With a starry nights-like theme, the charming new husband and wife Kimi and Mit culminated their wedding events with an unforgettable bash held at the luxurious Hilton Memphis! K.I. Weddings was there to orchestrate expertly the soiree and Sterling Decor was in charge of the dazzling starry backdrop and the sumptuous centerpieces that were elaborated artistically with bold white and red flowers! Our star of the night, Kimi was no less than stunning in a beaming reception attire as she danced with her beau who opted for a classic black tuxedo suit! DJ DPK provided the Bollywood sounds and lights that enliven every dance while the celebrated cuisine team Cafe Bombay Restaurant and Catering delivered a savoring menu to delight every guest! The cinematography was in charge of Message In A Bottle Productions' film crew who filmed every scene but meanwhile, check out all the wedding wonders that Cindy B. Thymius Photography captured in the complete gallery and see all the magic for yourself!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We both met each other the very first day at a new student orientation party for medical school in the Caribbean (Antigua). It was legit straight out of a Bollywood movie. Girl standing at bar and boy walks in. Our eyes met from across the bar and it was a weird, instant attraction. In less than a minute, Mit came up to me and asked if he could buy me a drink. It was the first year mixer, the night before our first day of medical school. I went with 2 girls from my building that I barely knew (who later became my best friends, roommates, and now bridesmaids) but quickly abandoned them and spent the entire night talking to this dorky, yet adorable guy all night long about tv shows, college, and how neither of us knew a single person on this island. It was the easiest conversation I had ever had with anybody. The next morning I texted my best friend and said, "I know this is crazy and I don't believe in soulmates, but I think this guy is the one." From then on it was a rollercoaster of ups and downs and new experiences, but 2 countries, 3 states, and 4.5 years later, here we are getting married.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I am from Memphis and he's from Pennsylvania. We were in this odd period in our lives where we were both living back at home, waiting for residency to start because we were done with medical school. I was told by my parents that there was a regular Saturday night Indian party to attend downtown on the rooftop of one of the hotels and that it was a formal "tea party." Already dreading to go, I decided (or so I thought it was up to me) to go later on with my brother. He dropped me off outside while he went to look for parking and I walk up to the rooftop and I take a quick peek out but I don't see any of the guests that are supposed to be there. I actually thought about walking back downstairs and waiting for my brother but some lady walked around the corner and coaxed me into going further to the back of the rooftop. As I rounded the corner I saw Mit standing on the rooftop in a suit and instantly I knew what was about to come. It was an amazing evening. Friends from every walk of life had flown in to celebrate and my parents had also managed to plan an entire engagement party for that evening as well. It was definitely one of the most memorable nights of my entire life.
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.
Planning our wedding was definitely a struggle, as both of us are in residency and did not have much time to sit together to go through things. We decided on an overall theme that we wanted, which was a starry nights-like theme and me being obsessed with Bollywood dances and performances knew that our bridal party had a lot of choreographed dances they would need to put up with. My mom was born to be an event planner so at the end of the day she listened to all of our ideas and what we wanted and she made them all come true. We did our research online as to decorators in Atlanta and my mom went to visit a few and finally landed on Sterling Decor as they led her to believe that they could make whatever vision we wanted to come true, and they definitely delivered. Hair and makeup-wise we decided to go with our local Bombay Beauty Salon in Memphis because I have been seeing them for years to get my eyebrows threaded and things like that and I knew I would be in great hands. I trusted them and to me, that was all that mattered. Venues in Memphis were tough to choose from, but at the end of the day it came down to capacity as well and we knew we would have a good-sized number of people to come so, a hotel seemed to be the most accommodating in Memphis. I've always loved the idea of a hotel and everyone staying in one place for the wedding weekend so that all the other guests can bond and hang out during off times throughout a weekend and that's exactly what happened.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
This is a great question. Because I was in residency and could not get away to go shopping in India, my mom went to India and bought all of my clothes. I know some would say that would be risky, but she knows my style better than anyone else. She would Facetime me several times throughout the night and show me the outfits in the store and my only input would really be "yes or no." It was a long month of interrupted sleep but I have no idea how she did it all by herself! She picked the most beautiful outfits and I could not have done a better job!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I think the most enjoyable part for Mit and I was every night when we sat down to plan whatever we needed to do or organize seating charts, we would put on youtube and play a Bollywood playlist and just sing and dance together, being silly. It brought us even closer and made the entire process more enjoyable for us both. It became a ritual for us every night for at least 6 months.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
We've been hearing great things from our friends and family about our wedding, mainly about food and decor. They absolutely enjoyed all the food and decor from start to finish. It was different and unique, especially compared to smaller events we usually see in a small town like Memphis. I think we had great entertainment and dances from all our families and friends that made the event so enjoyable. I always had this vision in mind of a "Bollywood musical" and every single event throughout the wedding had a performance, even the walk down the wedding aisle included our bridal party doing a cheesy, choreographed dance, which I think was extremely memorable for everybody and allowed the guests to have an experience as well.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Honestly, the best moment to me was after the wedding ceremony, Mit and I went up to the presidential suite and changed into comfortable sweatpants and just stuffed our faces with food. About to 5 minutes into eating, we just both looked at each other at the same time and go "we're married." It was just that one moment we actually took it all in and appreciated the moment. We were completely and entirely ourselves at that moment and after that, we went back to eating and enjoying the alone time together. Everything moved so quickly during that whole weekend and even as much as I tried to take it all in, it was hard, but that moment was huge for us because we took a second to just be like "this was us. we did it and we are about to spend the rest of our lives together."
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.
I have a great Memphis community. Living in such a small town is honestly a blessing because the Indian community here is so close and extremely tight. I have been raised by these 300 aunties and uncles and I can honestly say that I have a unique relationship with each of them. I think a testament to this is the AMAZING performance they put on at our Sangeet. Over 30 of our closest aunties and uncles had spent months and hours choreographing the greatest saga to re-enact mine and Mit's love story from start to finish. It was the most enjoyable and special thing I have ever seen. About 10-12 minutes in length, they danced, acted, learned both Gujurati and Sindhi to speak during the skit, and truly had a blast. My parents even made a special dance performance at the end of it. It was epic and definitely a performance I will hold dear to my heart forever.
In regards to our reception decor, I was in absolutely in awe. We went back and forth several times about what we wanted. Several of our friends had gotten married that year and each wedding we went to, we came back more and more confused about what we wanted. We finally decided to go back to what we originally said about wanting something that was "starry nights-like." I really have to give it to Sterling decor for making our dreams come true because I was so vague and wishy-washy and what I wanted and didn't really know how to describe it, but they fully understood it and delivered the most magical and enchanting vision. They did over and beyond what I ever envisioned and I could not be more grateful. The starry backdrop, the starlit dance floor, and crystal lines hanging down the backdrop to give it an icy, wintery feel was absolutely stunning.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Just try to enjoy yourself and don't take things too seriously. Even if things go wrong, they will find a way to work themselves out. At the end of the day, the little details don't even matter. All that matters is that you are surrounded by people you love and admire and you take the time to appreciate and cherish that.
Have an amazing day, Dolls! We'll see you tomorrow for more Indian wedding inspiration!
Planning & Design: K.I. Weddings |
Catering: Cafe Bombay Restaurant and Catering |
Photography: Cindy B. Thymius Photography |
Sangeet Venue: Woodland Hills Banquet Hall |
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Hilton Memphis |
Floral & Decor: Sterling Decor |
Hair & Makeup: Bombay Salon and Spa |
DJ: DJ DPK |
Lightning: DJ DPK |
Baraat: Uptown Carriages |
Bridal Fashions: Bombay Salon and Spa |
Cake & Treats: Brown Baguette Bakery Cafe |
Cinematography: Message In A Bottle Productions |
Invitations & Wedding Stationery: Paperless Post |
Mehndi Artist: Vasantha
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