Greetings darlings! In embracing the serene Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, the universe conspired to gift us the splendor of Angel & Nico's wedding. This resort boasts world-class amenities and is synonymous with the magical merging of turquoise waters with golden sands. The genius of Indian Destination Wedding, Inc. ensured the entire entourage arrived gracefully. This travel concierge, known for their meticulous planning, had successfully painted the first brushstroke of an exquisite masterpiece. Zuniga and Tulipania unfurled a realm of floral fantasies of passion and purity, whispering tales of love as old as time. Unique Stories Weddings wove the planning and design elements, ensuring the wedding narrative was profoundly touching. The intricate Mehndi designs magnified Angel's elegance, thanks to Loto Mehndi's unparalleled craftsmanship. Alex Corbanezi took the reins to bestow upon a hair and makeup transformation that was nothing short of divine. The ornate settings of the custom coconuts by Kocoo quenched the guests' thirst and added a personal charm to the event. As the evening gracefully transitioned into night, the air buzzed with excitement and music from MVPDJs. Amidst the laughter, dance, and merriment, Sweet Caribbean's lenses captured moments, emotions, and memories that would be cherished for eons. Check out the gallery!
How did you meet your Groom, and when did you know he was "the one"?
Nico and I met at the end of our first year of Pharmacy School. He then moved into the same apartment building our second year. We became fast friends, and before I knew it, he became someone I couldn't go even one day without talking to. I saw day in and day out how he treated everyone around him, and one day a flip just switched, and I knew I wanted him to be more than just a friend and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I wish I could give exact details of everything, but my husband did such a great job keeping things a surprise, so I can only give a second-hand account of everything leading up to the moment. Apparently, my husband planned out a minute-by-minute account of how he wanted the day to go. He designed the ring of my dreams and recruited his best friend and my cousin to help set up the day. He took me to Princeton, NJ (with the false pretense of having brunch) and led me through the pathways of Princeton University's campus. We happened upon a setting of rose petals and photos and a sign that said: "Marry Me." Initially, before noticing who was actually in the pictures, I tried to drag him away, thinking we were ruining someone else's proposal. It wasn't until he literally took me toward the pictures that I knew what was happening. It was definitely the most perfect moment. He then surprised me again when we got back to his house with all my family and friends there for a party. It was such a perfect day.
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 wedding process was a little overwhelming and stressful, to say the least. Nico is Hindu, and I am Catholic, so we were looking at a wedding that would span over 4/5 days at the very least. We initially started looking for venues in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Still, we quickly realized the wedding we imagined just wouldn't be possible if we had it in the U.S., so we decided to look into a destination wedding. We found the most amazing travel company, "Indian Destination Wedding," who helped us find the most perfect resort that met every one of our needs. The Grand Palladium in Costa Mujeres, MX, fits all of our needs. It had the perfect church for our Catholic wedding ceremony, the most beautiful beach for our Hindu wedding ceremony, and open and beautiful outdoor spaces for our other events. All of the staff at the venue really treated us as family and gave us a great experience. Our wedding planner Cristina from "Unique Stories Weddings" helped us find the vendors that really fit our vision for what we wanted our wedding days to look like. I had Alex Corbanezi Beauty for my hair and makeup, and they really listened to exactly what I wanted for each look every day. They did everything I asked for and went above and beyond to make me feel like a princess of my wedding days. Zuniga decor did an amazing job on each day - Mehndi/garba, Vidhi, Indian Wedding, Catholic Wedding, and Reception. We had a DJ and MC from MVPDJs travel out to Mexico for our wedding, and we cannot say anything but good things about them. Dj Prit and MC Sorab brought the house down every single night, and our guests could not get enough of them. We used Sweet Caribbean Photo for our Photo and Video team, and they did an amazing job capturing all the moments; we are very happy with the photos and the amazing highlight video they put together. We ended up with such an amazing team of people that we could not be more grateful for.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Since we had two wedding ceremonies, I was lucky enough to pick out two amazing wedding outfits. My bridal lengha, I knew I wanted to be red. It was important to me to keep it traditional for my husband's family. Finding the right shade of red and a design, I liked was definitely a process, especially since I wasn't able to go to India myself for any shopping. My mom, mother-in-law, and I went to a few places in New Jersey to see what kind of styles I would like, but I didn't find anything that I liked. We eventually found a shop in India online that had styles I was more interested in. My mother-in-law and I face-timed with a shop a few times and found an outfit that I loved; she then went to India and made sure every detail was exactly as we wanted. Now, my Catholic wedding was a little easier. I had dreamed of the dress I had wanted for SUCH a long time, and it was easier for me to figure out. My cousins and I went dress shopping, and we only went to 3 shops to try on dresses before I knew what my perfect dress was. One day of wedding dress shopping, I knew pretty immediately which one was mine.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
As stressful and overwhelming as wedding planning was, Nico and I really enjoyed picking our colors and the type of decor we wanted. It was nice to mix both of our different tastes to create a wedding that was both of ours. The whole process brought us closer together and really taught us how to be a team in the best way possible.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved that it was a destination wedding, and they loved the resort we chose. They loved having a bit of vacation time along with celebrating us. It was a great place for both the adults at our wedding and also the kids. They all had a great time! They also loved all details we incorporated into many aspects of our wedding. From the personalized coconuts and Popcorn box wedding programs for them to snack on at our Hindu wedding ceremony to the custom maracas with all the guest's names hand-painted on and their table numbers which we used as our seating plan for the reception as well as a wedding favor for them to take home.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
There were so many special moments from our wedding week that we constantly look back on - like all of the time we got to spend with our family and friends during our wedding events and also after. Every day, we would meet up with our family/friends at night and hang out, and everyone was able to get to know the people at the wedding that they didn't know or didn't get a chance to speak to at our events. From our wedding days specifically, seeing my husband sitting/standing at the end of an aisle waiting for me is an image that is forever burned into my memory.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The only words of wisdom I have would be to take it one day at a time. It is so easy to get caught up in everything that needs to be done that you try to do too much at once. Pace yourself and go easy on yourself. Everything you want will happen as long as you breathe, take it one step at a time, and ask for help from your partner. It's much less stressful that way.
We hope you enjoy today's feature, darlings. Cheers to love and the endless possibilities it brings!
