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At Maharani Weddings, we believe that every bride deserves the fairytale wedding of her dreams! Here at MaharaniWeddings.com you will find glittering seeds of inspiration for every aspect of your upcoming wedding. In addition to profiling some of the most spectacular Indian weddings from around the globe through interviews, pictures, and videos, we also hand-pick and share a list of the best Indian wedding vendors in our Maharani Weddings Platinum Guide. From event planners to photographers, dj's, florists, cinematographers, makeup artists, mehndi artists, you name it... you’ll find connections to every resource you could ever need for all your wedding ceremonies and celebrations.

All posts with Style "South Indian"

Canton, MI Indian Engagement by Lin Visual

May 1, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

Happy Friday, beautiful ladies! Another week is gone, and we are rapidly approaching the weekend, and what better way to do it than taking a look at a romantic love story that will make you feel inspired! If that sounds like music to your ears, make yourself comfortable, and get ready to enjoy it. Today's love story featuring Preethi & Vinay is going to start a little differently than we usually do things around here! This time, we won't be taking a look at a wedding celebration. Even better, we'll be taking a look at how a happily ever after begins by taking you on a visual journey through these two lovebirds' engagement ceremony. How amazing is that! This engagement ceremony hosted at the bride's parents house was a step forward in Preethi & Vinay's dream of becoming husband and wife. And we are so happy they are getting closer to fulfilling that long-awaited dream as just by seeing them together in the amazing shots captured by Lin Visual, you can tell that theirs is going to be an everlasting love story! The meticulous planning and the colorful decor of this life-changing event were in charge of the bride and her mother, and oh boy, they exceeded their own expectations creating a traditional and vivid decor that we loved so much! Just take a look at the colorful flower garlands placed all over the room and the ideal placement of all the ornaments. If that doesn't say beauty, few things will! And talking about beauty, we want to take a moment to admire Preethi's fabulous look during this engagement ceremony. Bewitching! In the months leading up to the event, Preethi would jokingly tell her friends that she wanted to look like a "South Indian goddess queen descending from above" when walking down the stairs wearing her new Sari. And guess what? Thanks to the fabulous Sari from Nalli Silks and the exquisite pieces of jewelry from Tarinika, she made this dream come to life! And we cannot stress how much we loved her final look. To conclude this engagement ceremony, Preethi & Vinay shared a delicious South Indian lunch from Authentikka with all attendees. Check more of this engagement ceremony in today's full gallery. You'll love it so much!

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

We met in college at the University of Michigan! We are similar in so many ways - love hip hop, South Indian movies/music, dancing, eating fries, quality family time, and lazy days at home. I've always been very "type A" and like everything to be planned, but he is the complete opposite. He loves to be spontaneous and has a "go with the flow" attitude. I think this is what really attracted me to him, and it has helped me get to the point I am today in my career. I can't recall the moment when I realized he was "the one", but he has always been my rock through difficult times and the mastermind of all things fun!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

We got engaged in Barcelona. I went on a trip in July with my friend and on the first day there we decided to visit Parc de la Ciutadella, which has a gorgeous fountain with beautiful architecture and gold detailing. When we got to the park my fiance, Vinay, showed up and my friend conveniently had to leave to go to the bathroom. I knew what was about to happen and was so excited for him to get on his knee, but then an Indian man selling coconuts came up to us and asked us to buy his cut coconut. We refused multiple times, but he wouldn't leave us for a good 5 minutes. We finally had to give in and bought a coconut so that he would leave us. It was annoying in the moment, but now we just laugh thinking about the whole scene. We jokingly thought of making our wedding hashtag f***thecoconutman haha. After the whole ordeal, Vinay got on one knee and popped the question. I don't even recall this, but I apparently didn't even say "yes" and just stuck my hand out. Later, the photographer asked my fiance, "she said yes right?". After the proposal, we all went to a rooftop dinner, sipped on some wine, and watched the sun set over Barcelona. It was truly one of the most beautiful experiences I've had.

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.

This was an engagement ceremony, so we wanted to keep the cost low, and had to be creative with our decor. The ceremony was at my parent's house in Michigan. I ended up doing my own hair and makeup - got some amazing Lilly Lashes and a bright lip for the summer, which really made a difference in the photos.

Outfits

For the mehendi the night before, I wore an anarkali that I bought from Diva in Chennai a few years back, but I actually had a tailor in Michigan cut it in half to turn it into a lehenga (anarkalis are for some reason way cheaper than lehengas, and all you have to do is find a tailor to split it for pretty cheap).

For the ceremony, I stuck to Kanchipuram sarees since we are both South Indian. I wore temple jewelry from Tarinika (amazing website, really good customer service, and product packaging was phenomenal). My mom ordered real jasmines and real trumpet lily garlands online, which were delivered the day before the event.

We wanted to keep our decor South Indian. My aunt and uncle were coming back from India around the time of the engagement, so we had them bring back fake flower garlands (lots of jasmine garlands) and cocount leaf decor for around $200. We put up these traditional decor all around the house. I was also able to find bunches of 5 flowers each that looked like lotuses for $1 at Dollar Tree. I bought a lot of those, attached them to vines that I bought from Amazon ($15 for a large bunch), and hung them from the ceiling in the ceremony room.

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

I wanted a pink kanchipuram saree with a green blouse. My aunt facetimed me from Nalli in Chennai and I picked the one I wore right away. I loved how it didn't have a distinct border, and how it also had gold thread work throughout the sari, which made it look very royal.

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

The decorations! There is something satisfying about having to work within a strict budget, and somehow pulling off something so beautiful even with all the restrictions. I had to do a lot of thinking, and browsing the internet for ideas, but it all came together in the end.

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

When I initially came down to great everyone before the ceremony started. Everyone was in kanchipuram saris and the house looked like something out of a 15th century palace! It was so nice to see everyone rock their South Indian outfits, which is not represented as much in media in the 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.

For the mehendi party the night before, I wanted it to feel bohemian, yet luxurious.

We got colored umbrellas for our tables, and did the mehendi on our deck, inside our gazebo. I decorated the gazebo with flowers from Joann and Hobby lobby (end of season sale so it amounted to only $50) and Indian furniture from my house. It was lovely! We ended the night with a dance party on our deck. It was so nice to have a mehendi in my own backyard - I grew up there, and have so many special memories, like running around with my friends, and spending time on the deck with my parents. Now I have another special memory to add on to it.

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

A lot of people, especially in Indian families, will have opinions on what you should wear and how you should decorate the venue. I'll admit, it is hard to not get affected by what they say, but try as hard as you can to not give a ****. Anytime someone tries to tell you what to do, just envision your version of the event in your head, your outfit, your jewelry, the centerpieces...and forget about their opinions. It is your day.

That is all for today, darlings! We hope you have an awesome weekend. And don't forget to join us on Monday for more!

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GUIDE style
Romantic
Mehndi
Outdoor
season
Summer
color

Charlotte, NC Indian Wedding by TNK Photo

March 20, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

Really few things are striking as a combination of various types of celebrations. Especially when Indian couples decide not to bind themselves with just one theme, but with several, this was precisely the case with our featured wedding of today. Our friends from TNK Photo were there at The Westin Charlotte Hotel to store in today's gallery, all the style, and sophistication that went on for Neeli & Krishna's union. The candle scenery and the gorgeous floral decorations of the venue for the ceremony were truly a magical scene to witness, so big kudos to Utopian Events. Such a great setup! Not to mention the fantastic planning and execution of this solemn ceremony done by Ask Neha Now, it was utter perfection! But nothing was quite as perfect and impressive as the look of our gorgeous Maharani Neeli, whose striking fashion choices made her look like a princess. And let's not forget about the flawless makeup and sleek hairstyle designed by Makeup By Jenny Le and Hair by Anna Pham, respectively. An absolute vision of beauty! No wonder why Raja Krishna couldn't take his eyes off of her. And all we have to say is that we are happy beyond words that these two crossed their ways and united their lives in marriage as you can tell that they are soulmates meant to be together.

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

Krishna and I actually met online on the app Coffee Meets Bagel. I was quite intrigued by his profile so once we matched, we started to speak to one another over the app. Approximately 2-3 weeks later we met in person. I almost decided to cancel our first date in August but then I said to myself to take a chance and see where it takes us. We met in person for the first time on August 7th, 2016 at one of Krishna's favorite restaurants. Our conversation during our first date was memorable because our conversation felt like we knew each other for years. And what I thought would be a 2 hour date became more like a 7 hour date! As the conversation deepened, we found out more about one another including the fact that we were from the same region in India let alone the same town! That's when I realized it was the cherry on top of the sundae! After talking for several weeks while I was out of the country, I realized that I knew he was the one. And when we both met again in which we claimed as our "second" first date, well the rest was history.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

WOW. To be honest, I have to give a lot of credit to Krishna. He planned our proposal from beginning to end without any glitches. I was at work one evening when he told me that he needed help shooting for a wedding- yes he is a cinematographer. He told me that it was for a VIP couple and the theme was a yacht party. So we had to dress up. Now, at the same time, our parents were coming up for the weekend to meet Krishna's parents. So I was like "how can I leave them for the day? You need to ask their permission." He said, "no problem, i'll take care of it." Well while I was thinking about what I needed to wear, he said wear something "blue" since it was a yacht based theme party. And to top that, he said George Clooney would be there! So the day before our proposal, we picked up my family and I was asking them what to wear as I needed to look professional but also wear something where I knew I could also help him through the wedding shoot. My sister was amazing because as I was trying on clothing, she was actually playing behind the scenes and sent all of my outfits to Krishna - and they coordinated on which blue dress would match Krishna's blue suit. At the end of the night, Krishna told me that I had to keep a secret and be there on time because "Hilary" would be there and there would be gates closing the park. And I said "which Hillary? Hillary Duff or Hillary Clinton?" And that's when he was like "the Hillary". So of course, I got excited.

So on the morning of June 3rd, 2017, I made sure I reached the park on time. He started walking over to me explaining how stressed out he was because there were some glitches to the wedding shoot. I told him to not worry. When we arrived closer to the pond, he asked me to look out for a few photographers. That is when he re-directed himself to a specific corner where he knew he would propose at. Everyone was ready. He then told me to come to that corner as he "found the photographers" and that is when he proposed to me! I was in shock and of course said "YES!" But it wasn't over. Krish's family and my family were actually meeting at Bethesda fountain where they met for the first time. Krishna then continued to surprise me through the day with meet ups with many of our close friends and family! It was beautiful night with a beautiful beginning to the rest of our lives!

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.

Since Krishna worked in the wedding industry, he had all of the ins and outs to planning our wedding. My parents primarily helped with the venue, food and the priest and took that off of our hands. Everything else was mostly completed by us with the help of a few key people!

Wedding Planner: Neha Joshi: Our wedding planner, Neha was fantastic! She helped Krishna and I organize everything, who to contact and who to keep her in contact with- that way I didn't have to over stress myself. She was great with creating a timeline for our events and the day of the wedding made sure we were all running on time and that there were no hiccups. Neha also knew when I needed a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on. She was always supportive not just as a planner but also as a friend.

Venue: Westin Hotel, Charlotte, NC: Our venue was perfect. It had tall ceilings and a lot of space to work with. Our coordinators Betsy and Eric were extremely responsive to all of our emails and were also accommodating in making sure the weekend events all went smoothly.

Hair and Makeup: Anna Pham and Jenny Le: I will say word of mouth is a great way to meet other vendors. Many of my friends were also getting married within the same year in NC! I loved how the Jenny and Anna did their wedding looks, so I decided to use them as well as their work was flawless and their attitudes and personality were so positive! They couldn't have been a more perfect pair to work with!

Outfits were overall a piece of cake. I wasn't too picky and when I saw something I liked, I went for it. The only outfit I took some time to work on was my Sangeet outfit. A very close friend of mine and fashion designer, Punarvi Patel helped design my Sangeet outfit. It was quite unique and brought so much elegance. I already knew Punvari was an amazing fashion designer but when I saw what she put together, I couldn't stop smiling.

Decor: Utopian Events: We initially wanted to have an outdoor wedding but since it was a hot summer, we knew we had to look at other options. So with our wedding being indoors, we decided to have the theme of "Outdoor meets Indoor". Shushil and his team worked extremely hard in creating such a beautiful piece of work that represented both Krishna and myself. With Neha's help, as a team we were able to organize our thoughts and ideas and execute a truly remarkable piece. Our thought process behind the Mandap was that it should be the visual corner stone of our day but be extremely practical and cost effective. Krishna is a cinematographer by trade and has nearly a decade of experience in the wedding industry, so he had a strong foundation of ideas to go into the design. The Mandap was primary chosen to be hanging as it would be utilized for both the wedding as well as the reception, and to maximum visibility of the wedding ceremony for our guests. Krishna requested in the design to integrate close to 40 dimmable hanging light led bulbs to create a warm soft light in the inside of the dome to illuminate us during the ceremony. He then requested that all 8 of the dj's moving heads be focused on the outside of the dome with a contrasting cooler light. In the end Utopian Events delivered a piece that uniquely transformed and transcended our wedding ceremony

Food: Blue Taj: I would like to take a moment to thank my parents and Blue Taj's team for their extraordinary work! We had an amazing menu of items for each and every event! Tasting was obviously a blast and helped us narrow down to a few specific dishes! Blue Taj is mostly known for their north indian dishes but with the help of my mother, he was able to work outside of the box and bring out some delicious South Indian dishes as well! They were very easy to work with and our guests were thoroughly impressed!

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

Our wedding vows. Krishna and I were very insistent about having wedding vows in our ceremony as we both primarily grew up here. We figured it would be a great way to personalize our wedding and share our love and promises to not only one another but for everyone else to hear.

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

Stay in communication with your fiance and your family. Challenges will always arise but it is the challenge that you must overcome. Also, stay patient and delegate as much as possible. You cannot do everything! This is why it is important to let others help you when you feel like the world is spinning too quickly!

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

If you have your wedding in NC, go to Amelie's for your wedding cake! I love how I was able to customize my cake with whatever flavor I wanted per layer, its frosting, and the ganache and fruit in the middle! It was worth every penny! They also helped with breakfast sandwiches for the bridal party!

Photo: TNK Photo: Elmer and his team did such a fantastic job! His work was unique and he made sure that we were getting the photos we wanted! We also had the opportunity to build a good relationship with Elmer when he completed our engagement shoot in Jersey City! We felt at ease through the whole process and Elmer knew exactly how to make Krishna smile (with his teeth showing).

Video: Sculpting with Time: Krishna worked very closely with Alex and Whitney. They are the most genuine couple to work with. They were efficient and made sure not to miss a single detail! They were always accommodating and receptive to our feedback! The film they delivered was beyond our expectations and truly shows their capabilities not just as wedding cinematographers but artists.

Violinist: Edith Yokley: Edith was introduced to us by our DJ. She always brought a lot of style to her work! She was great and created my walk down the aisle memorable!

Reception Dance by Priti Udeshi-Gupta: If I tried to choreograph our reception dance, Krishna would have waited till the last minute to learn it. I knew he wanted to learn how to dance, so we found a dance teacher right here in Jersey City! Priti was fantastic! Given her history and what she has accomplished over the years, we knew she would be the right fit for us! Krishna learned quite a few steps that took him out of his comfort zone, and I myself was able to let go of my fears with certain moves. We learned a lot about one another through this process and it helped us understand each other's strengths and weaknesses with time and patience. Overall it was a lot of fun and everyone loved it!

DJ and Lighting: DJ BayBFace: Manish and I have known each other for many years- in fact he is family and has always been an older brother to me. He did a great job with helping out on the lighting for our wedding day and also the music (especially for the after party when he played all the old school hip hop songs!).

Glam to it's finest coming up!

STYLE
GUIDE style
Traditional
Romantic
Contemporary
season
Autumn
color

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

Ask Neha Now VIEW PORTFOLIO

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

Charlotte, NC Indian Wedding by TNK Photo

March 20, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

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

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

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.

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

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

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

Violinist: Edith Yokley: Edith was introduced to us by our DJ. She always brought a lot of style to her work! She was great and created my walk down the aisle memorable!

STYLE
GUIDE style
Traditional
Romantic
Contemporary
season
Autumn
color

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

Ask Neha Now VIEW PORTFOLIO

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

Pittsburgh, PA Indian Fusion Wedding by Jorge Santiago Photo

March 17, 2020 Posted by: Shawna Comments

Hello there, darlings! We know that you were so captivated by Tara & Casey's Sangeet ceremony that you were dying to know more about this lovely couple and all the beauty surrounding their wedding festivities! So, wait no more because we are back to continue sharing this grand event with all of you, ladies! This time, Jorge Santiago Photo is taking us on a visual journey through the enchanting wedding ceremony that united these two betrothed in marriage. Thoroughly planned and designed by Pearl Celebrations, this wedding ceremony held inside the halls of the Omni William Penn Hotel is one to remember! Just take a look at how mesmerizing and breathtaking everything was. Imperial Decor enhanced the majestic architecture of this venue with a magical decor featuring traditional linens, golden ornaments, and a magical petal-covered aisle that we loved so much! Without any question, this venue was more than ready to host this life-changing event. The whole room entirely lighted up once our gorgeous maharani walked down the aisle, leaving everyone speechless, and some even dropped a couple of tears of happiness! However, no one in the room was even closer to the level of excitement and amazement reflected by Casey. He couldn't take his eyes off of Tara, but we cannot blame him, as Tara looked ravishing thanks to Payal Patel, who took care of her beauty needs. If you can't get enough of this lovely couple, don't miss today's full gallery. You will love it!

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

Casey and I met working together in a medical office while both applying to medical school. One month after we started dating, we were accepted to different medical schools, and had to spend the next 4 years living in different states. The fact that he was so willing to put in the effort to make a long distance relationship work while going through med school made me realize very early on that he was the one. We went through the residency match process and were lucky enough to match in the same city, and shortly afterwards got engaged! We make each other laugh about the smallest things, and he always boosts my self confidence just when I need it!

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 am South Indian, and I knew I wanted to incorporate South Indian traditions with elements of a Western wedding as well. While my hometown of Pittsburgh is a wonderful city, it doesn't offer the variety of vendors that bigger cities do. For that reason, I used several vendors based in larger cities like DC and NYC and was very happy with how everything turned out. Casey's family is not Indian, and so we wanted a wedding that was festive but also felt warm and inclusive. We think we achieved that with the help of our fantastic vendors!

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

Casey and I traveled to India with my parents to do all of our shopping. I knew I wanted a hybrid of South Indian, North Indian, and Western looks for the wedding events, and we were fortunate to travel to different parts of India to achieve this. I found my bridal sari, a red traditional South Indian silk sari, in Bangalore, and my Sangeet lengha at a boutique in Delhi. While I love the blush and neutral tones that are really popular with brides, I wanted something a little different for my reception look, and when I saw my blue Tarun Tahiliani gown, I thought it was perfect. I loved how unique it was with its striking color and full skirt, and it made me feel so special!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

Of course we are biased, but our family and friends really had amazing speeches that left us, and our guests, crying with laughter. Also, I have a huge sweet tooth and really wanted a big dessert spread, which ended up being a big hit!

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

Casey plays the piano really well, and he knows how much I love it when he plays. It's also hard for him to ever surprise me with anything. I was completely shocked when in the middle of our wedding reception, Casey and two of my cousins, Reka and Ashwin, surprised me with a performance, with singing, guitar playing, and Casey on the piano! They had secretly rehearsed via FaceTime for weeks without my knowing, and I was blown away by their thoughtfulness and talent! It was so special and I felt so lucky to have such a great family (and an amazing new husband)!

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

Our families are very important to us, and my wedding ceremony jewelry reflected this. My paternal grandfather is no longer living, but prior to his passing had gifted me with gold that was then turned into the Mangalsutra, my wedding chain, that Casey placed around my neck to signify our marriage. The other necklace I wore was a gift from my maternal grandfather. It was really special to have reminders of my grandparents' love during our ceremony!

Our venue, the Omni William Penn Hotel, is one of the oldest hotels in Pittsburgh. We especially loved the elegance of our reception site, the Grand Ballroom, which has a beautiful gold balcony. Our wedding ceremony was held in another room in the hotel that has a very unique art deco vibe. We wanted a venue that had three distinct event spaces for our three main wedding events, and were lucky to find it in the Omni! We wanted our cake to match the elegance of the venue, and Tasty Bakery more than delivered! We loved the combination of gold leaf with the textured gold base and maroon flowers, and it truly matched the aesthetic we were going for.

We still have more, ladies! So make sure to stick around.

STYLE
GUIDE style
Fusion
Romantic
Contemporary
season
Autumn
color

Raleigh, NC South Indian Wedding by Photographick Studios

May 28, 2019 Posted by: Shawna Comments

Welcome back, ladies! It is time to unveil the outcome of this real-life fantasy. This time, it was the striking and imposing Marriott Raleigh City Center that hosted this majestic wedding reception for Kinjal & Prashant. Thanks to the spectacular work of Yaadein the atmosphere of this reception was so unique and magical and it makes you feel like if it was something out of this world. The lavender, magenta and fuschia tones on the lights, perfectly contrasted with the golden accent on the walls and furnished, created the perfect scenario for Kinjal & Prashant to share this special moment with their family and friends. Our lovebirds attended this reception in the most elegant and fashionable way wearing matching dark slate blue outfits and we are loving the look on them! The elegance of their outfits did not keep them from having a great time, and thanks to DJ Rang, they danced and enjoyed the entire evening to the rhythm of the most harmonious melodies. The smiles, the emotions, and the good atmosphere did not stop throughout the whole evening; it was a great night that was coming to an end when the newlyweds had the first cut at the cake. This was a lovely and magical moment that got beautifully shot thanks to Photographick Studios. It is time for this real-life fantasy story to get to an end, but you can always be transported back to that magical place by taking a look at the gallery that we have prepared for you. Do not miss it!

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

Our love story began as any other modern-day fairytale- via a dating app known as Dil Mil. We had a somewhat long distance relationship, living a little under 3 hours away. We would take turns going to each other's city, or more often than that, meet at a halfway point and scoping out at different restaurants, going to the movies, bowling, or just walking around places. Our first date was over 12 hours-- we literally walked until 1AM around downtown Raleigh, talking about the most random stuff I can't even recall now. I knew this was a great start to something- friendship or love- no idea, but I knew I wanted to continue whatever it was. I realized he was "the one" during our vacation to Rome. The city views, history, and food/wine was all amazing, but the whole time I couldn't imagine someone more perfect to be sharing such an experience with. His personality, care and love for his family and friends, and his sense of humor--it all just felt so right. We've almost been married 6 months now, and I cannot imagine someone more perfect. Truly feel like I was so incredibly lucky to find someone like him to share my future with. Every day, he reminds me with his little acts of kindness/love that he is my forever.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

My cousins and I had planned a vacation visiting Amsterdam, Budapest, and the Amalfi Coast. On June 7, 2017, Prashant surprised me in Positano, Italy at one of the most beautiful locations. My cousins who were in on this plan, acted like they were taking scenic pictures and asked me to turn around to catch a picture of me glancing onto the beautiful buildings, and when I turned around, he was down on one knee. I can't recall most of the proposal as I was crying (he had tears down his face as well, haha) and in shock, but he asked me to be his travel partner for life, and of course, I said yes. This was one of my favorite moments and I wish I could relive it. Here is a video of the proposal: https://youtu.be/T4rDrcpTfEk

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 was lucky to have my sister help me plan the entire wedding/related events-- she helped me with all of the details to make sure I didn't forget anything, and sometimes, I even joked with her that she was planning her own dream wedding (that's how perfect it was to me). She got me a great gift that helped me get started on the important points, which I read and took notes on creating my own checklists (the book: The Complete Guide to Planning the Perfect South Asian Wedding: Advice and Tips From the Industry Expert by Sonal J. Shah). My now husband and sister whenever available, would attend vendor meetings with me and help me make every decision- from the venue to the color of the flowers on the stage. There were many hiccups along the way with vendors I wanted booking up or not responding as I felt needed. However, my overall experience with all of the vendors that I ended up choosing and just how all of the events turned out-- it was amazing. Initially, the wedding planning was so stressful I often times wanted to quit and just not have a big wedding. However, when the day came, everything just flowed so smoothly. The moment I saw the mandap and I had tears in my eyes. It was more perfect than I imagined. When you spend so long visualizing and thinking of how you want things to be- it can lead to high expectations. My decorator, Karan from Yaadein- went above and beyond these, and left me feeling breathless with the decor for the wedding and reception. The wedding was more perfect than I even imagined it would be-- it's hard to describe how that feeling felt, but all of a sudden all of the stress, crying, and months of planning made sense-- it was definitely worth it.

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

I knew I wanted a combination of Maroon with a light pink sheer dupatta as I kept seeing bridal pictures with them and it looked mesmerizing. I loved the idea of the color and thought it looked very royal, maharani like :). It was quite the journey to find the perfect dress, I broke down in tears a few times in India thinking I was being too picky and burdening others with their time while going shopping in India. However, when I did try on my bridal dress, I fell in love. It definitely made me feel beautiful- and it's a tip I give other brides. Don't give up the search-wait until you find the one that makes you feel like a beautiful bride-- it happens!

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

Food tasting!! For obvious reasons :) My husband and I are both foodies, so it was the most exciting and enjoyable part. We made sure that he was able to attend every tasting session

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?

I think everyone really enjoyed just the closeness and being together for the events. It was all family and familiar- we had a meet and greet dinner for both sides the night before the wedding, so everyone got to mingle.

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

I had listened to my bridal entrance song SO many times before the wedding- I knew the moment I heard it that I wanted to enter to it. The song was "Din Shagna Da" from Phillauri. The moment the music started playing, I knew this was my moment- I was very teary eyed when it happened. It was an amazing feeling that I cherish.

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 other events included a mehndi/sangeet at home-- my sister planned out all of the decor and my we had about 20-30 people help us put it all together. We termed it, "masti, music, and mehndi." It was full of color and perfect!

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

Wedding planning can be quite stressful and many brides (such as myself) may go through moments where things don't go how you want and you feel like you want to quit, but don't give up. It is worth it in the end!! Truly a magical moment/day to forever cherish.

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

Just for your pure entertainment, I made my husband read the first two questions and I looked over, and he had tears in his eyes :) I've only seen that happen 3 times- the proposal, when he first saw me as a bride, and when he read this. Moments like this are wonderful.

All of my vendors were absolutely wonderful to work with, very responsive and took what I wanted into consideration. Please see below some details:

Jewelry/clothes: From India

Decorator: Karan from Yaadein (instagram: @yaadeinweddings) (AMAZING- he even surprised me at the reception with a gorgeous flower wall backdrop for our selfie booth, it was a hit with everyone!)

Fun vendor: Paanwala (instagram: @thepaanwaala) Ankit was absolutely sweet to work with and made sure that he made a platter of all of the paans so that we could try them as he knew we wouldn't have time during the reception.

Mehndi: Poonam from greensboro (instagram: @poonamhennaart) - amazing mehndi details! one of the best mehndi designers I have seen

Venue: Raleigh Marriott City Center

Cake: Layla Jones Bake Shop - delicious cake!

DJ: DJ Rang (instagram: @djrang) - did amazing lighting and was sweet to work with

Makeup Artist: She listened to everything I want, and was so sweet to work with (instagram: krista_massey)

Photographer: Photographick

Horse carriage (for exit): J&L Carriage

Don't miss our future posts, as we have more inspirational ideas for you!

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MAGAZINE

PLATINUM VENDOR BLOG

FILMS

Welcome to Maharani Weddings

All posts with Style "South Indian"

Canton, MI Indian Engagement by Lin Visual

Charlotte, NC Indian Wedding by TNK Photo

Charlotte, NC Indian Wedding by TNK Photo

Pittsburgh, PA Indian Fusion Wedding by Jorge Santiago Photo

Raleigh, NC South Indian Wedding by Photographick Studios

SORT POST BY:

Customer Service

Planning Tools

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