Hello, Maharanis! Don't miss Pooja & Parth's wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog. You'll love it!

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How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We actually met as kids at a Sweet Sixteen party, I was 15 and he was 16 at the time. We clicked at the time but were too young for anything to actually come of it. On top of that, he was from California and I was from New York. We kept in touch throughout the years as friends and something clicked in 2017 and he asked me to be his girlfriend. I think we knew we were meant to be for a long time but timing was just never on our side until then, but hey better late than never!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was like a fairytale proposal. I'm actually really hard to surprise so he gave up that idea of surprising me with the proposal a long time ago, we knew we were going to get married the moment he asked me to be his girlfriend. But the way he planned every aspect of it was perfect. He had four hand written cards that he gave to my roommates/friends from my dental school. My roommates all pretended to leave for the weekend or had plans but I had a feeling he was going to propose that weekend so I didn't make any plans. My roommate pretended to take me downstairs to help her bring up some packages to our apartment and when I looked outside the doors my other two roommates were waiting by the river balcony and they gave me my first card. We sat and enjoyed the beautiful view, popped a bottle of champagne because it was happening, the guy I had been crushing on was finally going to be my fiance. It was one of the most exciting feelings and I was just genuinely very happy. The second note was given to me by one of my best friends, she surprised me and showed up. In it, he had scheduled an appointment for me to get my nails done but since I already knew it was happening I had gotten them done two days before...oops kinda ruining his plans. The third note, came with some Taco Bell [my favorite, before they got rid of the Mexican Pizza] and I was informed to do my makeup and get into my outfit but my hair would be done at Dry Bar. Lastly, after the outfit, hair and makeup were all done - it led me to the venue where he would be proposing. At the entrance, my brother was waiting to escort me to him, not without some blind folds though. He knew I wanted my family present, it was one of the most important things to me to be able to share that moment with them. I walked up the stairs and stood there blindfolded until I heard the piano, when I removed the blindfold I saw him sitting by the piano playing the song, Perfect by Ed Sheeran. It was the most romantic gesture, he learned the song just to make that moment so special for me. After he proposed, he led me up the stairs to the rooftop where all my family and friends were present. It was truly the most perfect proposal, I wouldn't change a thing.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My heart has always leaned more toward pastel lehengas. Originally, the plan was to go to India back in May 2020 after I graduated from NYU College of Dentistry to shop for our wedding in August 2020, but covid happened and plans were completely changed. Fortunately, we came across a shop in NYC called Ave India Fashion Design Collective where Priyam and Meera Aunty helped me find my dream wedding outfit. As soon as I saw the blush lehenga by Anushree Reddy on the rack it caught my eye instantly. After putting it on and seeing my family's reaction I knew it was the one.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
After the night of the Sangeet, one of our close friends, Viraj actually had everyone say their favorite part about the wedding. It was one of the best feelings hearing that everyone has been enjoying the wedding festivities to that moment. All the events took place in Anaheim, CA and it is odd for it to rain during August, however the day of the mehendi - the only outdoor event we had it began to drizzle. My mom considers it a good omen, that god is blessing us with the start of the wedding festivities. Everyone actually loved dancing in the rain, it was a beautiful start to the wedding festivities. Our favorite part was seeing the smiles on everyones faces and hearing/seeing how much they enjoyed themselves throughout the festivities. That was the most rewarding part.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Ahh this is a tough one because there are so many. My favorites have to be my first look with Chuck [real name is Parth but everyone calls him Chuck], my first look with my dad, kaka [uncle], brother and little brother and lastly with my bridesmaids. Everyones reactions made my heart melt. Another favorite moment was when he put sindoor and my mangalsutra on; we had been court married for a year on our original wedding date but finally having this happen made it official official and it meant the world to me.

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Hair & Makeup: Dolled up by Lulu | Photography: Peter Nguyen Studio | Venues: The Westin Anaheim Resort | Decor for Mehndi: Synx Events | Decor for Bride's Grah Shanti/Pithi: Synx Events | Decor for Garba/Sangeet: Synx Events | Floral & Decor for Wedding Ceremony: Three Petals | DJ: 3D Sounds | Bride's Mehndi Outfit: Bharti's Bombay | Bride's Garba/Sangeet Outfit: Mayyur Girotra | Bride's Wedding Outfit: Anushree Reddy | Bride's Cocktail Saree: Kalki Fashion | Bride's Reception Outfit: Sajda by Suman | Groom's Mehndi Outfit: Jade Blue | Groom's Garba/Sangeet Outfit: Jade Blue | Groom's Red Reception Suit: Gucci | Lighting: 3D Sounds | Mehndi Artist: Henna by Tulsi | Wedding Coordinator: A Panache Affair