Real Wedding

Kruti weds Viresh

When Kruti first saw Viresh at a graduation party, she had a feeling she would marry him one day. Over two years later, the two met again, this time during Navratri celebrations. This time, Kruti and Viresh exchanged numbers, and they made it a point to talk every day. The couple began dating soon after that eventful festival and four years later, Viresh proposed.

Knowing that Kruti wanted her family present during the proposal, Viresh made arrangements accordingly. He chose Orlando City Walk as the venue,where he planned the proposal as a beautiful journey, literally punctuated with expressions of his feelings for her. As Kruti and her friends walked along the City Walk, she first saw her parents standing at a corner holding yellow flowers that symbolized the couple’s friendship. She soon realized what was happening and began to cry tears of joy. She continued the walk and found Viresh’s parents standing at the Hard Rock with pink roses that symbolized appreciation. Viresh’s mother asked Kruti to walk down to the river, and there he was, Viresh himself, walking towards her wearing a red shirt, symbolizing his love for her. He went down on his knee and proposed, surrounded by their families and friends.

After the heart-touching proposal, Kruti’s parents threw themselves into preparations for the wedding. They had about two years between the proposal and the wedding, which made planning easier. The Renaissance Resort World Golf Village in St. Augustine was chosen as the wedding venue due to its close proximity to Kruti’s house. Another advantage the resort offered were comfortable rooms where out-of-town guests stayed.

Pre-wedding celebrations were beautifully planned, and the venue for the garba event was decorated in a Moroccan theme with orange and purple as the main colors. A live band from India,and Milan Singh performed at this event. The wedding ceremony took place in the morning. Kruti arrived at the Renaissance Resort World Golf Village directly from her parents’ house, where she stayed (rather than at the resort) in deference to tradition. The wedding mandap was set up in the middle of the hall instead of against the wall. Seats for guests were placed all around the mandap allowing guests to see the wedding rituals from all sides. The ceremony was followed by lunch. The live band brought in from India performed at the wedding and entertained the guests during the entire three hour ceremony.

The reception was a grand event with the hall decorated very elegantly, courtesy of Kruti’s parents and aunt. Kruti’s brother, Viresh’s best friend, and his brother were the emcees, and they arranged dances, games and heartfelt speeches to celebrate the couple’s marriage. The DJ then took over and played some music that had the wedding party begging for more. The coupe advises prospective grooms and brides to look around and absorb everything that goes on during their wedding day so that the day can be truly memorable.

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

Vendors

BANQUET HALLS
World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort
904-940-8000
www.worldgolfrenaissance.com
BEAUTICIANS/COSMETICIAN
Alladin s Magic
321-201-0518
www.alladinsmagic.vpweb.comQ Salon
407-253-2828
qsalonorlando@aol.com

DISC JOCKEY
Dudha Productions
407-446-0325
www.dudhaproductions.com

MEHNDI
Sushila Beauty Care
904-731-7010
sushilabeautycare@yahoo.com
PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER
Digital Dream Studio
407-791-6064
www.digitaldreamstudio.comRESTAURANT/CATERING
Rajbhog Foods
201-395-9400
www.rajbhog.com

WEDDING SERVICES
Palloos Flowers
407-302-7966
www.palloosflowers.com

Arjun weds Ronica

Two years after physicians Arjun and Ronica met in medical school, they realized they had much in common, including a love for the Florida Gators, hatred for libraries, and similar tastes in food. Once the realization hit home, they knew they were meant for one another.

Arjun coordinated a heartfelt proposal during a vacation trip to Orlando. Knowing that swimming with dolphins was a dream of Ronica’s, Arjun arranged for the couple to do so at Discovery Cove. After a group swim with dolphin Yoko, Ronica was given a buoy by the very same dolphin. On the buoy were the words, “Will you marry me?” Though initially speechless, Ronica managed to squeeze out a yes!

Arjun and Ronica married in December 2013. They couple chose the Orlando World Center Marriot for its beautiful ambiance and spacious ballrooms. An added bonus what the convenience of having the family, bridal party, and guests stay at the hotel to eliminate the need for additional transport.

Pre-wedding functions epitomized charm, creativity and brilliance. The Sangeet’s theme was “lotus” since the flower signifies purity and love. Tables were decorated with lotus centerpieces and mini tablas, while lotus fountains were used around the venue. Various food stations were arranged in a bazaar theme and served traditional and fusion dishes. Dessert included sugar cookies in lotus colors. Family and friends entertained with dramas, songs, dances and quawalis. Ronica and her sister performed a special dance, with the ceremony ending with a solo dance performance by Ronica.

Aqua and red served as wedding day colors. The wedding dais was encrusted with crystals, flowers and soft pink swags, making it look romantic and calming. Along the sides of the mandap, crystal globes, flowers and candles placed on a raised aisle.

Ceremony programs were handmade. Aqua and red ribbons threaded through heart shaped punch holes held the pages together. All wedding stationary, including the welcome bags and packages, featured the couple’s monogram! The music, played by a DJ, was inspired by Bollywood. Ronica entered in a dholi to the song “Heer” from Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Her sister welcomed the groom with a dance to the song “Aao Padharo.” The songs aptly set the mood for the ceremony.

The reception, also held at the hotel, featured a white dance floor embedded with the couple’s monogram as the center of attraction. Close friends and relatives were seated around the dance floor, and tables were decorated with floral bouquets and tall crystal centerpieces lit with LED lights or a stream of candles and crystal orbs filled with real petals. The dinner was an array of dishes, but the highlight were two lounges created exclusively for desserts. Smartly done textured lighting highlighted the space making it look and feel warm and inviting.

The four sided acrylic bar was sleek and stylish and embellished with LED lights, crystals and candles. Drinks were served through Albert and Alberta ice luges. Albert and Alberta is the mascot of the couple’s alma-mater, the University of Florida. Signature drinks such as the “Rowdy Reptile” and “Mr. Two Bits” were served too. The cake was a sapphire blue beauty with gold accents to match the dress of the bride. The linen at the venue was also done in the same colors.

An Indian jazz saxophonist entertained guests during the cocktail hour. At the reception, the bride’s sister and groom’s sister joined forces and sang the couple’s first dance song, “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. Friends performed dances, and ultimately, Arjun serenaded his new wife with “Treasure” by Bruno Mars, with friends and Ronica’s bridesmaids performing a background dance.

The couple advises would-be brides and grooms to leave no arrangements for last week before the ceremony and enjoy the celebrations without being too stressed.

Photos Courtesy:

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

Vendors

PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER
Fine Art Productions
732-662-5555
www.fineartproductions.net

RESTAURANT/CATERING
Khasiyat
407-888-2147
bhanuchavda13@yahoo.com

Tabla Bar And Grill
407-248-9400
www.tablabar.com

CAKE
Party Flavors Custom Cakes
407-578-2082
DHOL PLAYER
Mitul Gandhi -DHOL PLAYER
813-769-9649
www.facebook.com/pages/Dholi-Mitul-G/265177

DECORATOR
Occasions By Shangri-La
407-394-4244
www.occasionsbyshangrila.com

DISC JOCKEY
Prime DJ (Neil)
404-510-6325
www.prime-djs.com

PRIEST/WORSHIP SERVICES
Ramesh Mehta
813-661-6297; 813-453-9334
namasteamerica1@gmail.com

Ekta weds Vipal

During the summer of 2012, Ekta and Vipal met through a mutual friend. Six months, hours of phones calls, and a few weekend meetings later, they knew they were meant to be together. Vipal proposed to Ekta at the Newport Levee on a dinner date. His sister Priya accompanied Ekta, and as the two women entered the hotel after spending the day shopping, they noticed signs all over the place. They followed the signs and found Vipal at the end of the path. He proposed to a completely stunned Ekta, who recovered soon enough to say yes. Ekta was in for another surprise because her sister was there too. The four had drinks to celebrate the occasion and went back to Vipal’s home where the third surprise awaited Ekta. Her mother was waiting for her with a huge smile on her face. The lovely evening culminated in a warm family dinner.

Ekta and Vipal were married on November 23, 2013. Ekta, her parents, and sister took charge of the arrangements. Her father dealt with the vendors, while her mother arranged the religious ceremonies and food. Ekta and her sister managed the rest. Fortunately, the family had eleven months to arrange everything to perfection.

The wedding took place at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Weston, Florida. Ekta wanted an outdoor wedding, and the picturesque venue suited the couple perfectly. The resort staff, particularly Kristin, was instrumental in assisting with the wedding arrangements.

The sangeet ceremony was held at Bonaventure the night before the wedding. Although the couple initially planned for a pool side event, they eventually settled for an indoor sangeet due to weather conditions. The theme for the sangeet was beach resort casual. The venue was decorated in beach colors such as ocean blue, yellow and silver-grey. Tables flaunted simple floral centerpieces and beach elements such as seashells, sand and starfish. A special stage illuminated with minimal lighting was arranged for the bride and groom. Live singers provided entertainment. Food was a delicious affair with three food stations and an exclusive dessert station including a s’mores bar.

The wedding ceremony, to which 350 guests were invited, was held outdoors in the rainforest area of the Bonaventure resort. The groom arrived in a Porsche accompanied by his sister, a mobile DJ, and his baraat. At the venue, an open concept mandap was created with a beautiful waterfall as its backdrop. The wedding echoed the theme from the sangeet. Starfishes adorned the aisles and lots of tropical colors such as aqua, fuchsia, deep purple and orange were used to create a tropical beach feel. Photographs of grandparents were placed on a special memory table to honor their presence. The ceremony programs, which were distributed among the guests by cousins,explained wedding rituals. Live entertainer Seema Naik performed traditional Gujarati songs for each ritual of the wedding.

The beach theme followed through to the reception. The venue was decorated in mint, ivory, coral and gold colors. The couple’s monogram was displayed on the floor, and the entire room was lit with ocean blue lighting. Centerpieces on the tables were made of shells, water, sand and tropical flowers. Guest seating cards were stuck on starfish models and placed in boxes of sand. The cake had a starfish trailing on the top along with a Cincinnati Bengal mascot for Vipal. Thank you messages from the couples were mounted on coral paper with shells attached to it. Starfish models were also used on table numbers.

The music was a mix of Hindi songs, hip-hop and R&B. The couple entered to the song “Rest of My Life” by Usher and Ludacris. The song “Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum was played during the cake cutting ceremony. The couple’s sisters performed dances, but the surprise moment of the night was when Vipal jumped up from his seat and danced for Ekta.

The couple advises would-be couples to sit back and relax, and let the family take over the arrangements during the week before the wedding.

Photos Courtesy:
Fine Art Productions 732-662-5555 www.fineartproductions.net

Vendors
BANQUET HALL Bonaventure Resort & Spa 954-389-3300 www.BonaventureResortandSpa.com.cm BEAUTICIANS/COSMETICIAN Beauty By Jayshree 407-430-8536 www.beautybyjayshree.comIndu Herbal Beauty Salon 954-572-6822 www.indusalon.comDISC JOCKEY Complete Music 770-425-3535 www.cmatlantadj.comVolcanik Entertainment 973-951-2744 www.volcanik.com	CAKE Elegant Temptations 305-556-6111 www.etcakes.com MUSICIAN Seema Naik 954-871-9713 www.seemanaik.comPHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER Fine Art Productions 732-662-5555 www.fineartproductions.netWEDDING SERVICES Palloos Flowers 407-302-7966 www.palloosflowers.com

Ekta weds Vipal

Megha weds Neil

We have all heard the story about reluctant neighbors who slowly develop strong feelings for each other and end up married happily ever after, right? So goes the story of how Megha and Neil became a couple. They were first neighbors while studying at the University of Florida.

Slowly, over time, they became friends, before soon becoming inseparable. Three years after they started dating, Neil surprised Megha with a day of pampering followed by an intimate proposal at the Trump International Hotel in front of a private cabana on the beach filled with rose petals. After a two-year engagement, Megha and Neil married in a grand Gujarati wedding celebration at the Wyndham Grand Bonnet Creek located within the Disney gates in Orlando.

Wedding celebrations began on a Thursday with the Mehndi, which was held in Orlando and decorated by family. The ceremony came alive with dance performances, antakshari, and the aroma of delicious South Indian food. The Garba event was held on Friday at the Wyndham. Decorated in a ghamti (rural) theme by Suhaag Garden, the event featured jupri food stations, a rustic swing setting on the dais, and lovely idols of Radha-Krishna at the center. The highlight of the evening was a flash mob dance sequence presented by cousins and friends. The dance ended with a special performance by the couple.

The big day began bright and early in the morning, with Neil arriving mounted on a white house and accompanied by dancing family and friends. Dhol players filled the air with traditional beats. The groom and his party was welcomed by Megha’s family at the entrance of the hotel’s ballroom. Beautifully decorated by Suhaag Garden, elephant sculptures greeted guests at the entrance. The Radha-Krishna theme continued and was the inspiration for the mandap. A combination of white, yellow, red and green was used to enhance the ballroom, and the colors matched the bride’s outfit perfectly to create a traditional ambiance. Megha entered the venue seated on a beautifully decorated doli that was carried by her brothers and cousins. She looked resplendent in the traditional bridal outfit she bought in India.

Later that night, a grand reception was organized at the same venue. However, the room was transformed. From white, green and red décor, the room glowed in hues of aqua blue and grayish purple, which were also the colors of Megha’s reception dress. Mini elephant statuettes held guest table cards. Centerpieces comprised of golden elephant tusks, candle holders and glass candelabras. The stage was a simple artistic masterpiece. In the background, stood three interlocked golden frames. In front of the middle frame was a beautiful lounge chaise. Static texture lighting illuminated the stage. The entire set up presented a lovely mix of the western and Indian cultural elements.

DJ Firoz played excellent music throughout the wedding ceremony as well as the reception. The newly married couple performed their first dance to the medley o “Tu Jahan” from Salaam Namaste and “Everything” by Michael Buble. The bridesmaids, groomsmen, couple’s parents, friends and cousins even presented a hilarious performance based on the television show How I Met Your Mother.

Though Megha had many nightmares, ranging from the vendors not arriving on time to guests not arriving because of bad weather, none came true and the wedding occurred without any bad incidents.

Megha’s advice to would-be grooms is that they should always support their brides from the beginning through all the stages of wedding preparations. She also says that the brides should stand by their dreams and ensure that every arrangement is up to their satisfaction although a few compromises might be necessary.

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

Vendors

BANQUET HALLS
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort
Bonnet Creek
407-390-2300
www.wyndhambonnetcreek.comCAKE
Party Flavors Custom Cakes
407-578-2082
www.orlandocustomcakes.comDECORATOR
Suhaag Garden
813-478-9283
www.suhaaggarden.comDISC JOCKEY
Dudha Productions
407-446-0325
www.dudhaproductions.comHORSE – CARRIAGE
Downtown Horse & Carriage Inc
561-723-4704
www.downtownhorseandcarriage.com

MEHNDI
Sangita Patel
Spatel612@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER
Sona Photography
407-694-6032
www.sonaphotography.comPRIEST/WORSHIP SERVICES
Mahesh Gor
407-699-7966
maheshgor61@gmail.comRESTAURANT/CATERING
Aashirwad Indian Cuisine
407-370-9830
www.aashirwadrestaurant.comKhasiyat
407-888-2147
bhanuchavda13@yahoo.comMemories Of India
407-370-3277
www.memoriesofindiacuisine.com

WEDDING PLANNER
Shivpriya Event Management 407-473-8852
www.shivpriyaevents.com

Megha weds Neil

Mehndi Event

Megha weds Neil

Rosi Weds Nimesh

If romance is what Rosi wants most from life, she simply cannot complain. Not only did she end up with a man who loves her infinitely, but she also enjoyed a bit of romance, the kind of which fairytales are made, along the way.

Nimesh and Rosi met through common friends while at dinner one evening. One month after they began dating, Nimesh carefully orchestrated a trip to Paris for work. His approach was foolproof, and he enlisted the help of friends and a series of clever emails. On the pretext that he managed to get a ticket for Rosi as well, Nimesh and his amour were off on what would become an epic getaway. Being in Paris, it was only natural that Nimesh proposed in front of the Eiffel Tower!

Many details needed to be planned during the eight months before the wedding. Rosi and Nimesh personally looked into all aspects, delegating some details to family members. A quick visit to India served as a shopping outing for clothes and accessories. The first of the functions was the grah shanti, which was followed by the sangeet. Both events were held at a local temple. Drapes, a large idol of Radha Krishna, a photo booth and jhoola were just some of the accents at the venue. The main highlights of the evening were performances by friends and family and the wonderful time shared by everyone.

The Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel made for the ideal wedding venue, and the property allowed the couple to bring what they envisioned for their special day to life. The venue was also easily accessible to both families, and offered plenty of space for the events. Predominant at the wedding ceremony were the bold colors of gold, white and red. Different types of flowers in an array of colors added to the beauty of the Grand Ballroom. The groom walked in with his twelve groomsmen, while Rosi was carried in a dholi, with her twelve bridesmaids accompanying her.

With greys and pinks painting a surreal picture at the reception, Nimesh and Rosi walked in wearing outfits that complimented the elegant decor. Beautiful overlays, centerpieces and lights completed the picture.

Rosi advises that leaving things for the last minute never helps. She is clever to add that you can never forget to smile, given that the camera is always following you. Nimesh, on the other hand suggests that you keep a buffer when allocating time for planning. He also strongly recommends a massage for the bride before and after the wedding.