Welcome to Maharani Weddings

Maharanis! We're thrilled to unfold the magical tale of Nirja & Jainam's heavenly union, a sublime merger of tradition and contemporary flair, held at the prestigious Westin Long Beach. Orchestrated by the masterminds at Events By Sep, every moment was steeped in elegance and awe-inspiring opulence. The ethereal atmosphere was brought to life by 2Create Designs, who enveloped the venue in cascades of lush florals, sparkling chandeliers, and intricate décor that whispered of love and luxe in each petal and beam of light. Floating in her mesmerizing bridal ensemble from Asopalav, Nirja looked like an epitome of grace, her glowing aura illuminated further by Drea V Makeup; her face a canvas of soft pastels and shimmering highlights, and her locks an intricate pattern of waves and curls. Nirja's Mehndi, skillfully applied by Sheetal, was a vivid tapestry of cultural significance and artistic genius. Capturing their natural magnetism was Greycard Photography, whose lenses transformed simple moments into timeless treasures. Mantra offered a decadent spread of flavors that teased the taste buds and stirred the soul. The musical symphony curated by Special Occasions DJ had everyone swaying on an emotional and rhythmic roller coaster. Check out the gallery. Enjoy!

How did you meet your Groom, and when did you know he was "the one"?
It all started in 2021. I was in town visiting my sister. Jainam was just a young student finishing his MBA. Little did we know, things were being put into motion for our potential match.
Then, one day, I was sent pictures of my future husband, and Jainam was given the same of his future wife. They were both smitten and immediately started emailing and texting.
After a month, we finally went on our first date. It was a magical evening that lasted for five hours, and that's when I knew that they had found the one. We talked and talked and still haven't stopped talking since.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
My sister texted me that we were celebrating her birthday dinner a little early. I know my sister goes all out, so I went all out getting ready. Jainam was forcing me to do my nails, so I was kind of wondering if it would happen. We had dinner reservations in Dana Point, and he told me since we were a little early, let's go check out a park. We parked and started walking, and I noticed a tepee set up and told him to look at how cute it was. There was a blackboard and a photographer, so he started pulling me towards it; he said let us go see what that says. I was saying no because I thought this was someone else's special day. He kept insisting, and while I was looking at it, he got on his knees. I was speechless, it was absolutely perfect.

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.
I knew I had a certain vision in mind, and so I did all my research. My vendors were so amazing, nothing would have happened without their support. My event planner, Sepali, was hands-on from day one and was so helpful with all my crazy requests. The Westin Long Beach was very accommodating; they wanted to work with us and were very kind and generous. My makeup team was Drea, and she needed no introduction. Sitting so early in the morning with her, she knows how to put me and my family at ease. My mum was tearing up, and she went over and calmed her down and fixed her makeup. 2Create was my decorator, and I told her the vision, and she did not need anything else. She focused on what she knew I wanted the most.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I love pink! I knew I wanted something light but heavy enough. My parents FaceTimed me from Asopalav, and as soon as they brought it out, I knew it was the one! I could see myself wearing it and immediately fell in love.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of wedding planning is planning it with your spouse. Jainam proved to me time and time again that he is truly my rock. Wedding planning can get stressful, so when I would call him panicking, he would drop everything and calm me down, and also find a solution on the spot. He would present 5 solutions for my one tiny problem, and that eased my tension so quickly.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests loved how interactive our Priest made the wedding. He made everyone laugh while also explaining why we do certain things on the mandap.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
When I drove off in the car for the Vidaii, it was so nice to see my family waving me off with happy tears and smiles.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions, but as long as you and your partner are on the same page, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, will work out.

Darlings, keep an eye out for our upcoming posts. Until then, happy wedding planning, my friend!

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Darlings! Embark on a journey where two souls came together to create an abundant tapestry of wedding festivities. Swetha & Melchisedek's celebration, with Big Guava Event as the guiding force behind this fusion of Sri Lankan-Tamil and Haitian cultures, demonstrated finesse in blending time-honored traditions with contemporary designs, ensuring that each ceremony radiated both personal significance and universal charm. Under the ornate arches of the First United Methodist Church, with the groom's sister, Donaise, serenading "Draw Me Close To You" and Melchisedek's father sharing a heartfelt reading, emotions danced like dainty flames, making the ceremony unforgettable. Every corner of the venue was kissed by the magic of NJP Events & Design, while Photos by Rob Futrell captured moments that will remain etched in memories forever. Whether it was the floral arrangements or the grandeur of Debra's Bridal and Nazranaa ensembles, the day was a canvas painted in shades of love. The brilliant pieces from Givenchy and Nazranaa Jewels accentuated Swetha's move. The intricate designs by Manu's Beauty Care and the pristine touch from Beauty Marked elevated her elegance. As nightfall draped the city, the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront came alive with music and laughter. With DJ XFactor at the helm, the reception became a whirlwind of ecstatic dances and uncontainable happiness. Lose yourself in the captivating gallery. 

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Melchisedek (or Jean, as most people & I call him for short) met in 2010 at the ages of 19 & 20 at the University of South Florida. Our first few encounters were in passing at the student center, thanks to our mutual friend (& later bridesmaid) Anita. Our real story begins, however, at a student event where Jean spotted me across the USF Amphitheater & asked me to dance bachata with him. I was hesitant at first, knowing that this Sri Lankan girl had no idea how to bachata, but I decided to take a chance & learn with this tall, dark, & handsome Haitian man. By the end of the night, we'd had such a great time that we exchanged numbers & continued to text through the rest of the night. Coincidentally enough, over the next few days, we realized that we were in two of the same classes. We became study partners, passing notes in class and studying together on campus. It wasn't long before our friendship grew into something bigger. Our relationship definitely stirred things up a bit; after all, an interracial couple (specifically a South Asian woman & a black man) was not the norm back then and was often considered “taboo” in both cultures. We took the negativity in stride, & it only helped us grow closer. One of the things that attracted me most to Jean was how important culture & family are to him, as both are so important to me as well. About 2 months into dating, he met my family in order to take us to the airport as we were traveling to Sri Lanka. At the time, because our relationship was so new, I introduced him as just a "friend." Regardless, he made such an effort to get to know my parents & ask about our culture. When we returned home, I felt this newfound connection to my roots, & Jean was so eager to hear all about my first time there. That's when I knew he was the one. Over the past 13 years of being together, that hasn't changed one bit & it's one of the things I love most about him. We make an active effort to learn about each other's cultures every day, never losing touch with our own roots but always eager to incorporate other cultures into our daily lives. Not to mention, he has been my biggest motivator & supporter since day one, always pushing me to be the best version of myself & cheering me on even when he can't physically be there.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was nothing short of a dream come true, to say the least. On the eve of our 10-year anniversary, in the midst of the pandemic, & with the help of my family & friends, Jean pulled off a fairytale proposal - complete with twinkling lights, white clouds, balloons, & the song we first danced bachata to that fateful day playing in the background. At my childhood home, I walked in thinking I was going to a surprise party for my parents, & instead found a room filled entirely with balloons, twinkling lights, & fog. There, at the end of a pathway lined with flower petals & lanterns, stood my Prince Charming & our dog Aladdin, my Prince Ali, waiting with my dream ring. It was absolutely magical!

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 always knew we wanted to have two ceremonies, a Christian ceremony & a Hindu ceremony & make every effort to incorporate both of our cultures into our wedding. It was no easy feat, planning two ceremonies & two receptions over two days. Thankfully, my sister Shankeer had gotten married the year before in a similar fashion & was such a huge help. Having planned two ceremonies + two receptions the year prior, she had done a lot of the research on vendors, venues, outfits, etc., for me. I honestly don't know how I could have planned everything without her! With her help, I was able to book most of my vendors early on, which saved us a lot of stress later in the planning process. For example, we knew we wanted to book Photos by Rob Futrell, our amazing photographer, as I fell in love with his work during her wedding. We also booked Beauty Marked FL again, as they did such an incredible job with my sister's bridal hair & makeup. For our Hindu Ceremony and reception bridal & wedding party outfits, I just knew we had to go through Nazranaa again, as we loved how everything turned out with our custom outfits & jewelry in my sister's wedding; & our wedding looks turned out even more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed of!

About halfway through the planning process, I realized that there were still several moving parts I needed help with. I decided to hire a wedding planner, & it was the best decision I could have made! Big Guava Events made the planning process much less daunting - helping me book the rest of my vendors, organize my ideas, create timelines & keep everyone on track & events moving on time during the wedding weekend. I definitely would have been lost without them!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Going through Shia with Nazranaa again was such a seamless process. We flew up to NJ & chose all of our outfits (bridal lengha, groom's sherwani, bridesmaids' lenghas, groomsens' sherwanis, bride & groom's reception outfits, & all jewelry) in just one day! I had a few colors & designs in mind, & Nazranaa helped bring my ideas to life. Our theme centered around royalty & peacocks for the Hindu ceremony and reception, so Nazranaa made sure to incorporate them into our outfits.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The decor! NJP Events & Design did such an amazing job taking all of my ideas & bringing them to fruition. When I walked into our reception ballroom, I actually started crying. I was so happy that everything turned out exactly how I imagined it. Our royal & peacock theme was a big hit amongst my guests, as there were so many little details incorporated into the weekend - small gold elephants adorned the head table, peacocks sitting on swings hanging from trees with crystals & lights as centerpieces, bronze peacock statues perfect for photo ops, a large peacock fixture on the arch of the entryway to the mandap, multicolored peacock light up rings & customized glow sticks handed out to guests on the dance floor, & gold, silver & rose gold trinket boxes as favors.

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

Expect the unexpected & have multiple backup plans! Our Hindu ceremony was to be held at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront on their River Deck, with a beautiful view of the St. John's River & the Main Street Bridge. There was a large Navy ship that docked right outside of our venue, completely blocking our riverfront view. This ship was supposed to be moved several months prior, but the move kept getting postponed. We had finally come to terms with this giant ship being the backdrop of our ceremony & had even changed our ceremony setup to have it only obstruct a part of the riverfront view, only to find out two days prior to the wedding that they were a hosting an outdoor Christmas party, complete with a dressed up Santa, drinks, & loud music at the same time & day of our ceremony! I was panicking - how could we hold a religious ceremony with a loud party right next to us?! We ended up having to move everything to an indoor ballroom. Thankfully, our wedding planner, Big Guava Events & decor vendor, NJP Events & Design, were able to work with the Hyatt & create a magical scene for our ceremony; & although it wasn't exactly what I had imagined, it was still beautiful in its own way.

Stay tuned for more unforgettable tales; until then, may your hearts be filled with everlasting joy.

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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!

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Hello, dear Maharanis! Enjoy Renita & Aden's grand nuptials in our Platinum Blog today. Enjoy it!

Maharanis, I hope this wedding will inspire you to jump aboard the wedding train. Have a great day! 

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Hello, dears! Don't forget to check out Hiral & Abhishek's wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog.

Thanks for your visit today! Don't forget to be back for more inspirational stories every day

Xquisit Events, Henna by Tanvi and Studio KSD are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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