Welcome back Maharanis! After Neelja and Debkumar's opulent and chic Indian wedding ceremony at the Sheraton Parsippany, Elegant Affairs transformed the ballroom into a blush hued wonderland adorned in crystals, candles, and oodles of blooms. Following the couple's sentimental ceremony, the newlyweds and their loved ones were ready to get the party raging! Guests noshed on delightfully fragrant catering by Moghul Catering, and the presentation of these dishes were stunning! The coordinators at RB Event Design made sure each event transitioned seamlessly, leading up to the grand finale reception that epitomized pure romance. We are obsessing over Neelja’s hot pink lehenga bedazzled with artistic embroidery and stonework. She looked like a princess! This final event was a visual feast of glittering chicness, and House of Talent was there to capture each sophisticated second. For all the eye candy, mosey over to the full gallery. Such a gorg celebration. And make sure to scroll below for all the bring the scenes scoop from Maharani Neelja!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met while Debkumar was finishing his fellowship training and I had recently moved back to NY after completing my training in Connecticut. I quickly realized that he was a very caring guy with a loving soul. He is a genuinely nice guy who not only loves me unconditionally but also loves and cares for everyone in my family. He is very close to his own family as well. We both grew up with the same values and morals instilled by our loving parents. It didn't take long to realize we were soul mates. Also, he has a great sense of humor and he joined me on my quest to find the best lamb-burger in the world. We have many shared interests including sports, wine tasting, fine dining and traveling.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
It was my birthday weekend and he said he had planned a birthday date night. He came to pick me up at my apartment and told me "the Uber" was downstairs. As we reached the lobby of my building, I heard "Tujhe Dekha" from DDJ had started to play which was from a speaker he was hiding in his jacket. With a photographer hiding in the corner, he got down on one knee and proposed. A stretch white limo arrived with complete with champagne and flowers - and he joked "our Uber is here". We then went to dinner in the Chrysler Building and one by one all the people I loved came out of the restaurant to surprise me. It was a magical night filled with love and excitement.
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.
As many brides, I had been planning my wedding ever since I was a little girl but never did I imagine all the details that went into it. For the sangeet we wanted a very colorful theme and had moroccan lamps with candles as center pieces and peacock colored mirrored decorative drapes with accents of pink as the stage decor. As Sangeet favors we had elephant wine stoppers. For the wedding, I had envisioned a grand Cinderella-like theme so we decided to get married in a hotel venue that actually looked like a castle. During the ceremony we had scrolls printed with details of the wedding ceremony. For the Baraat, the groom rode in on a beautiful white horse. The DJ had a baraat van that kept all the groom's family dancing. The photographers used a drone to capture breathtaking views from above. For the vidai we had a horse drawn carriage. For the reception I wanted a very soft romantic theme. The colors were pink and white for the flowers with a lot of crystals. The center pieces were were big beautiful floral arrangements with roses that were white and shades of pink and each was adorned with tons of crystals. This was going to match my pink crystal reception lengha. The favors were wine glasses. The groom wore traditional indian wedding outfits at both the sangeet and wedding which were also custom designed in India. At the reception he wore a custom tuxedo.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
The only thing I knew regarding my outfits was that I wanted a maroon lengha for the wedding ceremony as this was one of the only things I had spoken to my mom about before she passed away. My outfits were custom made from New Delhi, India. For the wedding lengha I tried on dozens of lenghas but it was not until i tried this one that i truly felt like a bride. They say they brides that have moment when they know and it was exactly that - I looked in the mirror and at that moment I knew this was the one when I started crying. It was traditional with a modern flare. The reception lengha was more modern with a lot of bling - the crystals really shined vibrantly and I felt very beautiful in it.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable process was seeing my vision come to life with the help of our vendors. I enjoyed meeting with my vendors and discussing my ideas and seeing them transform those ideas into reality was truly an amazing experience.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
The guests loved the Kati-Roll Truck at the sangeet, the horse drawn carriage at the Wedding, the ladoo tree with hanging deserts. They also loved the performance that Debkumar did with his friends as well as the surprise dance that I did with Debkumar at the reception. We had a huge bridal party which was also really fun. Guests loved the monogrammed sunglasses that we gave out at the reception as well as had a lot of fun at the photo booth with customized signs. Both the sangeet and reception was filled with fun upbeat music and guests dances all night - the dance floor was filled with excitement. The guests also commented that they loved that there was plentiful and very tasty food not only at each event but also between each event. The also liked the customized welcome bags they received when they checked in to the hotel including personalized water and wine bottles and personalized chocolate bars and other snacks.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The most special moment was when we had our first look. It was the first moment that I realized that everything I had dreamed of was coming true as I was about to marry my best friend and love of my life. The second was when we entered the reception hall as husband and wife - the love and excitement was palpable. It was so overwhelming to know that everyone we loved was in that room and there to celebrate our union. Having my dad walk me down the aisle was also very special. The vidai in the horse drawn carriage was very emotional but definitely a once in a lifetime experience as well. One of the things that really stands out is the memory candle that we had in honor of the my Mom which was walked down the aisle prior to me and my father - her presence was deeply felt that day.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
I think the biggest thing is to stay organized and start early. I would highly recommend getting a wedding coordinator as it was very helpful and made the events run smoothly. Reema and her team were one of the main reasons that we were able to enjoy our wedding. She made sure everything was organized and on time. Her team not only made the bride and groom feel special and loved but also were very attentive to the family and ensured that everyone was having a great time and enjoying the events. Brides should remember to be in the moment- try to take some time to just reflect and feel all that is happening around you.
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 was custom designed from India - for the wedding was a Kundan Set as well as matching hand jewelry and payaal. My Mehndi design by Henna for all was exactly how I had discussed with the artist Monita and she hid Deb's name in it which he was able to find rather quickly. The custom cake was red-velvet cake with coconut frosting which was not only beautiful but delicious. The bridal bouquet was dark red roses with crystals. The bridesmaids has white and blush pink roses to match the decor. Bhargavi from Cinderella Bridez created completely different looks for the bride at all events to match the themes as well - sangeet was colorful and playful, wedding makeup was more traditional and reception was soft and romantic. She was very attentive and really made the bride feel special. "Mr. Boozer" our family dog was also a groomsman and was an integral part of the baraat and he was present at all the events.
Have a fabulous weekend Maharanis!
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