For over 10 years, MyShadi Bridal Expo has been a community event not to be missed by those planning a South Asian wedding. What began as a small bridal show twice a year in Florida, has now grown into a platform for over 85 event vendors taking place in over six different cities across the Southeast US.

Hosted by Desh Videsh Media Group, the MyShadi Bridal Expo offers vendors a chance to showcase their products and services as well as the latest trends in South Asian weddings. Instead of driving around town meeting vendors weekend after weekend, brides, grooms, and their families can spend one afternoon checking items off their wedding to-do lists.

Raj and Aruna Shah, founders of Desh Videsh Media Group, dreamed up the idea of a South Asian specific bridal show soon after their youngest son’s wedding. At their most recent show at the Ft. Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel on Sunday, August 25, 2019, the Shahs were humbled by the large crowds. “It’s so great to see so many young couples making plans for their futures. We love meeting couples as much as we do working with vendors,” said Mrs. Shah.

The MyShadi Bridal Expo has evolved over the years, and now hosts event planning vendors such as photographers, decorators, DJs, caterers, venues, clothing/jewelry boutiques, hair/makeup/henna artists, and more in one exhibition hall in one afternoon. Bold, inviting colors and a festive atmosphere provide a backdrop for the display of the many elements in a South Asian wedding. Beautifully designed mandaps with gorgeous floral arrangements and intricate reception table settings are just some of the wedding components attendees get to see in person. Many couples now blend tradition with modern elements, and the MyShadi Bridal Expo is the place to be inspired and create a unique wedding vision.

When it comes to bridal and formal wear fashion, the exclusive designer fashion shows provide a stunning look at the latest styles. Whether a wedding guest or the bride, the designer clothing and jewelry boutiques attending the show allow attendees to purchase items on site.

Over the years, the MyShadi Bridal Expo has become a place not only for wedding planning, but for all event planning needs. Attendees planning baby showers and anniversary and graduation parties are able to find photographers, venues, caterers and more at the show making the process that much easier. MyShadi Bridal Expo offers something for all members of the family!

For those hoping to check items of that wedding to do list or just feel inspired, the Desh Videsh Media Group team hopes to see at the next show on Sunday, September 15, at the Hilton Orlando! Be on the lookout for 2020 show dates to be announced soon.

For a look at what to expect at the MyShadi Bridal Expo, visit www.myshadibridalexpo.com and click on Past Events.

MyShadi Bridal Expo
community event

South Asian wedding

Southeast US

Desh Videsh Media Group

Raj Shah

Aruna Shah

South Asian specific bridal show

Ft. Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel

Indin Wedding photographers

Indian Wedding decorators

Indian Wedding DJs

Indian Wedding caterers

Indian Wedding venues

clothing/jewelry boutiques

hair Style

makeup Artist

henna artists

Hilton Orlando

Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel

Simrans Designer Wear

Shubhra Singh Chohan

Yasmin Hetherington of Blushing Bride

Mital of Myar Decor Inc

Exclusive Entertainment Events

Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley

D The Event Planner

Banjara Indian Boutique

Wedding Hair by Liz

Royal Event DJs

Vikwabs Decor

Rosanna Barsati

Le Trend Boutique

Michele Renee Hair& Makeup Artist Group

Dudha Productions

Hilton Charlotte Center City

Ritu Bhat

Heartfelt Fashion

DJ Pawan Entertainment & Events

House of Masaba

Devam

Miami Ethnic

Rima of Dil Se Dance
Beauty Cafe Salon

Infinite Soundz Entertainment

Myshadi Bridal Expo in Charlotte

Myshadi Bridal Expo in Orlando

Myshadi Bridal Expo in Fort Lauderdale

Myshadi Bridal Expo in Raleigh

Myshadi Bridal Expo in Atlanta

2018 MyShadi Bridal Expos:
Year in Review

The wedding industry’s top vendors are part of the show giving attendees a chance to meet with vendors who specialize in South Asian weddings. From event planners to photographers and banquet halls to decorator’s, the MyShadi Bridal Expo offers brides and grooms access to nearly every vendor needed to plan a wedding. Beautifully designed mandaps with gorgeous floral arrangements and intricate reception table settings are just some of the wedding components attendees get to see in person. MyShadi Bridal Expo is the place to be to feel inspired and come up with a unique wedding vision. When it comes to bridal and formal wear fashion, the exclusive designer fashion shows provide a stunning look at the latest styles. Whether a wedding guest or the bride, the designer clothing and jewelry boutiques attending the show allow attendees to purchase items on site. Many couples are now planning destination weddings, and the MyShadi Bridal Expo makes it even easier to do. The Destination Wedding Pavillion gathers venues and wedding planners together to ease the process of planning a wedding in an exotic locale. For those hoping to check items of that wedding to do list or just feel inspired, the team at Desh Videsh Media Group hopes to see you next year! Be on the lookout for dates to be announced soon. For a look at what to expect at the MyShadi Bridal Expo, visit www.myshadibridalexpo.com and click on Past Events.

Dazzling mandaps, gorgeous bridal wear, and the buzz of excited couples were a part of each of the MyShadi Bridal Expos this year. Couples along with their families and bridal parties attended the bridal show in the hopes of marking items off their wedding-to-do checklist. With a wide variety of vendors, from banquet halls and photographers to decorators and makeup artists, couples were able to meet with many different vendors all in one afternoon.

Fashion shows by the region’s exclusive boutiques offered attendees a look at the latest trends in bridalwear. Well-known DJs created the perfect ambiance in the hall with a listen to a mix of popular Bollywood and Top 40 hits. A festive and celebratory feeling in the air created the perfect background for the MyShadi Bridal Expo, putting all attendees in the mood for wedding and party planning!

This year, a Destination Wedding Pavilion, co-hosted by Proficient Travel, was a part of each show and attendees loved the new addition. Offering couples and families a look at options for planning a destination wedding, the Pavilion brought together venues in Mexico and the Caribbean as well as travel experts.

For a look at what to expect at the MyShadi Bridal Expo, visit www.myshadibridalexpo.com and click on Past Events.

Congratulations to the Booth Décor competition winner from the 2016 Atlanta My-
Shadi Bridal Expo – Sterling Décor by Kalpana Patel!

In this issue, we chatted with owner Kalpana Patel learn more about her background and the start of Sterling Décor.

• How does it feel to be the winner of the 2016 Atlanta MyShadi Bridal Expo Booth Decoration Competition?
  Winning is always a good feeling! This award brings us a feeling of satisfaction and achievement, especially since our work is being appreciated and loved by the Desh-Videsh team and attendees of the MyShadi Bridal Expo.

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• What was the inspiration for the theme used to decorate your booth?
  Roses were the inspiration for this mandap. We used rose-themed fabric, Indian pearl jewelry, and fresh roses to create an elegant, classic mandap design, known as our our rosette jewelry mandap. This mandap is made up of pearl white rosette fabric and decorated all around with pearl danglings.

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• What are some of your favorite materials to use?
  We like to incorporate fresh flowers in our décor whether it be on the mandap, reception stage, or welcome Ganesh set up. My second favorite materials to use for draping our linen (lycra) and rosette – these are some of the best materials to work with!

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• What services does your company provide?
  We design décor for any type of event – from graduation and sweet sixteen parties to engagements, arangetram, sangeet, mehndi, and wedding/reception décor. The décor is designed according to client needs, and their vision for their event.

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• How do you and a new client work together to fulfill their vision for the wedding day or big event?
  We try and understand our clients needs by listening to them and understanding their ideas for a dream event. We try to get as detail information as we can for each of the events. What colors they prefer, if there is a specific theme for any of the events – these are important questions to ask. We work with clients as a team, and we ensure that our strive for perfection and hard work make our clients’ vision of the perfect wedding come true.

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• In what regions do you provide your services?
  We work with clients in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

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• What has been your favorite wedding moment that stands out to you and why?
  Our favorite moments always has been when the wedding mandap/reception décor is ready & ready for the bride & groom to view for first time at the venue while they come down for photo shoot. Their reaction when the doors are open to them & that look of happiness & amazing feeling that rushes on their faces. Their comments & thank you notes on our Facebook wall leaves pretty good feeling.

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• What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?
  Plan your event well in advance, ahead of time, location, and décor/theme.
  Get organizationally focused. Plan to have everything you need to create completed at least a month before the wedding. That’s when all the chaos will hit and you won’t be able to handle the time-sucking crafting projects. Don’t plan to do anything yourself on your wedding day. You’ll be busy getting beautiful. Make sure you’ve assigned everything to your event planner, friends and family who are assisting you. And confirm it again a week ahead and the day before the wedding.

Congratulations to the Booth Decor competition winner fromthe September 2015 Orlando MyShadi Bridal Expo – Nikun Events Company!

Born and raised in East Africa, Pinky Patel studied in England before moving to the United States where she spent over 20 years in an IT career. Realizing her passion lies elsewhere, Pinky began making flower garlands as part of a fundraising effort for a local mandir in Chicago. Gradually, she began taking on more work as a florist and eventually branching out to other areas of decoration. In 2006, she began Nikun Events Company.

    Co-owner Nalin Patel grew up in Kenya, and like Pinky first began working with florals and design when helping with a friend’s daughter’s wedding. Gradually, his business grew. In 2013, Pinky and Nalin merged their businesses. Today, they two have over 21 years experience working on events and decoration. Nikun Events Company is known for mixing tradition
al with contemporary styles using a wide array of florals, fabrics, textures, and colors.

In this issue, we chatted with owners Pinky Patel and Nalin Patel to learn more about their background and the start of Nikun Events Company.

How does it feel to be the winner of the 2015 Orlando MyShadi Bridal Expo Booth Decoration Competition?
It is an honor to be recognized by those attending the MyShadi Bridal Expo.  We always want to provide our clients with innovative ideas.  The beauty of doing these events is that there are so many ways to express individuality and creativity.

What was the inspiration for the theme used to decorate your booth?
We setup two areas, one to show a glimpse of a reception setup that was mute yet elegant in blush and gold tones. The other setup offered a glimpse into a Sangeet/Mehndi event that was colorful and bold with a touch of Rajasthan.

What are some of your favorite materials to use?
We love to use florals and different textures of fabrics. When you combine these two elements, it sets a beautiful stage.  We also use various textures, textiles and elements to create our custom frames and borders. We created the entire border of our frames for both the Sangeet/Mehndi and reception designs with cutwork of foam.  This cut work can be personalized for each client.  For example, we can create a design from your kankotri.

What services does your company provide? Specifically, what wedding-related services do you offer?
We are a complete decorating firm and offer mandap, floral, linens, and lighting. We also offer planning, coordination and complete event management services.

How do you and a new client work together to fulfill their vision for the wedding day or big event?
First, we get to know the client and listen to what their overall expectations and vision are for their events.  We can seek inspiration from our past work or create something innovative to achieve their vision.

What is the biggest lesson you learned your first year in business? What was the biggest lesson you learned in this past year of business?
In the first year, we learned many great lessons.  More importantly we learned that in order to grow, you must be open to giving a little bit more. This year we have also learned that in evaluating our inventory, we were able to discover and create new designs to keep our inventory fresh and innovative.

In what regions (city, entire state, all over the US), do you provide your services?
We service all of Florida but having said that we have sister companies in Atlanta and Chicago.  We are able to service events across the country without any issues.

What has been your favorite wedding or moment that stands out to you and why?
We have so many favorite weddings, so it is difficult to select! What makes them all stand out is the fact that the couples and their family have instilled faith in our ability to translate their vision.  

What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?
There is so much media out there, so look for the style that describes you the best. At the end of the day, our advice is keep it simple and elegant and enjoy the day.

For over six years, MyShadi Bridal Expo has been offering newly engaged couples and their families a firsthand look at the latest trends in event and wedding planning. Hosted by Desh Videsh Media Group, the bridal show takes place on one afternoon, with hundreds of attendees taking advantage of having many different types of vendors under the same roof.

Not having to shuttle around town for weekends on end is a bonus, as a wide variety of event and wedding planning vendors display their products and services while inviting attendees to stop and learn more. From caterers serving delectable food samples to photographers poignant images, couples can see firsthand what vendors have to offer. The exhibit hall takes on new life as the setup is designed to inspire and engage all senses with unique mandap designs, eye-catching reception table settings, and the latest bridal wear trends on display.

Whether in the beginning stages of planning or nearing the big day, couples can expect to walk away from MyShadi Bridal Expo with items marked off their to-do lists. Don’t miss the 2016 shows attend in person to see what everyone’s talking about!

Upcoming MyShadi Bridal Expos

Sunday, March 20, 2016
Renaissance Waverly Hotel
Atlanta, GA

Sunday, April 3, 2016
Bonaventure Resort & Spa
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Sunday, April 24, 2016
Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort
Tampa, FL

Destination weddings are increasingly popular with many couples who choose to host their big day away from home. hether couples are looking to ease the stress of wedding planning or just want to vacation with family and friends, destination wedding planning experts provide necessary logistics to make the wedding one to remember.

Recognizing the desire for more information about destination weddings, Desh Videsh Media Group, along with Proficient Travel, sponsored a Destination Wedding Pavilion at the 2015Orlando MyShadi Bridal Expo. Over ten travel agents, hotels, cruise lines, and destination wedding planners were on hand to answer questions and showcase services. Several venues, including Amresorts Hotels, Barceló Resorts, Hard Rock AIC, Palladium Hotels and Paradisus Resorts, provided attendees with a look into how a destination wedding would unfold on their property.

Given its popularity with Expo attendees, Desh Videsh Media Group will sponsor another Destination Wedding Pavilion at its next expo in Atlanta on Sunday, March 20.

2016 MyShadi Bridal Expos

36750 U.S. Highway 19 North, Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Sunday, April 24, 2016 Noon to 5:00 PM

250 Racquet Club Road, Weston, FL 33326
Sunday, April 3, 2016 Noon to 5:00 PM

2450 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339
Sunday, March 20, 2016 Noon to 5:00 PM