Morning, Maharanis! We're so excited to introduce you to wedding planner extraordinaire, Sonal J. Shah of Sonal J. Shah Event Consultants! This inspiring woman is a Maharani Weddings Tastemaker and a leading Indian wedding industry expert. For over 14 years, Sonal J. Shah Event Consultants has empowered brides to plan the South Asian weddings of their dreams. Sonal is no stranger to readers of Maharani Weddings, and has been the visionary behind some of the most jaw dropping events featured on this site. She’s truly done it all, from celebrity beach side bashes to glamorous NYC society soirees. Sonal’s even written her own book, "The Complete Guide to Planning the Perfect South Asian Wedding: Advice and Tips From the Industry Expert,” to help brides near and far bring their shaadi dreams to reality. Today, we’re featuring a styled Miami wedding shoot planned by Sonal J. Shah Event Consultants, and we spoke to Tastemaker Sonal for all the inside scoop. Scroll below to learn about her creative process behind this stunning editorial feature.

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MW: Why Miami, and why Miami for Indian Weddings?

Sonal J. Shah: Miami has a beautiful, outdoor environment. The city is alive, the beaches are gorgeous, and the weather is great as well. Miami is great for Indian weddings for these exact reasons. You can have an Indian wedding anywhere indoors and make it look beautiful, but having an Indian ceremony in Miami creates a wonderful, natural backdrop for the Mandap that you cannot attain with an indoor ceremony.

MW: What are some of the beautiful feature of the property at the Loews?

Sonal J Shah: The Loews has a lush, grass lawn that is perfect to hold a ceremony. They also have a nice pool to relax by and a 28,000 square foot ballroom with floor to ceiling windows and a beautiful view of South Beach.

MW: What was the inspiration behind this shoot?

Sonal J Shah: The inspiration behind this shoot was white orchids, creams, and an ombre of pinks. We wanted to take advantage of the beautiful outdoors as well as showcase the creativity of the amazing vendors.

MW: How did you choose the vendors for this project?

Sonal J Shah: We like to work with the best of the best and the vendors that we chose to work with have beautiful work as well as a professionalism like no other.

MW: We love the peacock, where did that idea come from?

Sonal J Shah: We just gave Xquisite our colors and inspiration. The rest was up to them. It is amazing how much creativity these vendors have when they have the opportunity to showcase their best work.

MW: We see that this palette is ombre blush, is ombre a trend that is here to stay?

Sonal J Shah: I would say so. Ombre is such a great trend because it adds a lot of color without having to worry about colors clashing. I think the idea of sticking with a monochromatic color scheme and taking advantage of the different shades and tones of one color enhances the beauty of the designs. Rather than the color being the focus, it becomes more of a factor in a well designed event.

So fascinating to hear all the behind the scenes deets for this stunning event. Peruse all the styled editorial photographs in the full gallery. Thank you so much Sonal!

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Hair & Makeup: BridalGal | Venue: Loews Miami Beach Hotel | Floral & Decor: Xquisite Event Productions | DJ: DJ Suhel | Bridal Fashions: Le Trend Boutique | Bridal Jewelry: Le Trend Boutique | Cake & Treats: Ana Paz Cakes | Cinematography: Ray Roman Films | Invitations & Wedding Stationery: Ceci New York | Lighting and Staging: Evoga Event Productions | Rentals: Events on the Loose | Photographer: Alain Martinez Photography