Welcome back Maharanis! We have all the details of Aneesha & Dan's gorgeous reception which took place at the elegant Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles and was photographed by Photographick Studios. Aneesha and Dan wanted the wedding events to be as reflective of their personalities as possible, so they tried to infuse themselves into all the details, which were perfectly executed by Events by C. They worked with their caterer at Indaroma to custom create fusion foods that the couple cooked at home, and instead of wedding favors, they donated to their favorite charities. We also loved that their table numbering schema were restaurants (with fun facts) that they loved! For her reception, Maharani Aneesha, designed a lavender dress with Sapana Amin Collections that was soft, elegant, and simple - it turned out so dreamy, and combined with her mehndi by Bhavna's Henna and Arts and hair and makeup by Makeup by Mahwish Ali she looked like a queen! Guests had an absolute blast dancing to beats by Dholi Mastana and Lost Sounds Entertainment and raved about the quality, creativity, and sheer amount of food catered by Indaroma. Take a look at the complete gallery below and read more from our interview with the lovely bride herself!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Definitely planning the small details--Dan and I wanted the wedding to be as reflective of our personalities as possible, so we tried to infuse ourselves into all the details. we had an Instagram scavenger hunt to get our families and friends to interact with each other; we set up a game room with some of our favorite board and video games; we worked with our caterer to custom create foods that were fusion foods Dan and I created at home; instead of favors, we donated to three of our favorite charities; and we made sure our table signs were restaurants (with fun facts!) that we had loved throughout our lives (this was a particular hit!); i set up a yoga class the morning of the sangeet for all of our guests from out of town.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests have raved about 2 aspects of our wedding--they loved 1) the food! there was a lot of it (street food at the sangeet, brunch before the baraat, afternoon tea between the hindu wedding and jewish wedding, cocktail snacks, dinner, pizza, and breakfast the next morning) and 2) how much love was felt at an interfaith wedding, and how excited both sides of our guest list were about the other ceremony. We felt so blessed that not only did we feel that, but it was so obvious to our guests as well.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Before the Hindu wedding started, I was really, really stressed out--I'm not the biggest make up/hair kind of person, and i just felt a little out of my element. When the baraat started, one of my best friends and I watched from an upstairs window and we were able to share some quiet, reflective moments, that made me feel a little more grounded--and when the baraat arrived outside the window, everyone started waving and dancing at me! Dan even got off the horse, and that moment--when all the people that i loved looked SO happy, and were dancing for me--was a moment of pure joy that I will never forget. The rest of the wedding was wonderful and full of beautiful moments, but that short period of time before the festivities really kicked off was just a moment of perfection.
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 was hands-down one of the best times I've had! We decided to go with a Moroccan theme for our sangeet, with rich jewel tones and lots of sparkle, and we just loved it! The highlight of the sangeet was definitely the performances--I have been teaching dance for several years, and some of the girls I've taught over the last 15 years performed, which was amazing to see. My friends also really rose to the challenge of making the sangeet (which can often feel like you're watching a show) feel interactive by planning some fantastic games, the best one being a game where each table was given a basket of props, and had to create an "obstacle" or challenge for Dan to overcome to win his bride--hilarious. Most shocking, though, was a performance by my groom himself--he surprised me by choreographing a complete Bollywood medley for himself and his groomsmen, and it was AMAZING. Our guests are still in shock! it was hands down one of the best surprises i've ever received, and all of our Indian guests are now convinced that Dan is basically a white Bollywood star!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Wedding planning is really stressful--and it can very quickly begin to feel like you're planning a party for other people, not celebrating your love or making a life-long commitment. For me, it was really helpful to stay grounded in the fact that ultimately, what I cared about was being married to Dan, so the little details (that feel huge in the moment) are put into perspective...and I highly recommend identifying a few features you and your fiance really care about and making sure those take priority in your planning.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
The jewelry set i wore for my Hindu wedding was a 100 year old antique set borrowed from a dear family friend. Her husband was my dad's best friend and he passed away suddenly the summer before i got married, so it felt extra special to have a token from that family with me.
We love how much thought and care went into this special wedding - We'll see you all tomorrow Maharanis!
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