** I would appreciate it if you ladies (or gentlemen if applicable) did not quote any of the pics. 
I’m very grateful to this forum for all the help. Quite a few of you helped me decide on many details….from invitations, hair, make-up, music etc. My apologies for not being to name everyone individually.
Our families live in different cities so hubby and I literally planned the entire wedding ourselves. Honestly, given the drama my mother and MIL tend to create….this was the best decision for our sanity. We planned it in about 6 months. The day itself wasn’t perfect due to family drama. But everything went as planned….all the vendors arrived on time and did everything they were supposed to. Our guest count was only 120…..and literally half the guests were non-desi. Thus we decided to keep the entire event relatively modern/westernized. As much as I love traditional stuff…..having a super traditional wedding would not have suited us.
By reception….we were exhausted beyond words. The whole day was a blur…lol. The planning months seemed to last forever….yet the civil ceremony & reception went by in a flash.
Overall…no major regrets. We’re both super happy that it’s over. I have moments of sadness since I’m done being a “bride”….but all the stress of planning that one damn day is gone. And hubby and I are both grateful for that. Marriage has been FAR less stressful that the wedding.
I will post some details on the vendor with comments. If anyone is planning their wedding in Houston and wants more details on any vendors or my experience, please feel free to PM me.
- Venue: Hotel Magnolia ; Small boutique hotel in downtown; Their ballroom only holds like 150 with a dance floor so it’s too small for the average desi wedding but it was perfect for us.
Food: Since half my guests were non-desi, I wanted a good balance of food.
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Butler passed appetizers during cocktail hour were provided by the hotel. Hotel also provided a dessert buffet that included various petite pastries…along with chocolate/vanilla/raspberry mousse in martini glasses with a variety of choices of toppings.
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Dinner: Catered by Bombay Brasserie ; They bought a clay oven & cooked naan on site; This was the biggest hit at the reception….lol. Every single person we came across (desi and non-desi) raved about the food.
Cake: We found a gora lady that makes cakes out of her house. But she has years of experience working at a bakery. I gave her a picture to replicate. We had 2 flavors: Red Velvet & White Almond. She did a GREAT job. I’m happy to pass on her info. to anyone interested.
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Music/lighting: DJ Impact; We didn’t have any technical glitches at all the entire night. Very nice guy. Once the dancing started after dinner….he did a great job the entire night at paying attention to what worked with the crowd. The dhol player also came through him and he also did a phenomenal job! He wasn’t beating the drum randomly….lol. He also paid attention to the music and the crowd. Highly recommend them both!
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Mehndi: Incredible Mehndi by Aliya. Very sweet lady. Only catch is that she does not travel…so you have to go to her. But she did a GREAT job and her price is very reasonable.
Décor: Décor to Remember. Prices were much more reasonable compared to Mandap Creations. We worked with Valerie Rooney. I can’t say enough positive things about her. Absolute angel. Very detail oriented.
Flowers: River Oaks Flower House
Music: Walking down the aisle during civil ceremony: Jasne e bahara instrumental
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Dance: Rumba to Michael Jackson’s “I just can’t stop loving you”
** To all ladies planning your wedding: Relax! The day goes by so fast. It’s really not worth getting super stressed over every little detail. No wedding is “perfect”. Do your best…but also enjoy the day and remember that the wedding is really just that 1 day. Focus more energy on the marriage.
