Welcome back, Ladies! As promised, we are back with all the details and insights of Avneet & Raymon's beautiful wedding celebration. For this final installment, we are taking you to the grand Plainview Gurudwara, a perfect Sikh Gurdwara temple chosen by our lovebirds to swear their eternal love. Underneath a beautiful Mandap, our lovebirds promised undying love, and everyone contemplated, in between sighs, this beautiful moment. Avneet, our dazzling bride, enhanced her natural beauty during the festivities thanks to the talent of Kanwal Batool, who took care of her beauty needs, making her look like royalty. For the fashion department, Bhumika Grover showed off why they are the go-to-guys when looking for someone who takes your fashion game to the next level. And we can't forget the fantastic Mendi design created by Mehndikalogie. Once the ceremony ended, all guests headed over to the phenomenal Villa Lombardi's for a grand wedding reception, and let me tell you that everyone had a blast! And we want to take a moment to appreciate the decor that Exclusive Events NY crafted, creating such a magical environment for this gala. We also want to give a big shoutout to the talented folks from A.S. Nagpal Photography, who share the marvelous photo captures of this grand wedding celebration so we can enjoy them in today's gallery. Remember, you can also check the visual masterpiece created by With This Ring Wedding Films by clicking here.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Raymon and I met at Sikh Camp when we were 14 years old. There were a group of boys playing a pick-up game of basketball, and I really wanted to play as well. Raymon was the team captain, and a mutual friend told him to pick "Avi" without him knowing that it was me. We played a couple games of basketball and I was instantly attracted to his skill. After that encounter, we chatted nearly everyday on Aol Instant Messenger and have been inseparable ever since. I knew he was "the one" pretty early on, but from high school through medical school Raymon has always pushed me to work harder and be the best version of myself, in a way that no one else was capable of doing. That's how I knew that we had a unique connection.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Raymon knows me better than I know myself, and planned our proposal intricately. It was the weekend of our Residency Match Day, so there were a lot of emotions already as we both matched into programs that we really wanted to train at. He wanted to celebrate with a weekend getaway to Montreal, and told me to pack and dress well. He picked me up from my parents house and I was under the assumption we'd be traveling to Montreal. Instead, he took me around my hometown with a beautiful lunch and a stroll through the park. In the park, he gave me a personalized picture book that took us through the journey of our relationship from high school onwards. The last page said, "and our next chapter awaits...", at that point he played my favorite song from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and took me onto a beautiful bridge over a pond that was decorated with a banner that said "Will You Marry Me?" We then had a mini photoshoot and went home to tell my parents. When we got home, our friends and family of nearly 100 people were waiting for us on the driveway to celebrate, and we had an amazing engagement party that night!
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 had so much fun planning our wedding! I think the most challenging part was picking a venue that had our time frame available and fit all of our criteria. We explored many different venues from NYC to NJ, and ultimately fell in love with Villa Lombardi's in Long Island, NY. Once we had our reception venue set, everything else fell into place. I used Maharani Weddings for vender suggestions and was really happy with our results. Through different suggestions we were able to put together a vender group that worked together to bring our dream wedding to reality.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I've always had an idea of how I wanted my bridal outfit to be. I love the color fuchsia and was pretty set on it prior to even beginning shopping. We went to India for a couple weeks which was a unique experience in itself, but after several days of exploring different options, I decided I wanted to completely customize my outfit to my liking. I ended up choosing a magenta color with floral work on the lower half, and simple beaded work on the upper half. I wore an Anarkali for the Anand Karaj.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of the planning process was trying to envision what our guests would love the most. We wanted to throw in little surprises here and there to optimize our guests experience. For example, we had a unique traditional Punjabi video shoot in Punjab that was so much fun shooting. We kept it a secret for months without sharing any photos with friends or family. We showed the video during our reception and everyone was shocked but loved it. It was very much so out of our comfort zone but we knew it would be loved and appreciated.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guests gave us great feedback on our wedding weekend. We are very punctual people and wanted to make sure our wedding events were well organized and had a good flow to them. Besides that, two particular moments come to mind that our guests really loved.
We had a day between our Sangat and Anand Karaj to relax and for smaller events. We decided to use that time to bring our friends and family together in a unique way by hosting a Bride Vs Groom Wedding Olympics. Our cousins actually hosted this event for us, and hired an event company to come in with different kinds of relays and games in a field day type event. Everyone got customized T-shirts depending on which side of the family they were. Then, multiple teams were made to mix up the friends and family as a great way to mingle and get to know one another. Everyone had a lot of fun participating in friendly competition. It was a unique experience for everyone and we ended the event with a Mr. Softee Ice Cream truck to relive our childhood days.
Another moment that guests loved was during the reception, my parents surprised us by flying out a Dhol group from the UK, Beats by Lion. They did an incredible job getting the party started and bringing everyone onto the dance floor for the entire night.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
I always think about our dances - we choreographed one for the Sangeet and Reception together. Raymon and I were captain's of our bhangra team in College, so dance is really meaningful to us. We had a lot of fun choreographing our traditional Bhangra dance for the Sangeet, and a western fusion dance for our reception. I love to reply and watch the videos of our dance because it is evident how happy we are in those moments to be together on the dance floor.
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.
For our decor themes, we wanted a very traditional sangeet. We actually let our parents have a lot of fun with the decor and bring out their creativity. I think my favorite part of the decor was having the kites hanging from the ceiling over the dance floor. It gave such a unique vibe and really brought the whole hall together. Our Anand Karaj we kept on the simpler side because we wanted the beauty of the Gurudwara to shine on its own. We used florals that matched well with our theme of Peach & Teal. For our reception, we wanted to go elegant and classy. We went with a floral theme with lots of pastels and candles spread throughout the hall. But, ultimately the venue itself was so beautiful. Our wedding was in September, which in NY is my favorite month because the flowers are in full bloom. The outdoor area for our cocktail hour was full of beautiful flowers and greenery.
Our Sangeet was full of dances, singing, and speeches from our loved ones. My favorite movie growing up was Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and my favorite actor was Hrithik Roshan. Our friends and family loved to make references to that throughout their dances and speeches, especially because Raymon proposed to me playing that theme song in the background.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
My advice for future brides would be to stay calm and start planning early! It is great to have enough time to really explore the different options available and decide what you love the most. Having a basic idea of how you envision your wedding to be is fundamental to having a smooth planning process. Organization is key – lots and lots of excel sheets that keep all the details straight! And most importantly, it’s ok to ask your loved ones for help and delegate tasks. Ultimately, you’ll have the final decision but to have some extra hands doing the basic research is really beneficial!
We have a new magnificent event prepared for you. So visit us tomorrow!
Hair & Makeup: Kanwal Batool |
Photography: A.S. Nagpal Photography |
Mehndi Artists: Mehndikalogie |
Floral & Decor: Exclusive Events NY |
Cinematography: With This Ring Wedding Films |
Sangeet Venue: Hilton Melville |
Ceremony Venue: Plainview Gurudwara |
Reception Venue: Villa Lombardi's |
Planning & Design: Pearls Event & Co. |
Catering: Benares Restaurant & Catering |
DJ: DJ Raj Minocha |
Baraat: Platinum Events Live Brass Band |
Bridal Fashions: Bhumika Grover |
Registry: Amazon |
Registry: Williams Sonoma |
Tuxedos: Suit Supply
Kanwal Batool,
A.S. Nagpal Photography,
Mehndikalogie,
Exclusive Events NY and
With This Ring Wedding Films
are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.
For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen,
click here.
