Welcome to Maharani Weddings

The Engage!24 Amelia Island Summit at the luxurious The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, was more than an event—it was an unforgettable journey into luxury, innovation, and celebration. This year, the summit kicked off in spectacular style with the Island Treasures Welcome Party, a dazzling evening designed to celebrate the rich history and treasures of Amelia Island while honoring the brilliance of the wedding industry’s best and brightest.

Set against the backdrop of Amelia Island's golden dunes and the expansive Atlantic Ocean, the Island Treasures Welcome Party was a feast for the senses. The décor seamlessly blended coastal natural elements with sophisticated luxury, creating a whimsical yet opulent atmosphere. The night’s tropical theme came alive with the presence of mermaid-like performers, while the space was adorned with nature-inspired linens, vibrant floral arrangements, and candles housed in jute and clear vases, evoking the allure of hidden treasures. Light installations and décor in shades of gold, aqua, and pearl bathed the venue in a luminous glow, perfectly reflecting the tropical ambiance.

The evening began with a breathtaking golden-hour view, where guests mingled with industry peers, sipping signature cocktails and savoring hors d’oeuvres that showcased Amelia Island’s finest local flavors.

The Island Treasures Welcome Party wasn’t just about celebrating the history and beauty of Amelia Island; it was also a nod to the true treasures of Engage!24—the attendees themselves. As the night progressed, the air buzzed with excitement and camaraderie. Ethereal sea creature performers roamed the venue, adding an enchanting element, while a live band energized the crowd with a mix of island-inspired melodies and contemporary hits.

The night reached its pinnacle with a surprise LED light show illuminating the sky, followed by a heartfelt toast honoring the dedication and creativity of the event organizers. With glasses raised, and the ocean breeze as their witness, attendees were reminded that the most valuable treasures are the relationships they cultivate and the magical experiences they create for their clients year-round.

The Island Treasures Welcome Party set the perfect tone for the Engage!24 Amelia Island Summit, balancing inspiration, innovation, and celebration. As the stars sparkled overhead and the evening came to a close, it was clear that the magic of Amelia Island, combined with the passion and talent of the Engage! community, had created an unforgettable night that would shimmer in the memories of all who were there.

As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, we're filled with gratitude and excitement as we kick off the engagement season here at MaharaniWeddings. This time of year marks the beginning of countless love stories and wedding dreams coming to life. We're thrilled to embark on this journey with all of you, sharing inspiration, trends, and heartfelt moments that make each wedding unique. 

Today, we have the pleasure of sharing Lalita & Tushar's love story, a tale that beautifully intertwines romance, surprise, and the magic of new beginnings. With a backdrop of vibrant colors, breathtaking locations, and heartwarming moments, their engagement marks the start of a new chapter filled with love and devotion.

Despite living miles apart, their love flourished through cherished visits. When Lalita planned a trip to Orlando, Tushar surprised her with the proposal of her dreams in Queens. From thoughtful gifts delivered by her sister to a private rooftop overlooking the Empire State Building, every detail was meticulously planned. Tushar's heartfelt proposal, surrounded by their favorite songs, culminated in a celebration with family and friends.

Their engagement, beautifully captured by the talented team at Sona Photography, was a vibrant celebration of love and togetherness. Every frame showcased the couple's joy, from the intimate glances they shared to the grand, colorful details of the event. Lalita looked radiant in her intricately embroidered pastel lehenga, a masterpiece that perfectly complemented her graceful charm, while Tushar exuded timeless elegance in his regal sherwani.

The serene backdrop of lush greenery and vibrant decor bursting with florals and bright hues created a dreamy atmosphere that felt straight out of a fairy tale. The pièce de résistance was the stunning cake, its intricate design reflecting the couple's vibrant and colorful journey together. 

As you enjoy the engagement season, take a moment to explore more enchanting love stories, breathtaking wedding features, and creative inspiration on our website. Let MaharaniWeddings be your partner in making your dreams come true. Here's to all the engaged Maharani couples! Happy Thanksgiving!

Beautifully captured, this engagement was a stunning celebration of love and new beginnings.

Sona Photography is a member of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

Sona Photography VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

Explore today's Platinum Guide Blog to glimpse Andrea & Mihir's romantic wedding details!

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

I first met Mihir in one of our neighborhood bars in 2019, except he was my bartender and I was on a date with another person. We hit it off before my date got there, but once the date officially started I didn't see Mihir again for another year. A year later, I bump into him again. And again, we hit it off. I start seeing him around the neighborhood over and over again to the point I started avoiding bars and cafes so it didn't seem like I was stalking him. Turns out he not only worked near my apartment, he also lived a few blocks away. Knowing that COVID lock-down was going to happen, I went out one last time before everything shut down in NYC on March 15 and was able to finally get his number. We talked everyday via Zoom as his parents took him back home to NJ and we didn't see each other for 6 months (until his parents gave us the ok!). So long story short - I knew he was the one when he surprised me with flowers at my apartment door. We hugged for the first time and it felt like I was hugging someone I knew a lifetime.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Honestly, there's no scoop! He popped the question 5 minutes before my therapy session because he got too excited after buying the ring. He was no longer able to propose in my hometown as our flight was cancelled due to a snow storm, so he improvised.

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.
It was important for my husband, Mihir, and I to find a venue that was accessible with all food diets. The second we saw the food menu with Pier Sixty/Current, we knew the were the right venue for us. We wanted a venue that was in NYC as we wanted our non-city family to be able to enjoy and love the city we adore. To have a venue on the water was just an added bonus!

All of our vendors were amazing, and would recommend them anyday.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went to a few bridal shops in NJ and NYC, with both family and friends. I didn't have a favorite color in mind, but I was avoiding one color - pink. I purchased my lengha from NDNY in NYC and there was some miscommunication on the base color. When I opened the box, to my horror, it was all pink!

But Vaishali from NDNY convinced me to stay with the color vs purchasing a new lengha and I'm glad I did. I have never been one to wear colors other than black. Now, I see pink as a color that brings back wonderful memories of our wedding and I'm much more comfortable and happier wearing it. Thanks, Vaishali :)

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
So many things - we connected with our vendors a lot. Our photographer, Ellie Mae, had a few calls with us to chat photo ops but also to just check in on us. She was great and chatting with her always reminded us how much we love each other even if things felt stressful.

Lilly Rivera, my MUA, and I had so much fun during my hair and makeup trial that it lasted around 4 hours (oops)! We really did love our vendors and how down to earth they are!!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The food, the dancing, the music and the company. To this day, we still are told that our wedding was one of the best weddings they have been to.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Two moments, actually. The first special moment was when Mihir, my MIL and I had an impromptu dance scene once didi tera devar deewana started playing. Everyone thought we rehearsed it. People weren't expecting it, and honestly neither did we.

Second moment was when a guest convinced the DJ to stay at the venue to play Mr. Brightside. I had no idea people loved that song so much - everyone went crazy and it was the moment we both realized how much fun everyone was having.

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.

We wanted to highlight our Indian and Italian backgrounds when it came to the food at the venue and for the wedding favors. I'm gluten and dairy intolerant, so food was a huge detail when choosing a venue. The venue totally killed it and did an amazing job combining flavors, dishes and adapting on the spot to guest's dietary restrictions. People still rave about it to this day.

For our wedding favors, we chose brass elephant tea light holders and brass pomegranate dishes for guests to take home.

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

Take it a day at a time. Wedding planning can be extremely stressful and things will go wrong, that's just life! But when those moments where things go wrong happen, just remember that you and your partner are in it together. Those moments will be the ones that will strengthen and test your relationship.

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

Our henna artist, Sejal is the best! You can view her work at @trendyhenna.

Sweeties, don't forget to tag us and share your favorite moment from Andrea & Mihir's big day!

BridalGal is a member of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

BridalGal VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

Take a look at Shilpa & Maneesh's stunning wedding journey in our latest Platinum Guide Blog!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met online, and after texting back and forth, we met for our first date in Brooklyn, where I lived at the time! We went out for dinner, and the conversation flowed naturally as we realized how much we had in common. I knew he was the one who had a similar personality, how he always made me laugh at silly jokes, and especially because we bonded over our common love language of sharing food!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
One of my favorite shows has always been The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Knowing this, he recreated a Bachelorette finale and proposed with a traditional Bachelor proposal! We were on our way to what I thought was his work holiday party, with plans to meet some friends at The Fleur Room in NYC beforehand. As we stepped into the empty rooftop, I assumed we were the first ones there until he played a video from Jesse Palmer welcoming me to my final rose ceremony and proposal! After I said yes, he surprised me with our parents, family, and friends coming to The Fleur Room to celebrate the night with us.

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 planned our wedding in about 8-9 months, and planning involved lots of checklists, Google Docs, and phone/video calls! We did a lot of research to pick our vendors, but once we did, everything fell into place really quickly. We were looking to have a traditional Indian wedding with modern and fun twists, and all of our vendors really helped us achieve this. For our decor and color scheme, the first thing we picked was the colors of my bridal, reception, and bridesmaids' outfits, and then the rest of the decor complemented those colors. Working with our decorator was amazing, she was so creative and really helped to bring our vision to life. We didn't have a specific theme in mind besides the colors and wanted to keep our reception elegant and classy, and with our decorator's help, we designed the perfect aesthetic. Our wedding planners were great and they were really essential for coordination amongst all the vendors for the day of the event. One of the best things we did during the planning process was a walk-through at the venue about one month before the wedding with the wedding planner, decorator, and venue. This really helped us feel at ease that everyone was on the same page for the timing and flow of events of the big day!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I always knew I wanted to wear bright red for my bridal lengha but never really had a design in mind. I went shopping in India with my mom and found my bridal lengha at the first shop we went to! I only tried on 5-6 outfits and instantly knew this was the one when I saw it! I loved the bright color and detailed work and knew it would stand out amongst the color scheme of the ceremony.

Darlings, for more wedding inspiration from this incredible day, follow @maharaniweddings.

Florista Decor and Detailed Affairs Team are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

Florista Decor VIEW PORTFOLIO

Detailed Affairs Team VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.

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.

Killer Creations Photography and Cinematography is a member of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

Killer Creations Photography and Cinematography VIEW PORTFOLIO

For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.