Sneha and Purval, The St. Regis, Mumbai

Sneha and Purval’s story started on foreign shores and found its happy ending with a beautiful marriage in the ‘City of Dreams’, Mumbai.Held in the sprawling spaces of The St. Regis, Mumbai their nuptials were a mix of Maharashtrian and Tamil cultures which was tastefully captured by WeddingSutra Favorite – Dreamcatchers Photography, whose candid clicks gave the duo memories that they’ll cherish for life.

How They Met
Purval shares, “I had been working at Intel in Folson, CA for about a year when we met during her internship in my team. I was in my regular attire when I was introduced to her and was struck by her bright eyes and her genuine smile. The next day, I dressed up in my best attire and kept up with the same routine throughout the six months that she was working with us. A few months later, I mustered up the courage to ask her out and was pleasantly surprised when she accepted.”

Sneha too felt the same way when she first saw Purval and found him to be irresistibly cute. She shares, “Of course I found him cute! I blushed incessantly every time I saw him, hoping he was attracted to me too. Fast forward to a couple of months later, he asked me out on a date! And so it began.”

The Proposal
Both of them popped the big question to each other in a unique way but it was Sneha who took the first step and asked Purval for his hand. He goes on to share, “She actually proposed first. We had this white elephant thing with our friends at my place during Christmas of 2018. They conspired for me to pick up the ring box as one of the gifts and when I opened it, there she was down on one knee. It was unexpected for me and I was speechless!”

And as for Purval’s proposal, Sneha was lost for words when he surprised her with an elaborate proposal. She shares, “I am by far the more creative one, so when Purval planned an elaborate proposal, I was left speechless! He took me to Folsom, the place where we first met, where he had decorated a gazebo with fairy lights and curtains. There were candles with rose petals and the prettiest ring in the center! He played a song as I entered and tears came running down my face. Cheesy, filmy and so extra! Just like me. It was the prettiest thing anyone has ever put together for me. They say getting married is a tough decision, but for me, it was one of the easiest ones I have had to take in my whole life!”

Wedding Venue
For the venue, the duo chose Jade Garden for the sangeet and The St. Regis for an opulent yet cozy wedding. Sneha shares, “ We wanted the sangeet to be light, airy and fun. Jade Garden gave us all that and more! The view overlooking the Arabian Sea at sunset was a brilliant backdrop for the wonderful décor that perfectly fit our ‘Mela’ theme. The food at Jade Garden was absolutely top-notch. We had a wide variety of cuisines, everything was stunning and beautifully managed.”

When it came to her big day, Sneha couldn’t help but be awestruck by The St.Regis’ luxurious spaces, “St. Regis has the most exquisite chandeliers and so many of them too! I did not just get married under one, I walked and danced under so many! The venue itself is very elegant and opulent, at the same time, the decorations were minimal yet stunning. It also has ample parking, and the location worked well for both the families. They took care of all the guests so beautifully, it was wonderful. The food was also excellent.”

Wedding Planning
“To be very honest we have wonderful parents who took it all upon themselves to execute this wedding. My sister is extremely talented, and almost single-handedly managed the entire sangeet. She coordinated family and friends from across the globe! We had guests from all over India, Dubai, Singapore, and Muscat. My mother arranged for a Segway for Purval and a Doli for me. We did not use an extra planner but we had a ton of in-house ones. Instagram, Pinterest, and the WeddingSutra site also helped us make the correct choices. As for photography, I contacted Dreamcatchers Photography after I looked at their fabulous work. We met them for a pre-wedding shoot as well and they are an absolute pleasure to work with. They made us feel comfortable and all our photographs have us enjoying our hearts out! They were easy to communicate with, which is such an important aspect as both Purval and I are in different cities within the US. They were prompt and so understanding. Highly recommend them!”, gushed Sneha.

Makeup is one of the most important parts of any bride’s big day and Sneha couldn’t be any happier about the way things turned out. She goes on to say, “My make up artist was Ritika Bhatia and the hairstylist was Anita Shil. They worked their magic on me with promptness and efficiency. They helped me look my best and I cannot thank them enough.”

Weddings Functions

Sangeet
An all-round glitzy affair, the sangeet was full of dance, laughter and Bollywood music. The bride shares, “We had a Mela theme for the Sangeet which was filled with an array of hues. From mehndi artists and colorful pinwheels, it was full of energy. We had a cycle themed photo booth too, and the entry had the inherent theme running all through it. Purval and I entered with the bridesmaids dancing to ‘Sajna Ji Vaari Vaari’. They were all wearing coordinated outfits and looked so adorable as they welcomed us!”

For the occasion, Sneha donned a teal-blue lehenga, kept accessories to a minimum and added drama to her look with a blue smokey eye that accentuated her brown eyes. Purval also kept it simple in a printed bandhgala that complemented his bride’s outfit.

Wedding
“I am Tamilian and Purval is Maharashtrian so our wedding was a blend of the two cultures. For the Baraat, Purval entered on a Segway and I entered in a Doli. Typically the Baraat is a groom’s event but we joined Purval’s baraat and danced our hearts out. Soon after, we had the Tamil ceremonies which were kashi yatra, garland exchange and oonjal. The Oonjal was on a beautifully decorated swing with flower hangings. After these ceremonies, I changed into a Paithani Sari and entered under a beautiful flower chadar held up by my best friends who’ve been in different stages of my life. They were all coordinated in pink saris and it was stunning. Thereafter, we had traditional Marathi rituals with antarpat, mangalashtak, saptapadi and a vidai. We then converted the oonjal to a photobooth which had an instant camera with our hashtag on it for guests to take home!”, shared the happy bride.

For the South Indian ceremonies, Sneha donned a bright red silk-saree for the occasion, which she accessorized with temple jewellery, Purval contrasted her in an emerald green kurta. For the Maharashtrian ceremony, Sneha wore a yellow and pink paithani saree and Purval wore a bright red and gold kurta.

Reception
“For the reception, we had a live jazz band playing and we danced to the hit Bollywood song ‘Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai’. I made my entry wearing a glamorous peach-colored gown with gold floral embroidery. The venue was grand with ample of seating spaces for the guests to relax in. Following this, we had the reception and ended the evening through a pangat where we had our first meal as a married couple with our immediate family present.”

Amping up the glam quotient in her peach embroidered gown designed by Sowmya Nandiwada, Sneha looked every inch the happy bride as Purval cut a dashing figure in his three-piece, navy blue suit while he posed beside her for a portrait picture.

Advice For Couples
For brides, Sneha shares a couple of pointers-
1. Plan in advance as life often gets in the way.
2. Weddings are expensive and prioritizing is key! Make sure you know what you want to spend on and what you aren’t particular about.
3. Don’t be shy to contact vendors! Dreamcatchers are absolutely fabulous and when I saw their work I was hesitant because of just how good it was. I am so glad that I chose them as they are so humble and easy to work with.
4. When you’re planning, think of the overall experience. Small things like towels post baraat and instant photographs might be expensive and seem extra but everyone goes home remembering that!

For the grooms, Purval shares –
1. I can’t stress enough on planning well in advance – especially in Mumbai. We had pre-booked the venues almost a year in advance. We had locked-in Dreamcatchers about 9 months before the wedding. With top quality vendors like them, it is critical to book ahead.
2. When sending measurements remotely for custom outfits, definitely ask how they take measurements for that particular outfit and also how they take measurements for your general body type.
3. Don’t forget to have fun and live in the moment! Your marriage is always one of the happiest events of your life and those two days were the best of my life!

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Jade Garden, The St. Regis Mumbai
Décor: Saffron (Sangeet)
Groom’s Outfits: Raymond (Sangeet), Manyavar (Wedding, Reception)
Bride’s Outfits: Kalki (Sangeet), Bharatkhetra (Wedding), Sowmya Nandivada (Reception)
Makeup: Ritika Bhatia
Hairstyling: Anita Shil
Photography: Dreamcatchers Photography

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