Ann + Crispin: Novi Wedding Trailer

Friends, we cannot stop smiling when we think about these two. Ann + Crispin make us so happy and having spent this weekend with them, sharing in all the laughter and the celebrations was such a blessing. We've said it before and we'll say it again, wedding planning is tough, and doing so in the middle of a pandemic is even more so. These two absolutely knocked it out of the park though!

Even when plans had to shift, these two threw such an elaborate and gorgeous wedding. We will always be obsessed with their intimate backyard reception, their integration of both new and old traditions, and their ability to just have fun with it. Will someone please let us know when they invent time travel so that we can go back to this weekend and relive it over and over again?!

Words can't express how excited nor how thankful we are for these two. Forever cheers’ing to Mr + Mrs Elackattu and this new chapter in their story together!

Contributing Vendors

Photography & Cinematography: Shadow Shine Pictures

Wedding Planning and Coordination: Bespoke Events DFW

Wedding Dress: BHLDN

Menswear: Jos. A. Bank

Floral Designer: Endless Flowers By Amy

Hair Stylist: Hair By Aysha

Makeup Artist: J Hobby Makeup Studio

Henna Artist: Radhe Henna

DJ: Srihari Potter

MC: MC Abiv

Venue: St. Joseph Chaldean Church 

Ann + Crispin: Novi Wedding

Sukhi + Balraj: Grand Rapids Wedding Trailer

A lot changed this year. Adventures were postponed, plans redrawn, and dreams reimagined. We all felt this on a deep level and it’s no surprise that it greatly influenced how every wedding was approached this year. But regardless of the redesign, the shuffle, the last-minute change-ups, there was a profound sense of intimacy that we found this year unlike ever before. Sukhi + Balraj's weekend exemplified this perfectly.

This was a weekend when everything came down to the essentials, the pure essence of what this celebration was all about—two people and their commitment to choosing each other no matter what. Everything about these moments and their significance became so much more real. Sure, the venues looked a bit different, the guest list a bit smaller, but there was a magic to this weekend that engulfed all of us. The closest of the close family and friends gathered together to celebrate in the backyard, dancing under an open sky, drinking and cheering to a new chapter ahead, with the glow of party lights and fireworks all around us. There is nothing more that we could have ever dreamed for these two.

This is exactly how it was always meant to be. This most intimate of settings, this purest of joys. There's a long road ahead for our world. While we hope and pray we are out of this global crisis soon, we are also hoping that this sense of closeness, this magic that we found in weekends like this, never goes away.

Contributing Vendors

Cinematography: Shadow Shine Pictures

Photography: Inna Kova Photography

Wedding Planning and Coordination: Modern Day Collective

Jaggo, Wedding, and Reception Dresses and Outfits: Monga’s

Floral Designer: Modern Day Collective

Hair Stylist - Jaggo: Taylor of Design One Salon

Hair Stylist - Wedding Day: Unica Salon & Spa

Makeup Artist - Jaggo: Erick Gerson

Makeup Artist - Wedding Day: Beauty by Mariam and Nita Shkreli

DJ/Band: DJ Ice and Fresh

Decorations: Event Theory

Wedding Cake/Dessert: Amway Grand Plaza

Venue(s): Sikh Society of West Michigan

Aastha + Shalin: Dearborn Wedding Trailer

We love getting caught up in the celebration and excitement of a wedding. From all the laughter and joy to the tender and quiet moments, there is rarely a moment that we aren’t completely enraptured by. Aastha + Shalin’s weekend was exactly that for us.

In some ways, it went by so fast that it feels like a whirlwind of cheering, dancing, and all of the gorgeous colors you could imagine. Yet at the heart of it all, the thing that stands out in memory is just how much fun it was celebrating these two and the beginning of the brand new chapter in their story together. After seven long years, these two said yes to forever together and threw one heck of a party to commemorate it.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the ideals of love, commitment, and adventure are the things that grow us, transform us, and bring us together. Aastha + Shalin model that so beautifully and for that, we will always be beyond thankful for them. Here’s to two humans who will always have our hearts!

Contributing Vendors

Photography & Cinematography: Shadow Shine Pictures

Mehndi Dress: Custom made in Mumbai

Garba and Sangeet Dress: Custom from Asopalav, Surat

Wedding Dress: Custom from Raas Boutique, Mumbai

Bridesmaid Sarees: Custom made from Hindmata, Mumbai

Reception Dress: Custom from Panihari Boutique, Mumbai

Menswear Sherwani: Custom from JadeBlue, Surat,

Menswear Tuxes: Ermenegildo Zegna

Hair Stylest: Aysha Riaz

Makeup Artist: Jahura Hobby

Mendhi Artist: Krupa Thomas

DJ: DJ Ice & Fresh Productions

Priest: Surendra Bhardwaj

Wedding Cake: Wisteria Bakehaus

Caterers: Rangoli Indian Cuisine and Krishna Catering & Restaurant

Venues: The Bharatiya Temple of Troy and The Dearborn Inn

Aastha + Shalin: Dearborn Wedding

Aparna + Ankit: Novi Wedding Trailer

There are some weddings that we truly wish would never end, and when we think back to the amazing, colorful, joy-filled weekend that was A+A's we have those exact feelings. By the time we got to their wedding weekend, they were already dear friends of ours—so obviously we got swept up in all the magic, the love, and every single second of celebrating these two.

Coming together with this close-knit community to cheer these two on as they entered into this new season was honestly indescribable. The shared experience, taking part in a moment that transcends all of us there. We've talked about that a lot over the last few years and the reality is that this feeling doesn't fade away in the least bit — it only grows stronger and for that, we are deeply thankful.

Heaven help us, this blog could be pages on pages long about everything that was so wonderful about this weekend. Really, all we can say is how thankful we are for these two beautiful humans. Their wedding weekend was more than an honor to be a part of, and to get to be a part of their story, and to call them friends, is more than we could ever ask for.

Wedding Planer: Rajul Pillai of Blissful Events

Photography and Cinematography: ShadowShine Pictures

Florist: Butterfly Flowers

Garba Hair and Makeup: Houda Hourani at Salon West Dearborn

Wedding and Reception Hair: Raimonda Gjekaj

Wedding and Reception Makeup: Tammy Pore

DJ: Umesh Manani

Wedding Cake: Sweet Dreams Bakery

Linens & Chivari Chairs: Modern Art Party Rental

Catering & Bar: Krishna Catering & Ashoka

Henna: Niki Patel

Henna Gown: Frontier Heritage

Grah Shanti Gown: Utsav Fashions

Garba/Sangeet Gown: Anushree Reddy

Wedding Gown: Raja Fashions

Reception Gown: Shyamal & Bhumika

Venues: Diamond Center, Patel Residence, & Shah Residence

Aparna + Ankit: Novi Garba Raas

Garba night is hands down one of our favorite events during the weekend-long Indian wedding festivities. In many instances, it's the first night where the majority of both families come together and celebrate these amazing couples. The night is often filled with unending laughter, dancing, AND THE COLORS ARE GORGEOUS!

It is without a doubt a night of excitement, parting, and unity. From the rehearsed dance numbers performed by Aparna+Ankit's family and friends, to Aparna's flowing and jaw-dropping dress, and every other breathtaking sari in the room that night — this was one of the standout highlights of their weekend for us.