Love Makes the World Go Round at this Princeton, NJ Wedding

My husband, Prashanth, and I, met in the summer of 2014. We started talking online, via email, texting and the phone. At the time, he was finishing up a project in Chicago and when he was headed back home to NJ, he said that we should meet up.

I also thought the same, but figured it should be on my terms :)

He was way up in North Jersey and I had him meet me at a Starbucks in Somerset; so yeah, it was quite the drive for him. Nearly 2 hours with traffic! But it was worth it. We sat there, just talking - about all things possible. I didn't even realize that a few hours had passed. Him with his cappuccino and me with my pomegranate drink! He said we should go for a walk, and when he held my hand, this feeling just came about me. It was the sweetest thing ever.

And since then I never once looked back. Fast-forward to 2015! We visited the Smokey Mountains, Cancun, and went on other local road-trips. The City was always a fun place for us, where we saw a lot of movies! If there was one thing about Prashanth I came to know right away, it was that he's a huge movie fanatic, especially if it's a really good action movie!

We would spend every weekend together; he slowly got to know my family, and mingled me into his circle. Then on Christmas Eve (2015) he proposed, at my mom’s best friends’ house and of course...I cried! The ring was very unique - it was yellow gold with a beautiful Citrine stone in the middle, wrapped with smaller diamonds. From there it was all about finding a date, venue, planning and other intricate details. But slowly, everything soon came together nicely.

Once we had a date in mind, myself, Prashanth, my mom, and our good friend Rafael (who also happens to be my Director of Photography, for my magazine), made a trip to Hyderabad, India, where Prashanth is originally from, to do wedding shopping! Rafael had the time of his life, and we loved having him there, because he documented so many memories from this experience.

Finding the perfect wedding dress was the hardest part, believe it or not! We went to endless designers & boutiques, and I could not find what I wanted -- a lengha in the color of champagne gold. But finally we made a second trip back to a designer boutique, Neeru's, and right there, one of the mangers had pulled aside the perfect outfit for me and....I said YES to the DRESS! Prashanth had a much easier time finding his sherwani, for the wedding. Manyavar, where you can truly find the most elegant & royal wedding attire for men. When I saw him in the sherwani he chose for the wedding...well, I fell in love with Prashanth all over again!

The most detailed part about the trip was my wedding ring. Prashanth knew right away that the only place we were going to go was TBZ, one of the most reputable jewelers dating back to 1864. Their looks were timeless, with a touch of modernness & elegance. Their associates worked so patiently with us in working to create the perfect bridal set for me. It truly was a beautiful experience, and words cannot describe the love which was put into my set.

We spent a week in Hyderabad and also were able to catch some of the major sights in the area, which was great! And the whole time Rafael had his video camera & drone ready! When we came back, we had to start working on the wedding. We chose the Princeton Marriott at Forestall Village, as our wedding & reception venue. And when it came to finding the perfect caterer, it was truly one of the easiest decisions we made. We went with Crown of India, a place where I have been going to dine since I was a little girl. So of course, it felt like I was eating with family every-time we were there.

Photobooth Elegance worked with us on creating the perfect photobooth so that all our guests would have a great time. And Kathy from KV Carriage did a great job in helping us find the perfect horse & its costume, for the "bhaarat" part of the wedding! I have to say, Prashanth did a great job sitting on the horse! I kind of wish the bride could do that too! And when it came to my DJ & lighting, we partnered with Premiere DJs USA, who I have known since college! So that too was an easy choice. And of course the two people who captured all our beautiful moments, Fahad Rob Malik of Canvas New York Photography, and Carlos Torres Luna, who came all the way from Puerto Rico!

Being that I have the magazine, and always working with different hair-stylists & makeup artists for photoshoots, I knew it would be very easy to look "in-house," when it came to my BIG day! My lead hairstylist for the wedding & reception was Kerry Trombetta Coiro, and Chelsea Marino was my lead makeup artist. I have worked with both of them before on different projects and knew they would be the ones to get me ready for this day!

Our guests from different parts of the country and the world started to come into town! Prior to the wedding, Prashanth's mom & sister came to stay with us. And my mom's brother & sister also came from India! Having them around was such a great feeling; and at the end of the day, it's nice to be surrounded by people who love you!

Instead of the traditional Indian wedding festivities, we opted to kick off the wedding with a night out at our favorite cosmic bowling places, Colonial Bowling, in Lawrenceville! We had the VIP room, with four private lanes, a personalized step & repeat, Instagram frame for pics, and to top it off, there was even lazer-tag! I think everyone had a great time, and it was something that both kids & adults could enjoy! The next day was my mendhi (henna) event! We had Mexican food catered from one of my favorite places, On the Border!

And the next day was our BIG day! The bhaarat (groom's procession) arrived, with Prashanth on his horse and all! The DJ played music outside the Marriott, while both sides of the families danced and embraced the moment. I watched from a far, as the bride isn't a part of this. The ceremony thereafter began, and Prashanth was greeted by my mom & our side of the family. Thank god for social media, because I was able to watch everyone's Snaps, Instagram posts, and Facebook lives, to see what was happening!

Once the wedding began, I was then brought to the wedding alter, which was so beautiful designed by Abhishek Decorators. Once the wedding was over, we went to get ready for the reception. "Love Makes the World Go Round," was the "theme" we fused into the reception. Prashanth and I love to travel so our guestbook was a vintage world map. "Pick your favorite spot and leave us a note," is what we told guests.

Our signature drink was "The Jetsetter." Our place cards for guests were vintage post-cards. And we found a creative woman on Etsy who makes take-away boxes using world maps; so we filled them with kisses (Hershey's of course) and sent them home with the guests. It was simple, but very chic!

All in all, I would say that it was an amazing experience and truly Bollywood, from start to finish! I would re-live these moments any chance I get! I want to just take this time to thank EVERYONE who helped and came from near & far, to be a part of our special day. Prashanth and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Here is the video, which we played at our reception, which also has highlights from our trip to India!

- Tirusha Dave, Recent Bride and Publisher, Bravura Magazine