Real Wedding

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
Shivon’s Wedding Story

Proposal
Amit planned a surprise trip to Lake Tahoe, NV. He chose Lake Tahoe because I had never seen snow. He never told me where we were going – just that it would be cold and to pack accordingly. Meanwhile, he was secretly planning a fabulous surprise and I had no idea. The day of the proposal, we went up Heavenly Mountain and of course, it started to snow like crazy. I was thrilled and figured that was the highlight of my trip, but there was more to come. At dinner, we had a private table overlooking Lake Tahoe and after dinner, the waiter brought out a huge cheesecake (my favorite) on which it was written, “Shivon, will you marry me?” I was so surprised by the cake that I never noticed the mint green box Amit had placed in front of me … and I was speechless by the gorgeous ring inside.

Planning
I definitely have to admit that I had absolutely NO idea what I was getting myself into when our wedding planning began. There are so many decisions to make and things to take care of … there were definitely moments when I felt completely overwhelmed. We began planning our wedding almost two years earlier because I was in law school in another city, and it was difficult to find time to do anything. As I quickly realized, it was a good thing we began planning early because all the good venues and vendors get booked very quickly.

We decided to pick our date first and then begin the search for the perfect venue. I wanted something different and new and the moment we saw the Marriott, I knew it was the perfect spot. Not only was the hotel gorgeous and new on the scene for Indian events in Orlando, but the event coordinator, Hameant Raghubir, really understood the unique needs necessary for a successful Indian wedding. After picking the venue, things began to fall into place. Going to India for shopping was not an option because of school, and we decided to make a trip to New Jersey instead. The trip turned out to be a huge success – I was able to get all of my outfits as well as book my makeup artist, photographer, and DJ/live band. As for picking out your clothing, I think it is important to have an idea of what style and color(s) you want, but also have an open mind – what you think will look great may actually turn out to not look so good. I have to say that picking out the decorations was one of the most stress-free and fun things I did. I had envisioned what I wanted each event to look like and Smita aunty and Remmal from Shangri-la really worked hard with me to bring my vision to life … the decorations could not have been more fabulous. The ballroom was completely transformed for each event and they truly made the image of what I wanted a reality.

Honeymoon
We went on a 2-week South american/Caribbean cruise.

Tips, advice and Dos and Do n’t
Do make sure you delegate ALL responsibility to others a few days before the event and give all vendors information for contact people so you can relax, enjoy and be stress free. Do make sure you get enough rest… it is no fun being tired at your own wedding! Do give your DJ a playlist of songs, especially if you are having multiple events. Your guests will enjoy a variety of music, instead of hearing the same songs over and over. You also don’t want the DJ playing songs you don’t like. Do attend your cocktail party… it really allows you to finally mingle with family and friends!

Videographer: Fine Art Productions 407-979-4749
Makeup artist: Susmita Patel (Studio Sush) 973-202-1717
Mehndi Artist: Tejal Patel 407-415-7994
Venue: Marriot Lake Mary 407-995-1100
Pandit: Mahesh Gor 407-699-5277
Flower: Ranjan (haars & car decoration) 407-438-6094
Cake: Sprinkles bakery 407-647-8044
Magical Moments wedding of Pareeta & Maran

Most memorable moment during wedding When I was walking down the aisle and saw my mom, sister, brother, and brother-in-law at the mandap and the smiles on their faces. And of course my adorable nephew, Rishav, who had no clue what was going on!

Q- How did both of you meet?
I walked into a friend’s birthday party in NYC and happened to notice a tall, indian guy standing in the corner with his friends. As I walked by, his cousin (whom I knew from Atlanta) stopped me to introduce me to the tall guy. After that I couldn’t get the tall guy, Maran, to stop following me. And the rest is history.

Q – How long did you know each other before marriage proposal?
We knew each other for three years.

Q – Somebody told me that the proposal was very romantic. Pl
describe He told me we were having dinner with his best friend at our favorite restaurant. We get to the restaurant to find out his best friend, Samir, is running late. They give us a very romantic table for four in the corner. A little weird, but I don’t think anything of it. We order appetizers and then dinner, and realize Samir is only making for dessert. We ask for the dessert menu, and a red menu, stating “Final Course”, is given to me. To my surprise, I realize this isn’t the regular menu. As I open it, I see pictures of us and romantic poetry. I look to my right and Maran is down on on knee asking me to marry him. It was a dream come true!

Q – Who did most of the planning?
I did not realize how hard it was planning a wedding. I was very lucky. My sister planned our entire wedding. Her and my brother took over, so I wouldn’t stress over anything. I am blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

Q – When did planning start?
He proposed to me the beginning of October 2008, and our wedding date was set for March 21, 2009. As soon as we got engaged, my sister started the planning process!

Q – Where did you go for honeymoon?
We went to French Polynesia for our honeymoon. It’s paradise on earth! I’ve never been to such a beautiful place. We went on a luxury cruise for seven days on the Paul Gauguin, followed by a five night stay in an over the water bungalow in Moorea. It was amazing and everything I could ask for.

Q – Please describe the Most Memorable Moments, do’s and don’t
Most memorable moment during wedding – When I was walking down the aisle and saw my mom, sister, brother, and brother-in-law at the mandap and the smiles on their faces. And of course my adorable nephew, Rishav, who had no clue what was going on!

Magical Moments wedding of Pareeta & Maran