Real Wedding

The Perfect Wedding – Ekta and Dino

By Ekta and Dino
Edited by: Lovejeet Alexander

The Love Story
It was on a dance floor during a New Year’s Eve party in Las Vegas when Dino and Ekta met for the first time. The party, hosted by Young Sindhi Adults (YSA), offered the two fun-loving people the perfect chance to befriend each other. The following week of long feasts and dance parties only strengthened the bond. Dino’s confession, “One day I got to know from my Facebook wall that she visited Daytona a few weeks earlier without meeting me. I was annoyed. To compensate, she offered to buy me a drink the next time we met. Little did she know that I was going to make her my wife and make her pay for it – forever.” Half a year later they met in Chicago at the YSA retreat.

It was during the Chicago weekend that Dino expressed his feelings for Ekta. The 16 hours that followed seemed like a lifetime of silence for Dino. Ekta was on her way to Hong Kong and for 16 hours, he could not hear her voice. It was way too much after that weekend. The flight ended in an immediate reconnection between the two, and the month-long trip added much love to Ekta’s life and reflected manifold on her roaming phone bill. What followed is love (hi)story.

Next, the two families met, but as it’s a real life chronicle and not a Bollywood flick, the meeting didn’t result in any twists. Instead, they proceeded to sketching plans and taking the love story to the next level – the wedding! Something was missing – the love was there and the wedding plans were on – but where was the official on-one-knee western style proposal? Just in time, a week before the kachi misri, the commitment making ceremony, Dino found or rather carved out an opportunity.

He invited Ekta to the christening of a friend’s baby in Daytona. After lunch, he took her for a walk on the beach. At this point, Dino said “Oh! I gotta tie my shoelace,” and before Ekta realized what was happening and that his shoes didn’t have laces, he was on one knee with the ring asking for her hand in marriage. Ekta happily accepted the proposal. Congratulations poured in from unknown witnesses passing by the spot.

Wedding
Sonal J. Shah, the wedding planner was hired to take care of the practical where-what-who items. A wedding cruise was unanimously sailing through both sides’ minds. Since both families were from Miami and Daytona, the wedding was undoubtedly to be in Florida. Miami was eliminated as a destination to keep guests from skipping events and clubbing in South Beach. Taking a cue from Cruise Plus’ advertisement in Desh-Videsh, bookings were made for the Carnival Imagination.

The engagement and welcome party was to be held at the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne in March, and on the next day, all guests were invited to board the cruise. The mehndi and sangeet were scheduled to take place on the sailing ship, which was expected to inspire guests’ dance moves. One day later, the ship remained anchored in Nassau, for the lovebirds to tie the knot at the Atlantis and return to the ship for more festivities.

Ekta and Dino decided to go with a deep purple and gold color theme after being inspired by a picture they found online of a butterfly. These colors were reflected in their invitations, gift bags, website, welcome bags placed in the cabins, their sangeet night outfits and décor, wedding favors such as T-shirts and luggage tags, wedding brochures (containing itinerary and details of the wedding), table cards, mandap décor, and more.

The five different events offered an equal number of opportunities for the bride-to-be to showcase different shades of her beauty. To look ravishing on all those days, Ekta flew to India. With her mom, she visited Mumbai and Delhi searching for exclusive trousseaus. Ekta got her lehnga custom-made from scratch, and a panel made of Swarovski stones inspired her design. She herself designed the top of her outfit.

Together, the duo coordinated the colors of their outfits. In planning a special theme for the sangeet night, they decided to get all the men in the family to wear alike. The result was that all the men from both the sides were wearing ivory sherwanis with purple embroidery. The only difference between the groom and bride’s side was in the patterns. Intelligent enough, Ekta flipped her colors and wore a purple base to her outfit, adorning silver and gold embroidery. Her exquisite attire for the mehndi ceremony was an exotic lime base with large pink, yellow and blue feathered rhinestones.

The bride’s dress for the wedding reception was an interesting fusion of ethnic Indian design and Western fashion – she gave a desi touch with brocade and crystal stones to a Monte Carlo inspired-costume. The hair and make-up were the only things left unplanned by Ekta. But then there was an expert to take care of this area. Edin Carpenter from Los Angeles, a childhood friend of Dino and a celebrity hair stylist and make-up artists came to her rescue.

Welcome Reception & Engagement
On Thursday evening before the wedding, guests gathered in Miami to begin festivities. The welcome reception was a big fun event. The highlight of the evening was a photo booth where guests could put on props and take silly pictures to take home.

Mehndi & Sangeet/Raas Garba
The guests by then got an idea of the great fun that awaited them. The next afternoon, everyone boarded the all-welcoming Carnival Imagination. The mehndi bags made of pink and gold brocade with a drawstring were handed over to all the girls in the group. Placed in bags was a Ganesha keychain with crystals, two bracelets – one gold and one silver, and a bag of chocolates – purple and gold M&Ms with Dino and Ekta’s names, date and pictures printed on.

Fresh flowers from outside were not allowed on board, so Jilna, the decorator from Suhaag Garden, used her creativity. She used wooden roses and boutonnieres created from buds to assemble the centerpieces and other decorations. The little time available to decorate the lounge was yet another challenge to face. Nevertheless, the décor was mesmerizingly beautiful. Purple and orange satin drapes were preset on the poles along with LED lights adding glitter to the flow. A similar color combination was used to cover bolsters and cushions were thrown over the lounge style couches. The wooden benches, mango parasols, amber lanterns and Moroccan tray tables placed around the dance floor simply added to the grandeur of the show. The stage bore a Moroccan touch with artifacts like hookahs, lanterns, panels and dividers.

All guests tapped their feet on the dance floor to the beats of DJ Bosco, popular among Bollywood stars. The drink cards were already provided to the guests while boarding, so right from boarding to de-boarding all drinks were on the hosts.

Wedding Ceremony
Then came the much-awaited evening, the most special day in the life of Ekta and Dino. The guests arrived in Limos from the cruise ship to The Atlantis and found a stage all so perfectly set with beautiful aisle pedestals and Laxmis with black magic rose, purple lisianthus and gerbera arrangements simply complementing the exotic mundap. Hanging all around the aisle were the natural curtains of red amaranthus and burgundy callas. Jilna exported the center of attraction, the four-pillared mandap with a Bengali backdrop overlay, all the way to the Bahamas.

Widening smiles of the already joyous couple was the wedding cake with a topper designed as a caricature of Dino and Ekta. DJ Bosco played carefully selected numbers and the setting sun and rising moon offered just the perfect twilight hour for the two stars to walk down the aisle to exchange vows and unite forever. In a few moments, the moon appeared just above the mandap with the Atlantis in the backdrop offering a picture perfect moment for the evening.

The Reception
The next morning, a daylong reception party started on the deck. The seated breakfast, lunch and dinner were all served only as per the Indian menu with dishes selected personally by Ekta.

When asked if she had any nightmares regarding her grand wedding, Ekta replied, “Oh! I still have nightmares that we all missed the boat!”

Ceremony/Reception Site	The Atlantis, Albertha Edgecomb Nassau, Bahamas
Photography – Videography	The Rad Photographer www.theradphotographer.com
Wedding Planner	Sonal J. Shah www.sjsevents.com
Officiant	Maharaj Ishwar Sharma
Wedding Decorator	Jilna Patel Jasani Suhaag Garden www.suhaaggarden.com
Cruise Co-ordinator	Su Patel, Cruise plus www.cruisesplus.com
Hair Makeup	Edin Carpenter, Los Angeles
Music DJ	DJ Bosco, Mumbai
Honeymoon	Oasis of the Seas

Wedding Story – Nilu and Jay Patel

~ by Nilu Patel ~

THE BEGINNING:
We met exactly one year before our wedding date, at a restaurant in downtown Chicago. We decided to get married about three months later. As soon as we met, we knew we were made for each other.

THE PROPOSAL
I came home from work on a Friday and found Jay in my condo down on his knees with a beautiful ring. There was a beautiful sign, romantic decorations, and even all new furniture everywhere. He and his friends worked all day to truly surprise me, and it was amazing.

THE PLANNING
With Jay and I living in Chicago and the wedding being planned in Florida, we faced a lot of challenges surrounding the planning of a wedding remotely. It all worked out well though—with the help of e-mail and my large and supportive family in Florida who did the bulk of the work. We did not have a consultant, and instead, my parents did a lot and had a large volunteer committee that helped work through every detail. It was truly a community effort and we are very grateful to everyone that assisted.

THE LOCATION
I grew up in South Florida and wanted to get married there— it was a great experience to be surrounded by everyone that I was raised along with in the community. Plus the weather was amazing – way better than in Chicago! The Marriott Heron Bay was not only a beautiful venue, but it was convenient and allowed us to have all of our events in one location.

THE BRIDE WORE:
I bought my wedding outfit from Asopalav, a store in Ahmedabad, India. We went to India in November to go shopping and bought all of our clothes and accessories during that trip. The selection was wonderful – the trip was well worth it. My saree was a very traditional red and white, and I custom designed all of my jewelry to match from a small shop in Nadiad, Gujarat.

THE BRIDE’S HAIR AND MAKEUP
There were three main events for which to get ready – garba, wedding, and reception. I have to give all the credit for all my hair and makeup to my beautician, Anju Thakkar. She was absolutely wonderful. She was patient and artistic, and she paid such attention to every single detail. For the garba, she designed my hair into a long, traditional braid called a “chotlo” that was absolutely stunning, surrounded by fresh flowers.

THE FLOWER GIRL:
We had many flower girls and boys walking down the aisle — all of nieces, nephews, and cousins. The older girls came out doing a dance, the younger girls carried flowers, and the boys carried roses and of course the ring.

THE GROOM & THE GUYS WORE:
Jay wore a custom designed Shirvani at the wedding that was embroidered to match my outfit exactly. At the reception he wore a tuxedo, as did all of the men in the wedding party. We chose to have matching tux designs, but everyone chose their own vest color to match their own personality.

Sangeet/Raas Garba
For the garba, we chose a multi-colored theme. All the tables and décor had bright, varied colors. Nilu and Jay’s outfits were also multicolor.

MEHNDI
Our mendhi celebrations took place at home — my parents, brother, and sister-in-law did a wonderful job hosting. They have a breathtaking home, and they built a tent in the backyard beside the pool. Rupal, my sister-in-law, did many of the decorations herself and Rakesh Anand also helped decorate the house — there were candles, lights, and many traditional decorations made of red bandani. We invited the groom’s side over as well, and it was a great occasion for the families to mingle and get to know each other.

THE CEREMONY:
On the morning of our special day, the wedding ceremony took place at the Marriott’s convention center. The barat was one of the best parts of the wedding — the groom’s side launched tons of fireworks, and then came down a street that was lined with large palm trees against the backdrop of the golf course. Once inside, traditional red and white decorations were displayed throughout the hall with a large, gold and white mandap.

TRADITIONS
In our family, the bride’s maternal uncle traditionally brings her down the aisle. Unfortunately, my “mama” was not granted a visa. Therefore, two very special people in my life walked me down the aisle in his place — my brother, Anil, and my sister-in-law, Rupal. One of the most memorable moments for me was when my brother continually held my arm tightly and whispered in my ear halfway down the aisle, “Take it all in Nilu. Take it in.” That was the best advice anybody could have given me.

MUSIC
Our DJ, Satbir Singh from Ace DJ, did a great job with the music at the garba, wedding, and reception. He had an outrageous traveling cart at the barat and you could hear the music throughout the whole hotel – it was awesome! I was sitting in my hotel room getting ready, and I could hear every bit of music outside with my balcony door open — it was so cool, I felt like I was in the middle of a Bollywood movie. The dhol player he brought along just added a wonderful kick to the atmosphere.

TRANSPORTATION:
Jay arrived at the wedding venue in a huge white convertible Bentley that was decorated beautifully with red and white flower strands. Wow, was it breathtaking! Traditional, yet contemporary. I felt like a princess being driven away in it after the wedding.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Two companies took care of photography and videography – Spectacle Photo located in Orlando, and Anand Photo and Video located in South Florida. Both were great. Rich Johnson from Spectacle Photo was one of the most memorable people we have ever met. He is very talented, fun, and an extremely creative photographer. A few months before the wedding, he did our engagement shots at Morikami Park in Delray Beach and they were also spectacular.

THE RECEPTION:
The decorations for the reception were designed to match my outfit, which was teal and gold. The stage backdrop and tables matched, and the centerpieces were large glass vases filled with water and orchids.

TOASTS
We had four speeches — all of which were memorable. My brother spoke, and so did Jay’s brother, Sandip. Both had lots of memories to share about Nilu and Jay’s childhood and path before they met each other. My friends from college spoke and so did Jay’s best friend. My frieds gave Jay some wise pieces of advice. Jay’s friends always have some hilarious stories— life with Jay never has a dull moment.

THE WEDDING CAKE
The cake was designed by Michelle Crooks at Publix. She did a great job—she even custom mixed the icing to exactly match my outfit – all based on a cloth cutting. The cake was four tiers, and each tier was on a separate stand. Sugar flowers and separate stands were used to preserve the beauty and taste of the cake.

ENTERTAINMENT
We played a variety of music throughout the night of the reception. The first dance was “Tere Bina” from the movie Guru, and the father/daughter dance was “Jaab Koi Baat Bigar Jaye” which was a very special moment between me and my dad, who did so much for the wedding and has always been there for me. The last dance song was Green Day’s “Hope you had the time of your life.” Intermingled with the speeches, many of our family and friends did a variety of dances. One of the highlights included our breakout surprise dance done to “Jai Ho.”

THE FAVORS
The favors we gave out at the wedding surrounded our love of dance. We gave out bags with payal in them for the girls, and also a CD with our favorite songs on them. We also tied a quote to the top of the bag, which had to do with dance and the bond of love.

YOUR BEST ADVICE
My advice is to delegate and trust. I had such a wonderful time at the entire wedding, and that was because we delegated every single detail to our close friends and family. When the weekend came along, all that was left to do was have a great time with everyone who came. Jay’s advice— if you are planning a wedding, just call Nilu’s dad, Natubhai Patel from Coral Springs.

NUPTIAL NIGHTMARES/DREAMS:
Throughout the wedding planning process, I kept dreaming of the moment when I’d be walking down the aisle. Over and over everyday, I’d dream of that moment. I must say, the real thing was just as perfect as my dreams.

WEDDING DISASTERS
When I was getting ready for the reception, my beautiful bangles broke! I loved them and they matched my teal and gold dress perfectly. However, don’t fear because Anju Auntie was there. She didn’t even flinch—she remained calm, just whipped out her needle and thread and somehow fixed my bangles in 15 minutes. Wow!

Ceremony/Reception Site	Marriott Heron Bay, Coral Springs www.marriottcoralsprings.com
Photography	Spectacle Photo(Rich Johnson) www.spectaclephoto.com and Anand Photo and Video www.anandphotovideo.com
Videography	Anand Photo and Video www.anandphotovideo.com
Officiant	Ashok Pathak; Canada
Mandap Decorator And Flowers	Anand Photo and Video www.anandphotovideo.com
Hair And Makeup	Anju Thakkar
Place Cards	Designed By Payal Gandhi
Catering	Sukhadia
Music Entertainment	Ace DJ

Wedding Stories

As I mentioned in this month’s Editor’s View, the Desh-Videsh wedding special truly gets me and the team excited! While working on the wedding stories, I get to talk with newlyweds who are full of joy and excited to start their newly wedding life. This issue brings you three very unique stories.

Let me start with Jay and Nilu. A bubbly, lively, Gator fan, Nilu spent most her adult life in South Florida. She is like the daughter I never had. Her four-day wedding was the talk of the South Florida community. Her parents, Natubhai and Madhuben, have been long time family friends and are some of the nicest people we have every met. Needless to say, they were very excited about their little daughter’s wedding! Nilu’s story teaches us that planning such a wonderful event takes time, detailed planning, and help from volunteers delegated by the bride.

The next story highlights Ekta and Dino’s wedding,another extravagant South Florida affair. Their four-day wedding celebration included events in Miami, on a Carnival Cruise, and ended with a grand finale in the Bahamas.

Last but not least, Tanaz and Gustav’s wedding details how Parsi weddings unfold. When you read their story, especially the romantic wedding proposal by Gustav in New York’s Central Park, one is reminded of a Bollywood love story. Gustav’s proposal video shows critics that men do know how to be romantic!

Enjoy these real life wedding experiences, and hopefully, you will get some inspiration as you plan your big event.

Raj Shah

Tanaz and Gustad’s Wedding Story

On a bright sunny day, Tanaz was getting ready to have lunch with Gustad – a normal weekend affair the duo had been following for more than two years now. She was used to long comforting walks and spending quality time with Gustad in Central Park followed by feasts. However something inside her said this was special. What could possibly be the surprise element? Oh yes! He must have planned an exciting birthday bash as it is Januray 25, Gustad’s birthday – she concluded.

The two met and proceeded on a walk across the park to reach the restaurant where lunch awaited them. But in the vicinity of the famous Bow Bridge of Central Park, Gustad did something Tanaz will cherish for the rest of her life. He suddenly went down on one knee, confessed his love and proposed “Tanaz, will you marry me?” Though not prepared for such a pleasant surprise from the birthday boy himself, she couldn’t resist the offer and reverted with a quick “yes” accepting the beautiful ring from Gustad, which was a symbol of his love and commitment for her, elevating their friendship to new heights.

As Gustad had already convinced both families, with Tanaz’s ‘yes’ what remained was a spectacular Parsi wedding. Donning the hat of an experienced wedding planner, Tanaz’s mother Yasmine began the preparations.

The Wedding plan
The Wyndham Orlando Resort-Convention Center on International Drive was picked for the auspicious occasion as the venue offered a separate entrance for privacy so that guests could skip the crowd in the general lobby. The ballroom offered a perfect floor for the celebration. The couple’s love for nature and Central Park’s landscapes gave the theme color for the day. And the world went green and gold for the Parsi love birds.

As a traditional Parsi wedding, four days before the wedding Madavsaro ceremony was held. Brothers of the bride and groom planted two fruit trees, broke coconut and offered prayers. As a symbol of fertility, they sowed egg, with pure white cloth, gold and silver beads, paan, supari, kharak, bada, and rock candy with a small container of dahi kunku. Adami – the gifts exchanging ceremony between the two families was held on the wedding eve.

Décor
The wedding stage was decorated in open Athena style with four pillars, hanging lights and flowers. Adorning the transoms was Asho Farohar.

There were six aisles to match the stage, all beautifully lined-up with flower arrangements and lights. The chairs wore white scroll design covers with sash. Palloo really did a great job.

For reception, the bridal table was decorated with cascading flowers. The backdrop was crystal curtains with LED Uplights. The cake table was decorated with fabric and votive candles and the cake centerpiece was set in tall bubble vase filled with water gems.

Flowers and bouquets
The bride’s bouquet had red roses with white pearl decoration while the groom’s bouquet was a bunch of red roses. Red freedom and circus roses, baum color dendrobium orchids, orane astermaria, purple and pink stock, leather leaf, lily grass, and purple lizi marcia brought in the perfect décor. The groom’s niece, the flower girl of the evening carried rose petals in a basket.

Trousseau, hair and makeup
The bride’s sari was white and had gold designs and netting. The jewelry was gold. Tanaz stylishly went for her hair up. Her makeup was also along the same lines, soft and elegant.

The men from both the families wore dugli (traditional Parsi dress) for the ceremony. The groom wore a feta, a black old-fashioned hat and carried a bouquet in one hand and coconut in the other. Over the arm swung a traditional shawl. The two groom’s men also wore the dugli but with small red velvet caps. These clothes were all made in India.

Parsi Zarthushti Marriage ceremony
The ceremony started with affirmations and commitments from Gustad and Tanaz. The mutual consent of the couple was asked, not once, but thrice and then the Mobed blessed the couple with showers of rice and rose petals.

The bride and groom were each led and welcomed separately into the hall with Achhoo Michhoo – the good luck wishing ceremony – wherein both families separately welcomed the new family member. Following was the traditional Ara Antar – the union ceremony where Tanaz and Gustad sat facing each other with a cloth held between them. They held their right hand in a clasp under the screen and rice in their left hand. The Mobeds recited the prayers seven times while passing cotton thread around Tanaz and Gustad seven times, enclosing the couple in a circle. As the prayers were over, the cloth was dropped and the couple raced on throwing rice on each other. As the tradition says that the first one to throw rice would be more dominating, Tanaz -the undisputed winner- had reasons to beam. Thereafter the Ashirwad was bestowed upon the bride and the groom. The ceremony ended with the exchange of wedding rings.

Music
DJ Firoz was roped in to make the mood for the evening. He played the music pre-selected by the couple for the ceremony. The bride walked the aisle with the background instrumental track of Hum Tum. The groom preferred walking to an English song instead.

The Wedding cake
They picked a simple cake with a unique fun topper. It was a pair of monkeys dressed up for their wedding under a palm tree. The couple saw it online and got it made for the event. They did a bit of research and found someone in NYC who makes them out of clay. The cake was a blend of Marble Chocó Bavarian, Straw Chocó Bavarian, Butter cream marble and Chocó Bavarian. Syvlette was great as well.

The favors
Good luck Buddha was given to all in a gold organza bag, placed at each dinner setting.

The advice
Let your mom plan the wedding. She won’t let you down.

Ceremony/Reception Site	Wyndham Orlando Resort www.wyndham.com
Photography	Digital Dream. Orlando www.digitaldreamstudio.com
Videography	Digital Dream Orlando www.digitaldreamstudio.com
Manadp Decorator	Palloo’s Flowers www.palloosflowers.com
HAIR /Makeup	Jayshree at Prerana’s Beauty, Orlando
Jewelry	Kumar Jewelers

Soniya’s Wedding Story

THE BEGINNING:
We both moved to NYC for a dental residency program. There was an instant bond that grew stronger over the year that we worked together.

THE PROPOSAL
After 3 years in New York City we both moved to different cities. He came to visit me in Florida and planned a weekend in Key West. It was a gloomy overcast day and he told me he booked a sunset cruise. As we went out to the pier, I realized it was a privately chartered sailboat. Just as we got on the boat, the sky had cleared and it made for a perfect sunset. He brought wine, cheese and champagne and we enjoyed the ride. As the sun began to set, we went to the front of the boat to get away from the skipper. Vivek then read me a poem and at the very end asked me to be his wife!!!

THE PLANNING
Vivek and I were engaged for about 1½ years. Since I was back in another residency and long distance I had to count on Vivek to do most of the legwork. Vivek was a great wedding planner. He did much more than most boys I must say. But, I couldn’t have done it without my wedding planner Samantha Slapnik from Emma Grace Designs. She was incredibly organized through the whole process, but her initiative and calm attitude throughout the wedding weekend made the wedding as smooth as possible.

THE LOCATION
Our wedding was at the Westin in Downtown Charlotte. Vivek’s family is from Charlotte, but my family is from New York.

COLORS/THEMES OF THE DAY:
Since there were several days for the wedding, we were able to mix it up. Saturday night was the sangeet, this is a ceremony of singing and dancing.. I wanted it to be colorful and ethnic. There were hookah lounges where the henna lady was applying the henna to the guests. The linens were eggplant and bittersweet so that we could carry these colors throughout the room. We accented the tables with moroccon lanterns to give it a more ethnic feel. On Sunday, the morning ceremony was traditional, but the reception was white and silver and contemporary. My main theme for Sunday was BLING. We had a crystal mandap for the ceremony and then we opened it up for our backdrop for the reception. Our main purpose of our wedding was to showcase how we have maintained two cultures throughout our lives.

THE BRIDE OUTFIT
I have always wanted to wear a Ritu wedding gown. So, I went to India to do all of my shopping. My main stops were Mumbai, Delhi, and Jaipur. For the sangeet I wore a Neeta Lulla lehnga. I purchased this from her boutique in Mumbai. The blouse was green and the Lehnga (skirt) was pink bordered by the same green that coordinated with the blouse. My wedding gown was a red lehnga from Ritu Kumar. I wore a mauve lehgna for the reception as well, but this was not from a designer. However, I did get a special blouse tailored to match the lehnga from designer Sujata Kothari. All of my jewelry was also purchased in Jaipur, India.

THE BRIDE’S HAIR AND MAKEUP
My makeup was done by Bollywood makeup artist, Kapil Bhalla. He arrived the day before from Mumbai. For the sangeet, my hair was half up and loosely pinned. I wore my hair in a bun for the ceremony and wore it completely down for the reception. My makeup mainly focused on accenting my eyes.

THE GROOM & THE GUYS OUTFIT
The groom wore a sher wani, covered in Swarovski crystals from Millionaire in Mumbai along with a red stoll (scarf) and matching pugari (turban). He had a garland of rupees and his face was covered by a “sera” made of beads. There were 12 groomsmen. We had identical kurtas made for them in India. The stolls (scarves) that they wore were dyed to match the colors of the bridemaid’s sarees.

DECOR & SETUP OF SPACE:
The wedding was held at the Westin Charlotte. The actual ceremony took place under a crystal Mandap . The aisle was lined with flowers and pillars that each held a statue. The ceremony took place around a small fire. Sangeet There was reception the night before the wedding (the Sangeet) that was decorated in a morrocan theme. There were two ‘Hookah Lounges” set up where guest could have Menhdi ( henna) painted on their hands. The Sangeet is typically a colorful affair, so there were bright linens and flower arrangements. There were gobo lighting on the walls and low lighting. There were food and dessert stations. Wedding reception The wedding reception was done in light colors. The crystal mandap was opened up to serve as a backdrop to the head table. The linens were champagne and there were a mixture of high mid and low centerpieces with combinations of white lilies and votive candles. The lighting was dim with gobo effects projected onto the walls.

MUSIC/DANCING/ENTERTAINMENT:
As guests were being seated, the DJ played a selection of indian lounge and love songs provided by the groom. The family entered to bollywood music. The bride and groom entered to “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns n Roses and accompanied by the dhol (a loud Indian drum). The first dance was to Sarah McLachlin’s (one of the bride’s favorite artist) “Answer” The father-daughter song was “Child of Mine”by Carole King. During dinner, the DJ played some a selection of the bride and groom’s favorite downtempo songs. Before dinner, a dance group, including the groom’s cousin brother put on a high energy bhangra performance that ended with everyone on the dance floor. From then on there was mostly popular bhangra dance tracks played.

YOUR BEST ADVICE:
Plan well in advance, but when the day comes don’t sweat the details and focus on the importance of the moment.

CEREMONY SITE
Westin Charlotte, Charlotte, NC (704) 375-2600

RECEPTION SITE
Westin Charlotte, Charlotte, NC (704) 375-2600

VIDEOGRAPHY
Prashant Video Raleigh, NC (919)524-1725

CONSULTANT
Emma Grace Designs, Raleigh, NC (919)341-1530

GOWN
Ritu Kumar Mumbai, India

HAIR-
Kapil Bhalla, Mumbai, India

MAKEUP –
Kapil Bhalla, Mumbai, India

WEDDING RINGS
Diamond’s Direct, Charlotte, NC

HORSE
White Horse Weddings

CATERING
Bombay Cuisine, Charlotte, NC (704) 502-1250

MUSIC
DJ Don, Charlotte,NC Sudha Iyer/Nikhil Tikekar

CAKE
Cake Lady Jill, Charlotte NC (704) 844-1431

OTHER DESSERTS
Mad About Chocolate, Charlotte, (937) 694-0730

HONEYMOON
Millinium Travels New York (201) 435-2242

PHOTOGRAPHER
Christopher Record
http://www.christopherrecord.com
(Phone) 704.607.4459