Real Wedding

What happens when two doctors meet on a social networking site? Fall in love, of course. Anand Vakharia, family physician, and Ruchi Amin, surgery resident, met on Facebook. They met in person for the first time after four months of being Facebook friends. Since that time, they have been inseparable.

Anand’s cousin Sachin and his wife Crystal visited them in Milwaukee for the weekend. With their help, Anand meticulously planned the proposal. Sanchin and Crystal told the couple that a friend was having a party at the Boerner Botanical Gardens and wanted to take them along as their guests.

The outdoor proposal was romantic with a violinist playing near the pond with a waterfall. Ruchi realized that Sachin and Crystal who had been walking with them

The morning wedding was held outdoors at Wing song Greens with 350 guests. The wedding’s theme was coral, pink, green, and yellow with peacock themed fans, having personalized ceremony details. Unique aspects of the wedding were a floral aisle scroll, rotating stage where bride and groom exchanged garlands, and a sky air banner congratulating the couple. The groom even made a rocking entry via speedboat during the baraat that traveled along the waterfront to the golf course.

The reception was done in a royal blue, coral, ivory, and rose-gold theme. The stage had an intricate draped backdrop, and the centerpieces were hanging and floating candles, elephants/circle geometric accents. The dance floor was decorated with a large floral, crystal chandelier with a monogram.

The couple made sure each seat had hand-folded paan, escort cards consisted of a cookie box with a bride and groom frosted cookies. Besides, there was a Waterford vase ice sculpture with initials engraved, fruit carvings with Ruchi and Anand engraved on it. One incredible reception moment was when the bride-groom entered to a self-written rap about their love story.

Ruchi’s advice to couples planning their wedding is to start early to be able to share the special day with friends and family.

Imagine saying “yes” to your soulmate mid-air on a hot air balloon. Top-of-the-world, right!  Vinoth Kumar Thirunavukkarasu, a systems engineer and Jessica Jackson, a genetic counselor, did just that in Treasure Island, Florida.

Vinoth from Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, moved to Jacksonville for a new job in 2008. Jessica from Indiana also settled in the city for her first job in 2014. The duo met through a social volleyball group and hit it off immediately.

The couple’s friends saw the chemistry between the two and set them up. Vinoth was hesitant, but they arranged a group outing and left him alone with Jessica. He finally found the courage to ask Jessica for their first official date – it was a night on the beach watching the full moon, followed by dinner.

The couple later got engaged on a hot air balloon with seven tourists and celebrated with mimosas. Jessica was scared lest she drop the diamond ring!

The color theme for the wedding was cobalt blue and coral with flowers. The ceremony was organized on the rooftop facing St. Johns River in the evening.

The reception was held inside with candle lights on the tables. In a blend of Indian and American cultures, Jessica wore a white gown, while the bridesmaids also wore gowns with Indian jewelry.

Jessica advises couples to be sure that their big day reflects them and their love.

Nikita Patel, 27, a pharmacist and Mayur Patel, 28, a graphic designer, took their vows in Birmingham, Alabama, on August 26.

The duo met through a mutual friend. Mayur was once chatting with his friend on Facebook when he was then asked some awkward questions. He later came to find out it was Niki using his friend’s messenger. He found it hilarious, and sent Niki a friend request. They began talking, and planned a first date at the Georgia Aquarium that actually never happened!

To come full circle, Mayur wanted the proposal to be romantic for Niki. He asked her to go to the Georgia Aquarium, where he had arranged everything. She was taken on a private tour and at the end she was asked to open a seashell that had ‘will you marry me’ written inside. Niki thought it was for someone else, but once she saw Mayur, she understood that it was for her. The couple celebrated by finally taking a tour of the Aquarium together!

The couple hired Nilima from Crimson Bleu Events to help with wedding planning. Niki recommends a wedding planner as it is de-stressing and allows the couple to enjoy their big day.