Real Wedding

Miami holds a special place in the hearts of Gautam Muthusamy and Mariah Lewis.

Throughout their college years, the couple had been acquainted with each other via mutual friends, and spent many years as close friends before they started dating. During a chilly walk after six years of dating, Gautam proposed to Mariah. She responded “Yes,” feeling both happy surprise and deep emotion. Soon after, the couple took off for Miami to celebrate their engagement.

BANQUET HALLS Biltmore Hotel Miami Coral Gables 305-445-8066 | BEAUTICIANS Dayana Denis 786-547-0444 | CAKE Cloud 9 bakery 786-250-4672 | CATERING Madras Catering + Event Production 561-249-7168 | DECORATOR Avant gardens 305-554-4300 | DISC JOCKEY Pavan Events 954-494-3567 | EVENT PLANNER
EBJ Events 305-333-8878 | INVITATIONS Truly Engaging 763-786-9400 | MEHNDI The Henna Company Miami
786-368-2034 | PHOTOGRAPHER Solo Mio Photography 305-942-0978

At their destination wedding on October 14, 2022, Miami was once again the setting. They decided to have their wedding and reception in the magnificent, historic, and luxurious Biltmore Hotel to escape the chilly weather at home in Michigan. They enjoyed Mehndi and Sangeet with close relatives and friends during the pre-wedding rituals. The beauty of the Biltmore Hotel and its tropical themes were enjoyed by all who attended.

The wedding ceremonies were held outside at mid-day. Gautam arrived on a horse-drawn carriage. The music during the baraat included a dhol player and was a fusion of American, Latin, and Indian music.

White and blush flowers and tropical vegetation were the main decorative elements of the reception. The groomsmen joined the bridesmaids on the dance floor after the entire bridal party had entered and started dancing together. Once more, there was a blend of Spanish, American, and Indian music.

The couple danced to Ray LaMontagne’s Hold You in My Arms. The groom and his mother danced to Tera Ungli Pakad Ke Chalaa by Unknown Boys, while the bride and her father danced to What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.

Mariah was in awe as she approached the end of the aisle and saw Gautam, her soul mate. She felt doubly happy because the wedding date also was her father’s birthday, and all 125 guests wished him. The couple thoroughly enjoyed the wedding planning process, and they were thrilled to start their new life together as a married couple.

BANQUET HALLS Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront 386-954-8007 | BEAUTICIANS-COSMETICIAN Beauty By Ami 407-257-8646 | DECORATOR Abhishek Decorators 732-535-4139 | DISC JOCKEY JP Entertainment 732-903-JPDJ | EVENT PLANNER Elite Dream Creations 407-733-2597 |  PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHY Fine Art Productions 407-979-4749 | PRIEST Mahesh Gor 321-297-6167 | RESTAURANT/CATERING Mast Masala Caterers 407-816-6000 | WEDDING SERVICES Universal Wedding Cards 91 141 236 1591

They married in Florida because Krishna’s family is from Daytona Beach. Also, Amish’s mother’s family is from Florida. Elite Dream Creations, a full-service wedding planner, was recruited because a large group of 800 guests was expected at Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort.

Indian Havelis’ elaborate façade inspired the wedding’s decor, which included staggered stone buildings that recalled medieval mysticism. The bride, groom, and their closest family members sat in crystal seats of various kinds on a lofty mandap.

Hindu weddings have multiple ceremonies, and handcrafted décor set the mood for each. The bride’s lehenga had orange, hot pink, and green curtains and ornaments for the Mehandi ceremony. Since music is so important in weddings, multiple Hindi, English, and Punjabi songs were played concurrently at the groom’s, bride’s, and other main ceremonies.The garba event and wedding day had live singers and live band to add to the overall ambience of the event.

For the same reason, Grashanti, Garba, the Havan Kund, and the dining and visiting rooms required specially engineered decorative structures. Since the wedding was held early in the day, the lighting was natural and warm with a tint of gold, and votive lights were placed throughout the room to create a lucky environment. Arches and banisters covered with flowers and lighting gave the space a dreamy atmosphere. Sleek, attractive, and mobile food carts were installed.

CO2 smoke fog gun were used to cool guests in the Florida heat. As the photographer was Amish, photo sessions were hilarious and confusing. Guests partied until 4:30 AM, long after the main events ended.

The photographer’s and guests’ mobile devices captured the memorable elegant wedding.

Yousuf and Farjana connected through mutual friends in 2016 and they began dating in 2017. Four years later, Yousuf stunned Farjana by popping the question to her in front of both of their families and friends.

So Farjana Rahman Pireya Malik, a human resources professional from Bangladesh, and Yousuf Amin Malik, an electrical engineer from Pakistan, became engaged. Their chemistry has a distinctive quality, and with their marriage they were able to celebrate the customs and cultures of one another’s nations.

BANQUET HALLS Cherry Blossom Banquet Hall 703-444-0080 | Friends Meeting Of Washington 202-483-3310 | The Renaissance 804-649-3373 | BEAUTICIANS Makeup By Afshan Instagram: @makeupbyafshan | Makeup by Shazia 571-525-8784 | CAKE Cake Man’s Bakery 804-591-7850 | Ferhana Khan 571-279-9036 | CATERING Al-Medinah Restaurant 804-562-9470 | FLORIST Americas beautiful florist and decor 301-251-0500 | MEHNDI
Madiha 202-733-8292 | MUSICIAN DJ Hercules Entertainment 888-435-4372 | PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHY Arazo Studios 703-707-2519 | PRIEST Imam Abdur Rafa 703-433-1325

For a year, Farjana and Yousuf observed the pre- and post-wedding customs. According to Bangladeshi/Pakistani custom, the Islamic wedding ceremony, or Nikkah, is performed at the bride’s hometown. Since Farjana is a native of Washington, D.C., the couple had their Nikkah on May 16, 2021, at a mosque nearby the district. It was a religious event with 100 attendees.

The couple observed Gaye Holud, or Haldi, on May 29, 2022, in accordance with Bangladeshi tradition. With the help of Yousuf and his groomsmen, Farjana and her bridesmaids, and the other guests, the event featured vibrant colors, delectable Bengali food, a bangle bar, cocktails, dancing, and endless fun. The pair received a beauty treatment using turmeric paste.

The wedding and reception took place on June 12, 2022. The Renaissance at Richmond served as the location. Red and gold were the dominant colors, with hints of coral, peach, and beige. Background music for the ceremonies included a mix of Bangla, Hindi, and English hits. “Mere Sohneya,” a song in Hindi, played as Yousuf entered. The Bangla song “Jhoom” played when the groomsmen and bridesmaids arrived. Farjana and her father entered to the tune of “O Mon,” a Bangla ballad.

The celebration also included a well planned event that showcased the best of both nations. The best performance was the couple’s dance to a popular Bangla song. In addition to savoring the greatest dishes from both nations, each of the 200 guests received a chocolate bar wrapped in red foil with the words “a sweet finale to our new beginning” written lovingly on it.

That sums up Farjana and Yousuf’s love tale as they nostalgically recall the day of their new beginning.

Heaven is where marriage is created. The ideal marriage, however, is one where the couple is each other’s best friend. This was the case for Dhara Patel, a future dentist, and Vishal Patel, a future doctor, who met at a charity gathering called The Big Event. They had both attended the same college at the University of Florida, where they became friends and discovered that they have many things in common with each other.

After five years of dating, Vishal proposed to Dhara on a tranquil Georgia beach. Dhara was delighted by the nice surprise and expressed her happiness at the chance to spend the rest of her life with her soulmate, her best friend.

BANQUET HALLS Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate 407-238-6539 | BEAUTICIANS Michele Renee The Studio and Salon 813-531-7770  | CAKE Tru-Cakes 407-473-5849 | DECORATOR Utopian Event Florida 678-570-4443 | DISC JOCKEY Awaaz Entertainment 407-902-9639 | EVENT PLANNER Elite Dream Creations 407-733-2597 | MEHNDI Henna Allure 321-444-5911 | LIVE PAINTING Event Painting by Jamie 610-316-2113 | PHOTO BOOTH Bellamore Studio 407-534-0530  | PHOTOGRAPHER Asaad Images 407-221-3333 | PRIEST Acharya Ramesh Mehta 813-453-9334 | RENTAL SERVICES Coles Classic Cars LLC 407-963-9089 | CATERING Khasiyat Indian Restaurant 407-252-8756 Saffron Indian Cuisines407-674-8899 | VIDEOGRAPHY Riant Films 321-246-5839 

Planning for their nuptials started, and the couple worked with Elite Dream Creations, a wedding coordinator, which did an excellent job of organizing everything. They support hiring wedding planners because it lessens the stress of the occasion.

The “Big Event” was scheduled for November 26, 2022. The wedding and reception took place at the Omni Orlando Resort, in Florida. The Mehndi and Vidhi pre-wedding rituals were observed separately by the couple. Vishal held rituals at the resort, while Dhara held them at her home in Plant City.

The indoor wedding ceremony took place early in the morning. It was a straightforward, tasteful, and elegant ceremony. The background music, Garba, and the reception music, played by DJ Rahul Patel of Awaaz Entertainment, were perfect for the atmosphere and spirit of the occasion.

Indian, American, and Spanish music that was slow in tempo and romantic in mood was the ideal combination for the wedding. The groom arrived on a surrey bike that his friends were riding. The ladies entered the wedding site with LED glow sticks as the lads danced to the music. The remainder of the groom’s party entered dancing as well.

The reception took place at night. Everyone enjoyed the music and danced through the evening. There were advice booths for both the bride and the groom. Each guest received a package of Indian sweets, giving a special touch to the celebration. All 400 guests witnessed a special occasion that was full of pleasure and elegance as it celebrated the union of these two soulmates.

During their medical training, doctors Ayusa Sinha and Jeff Goldstein met through shared patients. Ayusa initially was less enthusiastic, but Jeff was overly eager to approach her. During a three-year courtship, Jeff proposed to Ayusa, a garden enthusiast, in the ideal setting of the Rutgers Botanical Gardens. Ayusa joyfully consented, as she had anticipated the proposal.

On June 26, 2022, the two were married. They reserved the Horticultural Center in Philadelphia as their wedding and reception site, and hired the wedding coordinator All About Events to organize all of the ceremonies.

Mehndi and Sangeet were observed as pre-wedding rituals. Ayusa was sitting on a swing with lovely drapes in the background. The dominant hues were hunter green and mustard yellow.

Outside wedding rites began at four o’clock, and Ayusa sat on a throne waiting for her “Prince Charming.” All of Jeff’s close friends and family danced behind him as he arrived in a blue convertible Audi. Light pink and slate blue florals with gold accents served as the color scheme. Israeli and Bollywood music was played.

It was the ideal fusion of the two civilizations. Tradition calls for Israelis to meet the bride at a gathering called Kabalat Pannim, or “Greeting of Faces,” before the wedding ceremony. A string quartet sextet was performed at the gathering.

The reception was held inside. In order to have adequate room for family-style meals, the décor was modest. The menu combined Jewish and Indian cuisine. There were two different dancing sessions, the first featuring the Jewish hora and the second a combination of Indian pop music and traditional dance music. All 200 visitors were given shawls for women and kippahs for men.

When Jeff veiled her before the wedding, Ayusa was enthralled. Being recognized as Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein for the first time was a dream come true for them both.

BANQUET HALLS Fairmount Horticulture Center 267-398-3070 | BEAUTICIANS Bella Angel Hair & Makeup
856-227-7774  Katherine Balan | DHOL PLAYER Dhol Bros Entertainment 610-618-2377 | EVENT PLANNER
All About Events 267-534-4707 | DECORATOR Anderson Flowers 732-662-7938 | INVITATIONS Freebird Paperie 570-847-4159 | MEHNDI Henna by Sushma 610-723-1778 | MUSICIAN DJ Shia 646-535-2334 | Shir Soul 917-817-2897 | PHOTOGRAPHER Morby Photography 484-351-6881 | CATERING Elite Catering 917-655-9564  | VIDEOGRAPHY JPG Photo & Video 267-297-5316 | WEDDING INVITATIONS Freebird Paperie 570-847-4159 | WEDDING SERVICES Elegance Quartet 484-343-3008