Miami Wedding With Pretty Outfits & Ideas- & A Dash Of Bollywood!
BY Sakshi | 22 May, 2024 | 916 views | 10 min read
More and more couples are choosing to personalise their weddings- with their nuptials being a reflection of who they are as a couple. Bollywood especially seems to be a hot favourite, and here is yet another wedding with a lot of Bollywood-inspired elements that wow. Priya and Anurag had their beautiful wedding in sunny Miami, and it was full of all things glam and gorgeous. We especially loved the bride's mehendi and sangeet outfits- very chic and stylish! Take a look as the couple takes us through their themed events.
Meet Priya and Anurag
So it turns out meeting at a wedding isn’t just meant for rom-coms. And Instagram may have some redeeming qualities after all. In August of 2017, the couple met at Anurag’s brother’s wedding. The 4-day long celebration meant endless encounters, countless chats, a few glances, and a (fake) phone number exchange. Fake phone number exchange? Well, despite Anurag’s frequent dereliction of hosting duties to steal moments with Priya, their deepest conversations didn’t begin until the reception where they found themselves chatting the night away. About what? Health technology. Priya's passion for digital health and Anurag's experience in healthcare investing was the first bond they shared. The night was coming to an end, and Anurag asked for Priya's number. Priya eagerly obliged, but I accidentally missed a digit! Anurag was thinking about Priya the next day, and decided to text her. Imagine to his surprise when all he saw was a 9-digit number in his phone that was labeled ‘Fax’. Determined to speak to her again, Anurag looked Priya up on Instagram. For all you millennials out there, yes, Anurag slid into Priya’s DMs and got her real number.
The couple exchanged texts the next month or so, talking about New York, family and friends, and Game of Thrones (back when it was still really good). On their first date, they enjoyed a classic NYC night out – dinner, drinks and dancing. They had an immediate connection and were able to talk for hours. Anurag continued his courtship by wooing Priya with his personality, charm and great taste in dates. They had omakase, made pasta from scratch, mutually pretended to be into fitness bootcamp classes, learned the intricacies of tea, and explored all food in the city. They've now been together for over 6 years (and counting!)
Mehendi
We called this event Mehendi and Mimosas. It took place outdoors at the Biltmore Hotel with boho-chic vibes. Guests enjoyed both an American style brunch like chicken and waffles, but also traditional South Indian food like idli and dosa. Our guests were also able to get henna done at this event. Once the mimosas and bellinis hit, there was some dancing as well. This event took place outside at the Biltmore Hotel's main terrace. We also included some games on the lawn with carrom board, jenga, and many more games. We asked our designer to add warm flowers, wicker lanterns, and a fun photo opportunity to tie in with the bohemian feel. In regards to what I wore, It was always my dream to wear a white outfit for this event, so I went with a two piece modern outfit with a cape from Sunaina Khera.
Sangeet
The Sangeet took place at the Alhambra ballroom at the Biltmore Hotel. This night was full of dancing, drinking, and musical performances. Guests enjoyed a choreographed family dance on both sides, and a big friends dance to some Bollywood songs. For the Sangeet, the ballroom had a very royal and grand feel, so we wanted the decorations to incorporate romantic flowers and colors but also tall antique gold candelabras. In regards to what I wore, I went with a lehenga from Seema Gujral. I was very excited about this outfit because I worked with their team to customize a color. They originally had it in red only (which is breath taking), but since I was planning to wear red at the ceremony, I decided to go with a fuchsia pink color and truly felt like an Indian barbie. I surprised my husband with a solo dance to the song 'Lagan lagi re' as it's one of our favorite songs. I also did my chura ceremony at midnight once the Sangeet was over. This was so special because I had my Mama and Mami surprise me with my chura bangles, and then all of my immediate family shower me with blessings. This was probably one of the most emotional moments for me and my family.
Wedding
The wedding ceremony took place at the Ancient Spanish Monastery. We didn’t have a traditional first look with each other, instead we waited to see each other for the first time at the aisle. We are so happy we skipped the first look because we were able to be so raw and vulnerable with each other the moment we knew were were about to get married to each other. I did a first look with my dad, and then my uncles and cousin brothers. It was truly special to do that with them. For the baraat, Anurag didn’t want to enter on horse, so instead he rolled in with a vintage Cuban convertible with colorful smoke streamers and his posse. The ceremony was extremely special to us because we got to combine both of our Indian cultures (I am Punjabi and Anurag is Telugu). We also exchanged vows during the ceremony, which was extremely special to us. Our ceremony really honed in on nature. We had mahogany chairs and a wood base for the mandap. It was full of greenery and white flowers, with big lanterns. It was whimsical and felt like we were one with nature which really felt perfect at the venue. It felt like you were transported to Europe, especially in the cloisters where the guests had lunch after the ceremony. There were also palm trees and jungly leaves everywhere, which looked beautiful against the decor and our outfits! For lunch, we served both traditional Punjabi food and some South Indian food.
Reception
The Reception took place at the Historic Alfred I. duPont Building. This night was so fun for us because we finally got to relax and have fun. We had a seated plated dinner with additional family style dishes from Chef Hemant Mathur and the Indian Harbor. We also had an assortment of desserts. There were three things that we did at our Reception that we were super excited about:
1. Instead of a traditional photo booth, we had a really tall large mirror with a quote from my favorite movie, Khabi Khushi Khabi Gham, that said "Tumhara koi haq nahi banta ki tum itni sundar lago. Not fair."
2. We wanted to have an interactive seating chart. We had a green moss wall with white roses and a sign that said “I pick you” with our hashtag because we “picked” them to celebrate with us and they got to physically “pick” a flower.
3. Our signature drinks had a fun twist. We incorporated creative and Bollywood names for the drinks. Mine was a spicy mezcal margarita (name: Jab we Married) and Anurag had a tea infused Manhattan (Name: Jab we Met). We met in Manhattan and we got married in Miami (hence a tropical drink).
From The Bride:
Our wedding took place on April 15, 2024, and the main formal events were broken down to two days. Overall, If you describe our wedding aesthetic, it was rustic chic meets elegance. All of the venues we've selected had earthy tones, a European feel, and gardens. It encapsulated the feeling we wanted for our wedding, building up on drama as the days went on. We wanted all of our guests to feel the love that we have for each other, but also the love we feel for them.
About The WedMeGood App
I've been a long time follower of WedMeGood (almost 6 plus years). The app and Instagram handle is something I used quite often for wedding inspiration. It is wonderful to see that WedMeGood features weddings all over the world with different Indian cultures, creative and unique ideas, and also tips on how to make your wedding more seamless. Even though I am already married, I still use the platform for all my friends' and cousins' weddings.
Vendor Reviews
Makeup and Hair: Glow by Herneet
Herneet from Glow by Herneet is an extremely talented artist. She did my sister's wedding hair and makeup 6+ years ago and knew how to listen to her clients and make them feel beautiful. She has an amazing heart, is very professional, and knows how to style hair and makeup suited for you as an individual.
Wedding Planning: Reema Butala from Rb Event Design
Our wedding planner, Reema from RB Event Design, planned my sister’s wedding ~6+ years ago, so it felt meant to be when she helped coordinate our wedding as well. All in all, our vendors were not only great to work with, but they respected our ideas and helped bring our vision together. Reema felt like family to us. Not only was she professional, but she always had the best intentions and our wishes and feelings in mind.
Decor: Suhaag Garden
Overall, the Suhaag team was very detailed, organized and thorough. We really enjoyed their process (questionnaires, going through the vision and inspo, renderings etc.). They were not only professional but also caring and humble people to partner with. They made the process so seamless. We also enjoyed meeting them in person at their warehouse and actually seeing what the decorations would look like live. It finally felt like we were getting married. Overall, they took our vision and created something so beautiful. When there was something we didn't quite like, they put their heads together and suggested new ideas. We got it down to our dream wedding. The team was also budget friendly. I think the biggest thing about the team was how considerate they were about our budget. We told them we wanted to make some cuts, and the team helped us walk through line by line on what items we should remove to save some money. That meant the world to us.
Vendors: Venues: Mehendi, Sangeet: The Biltmore Hotel Miami, Wedding: The Ancient Spanish Monastery ; Reception: The Historic Alfred I. duPont Building | Makeup and Hair: Mehendi: The Clyque (@theclyque), Sangeet, Wedding and Reception: Glow by Herneet | Wedding Planning: Reema Butala from Rb Event Design | Photography: Sollis Studio & Rivers Studios | Decor: Suhaag Garden | Bridal Outfits: Sangeet: Sunaina Khera ; Mehendi: Seema Gujral Design ; Wedding: Sabyasachi Mukherjee ; Reception: Dolly J Bridal Collection | Bridal Mehendi: Henna by Sumaiya Waheed | Groomwear: Mehendi: Shantanu Nikhil ; Sangeet: Ashish Soni ; Reception tux: Canali |Videographer: Joseph Minasi Studios | Caterer: Chef Hemant Mathur and Pradeep Hedge | DJ: Awaaz Entertainment | Bridal Jewellery: Haldi and Mehendi: Amama Jewels Private Limited ; Wedding:Purab Paschim by Ankit Khullar , Wedding Mangalsutra: Sabyasachi Mukherjee ; Bride's Reception Headband: Elle Couture Boutique
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