"Maya Forever Love" - Jessica and Ronak's Wedding in Riviera Maya
We found love in hopeless place club
Ronak and I met through a mutual friend in 2016. He had previously worked with another respiratory therapist I knew, and she was going out with him and his friends to celebrate his birthday. She had invited me to come along but initially I was hesitant because I wasn’t going out too much at the time. She ended up talking me into it and I ended up having a great time. We went on a date the following week and the rest was history! Yes, we found love at a club =)
Author - Jessica, Bride
When proposing over water, always invest in ring insurance
Come 2019, Ronak knew that I was eager to be engaged and not so subtly expressing my feelings as he kept waiting for the prime moment (as he claims). We had plans one weekend with my parents to go stand up paddle boarding or kayaking near The Waterway in The Woodlands. We woke up early to go meet them and when we got there, Ronak suggested that we do the paddling swans instead. We got on one swan and my parents got on another. Shortly into the paddle, Ronak asked me where I wanted to capture some photos. This was odd because while I am a huge picture person, Ronak is not a huge fan.
I told him maybe up there as I pointed up by a bridge in the distance. As we approached closer, Ronak seemed a little off, but I was not entirely sure if I was making it up in my head. When we got to the bridge, he got down on one knee behind me (which ended up being above me due to our seated position) and said “I know you’ve been wanting this! So will you marry me?” I quickly said yes, grabbed the little box, and snapped it shut and put it in my pocket. Ronak reassured me that he had already purchased ring insurance and he could sense my fear was dropping it in the water.
A Mexico wedding + Mexican food = perfection
We really thought Punta Cana would be a great option but quickly looking into where our family was flying in from would be somewhat hard for our guests to find reasonable flights. We love Mexico and I specifically am obsessed with Mexican food so the more we thought about it the more it made sense to coordinate in Mexico.
Going with the Pros can save you from the Woes
Shaadi Destinations was a no brainer. We had a couple family friends who did destination weddings and utilized Shaadi Destination’s services. We knew that we were going to be celebrating a bicultural event and thought having Shaadi help would alleviate stress/coordination in another country that we wouldn’t be as familiar with/have the time to seek out all the answers we needed.
Tips from the bride for wedding planning:
Be patient! – This is something I had to learn early on. I am such a planner/type A person, so I struggled with the time frame for responses. I had to learn to be patient in waiting for responses from our vendors/contacts in a different country. But don’t worry! Everything will come together =)
Enjoy it! – I loved and sometimes hated how the planning kept me so busy. When I look back, as stressful as the planning could be, I wish I could go back. I miss picking different flower arrangements or looking through my different possible hairstyles. It comes and goes faster than you think so soak it all in! PS this is coming from a COVID Bride who postponed her wedding, too LOL
Once you’re down in Mexico, focus on being HAPPY and spending quality time with loved ones! The team does a great job to make sure everything is taken care of so that you can focus on having a relaxing and memorable time!
Best part of the wedding weekend?
For us it was just the time spent with family and friends by the pool/beach. Ronak and I are big into being social with our friends and this was easily achieved with a cocktail in our hand and our bums in the sand! We are so grateful that we did a destination wedding!
Pictures and videos that last a lifetime
My husband wasn’t set on me paying a little extra for photography, but he knew how obsessed I am with taking photos/having photos as memories. I do not necessarily see it as splurging but more as getting the quality you want. Pictures are a way to revisit all those memories that we were able capture. We absolutely loved Bella Lumi (Brenda and Raj).
We were going to opt out of videography, but Mike Cantarell Films sold us, and their videos came out amazing. We absolutely love having these to go through as well.
After all the months of planning and postponing a wedding, we are beyond thankful for the videos and the amazing still shots we have.
A dress talked about long after the big day
My mom and I always discussed picking out my wedding dress together. I had always mentioned that I wanted a designer dress but didn’t know that meant an Indian lengha. My mom actually did some research and found that the Anita Dongre trunk show was going to be coming to Houston. We didn’t expect to find anything first time, but I fell in love with the bright red and intricate details.
Western ceremony + a fireworks display = wow
I wanted the focus to be on Ronak and myself with simple alter and very beachy vibes. The backdrop and contrast of the ocean with the driftwood chairs/alter with the bright pink and white flowers was perfect! It couldn’t have turned out any better!
Ronak was all about the wow-factor for our wedding. We knew the firework display would be a special and unique touch to our destination wedding!
We absolutely loved our wedding coordinator – Amy Patel from the Storybook Event. She made everything from planning each event to once down there any issues/questions/concerns were answered as seamlessly as possible. She was the backbone to my craziness or as my family would call me Bridezilla!
Milan/Shree from Shaadi Destinations – both of you were incredible! Without your dedication during what was the most stressful year of my life, none of this would have been possible!
Bellalumi – hands down the best photographer I’ve ever had! My husband wasn’t super excited about photos (as he says I already take too many) but he has been nothing but impressed by all of the work put out!
Our list of vendors:
Destination Wedding Agency - Shaadi Destinations (Website - Instagram - Email)
Wedding Planner - The Story Book Event (Website - Instagram - Email)
Videographer - Mike Cantarell Films (Website - Instagram - Email)
Hair and Makeup - Blush and Glow (Website - Instagram - Email)
Mehndi - Lemons and Mehndi / Styling Trio (Website - Instagram - Email)
Our honeymoon to come
While we would love to do a Honeymoon, we aren’t sure coordinating a trip where we want to go will be possible this year. Since we both work in medicine, it is hard for us to coordinate trips/take the time off for long periods If we do go on a trip, we have a few places in mind i.e., Greece, Italy, or Exuma in the Bahamas for a shorter trip.
Special thanks to Bella Lumi for these fabulous pictures! Contact Bella Lumi 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.
