The Platinum Guide Blog

Good Morning, Maharanis! I hope you are ready to dive into a new love story because Silvi & Shibin's fusion wedding is one that will take your breath away. So, let's not wait any longer and get ready to enjoy this intimate and romantic wedding celebrated during COVID 19. Right from the start, we have to say that it is no surprise that planning a wedding is not easy, let alone under the current circumstances. Still, Our Day Events took the lead on planning this wedding and delivered nothing but utter perfection! The white linens, the beautiful floral arrangements, and the overall decor put together by Aishas Wedding Decor were beyond impressive, transforming the Mar Thoma Church of Staten Island's halls into the perfect setting for this lovely duo to tie the knot! For the ceremony, Silvi bursting into the scene, looking like a goddess after having trusted her beauty needs to DipBeauty.MUA. The exquisite makeup and sleek hairstyle praised her innate beauty, making everyone turned their heads as she walked down the aisle. After the ceremony, there was a festive reception party to celebrate the newlyweds. If you don't want to miss any detail of this lovely wedding, don't miss the spectacular shots by Live Pictures Studios in today's gallery. You will love it!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I first met Shibin about 10 years ago when he came to my church to invite us for a conference they were hosting. As a typical teenager, I wondered who this cute guy is and figured I wouldn’t see him after that day. Fast forward to 3 years later, both of us were serving in the military. We added each other on Facebook and realized we actually crossed paths awhile ago. And the rest was history. At first when we started to talk to each other, we were in two different time zones and the way he tried to make time for us which meant staying up way past his bed time or waking up super early to talk to me and I just knew that I couldn't let him get away for the "second" time!

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.
Shibin is from New York and I am from Pennsylvania. So, we both wanted to pick a place that's in between and we ended up picking our reception venue in New Jersey. Therefore, we picked our vendors based in Jersey Area except for our wedding planner Anisha (Our Day Events) who is from Maryland. She attended all our vendor meetings with us. If she was not available to meet with us in person, she made sure someone from her team attended while Anisha attended the meeting virtually.

We picked The Venetian as our reception venue and Nora (venue rep) was really helpful in answering all our questions and accommodating all of our needs prior to signing the contract with them. Then we moved on to picking our decor. We were really glad to work with AWD and her team. we went in for our initial meeting with some bits and pieces of our vision. Benish knew exactly what we wanted and she showed us her previous works based on it and we were happy to leave the meeting with a solid plan in place. We didn't had to think twice when it came to our photo/video Team: Live Picture Studios (LPS). I saw their work about 5-6 years ago and I just knew I will be picking them for the wedding. We chose Premier Events as our Entertainment/ DJ through family recommendation. I chose Dipal as my MUA. She was very friendly throughout our conversations she explained everything in a detailed way. We did a hair/makeup trial and things went well and my skin took it well as it can be sensitive at times.

We were all set with our vendors and ready to go for our May 2020 wedding until we were faced with the challenge of rescheduling it to July initially. Anisha was our Angel at the time and emailed all of our vendors and got their availabilities. As we got closer to the July date we were still uncomfortable with high Covid numbers and were worried about the safety of our family and friends. Therefore we had to find another date in September. It was the same process all over again but this time we decided to move our reception to 2021. That also meant making this wedding as intimate as possible so, we had to move our ceremony location to Staten Island, NY. LPS was really accommodating to our last minute changes and gave us suggestions to help with timings. Benish helped us with "replanning" our decorations as we had to scale everything down from our initial plan. After multiple meetings with Anisha and Benish, they really brought my simple and elegant vision to life. Without Anisha, our wedding day would have been chaotic because as the plans changed, Anisha had to make changes to our wedding day timeline accordingly and it was no joke. Shibin and I are really thankful for all the vendors that we had the chance to work with as everyone played an important role in for September 12, 2020 wedding to bring to life.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I really enjoyed visiting our venue site and other vendors in person with my fiancé. As things are done virtually now, we might have taken those moments for granted. Oh! I would also say cake tasting was the " cherry on top " to our planning process just because who doesn't like free cakes. Hahah!

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Walking down the aisle was such an emotional moment for me. I had my parents walk me down the aisle. The church was filled with all kinds of emotions. As I was walking down, all I could see was tears coming down from the family members, my bridesmaid and Shibin. After seeing everyone's emotions, I couldn't hold back my tears and the moment was just beyond special.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
As each story is unique, enjoy the moment with your fiancé. Take one day at a time. Please don't hesitate to ask for help from family and friends. Find time to treat yourself with something you love. Wedding planning can be stressful but It's okay to take a day or two off from planning and give yourself a break. The yearlong planning will come to an end in no time. Therefore, work our marriage and learn more about each other as you start your new journey together.

Ladies, don't forget to join us tomorrow for more!

DipBeauty.MUA and Aishas Wedding Decor are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Good day, dolls! We hope you are ready to dive into a new love story because today's feature is not just elegant but truly faithful to traditional Pakistani weddings, so let's check it out together! This time around, we will join Afsha & Fahim's at their nuptial celebration held at the Courtyard Dallas DFW Airport North/Irving. Being this a life-changing event, it is no surprise that our young couple wanted to immortalize all the details surrounding this day. That is why they decided to bring Blink Films & Images on board, whose beautiful shots are always a delight to enjoy. For her big day, our gorgeous Maharani looked breathtaking thanks to the stylish and exquisite makeup and hairstyle designed by Jtorry Makeup & Hair Artistry. The nude colors, combined with the classy hairstyle, enhanced our lovely bride's natural beauty, and we have no words to express how much we love her final look! This intimate and beautiful ceremony, decored by Blink Décor & DJs, marked the start of Afsha & Fahim's everlasting love story in the company of their family! After the wedding ceremony, an epic reception party enlivened by DJ Riz Entertainment started.  And oh boy, it was the best way to bring the wedding festivities to an end! If you want to take a closer look at this celebration, don't miss the gallery we have prepared for today. You will love it so much and will get tons of inspiration!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met Fahim at my cousin's (his best friend) birthday party. We became really good friends since were both sarcastic and fun and before we knew it, we started dating.

I knew he was "the one" because of how thoughtful he was towards not just me but my family. My father passed away in 2017, and he was and continues to be a rock that holds my family together. He is extremely fun and can literally talk to anyone!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Fahim and I dated for 4 and a half years before he proposed on December 23, 2020.

Fahim told me that he was taking me to take Christmas pictures in our Looney Tunes sweaters to send out to our friends and family. He took me to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, which we both loved visiting because of how calm the environment is. He took me to the gazebo and proposed! My friends and family were hidden behind. They came out and surprised me! It was the best Christmas present!

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.
Fahim and I planned our wedding with the help of our amazing friends, family, and bridal party. We started by shopping for venues and played around with a few dates. After about a month, we decided to get married in January 2020 and finalized the date shortly after.

Next, we started looking for photo, video, and decor. We heard about Blink Films and Images from Houston and went to visit their office. We realized that we could get all our needs taken care of with them. The photo and video process was seamless. The Blink Team was there early and prepared for all of our events and very professional. When it came to decor, we didn't have a theme in mind to be honest. My lengha was maroon and fahim's outfit was pink (the accent color to my lengha), so I had no clue what I wanted! I trusted AV at Blink with the colors and design of my reception and was not disappointed with the product! I still remember walking into the venue when it was fully decorated in awe because of how beautiful everything looked! They are wonderful and exceptional at what they do!

In terms of hair and makeup, my sisters always raved about Jenny Torry and how amazing her brides look! I did a bridal trial with her, and decided shortly after that she was the one I was going with! She did an incredible job!

When it came to cake, we had tasted a delicious cake at my coworker's wedding that we absolutely LOVED. We found out that we could customize the cake and the flavors were so yummy! Cake Daddy exceeded our expectations and gave us a phenomenal product!

I went to India with my mom and sisters to shop for my wedding weekend outfits in the summer of 2019. We ended up picking all of our outfits within 2 weeks!

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
For my nikkah, I did not want to go with the traditional light sari that everyone wears. I am just not a sari gal! I decided to go with a champagne colored long gown instead with a dupatta on my head.

When it came to my reception lengha, this one took me by complete surprise. Since I was traveling to India, I had a very open mind about my outfit, but I definitely knew i wanted a navy/dark blue outfit. When I started trying on lenghas that were blue, my family and I soon realized the "pop" wasn't there. The salesman told me to try on a red lengha to "humor him" and we all turned out loving the color! I soon realized why wedding lenghas are red! We went with a velvet maroon lengha, which I absolutely loved!

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Overall as most brides know, the planning process is incredibly STRESSFUL. I think for me, it was very very important to take breaks and learn to enjoy the process! Once the big things were decided, putting together the little details was definitely my favorite part of the process. Even though sometimes details don't seem that important, it makes an astronomical difference on the day of when you see everything come together!

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I feel like most of our guests absolutely LOVED our decor and how everything fit together so well! We also tried to keep things on schedule and had fun activities planned for our guests for each event we threw.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Yes. My sisters put together a slideshow to honor my father during the reception, which put me to tears, but it was incredible. It made me feel like he was there with me and was smiling from above.

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 family and friends came together to create a skit for our reception, which was exceptional! We also incorporated events such as a bouquet toss and a non-traditional first dance. The reception also encompassed plenty of time for dancing, food, and fun and ended with sparklers outside!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
1. BREATHE. Indian wedding planning can be daunting and trust me, you will be okay! Just take things one step at a time and try your best to breathe through it!
2. Do all the big things first and then fill in the details later. I know this seems obvious, but when you're working on planning, you can get carried away with the details!
3. Silverware is not always included in the package. Make sure to ask the venue to make sure it is!
4. Give yourself at LEAST 8-10 months to plan out the wedding weekend.
5. A week before the wedding, let everything go and relax! You've done all you can by this point, so now it's time for you to take a load off and ENJOY yourself!
6. If you can, move in all your clothes and furniture to your new home BEFORE your wedding weekend. Trust me, you'll thank us later.

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
I was very open throughout my process since I wasn't like other brides who had their dream wedding planned. Slowly, but surely things came together and ended up being extremely fun and memorable!

Don't forget to join us tomorrow for more. Same place, same time!

DJ Riz Entertainment and Jtorry Makeup & Hair Artistry are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Good morning, Maharanis! If you were looking for inspiration, you've come to the right place because Nayaab & Usama's wedding has all the things we love and so much more. So get ready to enjoy it! The greenery and exclusive architecture of the Hamlet Golf and Country Club, combined with the beautiful decor crafted by House of Dipali, created the perfect setting for these lovebirds to say "I do" in the company of their family and friends. But all of this would not have been this possible without the perfect planning and execution by Karma Events. For the wedding ceremony, Nayaab looked ravishing dressed in her trendy lengha after being glamorized by Preeti Artistry and Beauty by Fiza. The nude makeup and the classy hairstyle praised this Maharani's beauty and gave her a dreamy look that we loved so much! After the ceremony, there was an epic reception party enlivened by Powerhouse DJs. They played the perfect beats, making everyone dance the night away. And all we have to say is that we are happy beyond words that Nayaab & Usama found each other as you can tell that they are a match made in heaven. If you want to take a closer look at this spectacular event, don't miss the stunning shots by I Alam Photography in today's full gallery. And if that is not enough, look forward to the cinematographic delight by Park Street Weddings coming right around the corner.

That is all for today, darlings! See you tomorrow for more.

Park Street Weddings, House of Dipali, Powerhouse DJs and Karma Events are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Happy Thursday, beauty queens! Our journey through the most spectacular South Asian weddings continues, and we have plenty more to share with you! So pour yourself a beverage, sit back, relax, and get ready to enjoy all the beauty surrounding Akila & Neil's wedding! Held at the Pleasantdale Chateau, this wedding was equally impressive as it was inspiring! But there is no surprise here, as Marigold Wedding Planners took care of everything down to the smallest detail. From the fabulous decor to the mesmerizing floral design by A Votre Service Events, everything exceeded Akila & Neil's expectations. And we have no words to describe so much beauty and flair! And talking about beauty, what about the ravishing look of our gorgeous Maharani? Amazing! She burst into the room, looking like a princess dressed in a dual-tone attire that we loved so much. And as if that was not enough, she complemented her final look with a spectacular Mehndi designed by Mehndikalogie. Beauty and tradition at its best! After the wedding ceremony, an epic reception party started. All guests celebrated along with the newlyweds and danced the night away to the beats of MVP DJs. Hands down, the perfect ending for this real-life fairytale. If you can't get enough of this lovely wedding, visit today's gallery and take a peek at the fantastic shots by Pivko Photography. You will be amazed!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Akila and Neil met in elementary school, when Akila was on the same swim team as Neil’s younger brother. There is an alleged online conversation between Akila and one of her bridesmaids where she confessed that she thought Neil was cute! The two re-connected after college and have been together since. Akila knew that he was the one after one month of dating,

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Neil’s proposal to Akila was sweet and sentimental. He took he out for dinner to the same restaurant they went to on their first date and proposed over pancakes, the same meal they ate on their first date! When they returned home, both of their families were waiting to surprise Akila and celebrate the wonderful news.

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 planning was definitely a team effort. After the venue was selected, Akila took control of all of the bridal planning i.e. working with the hair & makeup stylists and outfits for the couple. Neil was the primary liaison between the families and the wedding planner. It is so important to have a good planner. Nitty, from Marigold Wedding Planners, worked very closely with us and helped us with vendor selections and communications, color palettes for the various events, and designed and styled our decor, which was so personalized and reflected our love for each other and what we enjoy.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Neil and Akila agreed that their favorite part of the planning process was the food tasting and sari shopping. Both of these allowed them to showcase their individual tastes. Neil particularly enjoyed picking the entrance music (they walked out into the reception to the Avengers theme!). The wedding also had a lot of special touches that were important to the bride and groom. As avid readers, they based each table theme on their favorite novel and each guest was given a beautiful, customized bookmark at their place setting.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
There are a few things that our guests have brought up to us as their favorite part of the wedding. People have mentioned that the venue was spectacular, their service was amazing, food was so good each night – the caterers did an amazing job. They have also complimented the customization and detailing of the décor. And finally, everyone enjoyed the heartfelt performances from our family and friends who traveled in from all over the world.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Saying our vows to each other...very very special!

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
The words of wisdom that we would pass down to all couples-to-be is that it’s very important to plan together. The bride and groom BOTH have ideas on how to make their day special and work with each vendor, as a couple. Throughout Neil and Akila’s wedding planning, Neil took a major role in planning while Akila was simultaneously studying for the bar exam. As stressful as the planning process is, the most important thing to remember is that you are getting ready to spend the rest of your lives together! If your families have specific requests or preferences, let them! The wedding is an important time for them as well. Don’t stress the little things because at the end, the memories will be better.

I don't know about you, but we are still sighing over the beauty of this wedding! For more inspiring and romantic weddings, make sure to join us tomorrow.

Mehndikalogie and Marigold Wedding Planners are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Welcome back, Maharanis! Let's start this Tuesday with Pooja & Sanket's journey into the happily ever after. And believe us; this is one you don't want to miss. On this occasion, it was the exclusive and imposing Hilton Orlando that hosted the beautiful and traditional wedding ceremony of this lovely couple. The perfect planning by Urvashi Mishra, Wedding & Event Planner and the fabulous decor crafted by Wedding Design and Decor created an ideal atmosphere for this life-changing event. Hands down,  Pooja & Sanket, could not have asked for a more beautiful scenario to declare their love in front of their family and friends. Our lovely Maharani stole all the looks while walking down the aisle on her fascinating ruby lengha with golden embroidery. But it was not just the splendid attire that highlighted Pooja's beauty; this traditional and drop-dead gorgeous look would not have been possible without the exquisite makeup and hairstyle designed by Michele Renee The Studio. Simply breathtaking! And just by looking at the spectacular shots captured by Castaldo Studio, we can agree that this celebration exceeded all expectations! From the fantastic garlands by Vivek Flowers to the endless repertoire of Medley Entertainment, everything was impressive! And let's not forget about the elegant and spectacular invites crafted by The Royal Collection, a delightful work of art. If you want to see more of this wedding ceremony, do not miss today's gallery, you will love it!

See you tomorrow for more. Same place, same time! 

The Royal Collection, Urvashi Mishra, Wedding & Event Planner, Medley Entertainment and Michele Renee The Studio are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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