"From the office to forever" - Karishma and Harsh's Wedding in Costa Mujeres
Impressing him since day one
Our first phone call was a job interview LOL. Harsh’s team was hiring. We met at work, and he was my supervisor. So, it’s accurate to say I’ve been impressing him since day one and just like that our fondness for each other grew over time. We worked together for 2 years and then he left our team to pursue another opportunity, but we continued to stay in touch. We then started dating for about a year and a half.
Author - Karishma, Bride
Engaged on the Cliffs of Moher
To be honest I did know he was going to propose as we did talk about our future but wasn’t sure exactly when and how. We decided to spend our summer taking a trip to Ireland. Such a beautiful country. On our last day of the trip, we were on the beautiful Cliffs of Moher enjoying a stunning sunset scene which is super rare as it is always raining there. And there, he was on his knee, and it was just so beautiful. He hired a local photographer who he connected through Instagram who helped capture this beautiful moment for us.
It took us about 1-2 months before we started researching wedding venues. We were on it once we were back from Ireland.
A wedding planned, from start to finish, in 6 months
We wanted a wedding with a small and close group of people, so we would be able to spend time with everyone. A Destination wedding is perfect in the sense where we had a mini vacation with family and friends. Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres is a beautiful stunning resort, giving the perfect beach vibes with modern amenities. The reason we chose this resort was because they are newly established, and the event spaces were more appealing. They have their own river, and our hearts were set on a one-of-a-kind boat ride Baraat ceremony. Regarding wedding planning, we would have liked more time, but I am glad we were able to get everything organized in 6 months. We had a great wedding planner at our resort, and we knew what we wanted so there was no room to add more details or go crazy with.
Your Partners in Paradise
A lot of places in Mexico are very well established to host South Asian weddings but none like Shaadi Destinations. Their network and outreach within Mexico are outstanding. Without a doubt, we lay our trust with them as our Partner in Paradise.
We were new to this process and misunderstood a few things as we compared it to weddings that happen within the country. Destination weddings are very different, and Shaadi Destinations did guide us at every step. All our questions, doubts and concerns were addressed, and the process was very transparent. They understood our needs as a couple and gave us resort recommendations based on our wedding size, resort experiences and some tips that were really a game changer for us. So, thank you Team SD.
The on-site wedding planning team
Eunice was our personal wedding coordinator with Weddings by Palladium. I am very detail oriented, and my husband is keen on logistics making sure everything runs smoothly. Even though we had a smaller crowd, we had to plan the entire wedding and mark everything off the checklist. Fortunately, we were lucky to have Eunice. She is super organized, a great communicator and always provided input at every step. She is well-experienced with Hindu weddings, and she took the time to get to know us as a couple, our families and our inspiration for the wedding. Leading up to our wedding, we met with the entire wedding team and discussed our last-minute ideas. On the day of the wedding, everything went off without a hitch and we were able to enjoy being with our loved ones. She anticipated our needs fully and executed flawlessly.
Top tips for couples who are wedding planning:
1. Don’t be afraid to have a small wedding. It is as fun as having a bigger crowd. There is always so much to do at the resort and couples have less stress on themselves to entertain the group.
2. Have detailed discussions with your vendors as to what your needs are. Some things that are traditional in the US, may not be the same there. Example, our photographers were great, but it would have been great if they had fully captured the bride’s entrance. We had a few shots here and there, but my husband was a bit disappointed as he was not allowed to see the bride until we sit (tradition) and wished he saw more pictures or videos focused on this segment.
3. Don’t go overboard with the décor and stick with a nice color theme. The beach makes everything so beautiful already.
Sweet, sweet memories
Reuniting with close family and friends from different parts of the world was one of our favorite wedding memories. We were so happy to see everyone. Their presence re-assured us that they believe in our crazy ideas no matter where we chose to have our wedding. Means the world to us.
A reception worth splurging
Besides my outfit, we went all out with our reception – it was at the beach with an LED dance floor, fire and water show, dhol performance and a photobooth. We had a blast, and it was worth it.
A spontaneous bouquet toss
The signature wedding bouquet toss was something we always see in movies, and somehow, I ended up doing it, but it really wasn’t planned. Everything looked set up for the moment and our guests were into it. So why not? It was a spontaneous little moment that I had fun with, and it meant something.
If you can do a bridal photoshoot the day of, do it
I have seen several bridal shoots that do capture the beautiful outfit displayed on a hanger, which I am not a fan of and didn’t think much of doing it myself. However, the morning of the wedding, I was having coffee on the balcony. The photographers and makeup artists arrived, and they loved my outfit so much that they couldn’t wait to start placing my outfit and jewelry pieces on me and started snapping a few pics to get an idea of angles etc. I quickly decided to do a casual shoot with my outfit and jewelry. I loved the fact that they captured the sunrise, the beach behind and some greenery at the same time the beautiful colors from the outfit, pretty much capturing the essence of the wedding day. Glad we did it.
A beach reception- it’s a yes from us!
We wanted everything at the beach, and we are lucky that the weather Gods were on our side. We wanted a wedding with blush undertones. We wanted the elements of nature to speak for the décor, hence we played less with flowers. No horses for the baraat, of course. Our Reception was Rustic and Boho-chic with Bistro lights and Pampas and no fireworks. The LED glass stage, bistro lights, salty breeze, sandy toes and waves crashing behind us was surreal. Everything was beyond perfect, and I took the night to celebrate with my loved ones by the beach. Just make sure the dance floor is not too slippery as it was in our case.
Our list of vendors:
We did a lot of searching on Pinterest and other sites to draw inspiration. Design and creativity are something I enjoy so it was definitely a fun process for me. My focus was to have minimum décor but at the same time, keep it versatile, and so I was able to reuse some of the wedding décor in reception. It was great working with Zuniga, they had a good idea of décor items we could work with, and they were prompt with their services. They made some of my visions come into reality and we are so grateful for that.
Destination Wedding Agency - Shaadi Destinations (Website - Instagram - Email)
Photographer - Romanza Wedding Photography (Website - Instagram - Email)
Photographer - The Memory Writers (Website - Instagram - Email)
Hair and Makeup - Sara Tamargo (Website - Instagram - Email)
Wedding Attire - Asiana Couture (Website - Instagram - Email)
Jewelry - Purab Paschim by Ankit Khullar (Instagram - Email)
Our honeymoon to come
With this lockdown, we have been honeymooning at home with our little beagle (third wheel), enjoying takeout food, working from home and watching shows. Since we couldn’t travel much, we focused on buying a house and we are enjoying every bit of it.
With the pandemic going on and travel being difficult to many countries, we got lucky with the timing of our wedding. Our friends and family made it back home safely. Being unable to go on more vacations, our friends and family are cherishing their memories from our wedding getaway, and they are glad they could be a part of it.
Special thanks to Romanza Wedding Photography for these fabulous pictures! Contact Romanza for your destination photography needs.
Shaadi Destinations is the premier, award winning, modern-day destination wedding travel agency for South Asian couples seeking a streamlined process, incredible experiences, and a party friends and family will never forget! We save our couples thousands of dollars while throwing them the wedding festivities dreams are made of.
We live and breathe destination weddings - with just one consultation, you will be light years ahead in your destination wedding planning process. In less than one week, Shaadi Destinations will find you the most perfect resort that meets your needs, your budget, and your desires. With our vendor relationships and pre-negotiated exclusive perks at resorts across Mexico and the Caribbean, we are confident we can find exactly what you are looking for. You'll find we have the best rates, best incentives, and best booking experience.
