Here’s a unique love story that began 8000 miles away from home, at a college Fresher’s party! Meet Harsha and Kavin, 20-somethings pursuing their Masters in the US, at Stevens Institute of Technology at New Jersey.
Harsha had gone to the US in 2013 and Kavin in 2014, but a weird twist of fate brought them together under the same roof at a Fresher’s party in March 2014. They merely socialized as fellow college mates, but at a certain point during the night, upon learning that she was a Tamilian his instant reaction was- “Nee Tamizhaa?!” And from that point on, there was no stopping them. Numbers were exchanged, stolen glances and coy smiles. They were, of course, doubtful if they’d remember any of the events from the previous night thanks to all the intoxication but as fate would have it, he texted her the very next morning, with an awful headache for company.
Through the course of the next year, they became really close buddies thanks to a common group of friends they shared. Seizing the opportunity of being in the US, they travelled as a huge gang and went on many trips together. With all of this going on, they ended up spending a lot of time with each other and reveled in how well their thoughts, values and beliefs aligned. And by the end of the year, they both knew what they had, run much deeper than friendship.
Finally, by 2015, they began dating and one very special trip Harsha recalls fondly was their New Year trip to Florida Disneyland! She giggles excitedly as she explains how that trip set the foundation for their relationship and gave them countless memories for life!
By 2016, they moved in together and this truly was a very special experience as Harsha describes it. They knew by now that they were very serious about doing life together.
And since they did not have an official date of proposal, Kavin had organized a party for Harsha’s birthday, a few days prior to the actual date to catch her off guard. He organized the party to the T with all of their close friends and it was truly a memorable affair!
And on November 7th, the eve of her birthday, as she entered her room after work she was greeted with hundreds of candles dotting every corner of the room with Kavin on his knees in front of her! Aaahh, the stuff of dreams really!
And right there, he popped THE question to Harsha, who ecstatically nodded with a BIG YES!
And that only marked the beginning of a fun-filled journey upto their wedding! Both their families readily agreed to their union and the wedding was fixed in 2018.
In Harsha’s words, “I was really scared of the whole wedding planning process, especially while doing it from a thousand miles away from home but Shopzters made it a breeze! It was through Shopzters that I found @mystic-studios#, my photographers who turned more like family than friends and put me at ease instantly. They did a stellar job at the wedding and everyone was all praise for it.
We planned to have a five-day wedding! Though it was hard to plan and coordinate from the US, we managed to sail through with the help of Abi from @mystic-studios# and Shopzters.
And the festivities finally kicked off on the 25th of October.
The invitations were all designed by Carnival with our caricature sourced specially from Bangalore.
All the events were planned and coordinated by Studio Prakash- Light and Dark events.
The Sangeeth was held at Hotel MKM in Tirupur. We hired a local decorator who did a great job! And my MUA was Lakme Salon from Coimbatore. My jewellery was from @kushals-fashion-jewellery#. And my outfit was from @kay-the-fashion-bay#, Chennai.
The next event was my Engagement, which was held in Mani Mahal, Tirupur. @vivahhika# did a stunning job with the décor! I had two looks for the engagement. My first look consisted of a gorgeous can-can saree with the skirt and blouse by @arvi-the-couturier#, Coimbatore. @anya-where-tradition-meets-fashionclothing# stitched the blouse for my second look. @bronzer-bridal-makeup-artist# did my makeup and hairstyling for the evening.
For my first Reception was held in Mani Mahal Tirupur, I wore a striking lehenga from @kay-the-fashion-bay#, Chennai and Kavin wore a sherwani from @manyavar#. The décor was done by @vivahhika# as well and it turned out to be a beautiful evening! The makeup was done by @bronzer-bridal-makeup-artist# and jewellery by Naveen from @bronzer-bridal-jewellery#.
There were a whopping 15000 people invited for the event and we made a grand entry with cold sparklers, on a golden chariot complete with a song and dance routine! Even our then Honourable Chief Minister Paneerselvam graced us with his presence and blessings.
And then, of course, came the Muhurtham! We bought the saree from @a-s-babu-sah#. What everyone imagined I’d take hours to decide, took no time at all in reality! I chose my Muhurtham saree within a record 1 hour that everyone was in absolute shock! The blouse was stitched by @arvi-the-couturier# and everyone was all praise for it! The makeup was done by @bronzer-bridal-makeup-artist# and jewellery by Naveen from @bronzer-bridal-jewellery#.
The second Reception was held in the groom’s hometown and @make-up-ibrahim# did my makeover. My saree was again from @a-s-babu-sah# and the blouse was stitched by @arvi-the-couturier#. I picked out my footwear from Metro.
Our post-wedding shoot was in Jodhpur, Rajasthan and was artfully shot by @mystic-studios!
All in all, there was all the drama that is usually there in a BIG FAT Indian wedding! Lots of singing, dancing and fun. We all sure had a gala time celebrating the happiest days of our lives with our friends and family!
My word of advice to future brides is- be as stress-free as possible! Keep drinking lots of water. It was Abi from Mystic Studios who advised me to drink a glass of fruit juice or vegetable juice first thing in the morning and voila! You will see the difference for yourself within a week. My face cleared up instantly and I was glowing. I did not go for any bridal spa or facial. This is the only regimen I followed and it worked wonders for me.
So stay calm and don’t worry at all. Enjoy the process and celebrate the bonding!“
