Real Wedding

Brittany weds Francisco

Brittany and Francisco were lucky to meet each other through work, and their six year relationship led up to a beautiful surprise proposal and, of course, an unforgettable wedding. Francisco proposed on the 4th of July, which also happened to be their anniversary. He took Brittany to a restaurant in Miami Beach where he asked the big questions, and she was surprised and excited that she forgot to say “yes”! Their evening ended with a beautiful fireworks display and excitement about planning the wedding.

Brittany and Francisco, with the help of Brittany’s mother and aunt, were able to plan the entire affair themselves. It was a challenge without a professional planner, but Brittany was able to personalize every aspect of the wedding, from the napkin ring holder to the gift boxes, and it made her feel more in touch with the celebration. They chose a venue in Ft. Lauderdale that provided a beautiful view and also allowed them to use their own vendor for Indian food, which is often difficult to find. Because most of the bride and groom’s family live nearby in Miami, the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 was an ideal choice.

Before the wedding, they held henna and sangeet nights, using décor brought from India, including pillows, fabric draped across the ceilings, hanging lights, and lanterns.



	The henna artists came all the way from Canada, because Brittany had fallen in love with her work on Instagram and knew she wanted the same designs for her special day. When the wedding day arrived, Brittany and her bridal party were chauffeured to the ceremony in a party bus, while Francisco arrived at the church with his family. The ceremony décor was simple, with flowers and lanterns that didn’t distract from the ceremony itself. As the evening transitioned into the reception, the bride and groom entered with a dhol player to begin the celebration. The theme for the reception was crystal elegance, with crystal accents and jewels complementing the purple, silver, and white rose centerpieces on every table.
To reflect the union of their two very diverse cultures, there was a mix of music including Bollywood, reggaeton, and hip hop. Brittany’s four cousins surprised her with a dance performance, and the happy couple and their 160 guests enjoyed a night of dancing and celebration. Brittany is glad that she planned the wedding herself and began far in advance, because everything went according to plan and she was able to enjoy her special day without any worries.

Photos Courtesy

Fine Art Productions
732-662-5555
www.fineartproductions.net

Photos Courtesy
DISC JOCKEY Power Parties 954-530-6136 bigwill@powerparties.com	PHOTOGRAPHER Fine Art Productions 732-662-5555 www.fineartproductions.net
FLORIST Fantasy Designers 305-823-1215 www.fantasydesigners.com	Reception Sites Hyatt Regency 954-414-8504 allison.barnett@hyatt.com
MEHNDI Sonia Sumr 647-997-8695 soniashenna@gmail.com	RESTAURANT/CATERING Delicacecy Gourmet 786-587-9981
PANDIT/WEDDING DECORATOR Bhai Sahib Makanjit Singh	WEDDING SERVICES Gloria Pelo 786-942-8819 www.gloriapelobrides.com

Kaniksha weds Atman

Kaniksha and Atman’s first meeting was a blind date at the Jacksonville Zoo arranged by family friends, and it went so well that almost two years later, they were engaged. They immediately discovered they had much in common, from their love of traveling to hiking and trying new restaurants. While dating, they went on many vacations together and eventually, took a trip to Costa Rica, where Atman proposed. At sunset, they went to a private area on the beach, where Atman had arranged a five-course dinner and prepared a love letter in a glass bottle. After asking Kaniksha the big question, they enjoyed dinner and watched the sunset while dreaming about their wedding plans.

Kaniksha and Atman hired an onsite wedding planner for the mendhi event, wedding ceremony, and reception. They chose a beautiful hotel location in Orlando that could accommodate nearly 500 guests, and it was also a sentimental choice because it was the site of one of the couple’s early dates. They held the vidhi and pithi nights at home, where they decorated with a yellow and pink theme accented with bright and colorful flowers. At the hotel, the theme transitioned into a Mediterranean feel with a hookah bar and mehndi stations during the mendhi and sangeet night.

The wedding ceremony was held at the hotel in the late morning, and the entire ceremony was streamed online so that family members in India could also watch. Atman and his family were met outside by Kaniksha’s male relatives, and then carried up the stairs to the hotel by his groomsmen. Kaniksha arrived in a doli carried by her brothers and uncles, and there was an elevated walkway to the mandap decorated with fragrant jasmine flowers. The décor was peacock themed, with two floral peacocks on either side of the mandap with coral and white flowers, draped gold fabric, and a crystal chandelier in the center. Kaniksha and Atman wore beautiful outfits designed by the famous designer Shyamal and Bhumika from Ahmedabad.

The reception was also held at the hotel, after the bride and groom left the ceremony in a limousine for a much needed ice cream break before returning to the hotel to prepare.

Kaniksha and Atman had a dramatic entrance onto the stage, complete with falling curtains, after being introduced by the DJ. The reception theme was a winter wonderland, and the couple chose a combination of Indian and American music for their guests to dance the night away.

During the wedding, there were a few minor disasters, like Kaniksha’s mehndi outfit coming undone and their golf cart running out of gas while going uphill near the hotel! But overall, the couple was pleased with their success and beauty of their special day, especially because of the help of their decorators and planner.

Photos Courtesy

Digital Dream Studio
407-791-6064
www.digitaldreamstudio.com

Photos Courtesy
BANQUET HALLS Waldorf Astoria Orlando 407-597-5500 www.waldorfastoriaorlando.com	EVENT PLANNER Event Fully Yours 407-489-7699 www.eventfully-yours.com
BEAUTICIANS/COSMETICIAN Preranas Boutique 407-240-7353 www.preranasboutique.com	FLORIST Occasions By Shangri-La 407-614-2977 www.occasionsbyshangrila.com
CAKE SOFELLE Confections 407 579-1962 http://sofelleconfections.wix.com/sofelle	MEHNDI Preranas Boutique 407-240-7353 www.preranasboutique.com
DECORATOR Occasions By Shangri-La 407-614-2977 www.occasionsbyshangrila.com	PHOTOGRAPHER Digital Dream Studio 407-791-6064 www.digitaldreamstudio.com
DISC JOCKEY Krish Entertainment Service 352-299-0743 www.facebook.com/officialkrish	RESTAURANT/CATERING Tabla Bar And Grill 407-248-9400 www.tablabar.com
PRIEST/WORSHIP SERVICES Pandit Ramesh Shastri

2016’s Top Bollywood Weddings

Anything in Bollywood draws attention and more so if there’s a wedding involved. We take a look at some of the weddings that made headlines this year.
By Taniya Talukdar

The year 2016 hasn’t been the best for relationships in Bollywood, with many celebrity couples breaking up. On the other hand, there were quite a few weddings that saw couples finally walk down the aisle after years of courtship. Some of these kept people talking for days even after the main events.

Here are some of the most talked about weddings of the Hindi film industry in 2016:

Asin and Rahul Sharma

It came as a shock to many when Asin announced her engagement to Micromax CEO, Rahul Sharma. Not many were aware that these two were a couple. Asin was introduced to Rahul by his good friend, actor Akshay Kumar and found their soul mate in one another. This was the first grand wedding of the year and one of the year’s trending events. The couple had twin ceremonies in the capital, Delhi, where Rahul is from. The Christian church wedding was followed by a Hindu ceremony in the evening on January 19. The couple kept both ceremonies private and had only family and close friends in attendance including Akshay. Later, they hosted a reception in Mumbai that was attended by all Bollywood biggies.Pictures of the wedding were the talk of social media for a long time.

Kabir Bedi and Parveen Dusanj

Veteran actor Kabir Bedi surprised guests invited over for his 70th birthday by tying the knot with his long time girlfriend 42-year-old, Parveen Dusanj. While his friends attending the event were happy for the couple, there was one person who wasn’t too impressed – Kabir’s estranged daughter, Pooja Bedi, as the two women never really got along. This is Kabir’s fourth marriage and was attended by close family and friends, but Pooja wasn’t on the guestlist. The actual wedding was held at a farm house on January 16, the couple sought blessings from a Gurdwara on January 14.

Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough

The month of February saw the alliance of the bubbly Bollywood actress and Kings XI Punjab IPL team owner, Preity Zinta, to the US based financial analyst, Gene Goodenough. Many had speculated her frequent visits to the US could be attributed it to this particular relationship that lasted for 18 months before culminating in marriage, but Preity was in denial mode. The couple tied the knot during a Hindu ceremony in Los Angeles attended by close family and friends. Preity’s good friends, Suzanne Khan and Surily Goel helped organize the arrangements. The couple later hosted a reception in Mumbai attended by well known Bollywood faces

Urmila Matondkar and Mohsin Akhtar Mir

This is one wedding that people took a long time to get over. On March 3, well known designer, Manish Malhotra, took to a social networking platform to announce the marriage of his good friend, Urmila to a much younger Mir. Not only was the sudden secret marriage a shock to her fans, but also the fact that Urmila chose to marry someone 10 years younger to her surprised many. The secret ceremony was attended only by Manish from the industry apart from her family. Mir, a model-turned-businessman, was introduced to Urmila at Manish’s niece, Rridhi’s, wedding and they have been in a relationship since then. The Hindu ceremony was held at Urmila’s residence

Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover

Bombshell Bipasha Basu, who broke up with long term boyfriend John Abraham after 10 years of courtship, finally found love in television superstar, Karan Singh Grover. The two acted together in the film, Alone and love bloomed. Though initially the couple denied their relationship, Bipasha announced the wedding date and details after both the families agreed to it. The wedding took place in Mumbai and was preceded by mehendi and sangeet ceremonies. The actual wedding was conducted as per Bengali rituals and was followed by a reception attended by the who’s-who of Bollywood.

Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya

This couple might not be a part of Bollywood, but their wedding sure overtook many of the Bollywood ones. TV actors Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya tied the knot recently and drove social media crazy with everyone talking about the wedding and posting pictures. While many say that it was a good PR at work, nonetheless the motive was achieved as they got people to talk and post about the wedding on all the social media channels.

Julie weds Manreet Destination Wedding Photographed by Viridian Images Photography

A mutual love of traveling and adventure brought Julie and Manreet together when they met through common friends in Midtown Atlanta. As true adventurous spirits, they helped each discover new passions; Reet introduced Julie to mountain biking, and Julie taught him to snowboard. During their eight years of dating, they traveled all over the world, including Reet’s Indian homeland and many countries in Europe, Africa, and Central America.

The couple’s passions help start their life’s journey together, on the day of a bike race they will never forget. After dinner not far from the race, Julie, who is a huge animal lover, noticed a lonely dog sitting on the balcony of the bar where she first met Reet. Julie rushed to find the dog’s owner, but soon realized it was none other than Reet’s dog wearing a “Marry me?” tag. When she turned around to see Reet on one knee with a ring, Julie barely managed to stop laughing long enough to say “yes”. They celebrated with champagne at home, and started the wedding planning not long after.

Reet’s family did most of the planning, and even went to India two months before the big day to finalize the details. Reet and Julie were still in the US during the planning, and his family sent them photos of venues until they decided on Pinjore Gardens in Haryana. Their guests were able sightsee before the wedding, such visit he Taj Mahal and Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary. The first event, Sangeet night, was held at a park in Chandigarh, two days before the ceremony. The ladies received mehndi outside underneath a beautiful tent. The couple chose to blend their eastern and western cultures through the music, with a fun “East VS West” dance competition. The night ended with the traditional Jaggo, when they paraded through the neighborhood streets to dance and share sweets with the neighbors.

After many hours of preparation, the ceremony was held at a gurdwara. They had the traditional baarat and milni, followed a traditional anand karaj ceremony. Julie was carried out during the dholi by her brothers and male friends on a beautiful carriage.

About an hour from the ceremony venue was the breathtaking garden, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. A horse-drawn carriage carrying the newlyweds arrived to the sound of beating drums. They entered the reception tent which was draped with purple and pink flowers to create an elegant and magical atmosphere that reflected the gorgeous natural setting. The night was full of dancing, heartfelt speeches, and of course, a beautiful cake. After cutting of the cake, the happy couple and their 400 guests were wowed by a grand fireworks display. Julie and Reet were thrilled that their adventurous destination wedding went off without a hitch, and that the celebrations reflected the happiness they felt as they continued their life journey together.

Photos Courtesy

Viridian Images Photography
678-905-7545
www.virimages.com

Julie weds Manreet

Viridian Images Photography

Destination Wedding

wedding planning

Taj Mahal

Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary

Sangeet night

mehndi

dance competition

gurdwara

dholi

horse-drawn carriage

Richa weds Neal

Richa and Neal began as college sweethearts, after being lucky enough to end up at the same party one night. The two found they had much in common, and went on to date beyond college, for over six years, before Neal surprised Richa with a romantic proposal. Neal secretly invited their family and friends to Stone Mountain in Atlanta, where they watched him propose to Richa at a scenic spot overlooking a lake, and they all popped champagne with the happy couple.

Richa always knew she wanted a big hotel wedding, and ended up choosing the Marriott in Downtown Knoxville because of its proximity to her family. The couple immediately hired a wedding planner to handle all of the tedious details, like vendors, scheduling, and organization. They were grateful to have help because it prompted them to start planning early and avoid last-minute chaos.

The pre-wedding festivities began with a Ganesh Puja and Vivah Khel bhajan celebration at Richa’s Tennessee home. Richa transformed her basement into a cozy, yet elegant setting by draping colorful saris to form an umbrella design.

The following two days were just as colorful, including the Mehndi night with pink and green paisley decor, and the Moroccan-themed Garba night at a mandir in Lenoir City. Richa was also sure to add classic Indian touches to the Garba, such as rangoli and decorated clay pot centerpieces.

The grand wedding of Richa’s dreams, with 550 guests, was held in the largest ballroom at the Marriott, with the Baraat procession scheduled early in the morning to give everyone a full day of celebration. It included the festive sounds of the dhol as Neal rode in a horse carriage and jumped into a Range Rover SUV just before entering the venue with Richa’s parents. The mood transitioned smoothly for the ceremony with all instrumental versions of Richa’s favorite songs.

The all-white mandap was accented with gold decor and pink lighting to complement the pink and white floral blanket draped on both sides of the mandap. This unique floral decoration was made of white hydrangeas, roses, and green berries, which were also used in the matching bouquets. Richa was keen on a vibrant spring color palette, avoiding using red to allow her red and gold dress to stand out.

For the reception, a starlight drape matched the starlight dance floor, accented with teal and gold décor, crystal centerpieces, and rows of white tulips in vases along the estate tables. The elegant reception setting was exactly what Richa envisioned, and was her favorite aesthetic element of the entire wedding process. The reception included a mix of modern music and Indian classics, and was a fun might of dance performances and celebration. Richa and Neal reminisce fondly on their wedding, and because they had professional help and so many well-wishing guests, they were able to enjoy every moment celebrating their love story.

Photos Courtesy

Zamana Lifestyles
678-860-2921
www.zamanaphoto.com

Photos Courtesy
BEAUTICIANS/COSMETICIAN Belladev Hair & Makeup Artistry www.belladevhairstudio.com 980-475-1364	PHOTOGRAPHER Zamana Photo & Videography www.zamanaphoto.com 678-860-2921
CAKE Magpies Cakes www.magpiescakes.com 865-673-0471	PRIEST/WORSHIP SERVICES Priest Bharatbhai Bhatt 678-613-0641
DECORATOR Mandap World www.mandapworld.com 678-772-0053	RECEPTION SITES Marriott Downtown Knoxville www.marriott.com/ Courtyard? 865-594-4113
DISC JOCKEY Encore Event DJs www.encoreeventdjs.com 478-231-6282	RENTAL SERVICES Angel Chair Cover & Ceilling Drapery Des www.angelchaircover.com 678-234-2477
EVENT PLANNER Envi Event Planning nilima@envieventplanning.com 404-217-6097	RESTAURANT/CATERING Cafe Bombay www.cafebombayatlanta.com 404-320-0229
FLORIST Mandap World www.mandapworld.com 678-772-0053	Thali Indian Vegiterian Cuisine www.thaliatl.com 678-705-1290
HORSE AND CARRIAGE Heritage Carriage Rides of Pigeon Forge 865-365-5130	RETAIL SERVICES Campbell Tent & Party Rentals www.campbelltent.com 865-983-3456
JEWELERS Zaveri Bazaar www.zaveribazaar.com 404-254-1330	VIDEOGRAPHY Zamana Photo & Videography www.zamanaphoto.com 678-860-2921