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Sumita graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with an MBA and a Masters of Science in Health Administration. Navpreet (Navi or Nav, as his friends and family call him) is a graduate from Penn State with a B.S. in Health Policy. Subsequently, he attended Medical University of the Americas (MUA) in Nevis, West Indies for his M.D. They both work for Virtua Health in southern New Jersey.
They dated for two year and got married on November 10, 2007 in Chicago, IL.
Sumita shares her experience of creating an elegant and timeless looks for her wedding ceremonies.
My Wedding Outfits
For the Sangeet, I wanted a sophisticated evening look, which is why the velvet, midnight-blue fabric of my lehnga was ideal for a November wedding.
For the Wedding, I always knew I wanted to have a traditional red wedding outfit. My lehenga was a designer piece in bright maroon. The hand-sewn blouse, chunni, and lehenga were embellished with an antique-gold floral design, which was further enhanced with Kundan and crystal work. I wore two chunnis:
the heavy chunni was completely covered in intricate design work similar to the blouse and skirt. This design was heaviest along the edges and also had the small gold bells covering the entire border. Frontier Bazar also made a much lighter chunni with to cover my head for the Sikh ceremony. The chunni had a smaller border along the edges and little kundan flowers throughout the material to keep it from looking plain.
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Sumita and
Navi -
the Sikh ceremony |
For the Reception, I wanted to move around and interact with guests so I didn't want an outfit that required a lot of maintenance or that would restrict my dance movements. I wore a jeweled purple/fuchsia and golden/champagne colored lehnga (I bought it from a small, privately-owned boutique in New York City).
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The Reception |
Hair and Makeup
For my makeup, I wanted hire an artist who was experienced on working with Indian brides. Since I had three completely different outfits for my Sangeet, Wedding, and Reception, I wanted three completely different looks.
For the Sangeet, I did my own makeup. I kept a natural look, primarily focusing on my eyes and lips. I got my hair done at a salon near my house. I wanted a very sleek look so I had my hair straightened to make it very silky and smooth. Then, to play up the dramatic color of my lehnga, volume was added at the crown of my head and a small section of hair was pinned back on each side.
For the Wedding and Reception, my hair was done by Colleen Stroup and Heather Lund, founders of Make-up Matters. My make-up for both events was done by Courtney, who worked at M.A.C in the Oak Brook Mall.
For the Wedding makeup, I wanted something elegant and timeless. My goal was to compliment the color and heavy work of my lengha without overdoing it. I was looking for color, but nothing too dramatic, as it was a morning ceremony. We decided on a classic look – neutral foundation/powder, golden eye shadow with fake eyelashes, a subtle blush to give color but not be overpowering, and a glossy pinkish/red lipstick. My hair was put up so I could have my head covered during the Sikh ceremony.
For the Reception, I wanted a look that was more fun and flirty. My makeup was more colorful: purplish/pink eye shadow with extremely long, dramatic fake eyelashes, rosier cheeks, and mauve-pink lipstick.
Where I Shopped
With the exception of my reception lehnga, I can't take credit for anything I wore during the wedding events. My Massi and Massard did ALL of my shopping – clothes, jewelry, shoes, bangles, bindis, and wedding bangles – in Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
The Sangeet outfit was purchased at Anarkali and the Wedding lehnga and bridesmaids' Punjabi suits were bought from Frontier Bazar. My jewelry was purchased from Sahil.
My advice for Brides-to-be
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Have one person that you trust stay with you at all times for everything and anything you may need – to be your liaison with family and friends, to keep track of time, and to make sure you look your best at all times.
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Let everyone take pictures of you! No matter how wonderful your photographer is and how many professional pictures you take, some of the best pictures are captured by family and friends. Not only will this make your guests happy, but you'll treasure those moments and pictures for a lifetime.
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Remember to slow down, breathe, and take everything in. There is no such thing as the perfect wedding, and the more you try to achieve it, the more disappointed you will be. Running around trying to achieve perfection will only cause you to be mentally and physically exhausted. Don't allow yourself or the people around you to get so caught up in the details of the wedding that you lose sight of what it's all for. Cherish all the smaller family events leading up to the wedding. Those are the moments when you get to spend the most time one-on-one time with close family and friends.
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