Welcome to Maharani Weddings

We're thrilled to share Mukti & Bhavik's story in today's feature on the Platinum Guide blog.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

I met Bhavik in the midst of the COVID pandemic through Hinge. I never would’ve thought that messaging my very first Hinge match would change my life so quickly and in ways I never imagined. I was in St. Louis at the time, and met Bhavik in Chicago a few weeks later. Before our first real date, though, we had a FaceTime date and I knew then that he was someone special. When we finally met in Chicago, it felt like I was spending the evening with someone I already knew so well. I left that date knowing that he was my forever.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

In April 2022 we took our very first big trip together to the Amalfi coast! This was the first time we spent a whole week together, and we enjoyed our little escape from long distance with pasta, gelato, and limoncello spritz’s! Our second evening on the beautiful coast was when he planned a special boat “tour of the coast.” To my surprise, I walked onto a private boat and knew it was going to be a ride I’ll never forget! Bhavik got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him - an obvious and easy yes!

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 knew we were planning for a big fat Indian wedding in Detroit, my hometown. This narrowed down our venue options, and ultimately we decided on MGM Grand Detroit. My family has previously had good experience with MGM Grand, and we wanted our guests to be able to enjoy the casino and what Detroit has to offer in between events.

I booked Jahura Hobby well in advance for bridal makeup - one of the best decisions I made! She is so kind, organized, and talented. She created a natural glam look for each event.

Our decor themes were surprisingly easy to decide on. We knew we needed to incorporate an Amalfi coast theme into our wedding, because it’s such a special place for us. This was the theme of our Sangeet and Utsav planners executed our vision perfectly. Our wedding has a traditional red and gold theme, and our reception was a bold black and red.

Food was a universal priority for Bhavik, myself, and our parents. We decided on Rasoi catering from New Jersey and they exceeded our expectations! At the end of our wedding, so many people mentioned how much they loved the food at each and every event.

Our wedding planner, Rajul Pillai, made sure our wedding was everything we had imagined and more! She started working with me well over 14 months in advance, and kept us on track with each detail. She helped me find solutions to each hurdle, and made sure the weekend itself went on seamlessly.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?

I always envisioned myself to be a traditional bride in a red lehenga. That’s exactly what I found when I went shopping in Mumbai.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?

Looking back, sitting on the couch and thinking about what we wanted our weekend to look like was so memorable. We spent countless evenings after work together, making little decisions and talking through things that were important to us. These evenings gave us so much quality time together, and that will always be special.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

The food, performances, and energy. We are so grateful to our friends and family for creating such a fun atmosphere and bringing endless energy to the weekend!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?

There are so many moments from the wedding week that I’ll always hold close to me, but my favorite moment was reading the card Bhavik wrote for me while I was getting ready for our wedding. Those words and emotions made me even more excited to see him that morning, and for our forever to finally begin.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

Have fun with the planning process and soak in all of the quality time with everyone you care about. It’s the only time all of your closest and most loved people will be under one roof.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)

All of my jewelry was specially created by my mom’s friend in Ahmedabad - she truly is an artist!

My mehndi was done by Ekta Kansara. She created the most intricate designs, while we chatted for hours. Her presence is so soothing.

Let this story guide you, leaving you enchanted and dreaming of your magical celebration.

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Maharanis, be sure to check out Anu & Madhu's incredible wedding in our Platinum Guide Blog. 

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
He planned everything behind the scenes, including a photoshoot one week before the actual proposal. I expected the proposal during that photoshoot, but it was nothing more than a scheme to throw me off. The following week on the day of the actual proposal I was not expecting anything because I did not want to be thrown off again and I was so shocked when it happened. He worked with a close family friend vendor (@eventdesignbynithya IG) to set up the beautiful decor on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas. The decor and stunning skyline views made for an unforgettable proposal moment.

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 used a wedding planner (@rightoccasion) who was amazing to work with. Through the process, she became one of our close friends. I had mood boards for each of our events, and I wanted all the pieces to flow together, the decor, themes for each event, and the guest experience to be phenomenal. when it came to hair and makeup, I used @mspaintedlady, who took the time to understand what looks I liked and what would look best with my outfits for weddings & receptions. For the wedding, I went with softer colors, full glam to match my outfits, and a floral braid that had a boho spin to it. For the reception, my lengha was velvet, with geometric stone work, that had a rose sleeve. I went with a boho spin as well with a floral half updo bun to match the sleeve of my blouse, stones in my hair, Burgundy eye look, with little pops of highlighter.. For the mehendi & sangeet I had ( @fatimaashraf_beauty) she did an amazing job with my look! I wanted to do something super fun, so I made a high pony with a bold makeup look, lots of color, and a blue shadow liner. I wore hot pink for my mehendi and a cobalt blue lengha for the sangeet. they both were very fun & bedazzled outfits, so I wanted to have a fun look to go with it. the events were back to back. For the sangeet, we had a disco theme with lots of bright colors. we even danced to It the Time to Disco with all of our friends!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went to India to go shopping for my outfits!! for my wedding day look I had two different sarees and we incorporated our favorite colors, my husbands favorite color is green and mine is purple. for my reception lengha, we wanted to go with a darker color. Our venue is very luxe and elegant, and so we wanted to go with a color that would complement that. I wore a Burgundy lengha by (@amitaggaarwal), which was velvet with geometric stonework all the way down. The blouse had a rose on one side of the sleeve, which was one of my favorite elements of the look! Madhu wore a bedazzled tuxedo, which really tied our outfits together.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part was working with the husband to see our vision come to life. He was very involved in the process along with me, and I can truly say we did every part of the process together. It was a lot of fun picking out all of the small details with our planner and then seeing that vision come to life.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We focused on details about some guest experiences to make the event more enjoyable for them. We ensured that the food and drinks were of the highest quality, including things such as a chai cart at the wedding and photo booths at the reception. These small details, among others, were spoken of very highly by guests during and after the events.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
When I was walking down the aisle, all of the emotions hit me at once. My husband was turned away from the aisle as per our traditions, but I could sense his anticipation. I will never forget that moment of pure happiness walking down the aisle, knowing that in just a few short moments, we would be officially husband and wife.

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 was filled with so many dances. we had a disco theme for the sangeet. We both wore shades of blue, and the decor was shades of pink with disco balls. This made our blue outfits pop even more in front of the decor. Our wedding party loved to dance, and our bridesmaids and groomsmen choreographed all the dances. we had bridesmaids' dances, groomsmen, family, and a wedding party dance that we ended with dancing to Its the Time to Disco from Kal Ho Naa Ho. My husband and I also danced to our favorite songs for the couple's dance.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning is like the biggest group project with our favorite person. It is one of the most joyous moments to plan a wedding with the person you are going to marry. Though wedding planning comes with a lot of stress, just remember to have fun with it!

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Our cake had a modern spin; it was a geometric cake with a marble print on it!

I would just like to take a moment to highlight all our vendors because it would not have been possible without them: planner: @rightoccasion_, photo: @anaphotovideo, mehendi: @sheetals_henna_designs_dallas, haldi/mehendi decor: @eventsbyshanthi, Wedding day decor: @elegantaffairdfw, sangeet/reception decor: @ayalaballoons,@eventdesignbynithya MUA: @mspaintedlady, @fatimaashraf_beauty, reception lengha: @amitaggaarwaloffical, DJ: @djrizent, cake: @biminisweets wedding venue: @sheratonmckinney sangeet/mehendi venue: @verona_villa reception.
Reception Venue: @knotting_hill_place, Saree pleater: @pattupleatsbyakila

We hope you enjoy our features. Until next time, darlings, may your days be filled with love and joy!

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Welcome to a mesmerizing tale woven with love and dreams at the heart of Salona & Niraj's wedding on the serene Pier Deck. Niraj's Baraat was a joyous extravaganza, the beats of Pavan Events stirring everyone's hearts, setting the stage for an unforgettable night. Salona, a vision in her Sequinze & Ladlee couture, pledged her love to Niraj. The meticulous planning by Unique Stories transformed their day into a fairy tale, with Pentaflor's blooms arching overhead like rainbows crafted from the finest flora. As Salona's laughter mingled with the breeze, her locks styled flawlessly by Sara Tamargo and her henna by Loto Mehndi tell tales of ancient love scripts. The transition from day to evening was a magical experience at the El Dorado Ballroom, where the air was filled with the melodies of the talented Pavan Events. Amidst this enchanting setup, Bollywood performers choreographed by Anavi Sharma captivated all with grace and poise. With Shaadi Destinations at the helm, every journey to this wedding was an enchanting and memorable event. Let each Sweet Caribbean Photo & Video photo take you through a journey of emotions and unforgettable moments.

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 actually booked all my vendors in the peak of COVID-19. We specifically wanted a great group of people, so we made sure to book them 1.5 years in advance to secure them. we are so happy we did because they were absolutely the best group of vendors we could have asked for. They literally made our wedding. Our planner, Cristina, helped with organizing our decor and turning our vision to life while also staying within the budget, which is super important.
We knew we wanted the majority of our events to be outdoors so guests could enjoy the views of the ocean. I think the most enjoyable was our rooftop sangeet. We had an Arabian night type of vibe, and the mix of all the colors plus the ocean breeze on top of a roof was a memorable experience. For our ceremony, we knew we wanted the ocean to be seen, but we wanted to make sure our guests were as comfortable
as possible, so that was done at the pier finally, for our reception, we kept that in the ballroom as we wanted some sort of floral rigging structure! We chose not to have a stage or sweetheart table as we wanted to enjoy our dinner sitting with our favorite people instead!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted something not too heavy as I wanted the option to re-wear pieces of it in the future, so I decided to go heavy on jewelry! I saw this dress and tried it on. it was so light and comfortable and looked absolutely stunning against the blue oceans of Mexico!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I loved every moment of the planning process as crazy as it sounds! Cristina and her team made it so much fun! They were highly communicative and were so easy to bounce ideas and options off each other! I also am a DIY so I enjoyed pulling out my Cricut and allowing myself to add small little touched to our special weekend!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Our ballroom reveal! After having such a crazy weekend, we were both excited about this event! We closed our eyes and were led into the ballroom hand in hand as "Ferrari" was playing, and we smelled all the gorgeous flowers! When we opened our eyes, we were in awe at how beautiful the setup was, and we were both just soaking everything in! That moment and that song hold a special place in our hearts!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Give yourself enough time to actually enjoy the planning process! Bounce ideas off your planning team and see what sticks! If something doesn't seem in the budget, don't be afraid to ask your planner what an alternative would look like, as a great planner will find ways to make your vision come to life ( I know mine did <3) lastly, do yourself a favor and hand your phone to your MOH or Bridesmaid that morning of the wedding. Be as stress-free as possible, enjoy the getting ready part, and let your planner take over!!!

May you allow your hearts to be captivated by the unforgettable weddings we share, just as we were.

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Immerse yourself in the enchanting tale of Anisha & Kesar's wedded bliss at the exquisite JW Marriott in Tampa. Anisha collaborated with the creative minds at InStyle Events to orchestrate a wedding day that seamlessly melded tradition with contemporary elegance. Dreams to Reality (Mejoo) transformed the venue into a magical wonderland with luxurious drapery, shimmering chandeliers, and romantic backdrops. As guests entered this breathtaking scene, they were greeted by the melodic beats of Awaaz Entertainment and enjoyed the delicious treats from JW Marriott in Tampa. The delicate artistry of Henna Allure graced Anisha's hands with intricate mehndi, enhancing her natural beauty, further illuminated by the expert touch of Beauty Marked's hair and makeup team. The presence of Sona Photography was notably profound. Their calm demeanor and ability to capture serene, heartfelt moments allowed Anisha & Kesar to be in the moment. The photographers' knack for catching the soft glances and joyful smiles between the couple against the beautifully curated settings resulted in visuals that tell a love story and encapsulate the essence of joy and unity.

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.
After deciding to get married in Florida, we first decided on InStyle Events to help us with the coordination from afar. We only made two very short trips down to Tampa, but Neethu was able to help us narrow down our venues and vendors.

After visiting four venues in three days, we decided on the JW Marriott in Tampa. We loved that it was a new hotel, and the event spaces fit our style choices.

We selected Photo and Video as the first of our vendors, and I couldn't be happier with our decision to go with Mona of Sona Photography and Orlando of Storybook Films. Mona was so calm and easy-going during our events, helping Kesar and me to really slow down and be in the moment. Orlando and his team captured some truly magical clips and shared their excitement with us as they filmed.

All the other details came together slowly but surely. Mejoo of Dreams to Reality went above and beyond to make sure our decor was stunning. Sangeen of Awaaz Entertainment brought the most energy to the dance floor, catering to the tastes of our guests. Most importantly, everybody raved about the food from Saffron!

My dad also played a big role in wedding planning with his store, Backers of Orange, Connecticut. He arranged all the immediate family's tuxedos for the Reception and Kesar's outfit for the welcome dinner. Both my dad and grandmother helped with the tailoring of my outfits as well. It was a special moment to have them involved in one of the most important parts of wedding planning.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went to India for the very first time to meet Kesar's extended family in December 2022, not planning to spend time looking for wedding outfits. His cousin's wife, Radhika, took us on a whirlwind tour of India. In between visiting the Taj Mahal, Golden Temple, and Wagah Border, she also managed to take me shopping.

We ended up finding my wedding outfits in Mumbai. I knew that I wanted a classic red lehenga for my bridal look. It was important to me to find outfits that catered to modern taste and elegance. It can be overwhelming to visit India for the first time and also pick out your wedding outfits in a language you don't understand, but Kesar's family extended a hand and helped to make the process as seamless as possible.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process had to be the food tastings!

We picked Saffron as our caterer. The food was great, and we loved that they had both Gujarati and Sindhi chefs on their team.

For our reception, the JW Marriott catered a buffet, and that tasting experience was definitely one to remember. We walked into a banquet hall where the chef presented each dish with a wine pairing. That was definitely one of the more fun moments of planning!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The most important part of our wedding was our guests. Our family and friends traveled from all parts of the world to be with us in Tampa. Whether it was reuniting with aunts and uncles, which we hadn't seen in years, or seeing the new generation of cousins meeting their family for the first time, the love and joy in being together was the most memorable part of our wedding.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Walking into our Sangeet and seeing all the pieces come together was so special. It was incredible to see all our family and friends join together just to celebrate us.

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 Reception was my favorite event to plan. We wanted the room to look romantic, with dark backgrounds and champagne accents. Mejoo had the idea of using hanging chandeliers, which brought the whole look together.

The Sangeet dances are always some of my favorite moments from weddings. Our siblings, cousins, and aunts all planned such amazing dances. My mom even joined one of the dances to surprise us!

Darlings, get ready to be utterly enchanted with the stories we have compiled for your enjoyment.

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Good morning! Neha & Raja's lovely wedding celebration is now live in today's Platinum Guide Blog.

Remember, every wedding is a story of love and dreams. Come back tomorrow for more stories!

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