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Manpreet and Arjun
South Shore Harbor Resort, Texas
Wedding Planner: Abbie Contreras
Cake Maker: Cakes by Jula
Hair and Makeup: Alina Otero
Decor: The Perfect Touch
DJ: Desi Junction
Gowns:Â Chandni Chowk in Delhi
Grooms Outfits: Manyavars, Houston
`Pre-Wedding Session – Herman Park
Arjun and Manpreet met up a few days before the wedding to do some fun Pre-wedding shots in a park near their house. It was such a great experience hanging out with them for a few hours and working with them, knowing I would not have them on their own for a while.
It was the first day of sophomore year at UT Austin in Hindi class. We noticed each other and on the walk back Arjun struck up a conversation. Over the next few weeks, we walked back together after Hindi class every day. On these walks we learned how kindred our spirits are and how wonderful each of us can be. It didn’t take long for us to realize there was a special spark between us. 7 years later, the spark continues to grow every day.
Manpreet’s Mom and I planned a secret surprise engagement at her house. Manpreet thought it was a dinner party with the family. With Manpreet distracted upstairs, we set up outside a lovely heart made out of rose petals and a path leading from the door. When she came outside I was standing in the center of the heart, serenading her with Can’t Help Falling in Love as she walked towards me. Manpreet was in total shock and was not expecting this to be the proposal day . It was very special having family from both sides be able to witness the proposal and share in the moment.
MehendiÂ
In this ceremony, Mehendi is put in the hands and feet of the bride, in beautiful and intricate designs, especially done with the help of an expert. Mehendi is prepared from dust obtained from finely chopped Henna Leaves. The entire ritual of Mehendi Ceremony has a deeper significance. It signifies love in a marriage and it is highly auspicious if the bride is able to retain her Mehendi for a longer time, since this indicates more love from her husband.
Haldi
The haldi ceremony is the one in which a paste of haldi is applied on the bride and the groom’s body before their wedding. This paste is then applied on the bride and the groom’s face, neck, hands and feet, by their near and dear ones. This ceremony is also accompanied by traditional songs and dances at times. The yellow colour of turmeric is considered very auspicious in the Indian traditions. The auspiciousness of this ingredient and its colour ushers in a life of prosperity for the couple, who are starting off their new life together.
A Favourite Moment
Manpreet’s Side: Honestly the whole wedding was amazing and my favorite part! There are parts that resonated more with me. For my Haldi ceremony when I was walking into the room with my Thali (plate) and the song Din Shagana played, I looked to my Mom and Grandma and saw tears in their eyes and I started to tear up too. That moment was the start of my wedding and it really sunk in then the importance of what was about to happen the next few days. I really started to feel like a Bride then.
On the Wedding morning I loved sneakily watching Arjun and his baraat make their way to the front entrance. Walking into the wedding room and seeing everyone and seeing Arjun sitting there made my heart swell with love and joy. It meant so much to me to have all my brothers help me walk around the Holy Book during the pheres. I made sure to look at each one of them every time and smile and let them know how much I loved them and just how happy and full of love I was during the whole thing. Most of all I enjoyed sharing in all the experiences with all of our family and friends from both sides.
Be natural with each other and just enjoy taking the photos with your partner. Also don’t be afraid to be a bit silly at times and laugh and be goofy.
Favourite Moment
On the Sangeet day I enjoyed watching all of the performances so much! I couldn’t stay in my seat I was so excited and so impressed that so many people took time out of their lives to learn these routines for our wedding. I will never forget that feeling of love and appreciation I had watching all of the dances.
Getting Ready for the Ceremony
I had been looking for months on Pinterest for lehenga ideas for my Sangeet, Ceremony, and Reception. My Mom, my Masiji (Aunt), and I went to India for 2 weeks to do all the wedding shopping. We went to Chandni Chowk in Delhi and what an experience. There are so many shops and it is so crowded and hard to walk down the street. We were trying to find a store we saw online but couldn’t find it and eventually just walked into a store we came across. Shopping in India is very different than in America. We go into the store and I show them my Pinterest boards and say “This is what I am looking for for each event.” They come and show us all these options while we sit there and give our opinions and slowly narrow down the choices. Thankfully they had exactly what I was looking for for each my events! I relied heavily on my Mom and Masiji’s opinions on what would look best and we all agreed on the 3 outfits! I just knew when I put on each of them that this was the perfect outfit for my wedding events.
During the wedding events my wonderful Bhabhijis (Cousin’s wives) helped me get dressed and make sure every detail of my outfits looked perfect. Their help, guidance, and love during every event meant the world to me as they led me into this new stage of life.
Arjun went with his Mom, little brother Raaghav, and cousin Vasu to pick out his outfits. Together they picked out his Haldi and Ceremony outfits from Manyavar in Houston, and his Sangeet and Reception outfits from Poshak in Houston. Anas from Poshak custom created his Sangeet outfit for a one of a kind regal look. 
Favourite Moment
The entire wedding was magical. I loved spending time with both of our families as we practiced our dances and got ready for our celebrations. I had two favorite moments. Riding atop the horse with my sword with my baraat on my way to Manpreet, and walking around the Holy Book with my very soon wife-to-be behind me. 
 
Favourite Moment
On the Wedding morning I loved sneakily watching Arjun and his baraat make their way to the front entrance. Walking into the wedding room and seeing everyone and seeing Arjun sitting there made my heart swell with love and joy. It meant so much to me to have all my brothers help me walk around the Holy Book during the pheres. I made sure to look at each one of them every time and smile and let them know how much I loved them and just how happy and full of love I was during the whole thing. Most of all I enjoyed sharing in all the experiences with all of our family and friends from both sides.
The wedding ceremony was a traditional Sikh wedding as Manpreet is Sikh. After that was done we incorporated some Hindu prayers and traditions from Arjun’s side. It was very special having Arjun’s Baba (Grandfather) recite the Hindu prayers for us and give us his blessings. We incorporated lots of Punjabi songs and traditions throughout the wedding festivities but also had things personalized to our families and our vision. 
Magical, perfect, and so much fun! Everything was more than I had ever dreamed possible!
How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day
Absolutely amazing! Taking the photos throughout the Wedding festivities felt so natural with Rebecca’s guidance and suggestions. It never felt staged or fake. We were always just being ourselves during the photo shoots. No matter how tired we were from the events, Rebecca always made taking the photos so much fun and energetic and made the sessions so personal to who we are as a couple.
Waiting to enter the ballroom for our reception we listened to the intro for The Greatest Show as we pumped ourselves up to make our grand entrance! We were so moved and touched by all the family and friends that came from all over the world to share in our wedding weekend. Everyone helped to make our wedding absolutely perfect, and we will cherish these memories for the rest of our lives as we venture into this new stage of life as Husband and Wife.
Our first dance was Everything by Michael Buble. That song is not only beautiful but is very special to us as a couple. On our first Valentine’s Day after we starting dating, Arjun played that song and we had our first dance together. Every time I hear that song I immediately go back to that first Valentine’s Day date, and now I think of our Wedding day and how lucky I am to be able to dance with Arjun to that song for the rest of my life.
