Real Wedding

Sonya weds Vikram

Sonya Rane and Vikram Saini’s lovely wedding brought together two cultures and culminated in a dream-come-true celebration for the bride and groom. The couple met at the University of Florida when Sonya was completing her Master’s Degree in Physical Assistant Studies. Vikram was studying for a Master’s in Health Administration. The two connected when they spent time together at the National College Football Championship game in Miami, Florida.

After three years of dating and a few failed attempts to create the right setting, Vikram finally found the perfect moment to propose. Standing waist deep in the sea at St. Pete Beach in Florida with Sonya by his side, he extracted the ring from his pocket. He never had to say a word because she, although stunned, recovery quickly enough to punch him, then hug and kiss him before saying yes. Given he was waist deep in water, Vikram did not go down on one knee; rather he wanted to look straight into her eyes when he proposed.

The engagement ceremony took place shortly afterwards when Sonya’s maternal uncle and aunt visited from India. Being from two different cultures, Sonya, Vikram, and both families had to sort out the wedding rituals. The couple was determined to please both the families, so in the end, they decided to have two wedding ceremonies on March 9, 2013, one according to Sikh traditions and the other according to Hindu traditions.

Unfortunately amidst enthu-siastic preparations, Vikram’s grandmother died in December 2012 putting wedding planning on hold for a bit. Since Sonya had been meeting with vendors beginning in September, much of the groundwork was already laid.

Vikram’s sangeet, which included 175 attendees, was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Cocoa, Florida. The venue, decorated by close friends, was done in traditional Punjabi and Indian elements such as Candle Bars, flame less candles, rose petals, simple

white and maroon table cloths, red up lights and small halogen lights to create a warm ambiance. Food was catered by The New Indian Punjabi Restaurant and comprised of typical Punjabi fare.

The Mahia ceremony was held in a rented tent erected adjacent to the Saini family home in Melbourne, Florida. The tent was done in multicolored LED rope lights. Tables were decorated similar to the sangeet ceremony. A continuously burning fire pit kept the venue warm and spread a lovely golden halo in the venue. Being typical Punjabis, the groom’s party chose bhangra music to set a festive tone.

Sonya chose a relaxed ceremony at home surrounded by her close friends and family because she knew she would never get enough time to bond with her family once the wedding ceremony and rituals began. Rangoli Sweets catered the food, and the venue came alive with ghoomer, bhangra and dandia ras. Flowers and lights decorated the house in typical Indian wedding fashion. Flavors of India were everywhere, from the lights floating in the pool to the heavenly aromas of food.

The wedding was a beautiful mix of cultures. Vikram arrived for the wedding on a traditionally decorated recreational vehicle. At the Magnolia Enterprise & Magnolia Corporate Center, the sera ceremony took place. From here, Vikram rode to the wedding venue on a decorated elephant, accompanied by four of his uncles mounted on horses. Sonya arrived in a limousine with her family.

For the Sikh wedding ceremony, they chose the Sikh Society of Central Florida as the venue due to Vikram’s association since its inception. The Hindu wedding took place at the Wyndham Orlando Resort as it was recommended by friends and had great architecture.

The Sikh Society of Central Florida was decorated in white floor linen and pink fabric for the Guru Granth Sahib. Pink was found in varying shades everywhere in the ceremony, from the bridal costume to the clothes of her family. The male members wore rainbow saffas. Vikram was dressed in an off-white shiwani suit accentuated with gold brocade specially procured from Jaipur. He accessorized his ensemble with maroon turban and red scabbard sword.

After the Sikh wedding, the party proceeded to the Wyndham Orlando Resort for the Hindu wedding. The venue, decorated by Remmal of Occasions by Shangri-La, featured a traditional pink and gold mandap. Sonya and her brother Rishi, both lovers of classic music, found a string of quartet to play two movements from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Sonya and Vikram wore the same clothes for both wedding ceremonies. The classy wedding programs, designed by Vikram, outlined the importance of rituals of both ceremonies and included a ceremony schedule. Music was a highlight of the ceremony. Granthi’s performed traditional Sikh music for the Sikh ceremony and Music Remembrance performed classical music for the Hindu ceremony.

The reception venue, decorated in a contemporary style with clean lines and dramatic lighting, had glass vases of alternating heights as centerpieces. The vases, filled with water and orchids, were lit at the bottom. Up lighting was used to bring color into the room and patterned projections were used to bring texture to the roof. Highlights were provided over the cake and cupcake table. White table linens were accentuated with colored ribbons and accessories, making them simple and elegant. Part of the mandap was used as a backdrop for the reception stage and projection screens were put up on either sides of the hall.

Rang Entertainment provided music for the reception. Spinning Canvas dance troupe performed a lovely group dance. The program included four dance performances and a couple of duet songs. Sonya’s brother Rishi and Ms. Charity Farris, both professional performers, sang “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge. Next, Rishi and his friend Christian Schweibler sang L-o-v-e by Frank Sinatra.

The couple maintains that to-be-weds need to be calm, keep smiling, listen to everybody, but finally do what their heart tells them to do.

Vendor Comments

We had a wonderful time designing with Sonya. She came to us with a very specific vision for her event. Together we were able to create a very clean and modern space for her reception using white linens and simple yet elegant centerpieces.

Occasions By Shangri-la
Remmal Karamsadkar
Orlando

Vik and Sonya are a wonderful caring couple, we worked together to create cupcakes that everyone would enjoy, while reflecting their heritage, background and personal tastes. We balanced Indian flavors like cardamom, with traditional flavors like chocolate. We also customized purple velvet cupcakes to blend with colors of their wedding.

Laura Maddrey
Cupping Cakes, Tampa

Sonya and Vikram’s wedding is definitely one for the books – with 1 elephant and 4 horses for the Baraat, 2 ceremonies, a cocktail hour and reception with over 650 guests and 17 vendors, Eventfully Yours was hired to ensure every-thing would run smoothly and on time for this very special day!

Tracy L. Marini
Eventfully Yours
Orlando

“This was one of the largest weddings we have been able to take part in. We were proud to bring our experienced horses and authentic Indian costuming.”

Downtown Horse And Carriage
Melbourne

Photos Courtesy:
Sona Photography 407-694-6032 www.sonaphotography.com

Vendors

VENUES
Sikh Wedding
Sikh Society of Central Florida
407-687-6883
Wedding & Reception
Wyndham Orlando Resort
407-355-3640
www.wyndham.com
DECORATOR
Occasions by Shangri-la
407-355-7700
www.occasionsbyshangrila.com
CATERERS
Taste of Punjab
407-485-3897
www.tasteofpunjaborlando.comRangoli Sweets
407-745-0695
rangolisweetsflorida@gmail.comNew Punjab Indian Restaurant
407-352-7887
www.punjabindianrestaurant.com

PHOTOGRAPHER
Sona Photography
407-694 -6032
www.sonaphotography.com

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Riant Films
407-603-6955

WEDDING COORDINATOR
Eventfully Yours
407-489-7699
www.eventfully-yours.com
DJ
Rang Entertainment
941-545-8509
www.rangentertainment.com
HORSES
Downtown Horse and
Carriage, INC 561-723-4704
www.downtowncarriage.com
ELEPHANT
Craig & Company –
Animal Connection
386-935-2792

PROJECTION AND LIVE CAMERA
Free Soul Media
321-474-1265
www.freesoulmedia.com

PRIEST
Pandit Ashok Shukla
407-913-8080

CAKE / CUPCAKES
Cupping Cakes
813-415-9643
www.cuppingcakes.com

ENTERTAINMENT – DANCERS
Spinning Canvas
813-407-3467

Sonya weds Vikram

Wedding Garland: The Ritual of Varmala

Marriage is a reality clothed in the magical attire of fantasy. It is a fairy tale that has its charming tentacles all over our minds and matter. Most often parents live to see this auspicious occasion in their young one’s lives. Sons and daughters wait to receive blessings from their elder generation on this day. This is the day when two minds unite in a bond of infinite love and endless possibilitiess of all their “firsts.” She then found Anil who was down on his knees holding a diamondring.

Different cultures have different ways of celebrating this spotlight-occasion. The Indian way of marriage is well-known throughout the world as one of the most extravagant and lavish ceremonies. Its charm and brilliance draw people even from other parts of the world to celebrate their one and only best occasion in the Indian way.

One important aspect of the Indian marriage is the varmala. Varmala is also known as jaimala. This is a garland, sewn with flowers of different colours. Although there are different occasions in which such garlands are being used, like welcoming a guest into the house or respecting a chief guest or in order to celebrate the victory of a person in some competitions, varmala is the specially made marriage garland. Varmala is exchanged between the bride and groom during the marriage.

Marriage is the occasion of the first big and socially accepted exchange between two people. The two human beings who expect a life together with dreams and many prospects come together and through the exchange of the varmala to become one. The concept of varmala is as old as the Indian civilization.

Several details of garlands and Varlama ceremony can be traced back to ancient Indian epics, where not just humans, but even gods and goddesses have the Varmaala ceremony before marriage. This proves that Varmala exchange is a ritual that was part of the Vedic culture. The ritual started in prehistoric times when husbands were chosen in “Swayamvar”. In swayamvar, it is said that a list of suitors would be invited and when the girl from the list of suitors would identify the husband she wishes for she would garland them. This ritual was called Jaimala. It is an important ritual in Hindu matrimonial ceremony since it is the first ritual which signifies that socially the bride has accepted groom has her husband.

Mostly, varmalas are made of rose flowers and jasmine along with other decorative shiny adornments. The fragrance of roses is kept intact and jasmine flowers add to the beauty of it. These days’ artificial flowersvarmalasare in fashion too, these are usually made of fabric, net, embellishments and foil. Apart from being a cheaper, viable option, and having a longer shelf life, the benefit with these varmalas is that they do not leave color stain on expensive trousseau unlike the real flowers.

The first turn is of the bride’s to garland her prospective husband and welcome him with flowers. She has to put the garland around the groom’s neck. In North Indian marriages, there would be a friendly hassle between the party with bride and groom in an attempt to help each of them put the varmala on each other. Finally, the groom decorates the bride’s neck with the varmala in his hand too.

This denotes the commencement of the matrimonial ceremony. The jaimala ceremony indicates the value of sharing and suggests the magnitude of love and harmony. Only through the fragrance of love can they conquer each other. This being the message of jailama ceremony, it still continues as a legacy of the Vedic tradition.

Wedding Garland: The Ritual of Varmala
Parita weds Rajdeep

Can two people from different parts of the world find one another? Hard to believe, but it is possible. Parita Gohil lived in New Zealand with her parents when Rajdeep Parmar was in the US on a student visa studying pharmacy. The couple and their families belong to BAPS Swaminarayan, and through santos, biodatas were exchanged. With all the details looking favorable, a meeting was arranged between the families. After much traveling to India and the United States so that Parita and Rajdeep could meet one another and their respective families, the match was made!

Once engaged, wedding planning began immediately and lasted seven months. Parita went to India to do much of her wedding shopping, though the 20-day trip went by very quickly. Rajdeep began organizing the wedding, which was to be held at the BAPS Swaminarayan mandir in Boynton Beach, Florida.

The special day came on February 2, 2013, and the couple felt blessed to be married in the mandir in the midst of splendid decorations.

Photos Courtesy:

Mayan Digital
561-319-4949

Vendors

Decoration by Dlightful Events By Impression Makers LLC
407-925-2598
www.imakeevents.com

Rinita weds Pablo

Sometimes, life change can occur during the simple act of enjoying a cup of coffee together. For Pablo and Rinita, this was certainly the case when they met at a local coffee shop in Orlando, Florida. Sparks flew, and their romance blossomed. Six years later, they made a lifelong promise to share the rest of their lives together as husband and wife.

On New Year’s Eve in 2011 during a trip to Captiva Island, Florida, Pablo took Rinita for a walk along the beach shore with a cup of coffee, symbolic of how the couple first met. Pablo escorted Rinita up the stairs of a marina dock known for its magnificent view. As they gazed at the dazzling starlit sky, Pablo got down on one knee and proposed to Rinita stating that she would always be the brightest star in his sky. The couple enjoyed the night as a celebration of both the New Year and their newly changed status.

For their wedding arrangements, the duo went on a three-week shopping spree to India accompanied by the bride’s mother, Nila. Soon after the fun-filled trip, they finalized their wedding destination – the very same Captiva Island where the couple was engaged! The spacious three acres of land surrounding the estate on the island allowed the couple to accommodate each of the wedding events on different areas of the property.

All Hindu pre-wedding ceremonies were hosted outdoors on the estate property with a traditional set-up under the shade of a tree in a canopy of colorful sarees. A Christian wedding ceremony followed a few hours later as an intimate group of guests were escorted in golf carts to the beach via the estate’s private beach access. Following the Christian wedding ceremony, the wedding party relaxed at a poolside location on the estate property to enjoy mehndi and sangeet night. The theme “Paradise” perfectly captured the island ambience and was complete with bamboo dinnerware, tiki torches, and tiki bar.

The Hindu wedding ceremony took place the very next morning beginning with the baraat. The handsome groom stunned in a red and gold wedding sherwani and safa. Pablo arrived in a BMW, and the wedding party danced their way to the wedding mandap located on the bayside of the property.

Rinita, accompanied by her uncle, boarded a seaplane from the marina where the proposal had taken place. Much to the guests’ surprise, they landed on the open water where a boat was waiting to dock them right next to the mandap. As soon as the bride landed, rose petals rained down on her while a few girls danced down the aisle. Later, Rinita was escorted to the mandap by her six uncles. The beautiful procession was perfectly timed, flawless and truly memorable.
A formal reception was held in the evening during which the guests enjoyed festivities alongside fire pits and delicious Punjabi cuisine. The newlyweds enjoyed two nights on the island before returning to Orlando, Florida, for a hometown wedding celebration. The Orlando party hosted 400 guests and had a traditional Gujarati theme. The entire night’s events were a surprise for the newlyweds, planned by family and friends.

When asked what advice they would give to those planning a destination wedding, the couple agreed that picking the wedding venue was the single most important decision they made. “While hotels and resorts offer fantastic all-inclusive wedding packages, they may not accommodate much customization. On the contrary choosing a location that allows you to be at liberty to play around with ideas – while challenging – can lead to a wedding that is exactly what you have always dreamed of!”

Photos Courtesy:
Digital Dream Video & Photo Studio 407-791-6064 www.digitaldreamstudio.com

Vendors
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Digital Dream Video & Photo Studio (407) 791-6064OFFICIANT Maharaj Mahesh Gor (321) 297-6167DECORATOR & FLOWERS Palloo’s Flowers (407) 302-7966Dlightful Events by Impression Maker (407) 497-1053	CATERING Healthy D’Lite (407) 876-1014Khasiyat (407) 888-2147Mayuri (813) 374-0386MUSIC DJ DJ Mr. B (407) 786-2143

Priyesh weds Nikisha

Love was not exactly in the air when Priyesh and Nikisha first met during garba in 2005. They did become good friends though and friendship gradually matured into love. In 2008, the two realized that they were meant to be soul mates. After three more years and a series of love letters later, Nikisha told Priyesh that he was her diamond in the rough and she had fallen in love with him. On June 2, 2011, after one of their monthly dates, Priyesh got down on his knees and produced a beautiful diamond ring. He said, “Your rough diamond has now been polished. Will you marry me?” Needless to say, Nikisha was over the moon when she said yes!

The wedding was planned for one year later on June 30, 2012. Priyesh and Nikisha wanted a typical Indian wedding, with all the traditions, intricacies, frills and fancies. They hired KISCubed, an Atlanta-based wedding consultant, so that they could be free from stress to enjoy the wedding completely. The wedding planners did a wonderful job of arranging everything, from the pre-wedding events to the post-wedding reception.

The pre-wedding ceremonies were held at Nikisha’s home in South Georgia, which overlooks a lake. Done up in Morrocan style with purple, pink and green as the theme colors, the outdoor venue of the mehndi ceremony was brightly lit and the couple’s monogram adorned the pool. Lanterns created a perfectly Indian feel. The ambiance reverberated with music and the happy laughter of guests getting mehndi applied. An open barbecue counter and bar completed the festive occasion.

The BAPS Temple of Atlanta, because of its stunning Indian architecture and spiritual ambiance, was chosen as the wedding venue. The bride arrived with her sisters looking resplendent in traditional attire. The groom looked traditional yet suave as he arrived in a limo with his sisters, cousin and the cousin’s wife.

The mandap was created in the shape of a lotus with a dazzling chandelier at the center. The evening wedding, complete with the picturesque background of the setting sun, created some very heart warming moments as Nikisha and Priyesh took their sacred vows around the fire. The programs for the wedding ceremony were shaped like a fan with red and gold writings and explained the significance of Indian wedding rituals. Traditional music with dhol and shahnai accentuated the Indian ambiance.

Held in the hotel where out of state guests were accommodated, the reception was like another fairy tale. In the reception hall that was decorated in peach, emerald and gold colors, tables were laid with peach, light green and pink flower arrangements adorning each of them. Candles were lit on top of each table. The round dance floor had the couple’s monogram and was surrounded with lounge seating for the couple and their families. Entertainment was a mix of Indian and hip hop music. The bride and groom took to the dance floor for their first dance to the song “Raja koRani se Pyaar ho Gaya” and then the bride danced with her father to “Chandaki doli.”

The wedding was simply perfect, except for those few stressful moments when the groom and his family got stuck in a traffic jam while traveling to the wedding venue. Priyesh and Nikisha tell future couples-to-be to keep calm and enjoy every moment. They say that everything always falls into place in the end.