Welcome to Maharani Weddings

Sweethearts! Allow your hearts to skip a beat as we unveil the transcendent tale of Megha & Rajiv's wedding. The Antica Fattoria di Paterno offered an ambrosial backdrop, a canvas adorned by the exquisite planning and design from Michela Valcaccia. Megha was the epitome of grace and elegance, enveloped in a breathtaking Manish Malhotra ensemble. Antonella Macaluso's touch had rendered her a goddess, her makeup and hair flawless as her soul, which has been in eternal love with Rajiv. Mainardi Fiori transformed the venue into a romantic haven. Haveli Indian Catering curated a gastronomic symphony that harmonized perfectly with the couple's heritage. A cascade of saccharine delights flowed from the hands of Le Cirque Firenze, each cake and treat a testament to the sweetness of their love. We cannot forget the euphoric tunes that filled the air, choreographed to perfection by Calibar. Chi Chi Illustrations was responsible for the personalized pack of playing cards and the personalized vintage Italian postcards. To ensure that this day would forever be etched into the annals of love, The Wedding Filmmakers captured each look, touch, and smile in a way that transcended the very essence of visual storytelling. The film was a visual recording and a soulful capture of moments that translate into everlasting memories. You'll love it! 

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Rajiv proposed on 23rd October 2021, just over a year after we first met. He had organized a spa day at the Corinthia Hotel in London, which is one of my favorite spas - we got pampered with lots of treatments and a lovely lunch. We then changed location to the Four Seasons Hotel on Park Lane. He asked me to be ready at 5.45 pm and meet him on the top floor of the hotel. When the lift doors opened, I could hear our song “Electric” by Alina Baraz & Khalid playing. I followed the path of white rose petals on the floor to the main room. There were photo frames of us and little gifts to collect along the way. When I opened the doors to the main room, I found Rajiv in the middle on one knee. The whole room was covered in white rose petals, with Polaroids of our dates hanging on fairy light strings and candles everywhere. The view of the London skyline in the background as the sun was setting was amazing. He had hired a saxophone player to play our favorite songs live in the background. He had also hired our wedding photographers to capture the proposal as well! It was the best moment of my life. Afterward, we went to Amaya, an Indian restaurant, for dinner; as a surprise, he had organized a private dinner with our immediate families. From there, we headed to a nearby bar for a final celebratory drink - I didn’t know Rajiv had organized another surprise after party this time to celebrate with all of our friends! It was perfect :)

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted to wear traditional red and Manish Malhotra as I love his Indian wedding lenghas. I went to his store in Delhi and had the best experience playing dress up. I found my perfect Lengha there and knew it immediately.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We have heard that guests loved our attention to the smaller details - we had written personalized vintage Italian postcards by hand to go into each guest's welcome bag when they arrived for the wedding. We had personalized tote bags made with our logo for guests to use to transport their belongings to the various events. Guests still use this as a reusable shopping bag today. We also had a personalized pack of playing cards (our family are keen card players), a personalized wooden vintage handheld fan, and personalized do-not-disturb signs for the wedding guests. We also had a whole range of Italian snacks and wines for guests to enjoy in their rooms. We had water guns for the Haldi, which guests also loved!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
We wrote our own personal vows, so hearing those out loud was really special. The moment we said ‘I Do’ and became husband and wife meant a lot. The whole theme of our wedding was “From Dreams To Reality,” and it was amazing to see all our ideas come to life against the beautiful Tuscan backdrop.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The day flies by, and before you know it, it will have already become a memory. Be in the present and savor every moment. Don’t let any of the small stresses get to you. You’ll cherish these memories forever, and you want them to be full of smiles.

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

Let's continue our day with a boost of inspiration with Sunaina & Hemanth's big day. The festivities started at the exquisite Marriott San Mateo. With the talented artists from Beauty Innovations perfecting every detail of Sunaina's hair and makeup, she was an ethereal vision as she walked down the aisle. The ceremony venue was adorned by the skillful hands of Dazzling Streaks Decor, transforming the space into a dreamlike setting. Under the expert coordination of An Elegant Standard, every aspect of the wedding flowed seamlessly. Throughout the day, the mehndi artist, Kristy K Designs, adorned Sunaina's hands with intricate and symbolic henna designs. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the reception venue at Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club came alive with laughter and dancing. DJ Tanveer's music filled the air, setting the perfect ambiance for their first dance as husband and wife. When it comes to capturing the essence and joy of a wedding, Lux Wedding Studios is a name that stands out among the crowd. Through their lens, the emotions and feelings from Sunaina & Hemanth's wedding were captured, creating a breathtaking collection of memories they will cherish forever. We invite you to glimpse their magical gallery. You will love it!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Hemanth and I met through a quirky combination of fate, family, and food. We initially met because our moms started volunteering together and became friends. Our family’s both live in the Bay Area and often meet at family friend parties. We mostly ignored each other’s presence at these parties as we were in our high school years and interested in totally different things. We both attended UC Davis but at different times (he's a couple of years older than me). So as he graduated from college and I went through my Freshman and Sophomore years, we started to talk more at these family friend gatherings over our new common topic of UC Davis. This is how we found out a crazy coincidence (and the fate part of this story): Hemanth and his friends had lived in the exact same apartment as me 3 years before me. It was Apartment 85 at the Fountain Circle apartments. We started sharing funny college stories over our experiences living in the same (slightly rundown) apartment and that's how our real friendship started. A couple weeks after this conversation, he reached out to me saying that his group of friends were going to drive to Davis to attend the annual school party called Picnic Day. My mom gets wind of this and (being the Indian mom she is) decides to send a huge food package with him to deliver to me. Upon delivery of the food package I decided to invite his friends to my apartment's house parties for the weekend! That weekend all of our friends became friends and we ended up hanging out as a group for a couple of years even after that weekend and after we all graduated!

I guess there’s one more “f” to add to this story which is the funny part. After we got serious, Hemanth and I found out that our grandparents live so close to each other in India that it’s even closer than our family’s lived to each other in the Bay Area. And, we found out that we had many common family friends in India too! Our joke is that maybe if we hadn’t found each other, the arranged marriage god’s would have put us together anyway.

So that's the "how we met part" but how did I know he was "the one"? Well as you can imagine going from friends to dating was another story. I had graduated and moved back to the Bay and we had continued hanging out as a group. But one day, Hemanth had reached out to me and asked if we could get dinner just the two of us. I confided my confusion about the situation to my mom and apparently neither of us could believe a guy like him could be into me...so we concluded that he must have reached out because "he was bored and needed new friends". It then took him a whole 4 months to convince me that he was seriously trying to date me! In hindsight I feel bad for the guy that he had to plan date after date and wait for me to finally get the idea.

I feel so blessed that he asked me out and decided to make our friendship into a relationship! I always knew I wanted a relationship to feel effortless and like I was hanging out with my best friend. The fact that we started out as friends really helped our foundation, and to this day he remains my best friend. I knew he was "the one" when I caught myself helplessly using all of his made-up lingo, feeding his pizza obsession, and always wanting to share every story and detail of my life with him!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Hemanth made our proposal happen in my favorite city Chicago with an amazing day of details planned. For someone who doesn’t usually like to make reservations or be particular about the details, he blew me away with all of his plans! I was living in Chicago for graduate school and he was visiting me that weekend. I had an inkling that it was going to happen since we had gone ring shopping together, but he was still able to really surprise me. It was February and it was cold so we planned a day at The Art Institute of Chicago. We were walking around the museum and he kept asking me to come view this one painting by the staircase. Once I walked over there he insisted that we ask this stranger to take a picture of us. Before I knew it he was on one knee, had pulled out the ring, and the “stranger” was actually an arranged photographer who pulled out her professional camera! I was so surprised but I didn’t even give him a chance to say his speech and I immediately said yes. We spent the next hour doing a beautiful photoshoot all around Millenium Park. That photoshoot is something I will truly cherish for the rest of my life- it captures the most special moment of my life with my favorite person and my favorite city as the background.

But the surprises did not end there! He had planned a series of reservations at beautiful restaurants around the city. The first was a champagne bar to celebrate the occasion, the second was a riverside restaurant to enjoy appetizers, the third was a popular Chinese spot because that’s one of my favorite cuisines, and finally at dinner he surprised me with a chocolate cake (one of my favorite desserts) that had “Soon to be Mr. and Mrs.” written on it! The day was pure magic for us both and  props to him for making such an amazing, thoughtful proposal happen!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
My outfit-shopping experience was a unique one for an Indian bride! I had three major events to shop for: the sangeeth, the wedding, and the reception. I knew I wanted to do a lehenga for the sangeeth and potentially a sari for the wedding, but the reception was the big unknown for me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do a lehenga or execute my vision of a fusion white dress look. I had the pleasure of planning a trip to India and shopping there. I shopped in Hyderabad and it was definitely hard to pick between all the different designers and their beautiful designs! I tried to stay within a certain budget and not get too carried away and landed upon an Aisha Rao design for my sangeeth lehenga. Their studio treated me with amazing customer service, making the lehenga to my exact measurements and getting the whole outfit together in less than a couple of weeks! I absolutely loved the embroidery work and animal/floral motifs that describe her design style. I loved the colors and motifs of my outfit so much that I even designed our sangeeth dance floor wrap around my outfit!

My reception outfit was a story of extreme luck! I hadn’t really fallen in love with any lehengas for my reception while I was in India and I had about 3-4 months left to look for a reception outfit. Panic set in and I pivoted to executing my vision of a fusion style wedding dress inspired by both eastern and western styles. I started to research middle eastern brides because I loved the elements of the embroidery in their gowns that connected the eastern and western styles a bit more. I found Turkish designer Tarik Ediz and fell in love with his designs! I knew I wanted to incorporate some sort of mermaid style gown with a train and they had exactly what I was looking for. I got extremely lucky that a popular gown shop in the Bay Area (BChic) had a similar size for me to try on and their customer service was excellent. They ordered a new gown to my size and had it rush shipped within weeks. They worked with me to add lining to the bodice and customize details that made the train easy to hold and dance with. I was absolutely obsessed with how it all turned out! Hemanth wore a cream tux to tie it all together and our pictures just speak for themselves!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The things that stood out about our wedding to our guests was how well-planned and organized it was, how much we took care of our guests, and how good the food was! What was funny to us was that we really had no clue what was going to resonate with our guests as we planned our details out, and sometimes it’s just the smallest things that they notice! I believe the details really do matter. Things as simple as providing breakfast for my bridesmaids for their early call times, providing guests with food take away boxes after the events, handing out hotel room gift bags upon check in, or handing out sweet boxes from India as take home gifts really did resonate with our guests.

We were lucky to have such fun and lively guests as well! Our crowd’s energy really made all of our events that much more enjoyable. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen and close family kept the group chat of around 30 people going for months after our wedding. Everyone was in great spirits and just there to have a great time! They brought the fun, the energy, the laughter, and especially the dance moves. I believe this also truly made our wedding so enjoyable for everyone!

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 decor was jaipur and palace inspired decor. I absolutely loved the elements of all the colored lamps, the beautiful customized dance floor wrap, and the decor matching with our outfit theme! Major props to our decorator and event coordinators for making it all happen.

Our reception was at a different venue than all of our other events. We decided to do this to add variety for our guests! We held our reception at the beautiful Palo Alto Golf and Country Club. It was a stunning venue with view of San Francisco in the distance. Our cocktail hour was held over looking the sprawling golf course and during the sunset hour! Our guests absolutely loved this and we got to take beautiful outdoor pictures before our event.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Pick your battles and if that means all of the battles are your battles, then so be it! It's you and your fiance's day and you guys deserve to have everything you want! Don't let too many people tell you advice because the process is already so stressful. Keep your peace and focus on the happiness of you two as a couple!

As a bride and groom, sometimes you forget this detail - plan ahead how you guys are going to get around to your events! You don't want to get caught scrambling before your scheduled pictures, etc. This is a detail you can work out with your event planner.

For the bride- make sure you do a makeup trial! Knowing exactly what you're going to look like is really important. I do not regret paying extra to get my trail done, and I regret not organizing trials with all of my artists.
Darlings, join us in celebrating the beginning of more adventures and love. Stay tuned for more!

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Darlings, get ready to be transported to a world where love and romance intertwine as we unveil the extraordinary tale of Megha & Rajiv's wedding. Their love story came alive in a fairytale setting at the majestic Antica Fattoria di Paterno, where every corner exuded an enchanting ambiance to complement their love perfectly. Mainardi Fiori wove their magic, transforming the venue into a floral paradise. No wedding is complete without the enchanting artistry of cinematography, and Megha & Rajiv's wedding was no exception. The Wedding Filmmakers captured the essence of every cherished moment, weaving together a visual masterpiece that would forever preserve the love and emotion felt on that day. Under the expert guidance of Michela Valcaccia, every aspect of the wedding planning and design was meticulously executed, ensuring that the couple's vision came to life. Megha's flawless hair and makeup accentuated her natural beauty, making her the epitome of elegance and grace, thanks to the artistry of Antonella Macaluso. The celebration continued with a gastronomic delight courtesy of Haveli Indian Catering. And let's not forget the delectable creations from Le Cirque Firenze, where each bite was a heavenly indulgence. As the night progressed, the euphoric melodies spun by Calibar ignited the dance floor, creating an atmosphere where joy and love blended seamlessly. Chi Chi Illustrations crafted exquisite invitations and wedding stationery that set the tone for the celebration, inviting guests into the world of Megha & Rajiv's love story. Every moment, every emotion, and every stolen glance were captured in timeless frames by the talented lens of Raj Passy Photography. From the tender moments between the couple to the heartfelt emotions shared by their loved ones, every photograph emanated love and spoke volumes about the depth of their connection. Go ahead and admire the incredible shots. It is amazing!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Rajiv proposed on 23rd October 2021, just over a year after we first met. He had organized a spa day at the Corinthia Hotel in London, which is one of my favorite spas - we got pampered with lots of treatments and a lovely lunch. We then changed location to the Four Seasons Hotel on Park Lane. He asked me to be ready at 5.45 pm and meet him on the top floor of the hotel. When the lift doors opened, I could hear our song “Electric” by Alina Baraz & Khalid playing. I followed the path of white rose petals on the floor to the main room. There were photo frames of us and little gifts to collect along the way. When I opened the doors to the main room, I found Rajiv in the middle on one knee. The whole room was covered in white rose petals, with Polaroids of our dates hanging on fairy light strings and candles everywhere. The view of the London skyline in the background as the sun was setting was amazing. He had hired a saxophone player to play our favorite songs live in the background. He had also hired our wedding photographers to capture the proposal as well! It was the best moment of my life. Afterward, we went to Amaya, an Indian restaurant, for dinner; whereas a surprise, he had organized a private dinner with our immediate families. From there, we headed to a nearby bar for a final celebratory drink - I didn’t know Rajiv had organized another surprise after party this time to celebrate with all of our friends! It was perfect :)

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted to wear traditional red and Manish Malhotra as I love his Indian wedding lenghas. I went to his store in Delhi and had the best experience playing dress up. I found my perfect Lengha there and knew it immediately.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We have heard that guests loved our attention to the smaller details - we had written personalized vintage Italian postcards by hand to go into each guest's welcome bag when they arrived for the wedding. We had personalized tote bags made with our logo for guests to use to transport their belongings to the various events. Guests still use this as a reusable shopping bag today. We also had a personalized pack of playing cards (our family are keen card players), a personalized wooden vintage handheld fan, and personalized do not disturb signs for the wedding guests. We also had a whole range of Italian snacks and wines for guests to enjoy in their rooms. We had water guns for the Haldi, which guests also loved!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
We wrote our own personal vows, so hearing those out loud was really special. The moment we said ‘I Do’ and became husband and wife meant a lot. The whole theme of our wedding was “From Dreams To Reality,” and it was amazing to see all our ideas come to life against the beautiful Tuscan backdrop.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The day flies by, and before you know it, it will have already become a memory. Be in the present and savor every moment. Don’t let any of the small stresses get to you. You’ll cherish these memories forever, and you want them to be full of smiles.

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

Happy Friday Maharanis! To wrap up the week, we give you the best of Karima and Yasir's fusion wedding! The cute pair met as coworkers ten years ago and began dating long-distance. The romance continued until Yasir surprised Karima with a unique proposal in London and finally came to the States to tie the knot in a fabulous autumnal fusion wedding. The couple's September wedding was filled with rustic elements and autumnal hues but especially a mix of Indian and western wedding traditions! Meredith Commender helped make their wedding special! "She was extremely prompt, organized, and practical with her advice," Karima says. Before their big day, the couple hosted a mehndi function and a fun Ismaili Pithi to honor their Indian roots. It was time to wed, thankfully their wedding venue was an easy choice. The duo booked The Venue at Waterstone, an idyllic site that offered a stunning waterfront spot for their ceremony. It was a beautiful outdoor western union under a floral arbor arch at the golden hour. Ishnae & Co.'s team glammed Karima with natural makeup that accentuated her stunning eyes and finished the look with a loose updo. She showed off her best bridal style in Pronovias' gown, while Yasir looked equally sharp in an Edit Suits burgundy jacket and black trousers. They were the epitome of modern elegance! The reception decor created by Platinum Petals incorporated a delicate rustic aesthetic and fall hues. It also featured a tasty customed donut wall by Wow! Donuts that included the couple's favorite Ferrero Rocher chocolate flavor, plenty of dancing, thanks to Le Force's DJ Dominic Nagella, and an impactful firework finale! William Bichara Photography photoed the lovely pair throughout their special days, captured all the best of their intimate affair, and compiled it into a gorgeous wedding album! Click here to unveil all images!  

How did you meet your Groom, and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met at work 10 years ago at Twilio, a tech startup in San Francisco. We both still work there today! We were on the same team and definitely had eyes for each other on day 1, but we didn’t act on it until years later. I had actually moved to Ireland with the company and was back in town on a work trip when I finally made the move. We couldn’t stop talking for the next few weeks, FaceTiming nonstop after I got back to Dublin, and I knew from our immediate connection that something was different. He flew out to see me in London a few months later and after spending 10 days together, while we were at a rooftop bar named Radio, he essentially gave me an ultimatum which was to go all in and date him or not speak to him again because the casual dating in between thing we were doing was not working for him.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
We were living in London at the time. I had 2 of my best friends in town (which I should have known was a sign that they were visiting at the same time). One of my local friends in London was having a party on a boat and she shared the location of where the boat would pick us up and asked if I knew any nice cocktail bars around where we could all meet up for a drink before. I, as my husband knew I would, suggested Radio. We got to Radio and the host led us to the rooftop where Yas was waiting amongst rose petals, many photos of us, and the London skyline. He proposed (neither of us really remembers what he said) and then had an amazing lunch in the cabana on the rooftop just the two of us. About 2 hours later, one by one, our friends started arriving and surprising us on the rooftop. He had managed to coordinate our closest friends from San Francisco, LA, NY, and Dallas to fly to London to spend the weekend 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 loved our wedding planner, Meredith Commender, founder of Significant Events of Texas. She is very easy to work with, she’s done so many different types of weddings with different cultures so she just gets it all. She was extremely prompt, organized, and practical with her advice.
We loved our venue, The Waterstone Venue in Celina! It was a beautiful barn on the water in a remote part of north texas. Ishnae for hair and makeup was incredible, I’d definitely recommend them again!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went western for my dress, it was actually the first dress I tried on at a bridal store in London called Pronovias, a Spanish designer. I had 8 more dress appointments after that (both in London and back in Dallas) but I ended up choosing that first dress I tried on at Pronovias as the one!
The Lengha I wore to the Mendhi is actually an old sari of my mom’s that I took to a designer in India to re-purpose as a modern Lengha and top.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The small details- thinking of ways to delight guests and things that were truly us. We opted for a donut wall instead of a wedding cake and we sat down with the pastry chef at Wow! Donuts to custom make our flavors (our favorite was the Ferrero Rocher chocolate donut)!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I think they loved how intimate it was. It was 120 people, which for how large our communities both are, was quite small.
Was there a really special moment in your Wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The fireworks at the end! It was a surprise and the guests didn’t know it was coming so watching everyone’s reactions as we ran through the wedding tunnel at the end was amazing!
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 only other thing we did was the night before at my parent’s house we did a mendhi. We had a taco truck and a bartender and it was a very casual night for everyone to meet each other. We also did the typical Ismaili pithi (even though my husband is not Ismaili) and most of the guests had never seen one before so they were in for a treat! They fully leaned into the tradition. 
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Find a good planner- everything else will follow!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Our photographer, William, was amazing! We’ve already referred him to 6 or so weddings that he has booked since our wedding a year ago. Finding a photographer that you connect with is really important bc they are a big part of your day and with you in very intimate moments. We felt very comfortable with William. One of the things he did that we loved is he encouraged us to do an engagement shoot. We got used to taking professional photos. It’s a bit awkward at first so i think this was a good trial run to get comfortable taking photos so that we were ready for our wedding weekend photos! Also, we got really comfortable with William so we weren't meeting him for the first time on our wedding weekend.

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

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

Good morning, beautiful Maharanis! If you love fashion and always want to be at the forefront with the latest trends and the most innovative fineries on the market, today's stylized photoshoot is right for you! It is a cornucopia of elegance and graceful looks, brought to you thanks to the talented team from Amrit Photography. So, don't think twice and get ready to join us at the Pipe Shop Venue to take a look at this mesmerizing photoshoot! The halls of this exclusive venue transformed into a mesmerizing backdrop thanks to Finesse Decor, who took care of the rustic and contemporary decor so well executed that we are still sighing over it. To enhance the beauty of this setting, even more, Da Fiori Design put together a selection of marvelous floral arrangements that added an extra touch of color and flair to this jaw-dropping scene. So much beauty and so much perfection achieved by this winning combination, but nothing compared with the fashionable and glamorous looks showcased by Eden Von Weiss and Thomas Darya, today's gorgeous models! They both presented different trending looks that we are sure you will love! For the wedding ceremony, they showcased traditional attires designed by Shyamal & Bhumika from House of Raina. For the reception, our lovely bride model slipped into a sleek gown by Elika In Love, while our groom model wore a slim fit outfit from Garrison Bespoke's collection. And in case you were wondering who was the mastermind behind the dreamy makeup and hairstyle of our sweet bride, it was none other than Aquarius Art, who worked their magic to create mesmerizing looks for the different parts of this photoshoot. And we can't forget about the dazzling pieces of jewelry from Adore by Kanika. Beauty and luxury at its best! Check more of this enchanting stylized photoshoot in today's gallery. We are sure you will love it so much!

That is all for today, darlings! Don't forget to join us tomorrow for your daily dose of inspiration.