Heart and Soul Payal With Parag

Though doctors may be able to diagnose and know instinctively what is going on with the body, matters of the heart and love are entirely different. Ask Payal and Parag, who knew each other for months before they even began to date. Although both are doctors, the symptoms of love were not obvious to either. After a few months of friendship, Parag and Payal let it all go and went out on a date.

On one of their many adventures together, Parag thought the destination – the San Diego Botanic Gardens – would be an appropriate setting to propose. Even though Payal suspected the proposal would be coming, she really had no idea exactly when. So, when Parag got down on one knee, the moment was nothing like Payal had imagined.

After an engagement that lasted for a little over a year, the wedding was finally drawing near. Relying on friends and family rather than a wedding consultant, Payal and her troop had plenty of work cut out for them. The most taxing part was for Payal, who had to make four trips to Orlando from Houston to get things in place. This was followed by countless emails and phone calls to ensure all details were finalized. With friends, aunts and uncles willing to step in for her, planning was made much easier.

With the bride’s family traveling from Alabama and the groom’s family flying in from Canada, the couple chose to have a destination wedding in Orlando. The Hilton Lake Buena Vista was chosen as the ideal wedding venue.

The first of the functions was the garba. With nearly 300 guests attending, the Rawal Brothers provided live music and encouraged all to sway in complete abandon. Fuschia parasols, blue and fushcia drapes, and amber lights provided a myriad of different shades that offset the mood. A statue of Radha-Krishna along with dancing Ganesh statues adorned the venue alongside peacock statues.

The wedding ceremony was held in the morning in the venue’s ballroom. The popular Jodha Akbar theme was chosen for the decor, and accentuated with drapes, flowers and lights. The bride came carried in adoli by her uncles, and before long, Parag and Payal were pronounced man and wife. With Ganesh motifs decorating the programs, each guest followed along the ceremony every step of the way. The newly married couple was then whisked away in a grand horse carriage.

The reception was a sophisticated affair. With crystals and vases, flower arrangements and wreaths, LED lights and the predominant use of teal as the color of the evening, the atmosphere was surreal. The food was delectable, and a lavish spread ensured every taste bud in the room would be thrilled. Cocktails, a visual presentation, skit and dances were just some of the special moments. With grand music played by DJ Firoz throughout the events and creative conceptualization and execution by Suhaag Gardens on the decor, the event was seamless and smooth.

Payal opines that you leave things to chance eventually and sit back and enjoy it, or you will never have fun at your wedding. The wedding is not just about you, but also about the special people who have travel miles to be with you. Payal especially wants to remember all the special people who made this possible – the photographers Digital Dreams, make-up and hair stylists, and the team at the Hilton headed by Rachel Sitter, who coordinated all details. After all, a wedding is not a single-handed project, but the sum total of efforts put in by many tireless hands!