In a Staten Island hospital cafeteria, Jesse, a medical student, approached Romina's table to introduce himself. She departed with a quick "Hi, I'm Romina," leaving him intrigued. Destiny had a grander plan for Jesse & Romina. Two years later, their paths intertwined once more as they both matched at Eastern Virginia Medical School's residency program. Among just ten interns, their reunion felt less like coincidence and more like fate. As they embarked on the rigorous residency journey together, their bond deepened, turning colleagues into companions and, eventually, life partners.
Jesse's proposal to Romina was a chapter of a romantic novel. Jesse's sudden kneel and heartfelt proposal took Romina by surprise as they strolled amongst the vines. Her joyful "YES" was only the beginning of a day filled with surprises, culminating in a celebration at the Botanical Gardens, surrounded by their nearest and dearest.
Planning their wedding was an adventure in itself. Despite the challenge of organizing a Virginia wedding from Georgia, the couple found solace and support in their family friend, Sumeet and Dream Shaadi. Their vendors, from the decorators to the photo and video team, brought their vision to life, immortalizing their special day with stunning visuals and unforgettable moments. The venue resonated with the joy and energy of the DJ and entertainment team, ensuring a celebration that was nothing short of magical.
Romina's bridal attire was a blend of tradition and personal style. She chose a classic red lengha, ordered from India and inspired by Pernia's popup shop. Her traditional white wedding dress, sourced from an Atlanta boutique, added a Western touch to her multicultural celebration. The joy of selecting vendors was Romina's favorite part of planning. Each choice was a step towards realizing her dream wedding, a day where every detail reflected her and Jesse's personalities and love story.
Their guests loved the wedding's unique fusion of Persian and Indian traditions. The vibrant colors, the rhythmic music, and the spirited dancing were new and exhilarating experiences for many. Their Sangeet and Mehndi night was a lively celebration of tradition and color. These events were not just about the decor or the dances; they were a testament to the love and effort of those who had come together to celebrate Romina & Jesse's union.
Congratulations to Romina & Jesse!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
One afternoon, at a small hospital in Staten Island, Jesse and Romina were amidst the standard hustle and bustle of the hospital, when the holy time approached, lunch! As Jesse approached his usual niche amongst the conglomerate of students and staff, he came across a table of three acquaintances and one person he had never seen before...Romina. Out of politeness, he introduced himself to her nervously but excitedly, tray of hospital food in hand, and standing awkwardly at the side of the table while everyone remained seated. To his surprise, Romina stood up, gave a quick "hi I'm Romina" and before waiting for any response, said bye to our mutual colleagues and zipped away...that was the first time we met.
Fast forward two years.. Jesse and Romina matched at the same residency program, Eastern Virginia Medical School, one of only 10 interns! What are the chances?! They start residency for the next three years and the rest is history!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Jesse planned a beautiful and romantic day at a winery. We had a romantic lunch after which we walked to the beautiful vines for photos. Before I could pull my phone out, he dropped to one knee and asked to spend the rest of our lives together. Of course I said YES!!
But there were more surprises to come. He took me to the Botanical Gardens to celebrate. Little did I know, both of our families and closest friend were waiting to surprise us. It was such a beautiful moment to celebrate our love, surrounded by our families.
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 worked with a close family friend Sumeet and Dream Shaadi to plan our wedding and had a wonderful, low stress experience planning our wedding. The only difficult part was that we lived in Georgia but were planning our wedding in Virginia. Sumeet ensured that the process went as seamless as possible. We LOVED all of our vendors. Decor was a bit difficult as we could not have in person meetings but every vendor did a wonderful job particularly our photo and video team! They captured our day so beautifully and we will cherish those memories forever! The venue was outstanding and DJ and entertainment team truly gave us an unforgettable weekend.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I ordered my bridal lengha from India and got inspiration through Pernia's popup shop (where I ordered my Sangeet outfit from). I stuck with the traditional color, red. For my traditional white wedding dress, I ordered it from a boutique here in Atlanta.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
My favorite part of the planning process was picking all of our vendors! I had a vision of how I wanted my wedding day to play out and of course, the vendors were a huge part of ensuring that vision came to life.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
They loved everything about our wedding. We had a mix of Persian and Indian traditions, which mad our wedding unique. A lot of our guests had never been to an Indian wedding so they really enjoyed all the colors, music, and dancing traditions that comes along with that. I think the mixture of the two cultures is a unique experience that our guests got to witness.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our reception night was truly unforgettable. Everyone was dancing to the various music we had: Persian, Indian, and Western. It was so awesome seeing everyone on the dance floor until well past midnight!
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 Sangeet and Mehndi night was so special and fun to plan as this was all new to me. I researched the typical colors, and decor and did a traditional yellow theme for the Mehndi. Our Sangeet was more colorful and my favorite part was the dance floor wrap which where we got to see all the surprises performances our family and friends had been planning and practicing for months!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Enjoy the process. Half of the fun in the planning process. The weekend goes by so fast so try and enjoy every moment. No wedding is perfect and there will be things that go wrong but in the end, you will remember it as the best day of your lives.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Picking out the Indian Jewelry and my mehndi design was so much fun. I got inspiration from Pernia's pop-up shop, Etsy, and Pinterest and I absolutely loved how everything turned out.
