If there’s one thing we’ve learned after years of featuring destination South Asian weddings, it’s this: paradise is wonderful on its own, but add a few hundred loved ones, breathtaking décor, nonstop dancing, and an oceanfront mandap, and suddenly paradise starts showing off. Sanjana & Hirsh’s Riviera Maya wedding weekend was exactly that kind of celebration—a vibrant, luxurious, and deeply personal experience where every detail felt thoughtfully curated and every moment seemed designed to create lifelong memories.
Hosted across the breathtaking El Dorado Royale and Generations Riviera Maya, the festivities unfolded like a beautifully written love story—one filled with vibrant celebrations, emotional moments, and enough dance-floor energy to keep the entire Riviera Maya awake. From the moment guests arrived, it was clear this wasn't simply a wedding weekend. It was an experience.
Behind every flawlessly executed event was our Platinum Guide member, Utsav Planners, whose expertise transformed the couple’s vision into a seamless reality. Destination weddings come with their own unique set of challenges, but this talented team handled every detail with precision and creativity. From guest experiences to event transitions and overall design cohesion, the entire celebration felt polished, immersive, and effortlessly elegant. Their ability to balance grand-scale production with meaningful personal touches is exactly why they continue to be one of the most respected names in South Asian wedding planning.
The celebrations began with an unforgettable sangeet at El Dorado Royale, where tropical surroundings met vibrant South Asian energy. Family performances, laughter, music, and endless dancing created the perfect kickoff to the wedding weekend. Because let's be honest—no South Asian wedding guest travels internationally just to sit quietly in a chair. The visual design throughout the weekend was nothing short of extraordinary. Etirios Floral Atelier transformed every space into a romantic floral wonderland. Luxurious blooms, lush greenery, and thoughtfully layered textures elevated the tropical setting while maintaining a sense of timeless elegance. Every installation felt intentional and immersive, creating those magical "wow" moments guests remember long after the wedding ends.
Sanjana looked absolutely radiant throughout the celebrations thanks to the artistry of Alex Corbanezi Hair & Make Up Co. Her bridal beauty perfectly balanced glamour and sophistication while complementing the destination setting beautifully. Whether beneath the bright Caribbean sun or the glow of evening festivities, every bridal look felt effortlessly elegant and completely unforgettable. Adding another layer of artistry and tradition, Loto Mehndi created intricate mehndi designs that beautifully honored the cultural significance of the occasion. Every detail reflected the thoughtful balance between heritage and modern celebration woven throughout the weekend.
Guests were welcomed with beautifully curated welcome gifts from Jute Earth, setting the tone for a destination experience that felt warm, thoughtful, and personal from the very beginning. Meanwhile, the stunning stationery from Handmade World Craft Supplies provided another beautiful touch that tied the wedding aesthetic together seamlessly. Helping bring everyone together for the celebration was our Platinum Guide member Indian Destination Wedding, Inc.. Their travel concierge expertise ensured guests could focus on celebrating rather than stressing over logistics—a true luxury when coordinating an international wedding of this scale.
As the sun set and the reception began, the energy shifted into full celebration mode. Sugar Events & Entertainment kept the dance floor packed from the first song to the final encore, creating the kind of atmosphere where guests repeatedly promise they'll leave after "just one more song"—and then find themselves dancing another hour later. The combination of incredible music, destination wedding excitement, and pure joy created a reception that felt absolutely electric.
Guests also enjoyed exceptional hospitality and cuisine from El Dorado Royale, whose world-class service helped elevate the entire wedding experience from start to finish. Capturing every beautiful detail, emotional moment, and unforgettable celebration was Saptapadi Weddings. Their photography and cinematography beautifully documented the wedding weekend with warmth, artistry, and cinematic storytelling. From sweeping beachfront portraits to intimate candid moments, every frame feels rich with emotion and authenticity, preserving not only the beauty of the celebration but the feeling behind it.
Sanjana & Hirsh’s Riviera Maya wedding was everything a destination South Asian wedding should be—joyful, elegant, vibrant, and deeply meaningful. A celebration where tropical paradise met timeless tradition, creating a wedding weekend filled with unforgettable moments and memories that will last a lifetime.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met in college through mutual friends. I knew he was the one when he truly just listened to every little thing I had to say and remembered all the details.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Hirsh proposed to me with a beautiful rooftop surprise in Chicago. We were long-distance at the time, so he flew me in, and all my very close friends and family came. We started the day with getting coffee and walking (our favorite thing to do) then my friends surprised me and took me to get hair and nails done. Then was dropped off at Hirsh’s apartment rooftop. After he proposed, our families joined us to celebrate.
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 was a very long process since we decided on a destination wedding. We went through Indian destination weddings to find a venue that was easy to get to, affordable for our guests, and had multiple locations for our events. We then found our planner (Utsav), who was local to my hometown but had expertise in planning destination weddings. We focused on blending South Indian, Goan, and Mexican flair from our Cancun destination weddings. I went with a local hair and makeup artist so they would know how to manage the weather in Cancun. Outfits were sourced from all over the place, including India, a local boutique in Michigan, studio149 in Chennai for my wedding sari, and studio 6 east in Chicago to get my dream Seema Gujral reception lehenga.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted a modern South Indian kanjeevaram sari, and knew studio149 was the place to look. They are truly amazing and worked with me virtually to customize my saree and blouse.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of planning was truly both our families and us becoming a team to create the best experience for our family, friends, and guests coming from all over the world
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Guests have told us that they truly felt relaxed and enjoyed themselves without any stress. They were able to enjoy the wedding and truly feel like they were on vacation at the same time. They also really liked how authentic to us each event was.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
I genuinely always look back on our Haldi. It was such a fun event, ocean side, citrus/orange themed, we got to individually spend time with and greet each guest as they applied Haldi on us. It was also the first event that at least half of our guests attended, so it was a great first time.
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.
Welcome party- rooftop at Generations Riviera Maya, gorgeous views of the jungle and the ocean, had colorful Mexican flags and florals, taco stations, elote station, and a surprise churro station, we had custom jute welcome bags that said “riviera Maya” in Green, bags were filled with a “passport to our wedding” with event itinerary and map of the resort, cute hand sanitizer spray, bug bands to keep away mosquitos, hangover cures, sunscreen, and a mini electric handheld fan; during the event we also had a live mariachi band
Haldi- Oceanside at the palapa Ganesha at generations riviera Maya, there was a gorgeous giant (20 feet? Or more) Ganesha statue next to a big hut/“palapa”, decorated with dried citrus, orange, yellow, pink floral hanging, and was next to lots of palm trees and the ocean, was around sunset/golden hour, had shell earrings and shell embroidered shoes from Goa (where my husbands family is from), colorful sunglasses, bangles, and bindis as part of the “haldi bazaar”; for my outfit I got it from a stall at TANA (Telugu association North America) it was red orange chiffon pre pleated sari with shell detailing, and I wore shell hanging tikka, earrings with ear chains, and khaleera bangles with hanging shells that matched perfectly and hit the Oceanside vibe that I was going for rather than the traditional floral jewelry for haldi. Food stations included live jalebi and chole bhatura, among others, but those were my favorites
Pellikuthuru / devkarya - a beautiful traditional ceremony that we held in the middle of a garden in the resort, surrounded by tropical lush greenery. Had henna artists, started with a Pooja. Then did the traditional Telugu pellikuthuru ceremony, including grinding the haldi, etc.
Sangeet- right next to the ocean but a different venue at the same resort- “white beach gazebo”, was blue ocean themed, had baby blue teal and light pink florals mixed with boho pampas, the wooden tables were lined with these colors and had these gorgeous blue/green goblets laid out, my outfit was blue/green mirorres lehenga, and my husband wore a matching outfit but more understated. We had live stations for food, including a live fried rice and noodle station. Along with traditional sangeet dances, my mother-in-law and her sisters surprised us with a Mamma Mia dance with costumes and all. We had live fire dancers, and water drums that all our guests got to play with and enjoy
Wedding ceremony - yet again, a different venue in the same resort on the sandy beach. Went with a tropical South Indian theme. My dream was to have lush green tropical leaves and banana leaves, and all my dreams were met. The mandap and the aisle were decorated with this, intermixed with a gold/brass Ganesha statue, brass bells hanging down, and ringing every time the breeze blew. After the baraat, guests were greeted with fresh green coconuts as refreshment as they went to their seats. Seats had a white parasol, a program fan, and a cute bell to ring as we walked down the aisle. I had a “Pholoon ki chadaar” that was made out of similar tropical leaves, which was gorgeous as well. All my family and husbands family wore light green. Me and I wore a gorgeous ivory color with green accents that matched perfectly. I had fresh jasmine in my hair. For guests, we passed out jasmine-scented hair ties so they could keep them. Jewelry was traditional diamond jewelry with braid and matching maang tikka and hair pieces, very modern South Indian bride. Another touch we had post wedding was that all guests walked to the inside restaurant where we had a traditional South Indian vegetarian lunch, where they were created by fresh lime soda
Reception - cocktail hour was in a tropical garden outside the venue with cute string lights and a live saxophone player. Cocktail hour drinks were lychee spritz and Mexican mule. The reception itself was classy and gold. Hirsh wore a classic tux; I wore a gold Seema Gujral Lehenga. The decor was mostly black and gold with some tropical green and white accents. The best part was the string lights hanging from the ceiling, reflecting onto the LED dance floor; it looked like we were floating in stars. Our joint drink for the reception was an espresso martini. Something we surprised our guests with at the reception was individual letters to each guest that they grabbed, which also had their table assignment. A surprise performance for our guests was Hirsh playing guitar while his dad sang, which felt like we were all at a concert. Hirsh and I also got to go behind the DJ booth it was the perfect end to an amazing week
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
It can be a very stressful process, but it’s important to lean on your partner and family to help out! Delegation is key!!
You won’t want to miss this wedding—it’s one you’ll cherish long after the last dance!
