Real Wedding

Ten years ago, Karim and Yasir met at Twilio, where they are still employed today. They were both teammates on the same squad and were attracted to one another right away. After returning from a business trip, Yasir relocated back to the area, and Karim made the first move. After she arrived at her Dublin home, they had nonstop FaceTime conversations during which they could tell they clicked. A few months later, he traveled to London to visit her, and after ten days together, they decided to start dating.

Finally, Yasir got down on one knee and asked Karim to marry him on the rooftop of the bar Radio, where she was waiting with rose petals, numerous pictures of the two of them, and a view of the London cityscape. Their pals surprised them on the balcony two hours after a wonderful meal in the cabana on the rooftop. Their closest friends from San Francisco, LA, NY, and Dallas were able to travel to London because of Yasir’s organization.

BANQUET HALLS The Venue at Waterstone 224-444-0008 | BEAUTICIANS Ishnae & Co. 214-986-6424 | BOUTIQUES Pronovias 737-241-0959 | CAKE Wow! Donuts 469-514-2647 | CATERING Terra Mediterranean 469-277-2775 | EVENT PLANNER Meredith Commender 214-783-7310 | FLORIST Platinum Petals 605-310-4887 | MEHNDI Meena’s Mehndi 469-360-9954 | MUSICIAN LeForce Entertainment 214-302-8564 |PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHY William Bichara Photography 469-556-5462 | Memories Films 214-239-0184 | RENTAL SERVICES BBJ La Tavola 866-376-4755 , Premier Transportation 214-351-7000 | WEDDING SERVICES Zola 408-657-9652

Meredith Commender, the company’s founder and the couple’s wedding planner, was incredibly on time, well-prepared, and helpful with recommendations. The Waterstone Venue in Celina, a stunning barn on the river in a secluded area of north Texas, served as the wedding location. In order to protect the venue’s natural beauty, the decor was kept to a minimum and included only a few string lights and drapes. The furnishings gave off a rustic barn vibe and a lot of natural beauty.

The first gown the bride tried on at Pronovias, a bridal boutique, was a western-inspired gown. She wore a customized version of her mother’s old sari as a lehnga for the mehndi.

The bride and groom opted for a custom-made doughnut wall from Wow! instead of the traditional wedding cake. The guests were pleasantly surprised by the pyrotechnics at the wedding’s conclusion, and the bride and groom enjoyed seeing everyone’s expressions as they exited via the wedding tunnel.

The bride’s intimate last dance and the opportunity to take in the beauty surrounding them before their departure were both meaningful moments.

During the winter of 2018, Devendra and Crystal connected via the Indian dating app Dil Mill. They fell in love at the same moment, but destiny had other ideas when Crystal was accepted into the nurse practitioner program and Devendra began working at Microsoft. Soon, the memory of their exchange began to fade.

However, it had been two years since their last chat when Devendra recalled it after seeing Crystal Patel’s display photo. Devendra decided to take a chance and message Crystal once more. On the streets of Bombay at the time, Crystal was busy eating pani puri. She was dealing with COVID in India during the two weeks he was waiting, and they were urged to return to the USA right away. She returned to Florida with her family.

BANQUET HALLS Caribe Royale Orlando 407-238-8470 | BEAUTICIANS Beauty Marked 813-445-6485 , Henna Allure 321-444-5911 , Onesite Beauty 404-704-2289 | CAKE  Tru-Cakes 407-473-5849 | CATERING Aashirwad Indian Cuisine 407-370-9830 ,  Khasiyat Restaurant 407-252-8756 , Maa Vimla Catering 407-408-6030 | DECORATOR Dreams To Reality 407-592-9261 |  DISC JOCKEY Awaaz Entertainment 407-902-9639 , Jashn 404-441-3539  |  EVENT PLANNER Elite Dream Creations 407-733-2597 | LIMOUSINES & TRANSPORTATION VIP Wedding Transportation 407-822-7755 | MEHNDI Vandana Methi 630-656-3401 | PHOTO BOOTH Capture Your Events 321-402-3446 | PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHY Castaldo Studios LLC 407-347-8926 , NSPG Media 407-301-8648  | PRIEST Mahesh Gor 321-297-6167 | WEDDING SERVICES Dream Dance Floors 407-988-4749

On March 28th, 2020, she finally replied, and they immediately resumed their chat. Due to the epidemic, they were sadly unable to go and had to wait patiently for the president to issue travel authorizations. They came together on June 10th, 2020, in Sedona, Arizona. They both agreed that they had something special and had a great time on their trip. The next step was eventually reached after trips to each other’s cities and getting to know each other’s families.

Devendra surprised Crystal with a trip to Alaska on July 28th, 2021, when they flew in a private helicopter to the top of a glacier, where he magically proposed to her. The wedding date was selected by Crystal and Devendra for December 11, 2022. After making several journeys to look at potential wedding locations, the Caribe Royal was chosen. They selected Elite Dreams Creation to serve as their full-time wedding planners after choosing the location.

When Hurricane Nicole began to threaten Orlando, the boho-chic mehndi was being held indoors. Devendra and Crystal made the decision to incorporate the colors magenta and haldi yellow into their pithi, which was held on the Boca Pier Foyer.

The Sangeet night’s theme was “Horn OK Please,” which is what is written on signs behind trucks in India. The truck art motif was brought to life by its decorator, Dreams to Reality. The guests were kept busy all night by the variety of Bombay street food options available at the vendors. Raas and Garba were followed by unexpected dance performances by family and friends.

As the guests danced their way to the door, the baraat’s exuberance was contagious.

The bridegroom arrived in a vintage silver convertible Cadillac. Around the golden pillars, flower decorations in shades of mauve, burgundy, off-white, and pink made up the mandap.

During cocktail hour at the reception, a live piano played Bollywood tunes from the 1980s for the attendees. Then came our first dance to one of our favorite songs, Thoda Thoda Pyaar, and Devendra and Crystal’s dramatic entrance into the ballroom. With the help of their families, the wedding planners, and the organizers, everyone enjoyed themselves.

First, it was a dance team and then Statistics tuition that made Manisha and Akaash closer to each other. Gradually they started liking each other and finally, the cupid struck and they began dating in 2016. After dating and knowing each other for 4 years, Akaash took Manisha to Nashville, the heart of Manisha’s favorite country music. On the fourth anniversary of their first date, he proposed to her amidst floral carpet and floral heart, getting down on one
knee. The answer was a delightful yes with the happiness of spending the rest of their lives together.

Finally, it was on March 5, 2022, that they decided to tie the marital knot. As both were from Orlando, they decided to have the celebrations locally and chose B Resort & Spa as the wedding venue and hired the wedding planner Big Guava Events. Instead of celebrating separately, the couple had their prewedding ceremonies together. The Haldi and Vidhi were done outdoors with simple yet elegant décor with a backdrop of a dome made of greenery combined
with lots of fresh flowers. At the end of Haldi, both of them had mango lassi, and champagne and their friends poured a bucket of ice-cold water on the couple.

On the second day, they had the Sangeet night with a dance floor, food stations, a photo booth and a surprise dance performance by the bridesmen.

BANQUET HALLS B Resort & Spa 407-828-2828 | BEAUTICIANS Henna Allure 321-444-5911
CATERING Flavors of India 321-613-3715 | Khasiyat Restaurant 407-252-8756 | CHOREOGRAPHY DpaulyMoves 305-332-3182 | DECORATOR Tas Events & Design 727-967-1189 | DISC JOCKEY Awaaz Entertainment 407-902-9639 | EVENT PLANNER Big Guava Events 571-241-4405 | MEHNDI Henna Allure 321-444-5911 | PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHY Lillie Shawn Imagery 407-878-9277 | PRIEST Pandit vishnu 813-728-7512

The wedding took place in the morning, inside the ballroom. The decoration was minimalistic. The walkway started with two pillars with fresh roses and greenery and the white floor had floating candles and fresh roses that ended with the Mandap with a backdrop of greenery and fresh flowers. Akaash arrived in a yellow jeep decorated with white flowers. He played a dhol throughout the dance and was joined by Manisha afterwards. Bollywood, Afropop, and Punjabi songs were played for dancing. Soft Bollywood songs were played in the background during the wedding ceremonies.

The reception did not have a specific theme. There was a dance floor with a gold-marbled design and an entwined M and A in the middle. The head tables had heightened candles, greenery and pink florals on top of a bright pink tablecloth.

The rest of the tables had a small low variation of florals to avoid the guests’ view of the dancefloor. Each of the 290 guests enjoyed the party thoroughly. The first song was Mann Ki Lagan by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan followed by Dil Le
Gayi Kudi followed by speeches and a wonderful performance by friends on the couple’s relationship. There was also a remembrance table for the loved ones who were no longer with them.

The couple enjoyed every moment of their special event in presence of their close ones and it will remain a precious memory for them.

It seems like the power of online dating can surprise everyone or anyone. Milan and Anika connected on DilMil at the beginning of 2019. The spark was there the moment they swiped right. On October 5, 2020, in the midst of a pandemic Milan was ready to move to the next chapter of their relationship. With the blessings of Maharaj, Swami, and both of their parents, Milan proposed to Anika at the William Vale Rooftop in New York City where the skyline was as stunning as Anika. Milan got down on one knee, and of course Anika said “Yes”!

The overall planning of the wedding took exactly one year with the help of Monica Cullen, owner and lead planner of As You Wish, weddings and events. Anika and Milan decided to get married on a very special day, October 31st 2021.

BANQUET HALLS B Resort 407-828-2828 Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center 407-586-2248 | BARTENDING SERVICE Events by Dereck 646-797-7998 | BEAUTICIANS JULIANA MAKEUP + HAIR GROUP 321-947-9358 Styled with Nat 732-910-2989 | CAKE Yogi’s Yummilicious Cakes 305-989-7697  | CATERING Khasiyat Indian Restaurant 407-252-8756  Saffron Indian Cuisine- Orlando 407-674-8899 | DECORATOR Dreams To Reality 407-592-9261 | DISC JOCKEY Krish Entertainment Inc. 352-299-0743 | ENTERTAINMENT Steel Drums 407-788-2326  | EVENT PLANNER As You Wish Weddings & Events 407-468-3056  | Music Harpist Christine MacPhail 407-239-1330 | Florist Nikun Events 407-448-7128 | HORSE AND CARRIAGE Misty Blue Acres 407-433-1099  | MEHNDI Henna Mehndi Art By Amrita 813-507-8045  | LIVE PAINTER Event Painting by Jamie 610-316-2113 | RENTAL SERVICES Exotic Limo 407-790-6388  PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER Fine Art Productions 407-979-4749  | WEDDING SERVICES Shahi Turban Tying Services 954-681-7252

Anika had her dream wedding planned way before she met Milan. She knew since the age of 8, that her wedding venue would be at Gaylord Palms in Orlando Florida, in the beautiful atrium.

Anika first got all the venues picked out, then it was time for the most important thing for Anika, the outfits! Anika picked all their outfits months in advance so they could be incorporated in the boxed wedding invitation. On the back of each insert, Anika wanted illustrations of them in their outfits for each special event.

Both Anika and Milan had their pre-wedding celebration together. Mendhi and Vidhi was held at the Villas, giving it an intimate, and home feeling. The Garba event was held at B Resort near Disney Springs. Milan and Anika had a grand Garba, the to-be husband and wife entered on a Riksha styled bicycle with Dhol players leading the way around family and friends. Dreams to Reality did all the decorations for all 4 days. The owner, Mejoo and her team did an outstanding job. With different street food stalls which are seen in India, to the amazing Dhol players, and the incredible DJ Krish the entire night was a celebration that no one could forget. Anika planned the theme of Garba to be traditional deep rich colors of India, making it a vibrant night.

The Gaylord Palms wedding venue is situated under a beautiful glass atrium, offering natural lighting and lush landscapes.  The Wedding itself had a royal and bright feel. Anika and Milan both in light pink and lilac, their elaborate outfits by Ekta Solanki made in London UK, stole the show. Anika knew with being modern she wanted to add something traditional to her wedding outfit, so she added a bandhani duppata. With Milan’s pagh trimming to the complete the whole outfit with the bhandhani theme. It all contrasted with the venue and the colors. Milan arrived in a horse and carriage, and Anika came down the aisle with Swaminaryan Bhawgan. In between the ceremony the guests were given out Kulfi ice cream and fresh Passion fruit juice.

With great effort, sleepless nights, and dedication they successfully managed to have their dream wedding. All 350 guests from all around the states enjoyed the wedding celebration that was an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

It was, perhaps, love at first sight for Neha Mahtani and Vishal Chatlani. They met at a wedding where Neha was the groom’s cousin and Vishal was the bride’s brother. They could feel an instant connection between them, and after the wedding they kept in touch and often visited each other’s cities to meet. They liked each other, and after a few months Vishal surprised Neha with a marriage proposal in the presence of both their families in Barbados. 

The lovebirds vowed to take their relationship to the next stage by entering a marital bond. The date was fixed on July 15, 2021. Since the pandemic was still dominant at that time, they decided to have a destination wedding and Orlando was a convenient city for both their families to reach. The couple booked the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress as the venue. 

BANQUET HALLS Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress 407-239-3924 | BEAUTICIANS KC Makeup 917-478-9965  Kristy’s Artistry Design 407-766-3335  Luxe Beauty Bar 844-900-5893 | CATERING Saffron Indian Cuisine- Orlando 407-674-8899  | DECORATOR Occasions By Shangri-La 407-614-2977  | DISC JOCKEY Magic Mike DJs International 646-529-2055  | EVENT PLANNER Eventrics Indian Weddings 863-397-0547  | MEHNDI Henna Allure 321-444-5911 |  PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHY The Wedding Story617-517-5080

They hired the wedding planner Eventrics, and the theme of their wedding was The Magical Event. Every event featured a magical theme: the Welcome Dinner was Cirque-themed, the Sangeet had an Enchanted Forest theme and the reception was Harry Potter-themed. Everything was beautifully designed and efficiently managed. 

Since it was a mid-July wedding, an outdoor setting was not the right choice, so the couple decided on an indoor wedding where it would be cool and comfortable. Vishal walked down the aisle with his parents, followed by the bridesmaids and groomsmen. To make it special for the couple, Neha asked each person in the wedding party to hold up signs that had her vows written on them as they walked down the aisle.

The reception décor was wonderfully coordinated and looked beautiful. The bride and groom entered to an instrumental version of the theme song from “Friends.” The couple danced to the Coke Studio version of “Afreen Afreen,” by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Momina Mustehsan. Near the end of the song, the immediate family members joined in, and the bride danced with her father, the groom with his mother and the bride’s and groom’s families with one another. 

The festivities of the wedding recreated the magical bond between Neha and Vishal, who were delighted to start their new journey of life in the presence of their family and friends.