The Platinum Guide Blog

Happy Tuesday, ladies! When you see your soulmate standing in front of you about to say, "Yes, I do," you realize that no matter where or what, your long-awaited dream dreamed wedding is about to come true. This is the case of Poorvi & Sudeep, our lovebirds from today. If the name of these lovely couple sounds familiar, it is because we have previously showcased their big wedding celebration in a visual masterpiece created by Avec Lumiere Productions that you can relive here. The beautiful gardens of The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, hosted this beautiful festivity. Our friends from The Marigold Company trimmed and organized every detail of this celebration to perfection and found their best ally in 2Create Designs, who crafted a unique decoration for the different events. Raja Sudeep arrived at the baraat celebration riding a gorgeous white horse from Savannah Rose Carriages. And everything was just spectacular! We were particularly amazed by the natural beauty that our gorgeous Maharani Poorvi showcased during the entire festivities, stealing the show. She trusted her beauty needs to Dolled up by Lulu, who delivered nothing but perfection. What talent! To end this celebration, Fusion Sounds turn the gala into a real party with their phenomenal beats. You can relive this moment by visiting today's breathtaking gallery created by Lin & Jirsa Photography.

Please visit us tomorrow, we have tons of inspiration waiting just for you!

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Good Morning, Maharanis! The end of this marvelous week is here, and as always, we are back to re-fill your inspiration with another lovely story filled with tons of emotions and great moments. You will love it! Today we are unveiling the beauty surrounding Mahira & Ekram's wedding celebration! If this sounds familiar is because we have previously showcased this event in a marvelous film by Samson Productions that you can relive here. Today we have more insights captured once again by the enormous talent of this photographic studio, so you can already imagine how amazing it is going to be! To start this journey, let me take you to the exclusive Taglyan Complex, the perfect venue chosen by our lovely duo to tie the knot. And all we have to say is that this was an excellent decision! Beauty was all over the place, but nothing compared with the ravishing look Mahira, our gorgeous Maharani, showcased after being papered by Peace Love Sakeena, who created the ideal style for her. Something we want to remark is the well-trimmed and planned event that The Marigold Company designed. They took it to a higher level, transforming our lovebird's vision into a dream come true. To relive these magical wedding details, make sure to visit today's enchanting gallery!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met Ekram (my husband) at a wedding. I actually just decided to approach him on a whim to tell him he looked familiar and just like that, we added each other on Twitter and started talking. I knew he was “the one” when I realized that he was genuinely my best friend. See, Ekram lived in the bay and I lived in Orange County, and we didn’t see each other as often as couples that are beach other do, so we relied on long phone and text conversations that ended up creating a strong foundation for our relationship.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
I had taken Ekram to Victoria Beach in Laguna when I first started talking to him. He ended up flying down to SoCal and coordinating with my friends and family to plan his proposal there. What ended up happening was a bit of a wreck actually, my friends convinced me to dress up, took me out to dinner and decided to go to Victoria beach after. So at this specific beach the entrance is at the bottom of a staircase and so my friends are walking in front of me and at the bottom of the steps you see small candles lit leading to a path of red roses in the shape of a heart, my friends backed away and let me walk into the proposal but I noticed a lot of people I didn’t recognize and long story short I walked in to a DIFFERENT proposal!! Both my friends and I were so incredibly confused and they ended up having to call Ekram who had to come to the steps and lead me to HIS proposal which was further out from the steps, it was similar with rose petals and candles in the shape of a heart and he popped the question. Because of this fiasco, by the time my friends had figured out it wasn’t my proposal, the sun had gone down so there’s actually only one picture from that night that isn’t too dark or messed up, everything turned out fine I just cannot believe my friends and I walked into another girls proposal hahaha

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.
Luckily, I had a good ten months to plan my wedding. I knew exactly what kind of decor, what venues, what outfits, and which makeup artists I wanted. I went to Pakistan twice to ensure all my outfits were fitted and made properly, I visited my venues several times to ensure clear communication with the managers and I reached out to mua’s much in advance. I literally planned every single detail, including countless, thorough meetings with my decorator. I had a lot of vendors for my events so I ensured that my coordinator was aware of each and every one. Even so, things didn’t go exactly as planned, my MUA got stuck abroad and cancelled on me the night before my wedding (I ended up staying up till 4 am that night finding a replacement which is a whole story in of itself) and the day of my wedding, the decorating team arrived late so they were hastily attempting to finish on time, but everything came together even though it wasn’t exactly according to plan. Planning was a stressful process just because I was soo focused on every little thing being perfect, down to the day of my wedding where I was trying to check up on things even in my dress and makeup, but it ended up paying off as it all came together.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
As mentioned earlier, I went to Pakistan twice for my outfits. The first time I went for three weeks and I kid you not I looked at wedding outfits every single day. I knew I wanted red and gold but I wanted some more color in the dress as well. That proved hard to find as I remember finally picking an outfit on my final days of the first trip. I ended up choosing an outfit but altering the entire color scheme to match red, gold, and peach. My mom (who has an eye for color) helped me ensure every detail of that dress worked well, often times asking for swatches of the design before finalizing it. On my second trip, I was able to finalize other outfits and see my dress come to fruition, the end result was absolutely stunning, the shop owners themselves said that they decided to create one to place on the rack since we had designed the color scheme. I didn’t realize how heavy each outfit was until the day of the events as the hair, makeup, dress, and dupatta setting really make you feel sssooo much heavier but because of the rush and energy I was still able to dance my heart out at the events

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
My favorite part about planning was brainstorming ideas. I knew for a long time I wanted certain themes (peacock for mehndi and gold/white/blush for wedding) but being able to just come up with decor through looking at thousands of inspiration pictures was just so fun. My sisters had lots of fun sifting through instagrams and Pinterest pages to find vendors or cute ideas to incorporate at the events. It felt like a team effort and when it all came together, it was just amazing, I still cannot believe it sometimes.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
I’ve been to a ton of weddings and so my main goal was to ensure that my guests had a good time. I didn’t want anyone to be bored of lengthy speeches or starve waiting on the food. I know that everyone appreciated this as they were entertained throughout and were not left hungry. Everyone absolutely loved the variety and quality of the food and dessert so shoutout to taglyan Complex’s in house catering. I made sure speeches were kept short, that the program overall wasn’t too long, and that food was served at appropriate times.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Yes so it was actually after the ceremony and during our entrance at the reception. For some reason I was just nervous to enter the hall even though I had just gotten married. The music was playing and the doors were just about to open as Ekram tells me he’s going to do something. I was so confused as to what that meant and asked him what? But the doors had opened and we had to walk. As we’re walking in people are of course clapping and cheering and Ekram keeps saying I’m about to do it and under my breath I’m asking him what?? And then halfway into our walk just as we’re in the middle of the hall and the chorus of the song, Ekram takes off his turban and runs in a large circle around me while pointing to me as the sparklers are sparkling and the crowd just goes wild and I realized ooohhh this is what that meant. Every time that song comes on (sauda khara khara) I think of that moment

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 had quite a few events but my favorite were the mehndi and shaadi. The mehndi decor was peacock themed so it was very colorful within that color scheme and the decor was just amazing. Additionally, my family and friends practiced their dances for months and everything looked soo coordinated and just perfect. We also had hired dancers for both events, joya kazi for the mehndi who did more classical, technical style dancing and karmography who did more big, Bhangra type moves which was a nice contrast between the two that kept people entertained. I could go on and on about each and every vendor and what they did to make the event special, but it would take forever! I had found a singer on Instagram named Neel from New York City that ended up moving to LA after my wedding to further his music career here. We had a chai cart come to the mehdni that featured Kashmiri chai which was a crowd favorite. Agnes was a live painter for the wedding who everyone just loved. There was just so much going on for every event but it all came together beautifully.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
My only advice is to take it easy and enjoy the events. I recall stressing out minutes before the ceremony and reception as the decor was finishing up and they had locked me into the room upstairs so I just couldn’t see anything anymore but as I entered both the ceremony and reception, everything came together and was fine even if it didn’t go exactly as planned. So just do your best to not worry the day of and enjoy your time because all this time, effort, and energy is spent on events that go by so fast so you might as well ensure you enjoy each and every moment of it

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Jewelry: I also took an very long time picking a set for my wedding mainly because my mom was extremely picky when it comes to gold but I ended up finding the most beautiful set I’ve ever seen and even though the entire thing was heavy I am still in awe just looking at the intricate design/sparkle.
My venues for the mehndi and shaadi, Hilton in irvine and taglyan cultural complex in LA were just amazing when the decor came together. Noel from Hilton and Hovig from taglyan were amazing people that were extremely nice and helpful to work with, they really did all they could to help.
There are lots of vendors we used but I really want to give a special shoutout to @peacelovesakeena who decided to do my wedding makeup last minute since lulu had cancelled and sakeena did an AMAZING job and was so kind to me and I knew she hadn’t slept since she was responding so late and I knew she had a bride in the morning and at night so she fit me in between which was just so nice of her because I actually almost fainted when I found out at 11 pm that my wedding hair and makeup artist was not going to be able to make it. I still can’t believe that happened but sakeena really came through and helped me.

For more inspirational stories, visit us Monday. We have something special for you.

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Good morning, Maharanis! It is a pleasure to with you and show you the beauty that surrounded Meera & Avinash's wedding festivities. On this first installment, we will take a look at their beautiful Hindu wedding ceremony. The fantastic rituals took place outdoors, specifically at the lovely gardens of The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, where a stunning mandap decorated with roses, orchids, and hydrangeas by Myar Decor, was built for our lovely duo to promise eternal love to each other! Of course, behind such a great event there was a planning pro team, Amina Events that delivered fully! For these celebrations! Meera, our Maharani, was so ravishing and looked so glamorous while walking down the aisle with a dazzling pink lehenga that stole a tear from us. For this event, She made the right choice by trusting her beauty needs to Glam by Richa who was a fantastic glam team. If you want to relive this phenomenal moment, you can visit our today's gallery thanks to the talent from Akbar Sayed Photography. And if this is not enough, you can enjoy their highlight film created by Regal Palette Studio that we are also featuring today, here. You will love it.

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
At first, we met briefly through mutual friends when he visited Marquette for our ISA cultural show. And of course I was captured by his handsomeness; but our story actually began 2 years after this, when we crossed paths again during a friend's birthday celebration. For whatever reason, everyone had cleared out for a while and Nash & I were the only two remaining in the room. So naturally, I took this opportunity to get to know him better and it was during this conversation that I recognized my counterpart. Little details, like our birthdays being one day apart, our challenges with having to be the younger sibling in our families of 4, and each of us considering ourselves "chameleons" because of our adaptability throughout life--he was so unique, honest, and refreshing. I had a feeling right away that this guy was going to be way more impactful in my life that I had initially thought.

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Nash and I were taking a weekend roadtrip to Michigan on our own, without our dog. Saturday morning Nash had planned a wine tour at this amazing castle in Charlevoix. We were in the gift shop after the tour & the cashier recommended that we stroll by the pond area because we could go & feed birds. As we were walking over to the pond, I saw a man jogging with a dog and remember saying to Nash, "Man! We should have brought ours. We didn't we research the dog policy?"
He was just nervously laughing at this point and once we were close enough, I realized that the dog I had seen was our sweet boy Thor! And he was waiting on a bridge for us, surrounded by flowers, wine, and the cutest little sign. I was sobbing in tears at the disbelief of what was happening. Nash proposed on the bridge, and we got to capture these unbelievable moments with our pup right beside us.
We drove 6 hours back to Chicago right away, and Nash suggested that we stop by to wish our friends happy anniversary before heading home. Turns out it was a surprise party with every single one of my closest friends, even from out of town, along with our parents. The next day, he had planned a surprise brunch with one group of friends, a surprise lunch with another, followed by an evening with the rest of my immediate family members to bring the most surreal weekend to a close. I am still in awe that Nash was able to pull off 5+ surprises for me without me finding out.

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.
I had always dreamed of getting married outdoors near the water. Our two pieces of criteria when venue searching was that it would be along the water, and that having our dog would be able to be in all of our events. Once we visited the Ritz-Carlton resort in Amelia Island, FL it was a no-brainer.
Although we had 5 wedding events, I had a total of 8 outfits throughout the course of our wedding weekend. Every single piece was customized for me in Mumbai, except for what I wore the morning of my Grah Shanti, which was my mom's wedding sari that she had carefully preserved.
@GlamByRicha has been a close family friend of mine for years, so when it came to hair & makeup I knew I didn't want anyone else. She is so gifted at her art and she made me feel so beautiful with every look that she created. Myar Decor provided all of our florals and decor services; I wasn't a bride who had very specific visions in regards to decor but Mital worked with me so diligently, making sure no option went overlooked, and that I was comfortable with what she and her team were producing for us.
When I first met DesiBel Entertainment, our DJ team, at a wedding in Cancun in 2016 I promised myself that I wouldn't get married without them. Their saxophonist, Harshal Dave, is hands-down one of the most unique individuals I have ever met. Lastly, I cannot rave about Akbar Sayed Photography and Regal Palette Studio enough. Their work speaks for themselves and the amount of creativity and care that they put into their work is overwhelming. Nash and I were very blessed to be surrounded by teams of people with so much skill & patience.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
Nash and I knew from the beginning that we were not a couple destined to wear the traditional red. One of the things I learned about Nash very early on is that one of his favorite colors is actually pink! Knowing that our wedding ceremony would be held outdoors, we envisioned pink & white as the perfect combination for our special day. At the same time, I wanted the embroidery of my dress to still be traditional and not overwhelmingly heavy, simply because of the fact that I knew I was going to be outdoors all morning. I also wanted the opportunity to re-purpose my wedding outfit and wear it to other functions, rather than have it hanging in my closet for the rest of my life.

What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
During the 11 months of wedding planning, trying to plan my dream wedding while also respecting my parents wishes was certainly a challenge. However, when I reflect on the process....it was also the most enjoyable component. I got to spend so much time with them, learn so much about their innermost thoughts and visions, strengthen our communication, and really just become so much closer to them--something I didn't think was possible after having been living with them for the majority of my life. Many people would rather have their parents on the sidelines, without any interference or input from them. But I consider myself so lucky to have had the privilege to overcome these barriers together and find a united outcome with them. Having the chance to figure out how to be on the same team before moving out: that was the most enjoyable part of planning for me.

What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our wedding was nearly 4 months ago; but to this day, we are still hearing from our guests about how phenomenal their Ritz-Carlton experience was throughout our wedding weekend. The most exquisite factor that we continue to hear about was the food! The concoction of dishes, the presentation of each item, and the uniqueness of the menu for each of the 5 events. We are so lucky to have met Chef Jayshri of Ritz-Carlton and have her lead the culinary experience for our wedding guests.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Absolutely. Our vidaai was the most memorable part of the entire weekend for me. Nash and I had decided on a 2-person scooter for our departure after the wedding. We knew this would be met with a lot of surprise as its not very traditional; but what we did not anticipate was how liberating our vidaai would really feel for us. Amelia Island is so unique, as it is surrounded by tunnels of trees as well as water....getting to drive off after the wedding, wrapped up around my new husband, wind in our faces with no one else around us, and being surrounded by this kind of beauty. It was truly the definition of "bliss".

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
If it won't matter 10 years from now, then don't waste time dwelling on it.

Don't miss the fabulous ending of this love story. So come back for it!

Akbar Sayed Photography and Amina Events are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Welcome back, Maharanis! As promised, we are back with the conclusion of this beautiful wedding festivities but the beginning from the eternal and true love from Priya & Jason, our today's favorite couple. So let's go back to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It will win you over with more than its magnificent natural landscapes and warm weather. The Barceló Maya Grand Resort was the ideal choice for their wedding celebration. Once the magnetic and traditional fusion wedding ended, an amazing hall at the outdoors from the perfect venue was prepared to host the fantastic reception. This place was entirely decorated by Latin Asia - Claudia Oyarzabal, who developed a magical environment for everyone. Not forgetting the magnificent and flowered arrangements and centerpieces prepared by Jccastillo Weddings, who took it to a higher level and contributed to the perfection of the night. The most extraordinary moment from the night arrived, and the glorious entrance from Priya and Jason dazzled everyone, our gorgeous Maharani wore a two pieces white dress that left everyone speechless. She took the right decision to trust her bridal fashion to Nazranaa, who made her look as taken out from a fairy tale. Everyone danced at the rhythm from Encore - DJ – Sean Singh, who made this an epic night. To conclude, you can't miss the gallery that we have for you today because our friends from Novia Mia Photography will make you relive this phenomenal celebration.

Have a great weekend ladies, and come back for more next week! Until then beautiful Maharanis!

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort and Novia Mia Photography are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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Friday is finally here, ladies! And we don't want to end this fabulous week without bringing you the full-inspiring wedding festivities of Priya & Jason. Make sure to have your passport ready because we are traveling to the heart of the ancient Mayan region in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The phenomenal Barceló Maya Grand Resort and its fantastic surroundings were the perfect location for this equally perfect couple joined their lives and shows us all that true love exists. How romantic? On this first installment, we are unveiling the spectacular Indian wedding ceremony celebrated under a spectacular round floral mandap. We can say that the perfect combination between the decor from Latin Asia - Claudia Oyarzabal and the majestic flower arrangements from Jccastillo Weddings created a magical spot for this ceremony. You will love the grand entry from our Maharani on her palki; she looked stunning thanks to the fantastic makeup and hair stylists from KIKA Hair and Makeup. Every single guest enjoyed this moment to the fullest, and we had prepared a complete gallery for you today thanks to the visual skills from one of our favorite photographs Novia Mia Photography. So don't miss any snap and enjoy this ceremony! 

What an inspiring story? Don't you think? We have more for you, so make sure to check out part two!

Barcelo Maya Grand Resort and Novia Mia Photography are members of the Platinum Guide. Love what you see? Explore their portfolios.

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For more information on how Platinum Guide members are chosen, click here.