After the gorgeous ceremony came to an end and Megha & Anand finally tied the knot, it was time to head down to the reception hall of the Waterford Banquet & Conference Center for a party for the ages. For this occasion, our gorgeous bride rocked a teal and fuschia saree that totally caught me off guard. I am so in loved with the mix of those colors so much, I can quickly see them become a thing! So amazing! And what about the person who swept our Maharani off her feet? The groom was totally beaming wearing this royal blue and black tux that for sure explained why the bride gave him the "yes"! So, ladies, we know that you were left wanting for more so here you have it! Head down to part two of the gallery thanks to Niraj Gandhi Photography and get inspired!
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.
We got a lot of inspiration from Instagram - including decor, outfits, hair/makeup, even the bridal bouquet! We then found vendors through websites such as Maharani Weddings' Platinum Guide and Instagram itself. By looking through the vendors' portfolios, we were able to decide which vendors matched our style and could create what we envisioned. We kept our parents very involved in areas such as the invitations, venue, and caterers and then made our own decisions as a couple regarding decor, photography, etc. to match our personal style. This also helped keep everyone in their own lanes!
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I didn't want to go to India for wedding shopping and that I could find my outfits locally. A couple of days after I got engaged, my mom and I went to the local boutique a few minutes from my house just to see what the latest trends were. As we were flipping through the racks, I saw the most beautiful Cinderella blue lehenga with contrasting fuchsia embroidery and borders. It was a color combination I hadn't seen before and just had to try it on! As soon as I put on the lehenga and stepped out of the dressing room, I knew it was the one! Between the colors, design, fit, and subtle sparkle, this was definitely the lehenga for me. We decided this would be the perfect reception outfit.
My wedding lehenga, however, was not as easy to find! After looking through all of the online shopping websites I knew, there wasn't anything that caught my eye. I spent hours looking through Instagram for inspiration, and all of the red lehengas began to look very similar. I began to see more pastel-colored wedding lehengas and was drawn to the lighter colors. It dawned on me that the lehengas I loved the most were ivory with touches of pastel.
My next step was to look at lehengas by different designers to see if there were any designs I liked and could customize in the colors I wanted. This is when I came across a lehenga by Suruchi Parakh Couture, a Surat-based designer who was recommended to me by my cousin. The lehenga, which originally came in a dark pink color, had a heavily embroidered blouse and peacocks all around the skirt. The design was different and refreshing. I reached out to Suruchi and explained to her my idea of customizing the outfit in pastel colors. She quickly sent over a sketch and it was exactly what I had in mind. Suruchi was just as excited as I was to create this design in a trendy new color palette! Over the next several months, Suruchi and I kept in touch to discuss details and she would provide updates with pictures. Finally, the lehenga was completed and arrived at my house. I was so happy that Suruchi was able to see my vision and bring it to life! The lehenga together with the veil, jewelry, mehendi, hair, and makeup was exactly how I envisioned myself as a bride.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
For me, the most enjoyable part of the planning process was designing the mandap! We gave the mandap a lot of importance because it is the focal point of the wedding. I wanted it to have a very luxurious and elegant yet modern feel. We found a decorator who really matched this style and was able to make my vision come to life - and who was just as excited about the new design! The mandap was unlike anything our guests had seen before, and we received many compliments on it!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
It was raining very hard during the baraat and both the groom's and bride's side ended up dancing together under the covered hotel entrance like one big party! While the bride is often not seen until she walks down the aisle, I joined the party and Anand and I gave a little performance during the baraat! The guests really enjoyed this little twist! Our wedding ceremony was in the afternoon and went straight into cocktail hour and reception - the guests certainly appreciated that it wasn't an early morning start!
Amazing wasn't it? More to come, stick around!
Mehndi Artists: Henna Moments |
Cinematography: PaRaagon Films |
Photography: Niraj Gandhi Photography |
Sangeet Venue: Fountain View Recreation Center / Carol Stream Park District |
Ceremony Venue: Waterford Banquet & Conference Center |
Reception Venue: Waterford Banquet & Conference Center |
Floral & Decor: Siblana Event Design |
Hair & Makeup: Priti Gandhi |
Catering: India House |
DJ: DJ Prashant |
Baraat: DJ Prashant |
Bridal Fashions: Suruchi Parakh Couture |
Bridal Jewelry: Kundan_Kouture |
Bridal Jewelry: á La Couture |
Cake & Treats: Scrumptious by Hira |
Draping/Styling: Priti Gandhi |
Invitations & Wedding Stationery: Ashu Card
Henna Moments
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