is very passionate about her work and just from the phone conversations, I realized that I can trust her to capture the most important day of my life!

I also found my DJ team, Doom Events, from vendor search on Maharani.com. I was looking for a DJ who can throw an exciting party at a mixed wedding. They had a large portfolio and testimonies of the mixed fusion weddings. I booked them because the owner Milin Jani & team were very professional and easy to work with. They had everyone dancing at the baraat and at the reception!

I met my florist and decorator, Anderson Flowers and Weddings, at a Dulhan Expo. The owner Howard Kramer has an amazing personality and has an in-depth knowledge about Indian culture and wedding rituals. He even explained Indian wedding rituals to Matt! Hiring him was an easy decision!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I purchased Hindu Wedding lehenga through a video call to Asopalav, Ahmedabad, India. They have an excellent bridal lehenga selection. Their service was great and fitting was perfect! My lehenga had green and red color with gold design. I fell in love with it when they showed it to me!

I purchased my Christian Wedding gown from Bridal Garden in Marlton, NJ. I was looking for a gown that's body hugging and comfortable enough to dance. My gown was champaign color with lace design. When I tried it, I knew that was it!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I enjoyed the wedding planning process from start to finish. I did not have a specific vision, but it started coming together during the planning process and seeing it come alive was an amazing feeling. I could not have done it without the help from our family and hard work by all vendors!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The guests loved Merion's food, open bar and excellent dessert hour. The DJ team kept the dance floor full the entire evening. We had several guests mentioned that ours was the most fun wedding they've ever been to.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Matt and my first dance on "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" by Frankie Valli just keeps replaying in my mind!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Don't go crazy during planning stage. Focus on the big picture and stop stressing about details. Trust your vendors. It's your big day that goes fast. Have fun and enjoy it!

There's more prepared for you, so don't miss the beautifull outcome from this marvelous event. 

PhotosMadeEz and Makeup By Karishma are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

PhotosMadeEz VIEW PORTFOLIO

Makeup By Karishma VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

Hello, beautiful ladies! As promised, we are back to unveil the Natasha & Noy's grand wedding finale, with a fabulous reception party you don't want to miss. On this final installment, we will admire the fantastic moment where two families gather to celebrate the promise of eternal love from their favorites. The exclusive Sheraton Mahwah Hotel hosted the epic celebration, and let me tell you that everyone enjoyed every single detail from it. Speaking of details, we want to take a second to remark the fantastic decoration created by Florista Decor. They filled the room with luxury ornaments and floral centerpieces, creating a soothing and perfect environment for the occasion. Just fantastic! Natasha, our beautiful Maharani, stole the show with such a royal presence, looking stunning! Everyone in the room scratched their eyes in amazement as she was a vision of beauty after being glamorized by Singhar by Ayesha, who assisted in such an excellent way praising her natural beauty! Everything was smooth and well-trimmed, and everyone had a blast, enjoying the delicious food served by Bukhara Grill, and the emotive speeches. Not to mention the phenomenal beats played by DJ USA, who turned this gala into a party with well-selected music and the setup of a fantastic floor wrap that everyone loved. If you can't get enough of this lovely couple, don't miss the shots captured by House of Talent Studio, in today's gallery. It is a visual delight you don't want to miss!

House of Talent Studio and Florista Decor are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

House of Talent Studio VIEW PORTFOLIO

Florista Decor VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

Welcome back, Maharanis! Today, we are pleased to present all the beauty surrounding Natasha & Noy's wedding festivities. On this first installment, you will enjoy the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony and all the details enclosed in these lovebird's big day. First of all, we should thank heaven for the magnificent talent from House of Talent Studio, who captured every emotive and intimate moment of this ceremony, transforming it into a beautiful gallery. So let's head over to the exclusive Sheraton Mahwah Hotel, the perfect venue chosen by our lovely duo to proclaim their eternal love to each other. Right from the start, we want to take a moment to admire the ideal decor Florista Decor crafted for this day. They created a marvelous Mandap decorated with mixed flowers and delicate veils, giving a traditional and luxury aspect to the halls of this venue. Natasha, our beautiful Maharani, left everyone speechless as she burst into the room with a magnificent style, stealing all the looks and captivating everyone's attention. Especially from Noy, who couldn't take his eyes off of her. There's no doubt that our bride made the right turn by choosing Singhar by Ayesha for her beauty needs, as she ended up looking like royalty! Relive this magical ceremony by taking a look at today's full gallery. We are sure that you will get tons of inspiring ideas from this fabulous event!

House of Talent Studio and Florista Decor are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

House of Talent Studio VIEW PORTFOLIO

Florista Decor VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.