Happy Wednesday, darlings! Today, we are delighted to share Sonam & Sujit's big wedding celebration with you. And believe us, there is so much beauty and flair packed into this spectacular event that it seemed taken out from the pages of an Indian fairytale. Everything surrounding this grand wedding celebration hosted at the Crest Hollow Country Club had perfection written all over the place. And once we find out who were the masterminds behind this dreamy celebration, it was quite obvious why everything turned out to be so perfect! Detailed Affairs Team took care of the coordination and execution based on the detailed planning done by the couple, and Stylish Events created the ideal environment, with fabulous decor that everyone loved! And the final result of this winning combo was nothing less than exceptional! In case you were wondering who glamorized and gave a royalty look to this Maharani, it was none other than Makeup By Khadija and Madame Exclusive, who took care of her beauty and fashion needs, respectively. And talking about royalty and beauty, let's take a moment to admire the dazzling jewelry Sonam got from New York Diamonds Inc and East West Jewelers Inc, simply amazing! Each accessory added an extra touch of elegance and allure to the overall look and complemented to perfection with the gorgeous Mehndi designed by Henna by Inder. After the ceremony, this wedding transition into an epic reception party enlivened by DJ USA, who played upbeat melodies that made everyone dance the night away. In between dances, emotive speeches, and the sweet treats prepared by The Paanwaala, this festive night got to an end. But if you are still craving for more of this lovely couple, don't miss today's awesome gallery. And if that is not enough, head over to our Video Blog to enjoy the marvelous film of this wedding. Both are creations of Regal Palette Studio, which means that there is nothing but perfection to be expected!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
How we met:
Sujit and I have a love story like no other couple. Our love goes all the way back to 7th grade. Yes, 7th grade! We are middle school sweethearts. It was right at the end of the school day in April 2005 when Sujit first saw me in the hallway as I was rushing to the debate team. Sujit later told me how taken back he was by my beauty and he was trying to think of an excuse to talk to me before he missed his chance. As I was about to open the door of the staircase, he said “Excuse me, do you have 50 cents I can borrow?” Immediately he thought to himself, “Seriously, that’s the best you can come up with?” I looked at him like he was crazy and said “No, and I don’t even know you!” and then ran off to my after school activity.
We didn’t see each other again till a month later. We bumped into each other in the cafeteria during lunch. I was looking down at my phone (a flip phone at that time by the way) and on my way to buy some cookies, and he was talking to one of his friends when we both collided. We looked at each other with a smile. I said, “Hey! You’re the guy that wanted to borrow money from me!” And he smiled and said, “Can I borrow a $1” in a joking manner. I said, “You’re crazy! What do you even need it for??” He laughed and replied, “I just want some cookies!” I laughed and walked away smiling.
The friendship:
Two weeks later, our fate brought us together yet again. This time it was outside after school. I was with my best friend waiting for an after school program to start, but I was really craving an M&M McFlurry. Since we couldn’t leave, my friend and I asked one of our other friends if he could bring us ice cream from McDonald’s which was a few blocks away. We gave him money and 10 minutes later, he comes back with the McFlurry in his hand. He was also walking back and conversing with another guy. It was Sujit! Our friend walks over to us and says “Here you go! Oh, and this is my friend, Sujit”. Sujit and I smiled at each other and I said, “We’ve met”.
From there, Sujit and I became friends and couldn’t help but want to spend all of our free time with each other. We hung out during lunch and after school almost every day. I loved how kind and genuine Sujit was and Sujit loved how open and honest I was.
When we started dating:
Fast forward another month. Sujit’s math class was in the same room as my homeroom. On June 17th, 2005, when the dismissal bell rang, I was walking into homeroom, and Sujit pulled me to the side of the classroom. He took his hat off and looked into my eyes. He smiled and said “Sonam, will you do me the honor and go out with me?” We got interrupted by the math/homeroom teacher. The teacher said “Mr. Suchdev don’t you have to get to your homeroom? Ms. Kapoor please take your seat”. I looked at Sujit and said “I’ll meet you outside after school”.
Both of our hearts were racing as we impatiently waited for dismissal. Sujit was so nervous, he was worried I would say no. I was hesitant because I knew we were both very young to be dating, yet my heart was so drawn to Sujit and I knew there was something special between us.
We met outside in the courtyard and Sujit looked at me and said, “Well?”. I smiled and said, “Yes!” We hugged each other and immediately were surrounded by our friends who were clapping, how cliché, but this is what happened!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Sujit proposed to me in the most romantic way ever! We had been dating for such a long time, so he wanted to make everything perfect. Sujit told me we had to attend a very important fundraiser his uncle was hosting the day after Thanksgiving. He also told me that he had an exclusive work holiday party that same night at 48 Lounge in NYC, so I should dress appropriately to attend both events. I was so confused how to dress since one event was a fundraiser and the other was at a lounge! I asked him if we could skip the holiday party since it would be a long day, and Sujit sent me a pic of the email invite from Steve Madden. He explained this was a very exclusive invite only event and showed me the flyer and how it wasn’t sent as a mass distribution email. I decided to go with a lace black dress, and paired it with my black Christian Loubitons. Sujit suggested I paint my nails red since it is attention grabbing for when we shake hands with people at the fundraiser.
November 23, 2018 finally came and I decided to pamper myself and got my hair blown out. I didn’t know it at the time, but Sujit called my hair dresser that morning and told her to make sure she did an extra nice job on my hair because he was going to propose. He told her “Please don’t make it obvious and don’t let her find out”.
3pm Sujit met me at my house to pick me up and I noticed he looked stressed and a little disoriented. I asked him if everything was okay, and he responded, “We have to help my uncle setup a few things at the venue and we are a little late”. I didn’t know at the time but Sujit was stressed because it was frigid cold and he was planning on proposing outside. He had actually come from the venue where him, his sister, my mom & my cousin were helping setup the proposal!
Sujit and I pulled into the parking lot at The Sterlings, in Bethpage and he immediately said, "There’s no cars here because no one is here yet". I was so confused because he mentioned we were late, but I didn’t bother asking. We step out of the car, and he said “We don’t have coat check so we should leave our jackets in the car”. I replied, “Well that’s ghetto”. He laughed and said, “Let’s go cutie”. I was shivering and quickly ran inside. (It was 20 degrees that day).
Sujit grabbed my hand and said, “It’s this way”. As we were walking to the hall in the back, he told me I looked so beautiful. We arrive at the hall, and he pushes the door open and the song “Differences” by Genuwine started playing (our song from 7th grade). I was so confused because there were photographers and a setup that looked like a proposal and I looked at Sujit & said, “Is this for me?” He smiled and said, “Yes”. I started crying immediately. I was waiting for this day for so long and my emotions got the best of me. Sujit walked me down a white carpet with purple rose petals, and purple balloons everywhere. (Purple is my favorite color.) He picked out the most romantic sonnet from Shakespeare and read it to me during the proposal. He popped the question with the most gorgeous cushion cut diamond ring and I was hysterical. I said, “Yes!” and we popped rose champagne (my favorite). Sujit planned out every little detail and I was so ecstatic. After finishing the glass of champagne, he turned to me & said, “I have another surprise for you”. I said, “What!?” Sujit said, “It’s outside”. He took my hand and led me outside, where there was an aerial banner flying around which read, “SONAM, I LOVE YOU. WILL YOU MARRY ME?” I was in shock because of how perfect this proposal was.
After taking our pictures with the photographer, I called my mom in excitement to tell her the good news. I told Sujit I wanted to go home to show her the ring but Sujit kept stalling. We made 3 stops before he finally took me home. I open the door and heard people scream "Congratulations!". It was my family and Sujit’s family all at the door. At this point, I understood why Sujit was stalling. He was stalling so my mom had enough time to get the family together to celebrate the big moment.
Fast forward a few hours, we say goodbye to everyone so we can drive into the city for the holiday work party. I was so sad I couldn’t hang out with my cousins longer, but knew this party was important to Sujit so I didn’t complain. We reached the city and parked a few blocks away from the lounge. As soon as we arrive, Sujit tells the hostess, “We’re here for the Steve Madden Party”, and she took both our coats and led us to the back. Out of nowhere a bunch of people scream “CONGRATULATIONS!” I was so caught off guard. Sujit gave me yet another surprise and invited all our friends out to celebrate with us. I said, “But what about the Steve Madden party!? There was a flyer, I’m so confused!” He said, “I had to do something to keep you surprised!” We partied all night with our friends and it was the best ending to the most perfect proposal!
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.
Don't let anyone tell you planning an Indian wedding in one year is enough time! Sujit and I got married exactly one year from the day he proposed, and boy did it feel like crunch time! It takes a village.
We looked at a few different venues, but ultimately fell in love with The Crest Hollow Country Club because of how well maintained it was and we loved their customer service and how attentive they were to our wedding needs.
I struggled with finding someone for hair and makeup because the MUA I originally wanted (I won't mention any names) was very rude and unaccommodating. After this bad experience, my wedding coordinator, Arun from the Detailed Affairs Team, suggested Makeup by Khadija. She was an absolute doll and I ended up becoming friends with her after the wedding. I loved every look and would definitely recommend her to all future brides!
My outfits were all from India and my mom found designers for us to work with to create the perfect sangeet, wedding and reception outfits for the wedding of my dreams! The sangeet and wedding lenghas were from Madame Exclusive and my reception dress was from LaPalette.
Our floral and decor, which was stunning for each and every event was from Stylish Events NY. Kashi, the owner, took the time to sit with Sujit and I and really understood our vision of how we wanted each event to look. My favorite decor was for the wedding ceremony. We went with the "Maharani Mandap" (how fitting) and had a platform catwalk for our walk down the isle.
For my henna, I knew I wanted Henna by Inder as soon as I saw her Instagram page. That was probably one of the easier decisions in the planning process. Inder did an amazing job and was very fun to chat with while she did my bridal henna.
We chose DJ USA to DJ all our events and they rocked the party! Sharad was amazing and very hands on during the planning process and everyone on the team was so professional. They DJ'd our engagement party as well, and we plan on using them for future events.
For our photos and videos we ended up going with Regal Palette Studio. I found them on Instagram and called and spoke to Hershey over the phone, and instantly knew they were the right fit. I appreciated his level of professionalism and patience when answering all our questions. Wedding planning is a very stressful process, but becomes easier when you have vendors who truly care about you. Sujit and I were very happy with RPS' work, and would book them again for future events.
Our catering was from Beneres and we are so happy we went with them. Our guests still tell us about how much they loved the food at each event. For the reception, we had specialty desserts from The Paanwala and oh my goodness... those paan shots were amazing! Worth every penny!
One week before our wedding, I came across @Inthedetailnyc Instagram page, and I am so happy I did. I worked with Manisha to create our wedding welcome sign and our signature drinks bar signs. She was very professional and was able to deliver my signs in just 3 days. The signs added a special touch to our wedding.
Shopping for our wedding bands was my favorite part. We worked with New York Diamonds, Inc. in the diamond district to customize beautiful matching wedding bands. My husband also bought my engagement ring from them. Anu and Neha are absolutely amazing and were very patient with us during the process.
Last, but not least, our wedding and reception went so smooth and without a hitch thanks to The Detailed Affairs team. Arun and his team were on top of everything! Without a doubt, I know if we didn't hire them, Sujit and I would've been so stressed. All our guests asked how we were so calm and looked stress free during the wedding, and it was all thanks to Arun and his team. I would recommend them to all future brides!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I was saving up my vacation time for the wedding and honeymoon, so my mom went to India and did all my wedding shopping for me. She has great taste so I trusted her with picking all my outfits and jewelry. I always knew I wanted to wear a red lengha, but my mom did one better and helped me design a custom lengha with a beautiful matching veil. It was stunning and the jewelry she picked was equally as beautiful. From the gorgeous pink veil, down to the custom heart shaped latkans, the lengha was absolute perfection.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
EVERYTHING! We still get calls and messages about how fun it was. Our guests told us how much they loved the food at each event, our farewell vidai (in a helicopter), and the performances at our Sangeet!
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
1. Our first look was so special and the moment was very precious. It was an emotional high and both Sujit and I teared up in joy when we first saw each other. I will never forget the twinkle in his eye when he saw me, his bride to be, moments before our wedding.
2. Our vidai was a special moment for us because we had a farewell in a helicopter. It was the first time Sujit and I flew in a chopper and it was so fun after such a serious goodbye to my family and loved ones. It was special to be with my husband and start the next chapter in our lives together flying away in a helicopter. How cinematic!
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 so special because of all the performances. My cousins, Sujit's siblings and cousins, my mom and aunts, Sujit's groomsmen, and me and my bridesmaids all did performances. Sujit's family even did a cute skit with all of them dancing together. We really felt like we were in a Bollywood movie!
I especially loved our look for the Sangeet night. Sujit and I wore matching green and silver outfits and everyone told us we looked like a King and Queen that night. My lengha was sparkling and the glam makeup and hair was the stunning finishing touch.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Don't let the stress get to you! Easier said than done, but remember that this moment doesn't last forever. The wedding week especially, will fly by so fast and in the blink of an eye, it's all over. Try to enjoy every moment, and leave the stressing to everyone else. I am so grateful for my mom and maid of honor (my cousin Nikeeta), because they really worked hard to make sure I enjoyed every moment and that I didn't get wrapped up in any drama or wedding politics!
A new day, a new romantic story! And I don't know about you, but we can't get enough of these fabulous celebrations, they are so awesome! If you are like us, don't forget to join us tomorrow for more!
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