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Shisha Weds Dishant
In October 2018, Shisha Patel, a health educator and Indian medical program coordinator, and Dishant Patel, a project manager, held their wedding and reception at the Adriatic Lounge and the Arctic Club, respectively, on the Carnival Victory ship of the Carnival Cruise Line.
The bride and groom became acquainted on Facebook and, after a month of phone exchanges, met at the Thai Lanna restaurant in Somerset, New Jersey. They got along well from the start and dated for two years before Dishant sprung a romantic proposal at Disney Park, Orlando, in January 2017. Urged by her parents to join them for a family vacation at the park, Shisha received the surprise of her life when, on a boat ride on the lake, Dishant showed up and proposed on one knee. His original plan to propose in a hot-air balloon ride did not work out due to windy weather, but he made up for that with a helicopter ride the following day and proposed anew.
The couple planned their wedding on their own for a year and a half. With their hearts set on something unusual, they considered an island wedding and then discovered that they could have a cruise wedding. They picked Carnival Cruise Lines, who have, so far, hosted fewer than five Indian weddings.
Despite the exotic locales – their cruise ship docked at a private island, Half Moon Cay, and at Nassau, Bahamas – the wedding itself followed traditional Gujarati Vidhi, with acrylic Rangolis and hand-decorated, water-filled baskets with floating candles. As the groom couldn’t follow tradition and come aboard on a horse or in a car, he had to walk to his wedding like the rest of their one hundred guests. The gold-themed wedding had a white satin mandap decorated with red roses, and, afterwards,they played a mix of American and Bollywood songs, with Arjit Singh’s “Gerua” for the first dance and Badshah’s “Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai” for the last dance.
Thinking back on the experience, the young couple thinks that planning their own wedding, without involving wedding planners, was the best thing they could have done. They, however, do admit to being stressed out from the wedding planning and preparations. One thing they hadn’t bargained for was a choppy sea. Watching their happy guests teeter unsteadily on the ship deck, they say, was an amusing experience.
BANQUET HALLS Carnival Cruise Line 800-327-7276 | BEAUTICIANS-COSMETICIAN Henna Allure 478-231-6282 Salma Ahmed 321 444 5911 | CATERING Carnival Cruise Line 800-327-7276 | DECORATOR Nirali Decor 609-703-5879 | FLOWERS Carnival Cruise Line 800-327-7276 | PHOTOGRAPHER – VIDEOGRAPHY Digital Dream Studio 407-791-6064 | DISC JOCKEY Dholi OM | PRIEST Pandit Champak Maharaj | MEHNDI Mehndi By Melissa Addams 786-914-7565
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Sonam Kapoor Ties Knot with Long Time Beau Anand Ahuja
Sonam Kapoor Ties Knot with
Long Time Beau Anand Ahuja
Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja are officially husband and wife. The couple married in a private Sikh ceremony on the morning of May 8 at Sonam’s aunt Kavita Singh’s heritage bungalow called Rockdale in Bandra, Mumbai. After the wedding, the Kapoor and Ahuja families hosted a grand reception party at The Leela Hotel, Mumbai. The dress code for the party was Indian or western formals. 
Sonam Kapoor, who is considered the fashionista in Bollywood due to her impeccable choice, wore a traditional bright red lehenga with heavy jewelry for her big day. Designer Anuradha Vakil’s ensemble gave Sonam the look of a Punjabi bride.The groom, a Delhi-based businessman, also looked dapper in a Raghavendra Rathore creation, a beige sherwani. He completed his look with a beige and cream saafa along with pearl and ruby strings.
For her mehndi, which was held at her home in Bandra, Kapoor chose a peach and grey sharara ensemble by Vakil and for her star-studded sangeet celebrations she was elegance personified in a heavy ivory lehenga by Abu Janu-Sandeep Khosla.
The wedding of the Khoobsurat actor saw near and dear ones of the Kapoor family attending including Jacqueline Fernandez, Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani
Mukerjee, Saif Ali Khan, Boney Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor and Maheep Kapoor. Her cousins Arjun Kapoor, Jhanvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor and Anshula Kapoor were also present.The reception was also a star-studded affair that included a who’s who of the film industry. Some of the attendees at the Kapoor-Ahuja reception included Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Isabelle Kaif, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Shahrukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, Amrita Arora, Rani Mukerjee, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, among others. And of course, her cousins Jhanvi, Khushi, Anshula and Arjun Kapoor were there to celebrate with the happy couple.
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Jana Weds Vasant
As the saying goes, true love never dies, rather only grows stronger with time. Vasant Patel, IT consultant, and Jana Anandarangam, an attorney, first met in January 2014. They pair dated for four years, and it was over time that they realized theirs was a forever love.
Vasant’s spectacular proposal was a life-changing moment for Jana, one she will no doubt cherish for years. Vasant created a treasure hunt at the W Downtown Atlanta where he left love letters and gifts in various spots. The final and most incredible spot was the hotel’s helipad where Vasant proposed. The couple celebrated in the lobby bar where family and friends were eagerly awaiting the happy couple.
Although Vasant and Jana are from London and New Jersey respectively, Atlanta had become home through their careers. The couple decided on the W Midtown Atlanta Hotel after being enchanted by the space and décor. Over 250 guests joined Vasant and Jana on March 31, 2018 for an elegant celebration.
Their pre-wedding Sangeet was a fusion event blending Indian and Southern culture. The entire event took place at Monday Night Brewing. Highlights include fusion cuisine prepared by using Indian and southern flavors and ingredients.
The wedding was held in the late evening. Traditional baraat and nagaswaram music were played and outstanding performances as well as the DJ stole the hearts of guests.
The mandap was designed simply but with an elegant touch. The groom arrived at the wedding venue riding atop a white horse escorted by a Black Rolls Royce. Vasant entered with his parents and cousins with the Bollywood song “Nagara Sang Dhol” playing in the background. Jana made her entrance accompanied by her father to Bollywood song “Tere Bina.”
The reception hall was decorated in touches of purple and gold with an array of flowers and orchids adding to the unique and classy ambiance. Vasant and Jana performed their first dance to “London Thumakda.” American and Indian hit fusion songs were played throughout the reception with all guests performing dandiya to their heart’s content.
BANQUET HALLS Monday Night Brewing 404-352-7703 | W Atlanta Midtown 404-892-6000 | BEAUTICIANS-COSMETICIAN Crystal Nix Beauty 678-428-6694 | Erica Bogart Beauty 404-375-1262 | Gunn Glamour 678-558-7637 | BOUTIQUES Image Boutique Shop by Surinder Bedi 678-571-8847 | CAKE Picasso Cakes by Celso 678-756-4263 | DECORATOR Sterling Decor 678-570-4971 | DISC JOCKEY Nice Entertainment 404-396-7303 | EVENT PLANNER Envi Event Planning 864-907-2003 | HORSE AND CARRIAGE Nottingham Shire and Carriage For Hire 404-622-0526 | MEHNDI Bridal Allure by Aarti Amin 678-717-7303 | PHOTOGRAPHER Peter Togel Photography 404-647-6476 | RESTAURANT/CATERING Amara Kitchen and Bar 470-305-7405 Cafe Bombay 404-320-0229 | VIDEOGRAPHY Scott Belanger Films 404-431-9116 |
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Susan Weds Nirlep
Susan and Nirlep’s story is one of an online friendship that became a love marriage. The couple first began chatting online, during which time both Susan and Nirlep developed a fondness for one other and decided to meet in Augusta in 2016. While Susan lives in Cordele, Georgia, and Nirlep Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the distance of a six hour drive didn’t keep the two from meeting frequently. The two dated for almost a year and traveled together to beautiful locales such as Charleston, Savannah, Atlanta, and Las Vegas.
After dating for some time, Nirlep proposed to Susan on July 2, 2017 in the most unique way. He wrote the proposal in the form of a prescription on his pad and handed it to her because for Nirlep, this was the ideal way for a physician to propose to a pharmacist. After handing her the prescription proposal, Nirlep got down on one knee and placed the ring on her finger. Though nervous and overwhelmed, Susan was thrilled for the proposal. After the proposal, the coupe joined friends on a trip to Spain.
Susan and Nirlep hired Nadira with Envi Event Planning to coordinate their wedding. As they wanted a destination wedding, they decided an event management company would ensure their families did not go through the stress of planning such a big wedding. The couple decided to hold their wedding at The Grand at Moon Palace in Cancun, Mexico, on the beach on February 18, 2018 as their wedding date.
Pre-wedding events rituals included a Grah Shanti puja and a welcoming dinner for everyone.
The beach wedding was attended by 200 guests. Décor followed a white and red theme. Nirlep entered in a golf cart while “Aje Se Tera” from Padman in played in the background. Susan made her entrance to “Din Shagna Da” from the movie Phillauri.
The bride and groom’s first dance at the reception was “The Way you Look Tonight.” Susan and her father danced to “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.” “Dheere Dheere Se” was the song for the cake cutting dance. Dance performances entertained guests as did a mix of Hindi and American songs.
The couple took extra care in choosing the food for events as both families love great food. Some extra flavor was added by Susan’s family as they arranged for special Indian snacks. Susan’s sisters and cousins played a big role in making the wedding a lovely event. It was a great vacation and wedding weekend for everyone who attended.
DESTINATION WEDDINGS The Grand At Moon Palace 800-592-EEZE | DISC JOCKEY Encore Event DJS 478-231-6282 | EVENT PLANNER Envi Event Planning 864-907-2003 | PHOTOGRAPHER Zamana Photo & Videography 678-860-2921 | PRIEST Pandit Suresh 478-476-9440
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Jinal Weds Pujan
Friendship morphed into a lifelong relationship for Jinal Choksi, a Pharmacist, and Pujan Patel, a Senior Accountant, who first met at a wedding in 2014. Their love showed no bound as Jinal lived in Florida and Pujan in Maryland. From Facebook to FaceTime and flying kisses to flying airplanes, they believed that true love could reach across any distance.
In December 2016, Pujan took the opportunity to surprise and propose to Jinal at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. He made arrangements for a private gondola boat ride and hired a professional photographer to capture each moment. With a speech ready and ring in his hand, during the boat ride, Pujan went down on one knee and asked Jinal to marry him. Jinal happily said “YES” and felt over the moon with this romantic proposal.
May 12, 2018 was the day that was decided for their joyous union as husband and wife. The couple and their enthusiastic family handled all the arrangements. A gala celebration began with pre-wedding events: Mehndi, Pithi, Ganesh Puja, and Grah Shanti that were held at their respective homes.
The first joint pre-wedding event was the Garba. The backdrop included traditional Indian decor and a jula for the lovebirds. Multi-hued draping, shimmering market lights, lotus pots, custom made dandiyas with the couple’s name inscribed, and a Radha Krishna centerpiece adorned the setting.
The following day, a grand wedding and reception was held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Tampa where nearly 400 guests attended the festivities. A dream that Jinal and Pujan had awaited eagerly became reality. Pujan made an energetic entry in a black convertible Maserati. While the song “Deewani Mastani” played in the background, Jinal walked down a gorgeous pathway embellished by rose petals to the mandap. The elegant mandap was decorated with vibrant shades of pink, gold and orange by Nikun Events.
The reception décor, also done by Nikun Events, was the epitome of classiness. A starry night backdrop, crystal globe centerpieces with fresh flowers, custom designed monogram, and chandeliers contributed to the ambience.
The couple’s first dance was to the Atif Aslam song “Dil Diyan Gallan.” Amazing dance performances by friends and family along with heartfelt speeches elevated the festive vibes.
Traditional cuisine with delicious twists, a personalized hashtag (#ChoktelWedding), custom snapchat filters , a surprise dance by the bride, and a four-tier cake added a touch of exclusivity to the ceremonies.
BANQUET HALLS Embassy Suites By Hilton Tampa USF 813-977-7066 | BEAUTICIANS-COSMETICIAN Michele Renee Hair & Makeup Artist Group 813-531-7770 | CAKE Bakery Boutique 813-368-9735 | DECORATOR Nikun Events 407-448-7128 | DISC JOCKEY Dudha Productions 727-418-8498 | PHOTOGRAPHER Amita S. Photography 813-600-7014 | PRIEST Acharya Ramesh Mehta 813-453-9334 | RESTAURANT/CATERING Dosa Hut 813-385-2033 Khasiyat Indian Restaurant 407-310-1624 | VIDEOGRAPHER Digital Dream Studio 407-791-6064
