Indian wedding Archives - My Inner Shakti

Aek and Adu SAID I Do!

You guys! My little sister is married…Aek and Adu SAID I do (the wedding hashtag was #aekandadusayido)!

Every single event, from the mehndi to the reception, was so much fun. Honestly, there’s no better word to describe it. This wedding had fun written all over it! There was good food, laughter, dancing, late nights, and lots of beautiful emotions.

Of course, my sister looked absolutely gorgeous. She was glowing with happiness every time I looked at her! And Adarsh looked very handsome and had a huge smile on his face at all times. It was just the best!

Some of my favorite moments include hanging out with my grandparents for a week before the wedding, doing garba with close friends and family, performing a dance with my sister that we choreographed in less than a week, waking Aekta up on her wedding day and yelling “it’s wedding time!,” walking my sister down the aisle with Vishnu, watching Adarsh literally carry Aek out of the wedding hall as everyone cheered them on, watching Aekta and Adarsh be introduced as husband and wife for the first time and seeing them break it down on the dance floor as they entered the reception hall…and the list goes on!

Honestly, there’s no way to adequately describe how amazing it all was, so I’m going to stop typing and let some of the pictures speak for themselves!

And with that, it’s time to start packing! Wish us luck!

‘Officially’ Engaged!

written by Parita 15 Comments

My sister and Adarsh (her fiancé) got engaged the “down on one knee” way back in March. This past weekend my parents hosted their religious engagement ceremony (pooja) at our house, so now they’re ‘officially’ engaged!

I (unfortunately Vishnu had to work this weekend) flew into Atlanta on Wednesday night, worked on Thursday, and then went into engagement mode on Thursday evening. While my parents had prepped a lot of things beforehand, there was still lots left to do. For example, on Thursday evening, my mom and aunt made puris (fried bread), mathai (a savory fried snack), and a few other things. We also prepped the mitai (Indian sweets) packages and made the haars (garlands).

We woke up bright and early on Friday morning to make more food and clean. Adarsh, Aekta, and Adarsh’s family, along with a few other family members got in a little after noon. We ate a delicious South Indian lunch and then started to get ready for the pooja.

The pooja started around 6 pm and lasted a couple of hours. Because I wasn’t the one getting engaged (been there done that!), I was able to take pictures and move around a bit.

Unlike some of the other poojas my parents have hosted in the past, this one was small – very close family only (~30 people). It was so nice to hang out with everyone afterwards, including Vishnu’s parents, brother and his girlfriend who all drove up in the crazy Atlanta traffic.

My dad didn’t get the smiling memo!

Adarsh’s family stayed with us on Friday and Saturday so we could get through some of the big ticket planning items, including a four hour visit to the outfit designer and a tour of the wedding weekend venue. Even though we were all so exhausted, everyone rallied and made the most of our time together. This was my first time meeting Adarsh’s family, and I love them already! His little sister is so much fun to hang out with, and his parents are super sweet.

Even though the big day is eight months away, I just know it’s going to be here before we know it. AND I’M JUST SO EXCITED!!!

An iPhone Free Weekend in Atlanta

written by Parita 18 Comments

First, let me address the title of this post. After working out with my sister on Friday morning, I went to pour myself a glass of water from my parents’ Brita water jug not knowing that my sister had just refilled it with more water. As soon as I went to fill my glass, the water spilled all over the counter and my iPhone. I immediately dried it with paper towels and then ran to my computer to figure out what to do next. Per quite a few different forums/websites, turning your phone off and putting it in an airtight container full of uncooked rice for 48-72 hours is the best solution.

So that’s exactly what I did.

On Sunday morning, I woke up and ran downstairs to check on my phone. I told my dad to cross his fingers as we waited. Thankfully, it not only turned on, but the speakers and other functions were also working just fine! Close call…phew!

In a way, I’m kind of glad I didn’t have my phone with me the entire weekend. I was able to spend quality time with my family and get lots of wedding stuff done. An involuntary technology detox of sorts.

On Friday, after working out and showering, my mom and I looked at all the Pinterest photos my sister and I have been pinning for the past few months. A couple hours later, we all agreed on the colors for all of Aekta’s outfits (and some of mine), as well as potential designs. We also talked about the wedding cake and a few other details.

A few hours later, Vishnu’s parents and brother came over for dinner. We had Mexican pizzas and enchiladas along with some of this delicious wine that came highly recommended by my friend Monica…

We also played with Niel’s girlfriend’s dog who joined us for dinner! Her name is Little Bum Bums, and she is the cutest little thing ever! Her energy and antics kept us entertained most of the evening. 🙂

We slept in on Saturday and ate breakfast together. Then my mom and I got to work and sorted through all of her saris and jewelry. Sounds like an easy task, but it took a few hours. I’m glad we did it though because it helped us get organized. I’m not 100% sure how often I’ll be flying back to Atlanta this year, so I wanted us to tick off as many things off our list as possible. We also stopped by the designer’s house to share our ideas and get the ball rolling! Exciting stuff!

Later that evening, I got ready and headed to Roshni’s parents’ house for her brother’s surprise 40th birthday party. It was so much fun hanging out with Roshni and Samir for bit and catching up with people I haven’t seen in a while.

When I got home, everyone was still up so my sister suggested we watch a few home videos (we try to watch different ones every time the four of us are together). So much fun! We laughed until tears were flowing down our faces. It’s so funny how nothing has changed in terms of our family dynamic. We’re a crazy bunch!

Sunday morning was a bit more hectic. My flight was scheduled to depart at 3:30 pm, so Ruchi and I made plans to meet up before I had to leave. She’s in the US for the next six weeks, but if we didn’t make it happen before I left Atlanta this weekend, we wouldn’t have seen each other at all. Even though we only hung out for 20ish minutes, it was still worth it! Hopefully, we’ll get to hang out more the next time she’s here.

Before heading to the airport, my mom and I decided to stop at Lotta Frutta (one of my favorite food spots in the city) for smoothies and sandwiches. By the time we got there and ordered our food, it was 2:00 pm. We were told our wait time was about 15 minutes. At this point, I was super nervous because travelling out of the Atlanta airport is always a little unpredictable. Well, we got our food at 2:20, ran to the car, and made our way to the airport. By the time my mom dropped me off, it was 2:35 pm. The security process took a little longer than anticipated, but I made it to my gate just in time! And while cutting it close like that isn’t my thing, I have to admit that the smoothie and sandwich were well worth the stress! I love Lotta Frutta!

And just like that, it’s Monday. I miss my parents and sister A LOT but am also happy to be back with Vishnu and look forward to settling into a routine once again.

Wedding Weekend in Detroit

written by Parita 8 Comments

Wedding weekends are so much fun – beautiful outfits, great food, lots of dancing, and all of your best friends in one place. They are also exhausting – late nights, early mornings, and lots of dancing/general activity. While I’m beyond tired after Sweeti’s wedding weekend in Detroit, I’m also SO happy. I got to see one of my closest friends marry the love of her life!

Since coherent sentences are not my thing today, I’m going to let my pictures do the talking. Enjoy!

CONGRATULATIONS, Sweeti and Sunay! As I said in my speech, may your love only grow and deepen over the years, so much so that you remember this day and weekend as the time you loved each other the least.

Three Things Thursday (12)

written by Parita 16 Comments

You guys, Vishnu and I are moving in two weeks and two days! Tell me why our apartment looks like we plan to live there forever. Maybe because I feel super confident that we can knock out all the packing in a few days. Let’s hope I’m right!

Anyways, enough about packing, let’s move on to my 12th Three Things Thursday post. Lots going on right now, but I’m choosing to keep it light, fun, and random today. Enjoy!

1. Sweeti and Sunay’s wedding!

We’re so weird!

We’re flying to Detroit tomorrow for my friend Sweeti’s wedding, and I could not be more excited! She’s going to be an absolutely beautiful bride! As for me, I’m pretty much counting on lots of dancing and no sleep…wish me luck!

2. NARS Blush

I went to the mall last week to pick up a graduation present for Vishnu. This mall isn’t very big at all, so before I knew it, I was walking past Sephora. And let’s be honest, there was no way I wasn’t going inside to “browse.” As I was looking around, the NARS makeup section caught my eye. I’ve been in the market for a good blush for a while now, and I remembered my cousin telling me about the NARS Orgasm blush. A quick internet search showed tons of positive reviews and also convinced me that the color would work well on my skin tone.

Thankfully the internet was right! I love this blush. The color is pretty and light and gives the illusion of perfectly flushed cheeks. And the coverage is buildable, which is perfect for people like me who only want a hint of color.

3. Pitch Perfect 2

[Source]

Earlier this week, a group of us went to see Pitch Perfect 2. If you loved the first movie, you’ll definitely like this one. Personally, I think the storyline was better with the first one, but the singing and dancing alone is enough to keep you entertained. And Rebel Wilson is HILARIOUS! I was afraid she was going to be too over the top for me, but I loved her acting. So funny!

Also, there’s a surprise half way through the credits, so if you can, stay until the end. Totally worth it!

And now I wish I knew how to sing…*sigh*

Have a great Thursday!

Your turn to share – what are three things you’ve been thinking about/doing this week! If you’re a blogger, write a post and link back to one or all of the hostesses: Raj from Pink Chai Living, Nisha from Love Laugh Mirch, or Salma from The Write Balance. Then share a link to your post (not your blog’s home page).

Wedding Weekend in New Orleans

written by Parita 14 Comments

To say that we had a great time in New Orleans this past weekend would be an understatement! Not only did we attend a beautiful wedding, but we also got to experience the city in multiple ways – restaurants, site seeing, nightlife, the casino, etc. And I must say that New Orleans is a beautiful city with some of the nicest people! Don’t be fooled – there’s more to NOLA than Bourbon Street!

We started our day super early on Friday. And by super early I mean 3 am. Vishnu really wanted to explore the city before all the wedding events started This meant we had to take a 6 am flight out of Fort Lauderdale (30 minutes from Miami). While the early start wasn’t so fun, I’m glad we planned our day that way and had the opportunity to see New Orleans.

After dropping our bags off at the hotel, we took a cab to Surrey’s Cafe. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait at all because we got there right as the restaurant opened. And the food was fantastic! I ordered the migas with seasoned spicy potatoes – such a flavorful dish. It definitely hit the spot and surpassed my expectations. Vishnu ordered the shrimp and grits couldn’t say enough good things. The grits were super creamy, and the gravy was slightly spicy and infused with great Cajun flavor. We were two happy campers after this meal!

Next, we walked. And we walked and walked some more. We walked down Magazine Street and Saint Charles Avenue, stopping to check out the Garden District and Lafayette Cemetery. Then we made our way to Audubon Park and even got to see the Mississippi River.

We were meeting friends for lunch at noon, so we hopped on the street car/trolley (I wish every city had this) and rode it all the way to Canal Street and the French Quarter. We had lunch at the Gumbo Shop, where I had vegetarian gumbo and delicious garlic mashed potatoes. The four of us also enjoyed two rounds of Cajun Bloody Mary’s. YUM!

We then met up with two more friends at Cafe Du Monde for beignets and coffee. Totally worth the hour long wait!

We then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the sangeet/garba. And boy did we garba (dance!). A bunch of us started when the music started and didn’t stop until the very end. Definitely got my steps in on Friday!

Later that night, about 20 of us headed to Pat O’Briens on Bourbon Street. So much fun! In fact, we didn’t get back to our room until a little past 3 am.

The wedding and reception were on Saturday, and both were beautiful events. Because of our late night/early morning, Vishnu and I took naps in between the events. Thank goodness because between all the dancing we did at the reception and our night at Harrah’s Casino, we didn’t go to sleep until a little past 4 am. Again, totally worth it because I won $100 playing Blackjack!

Thankfully, our flight home wasn’t until 11:15 am on Sunday, so we could sleep in a bit. And then we slept some more when we got home. And because I was still tired, I went to bed at 9:30. I. Was. Exhausted. So much so in fact that my legs literally felt heavy!

But we’re all rested now, and ready for our trip to Italy, which starts this THURSDAY!!

Have you been to New Orleans?

#ramantik Wedding

written by Parita 6 Comments

Annnnd we are back in Miami after an amazing weekend in Houston celebrating the wedding of our friends Rathna and Kartik! And what a fun weekend it was.

As I mentioned in my last post, Vishnu and I flew to Houston on Thursday morning. Thankfully, our flight was on time and uneventful. We got to the hotel, checked in, and got ready for the first event…HOLI! Rathna organized a holi event at a local park for those who wanted to participate. If you aren’t familiar with Holi, it’s sort of like the color run but with everyone throwing colored powder at each other while running around randomly. So much fun!

The Sangeet was later that night – a pre-wedding event where guests eat and dance the night away. Remember how I mentioned that Vishnu was dancing at this wedding? Well, he did a great job! I’ll try to share a video or two on my Facebook page when I get my hands on some!

After the Sangeet we practiced the reception dances a few times and headed to bed. The wedding started at 7:00 am the next morning, and I wanted to get as much sleep as possible.

This was the first Tamil wedding I’d ever been to, and I loved it! Indian weddings in general are so full of tradition, family involvement, and love, and all of that could be seen and felt on Kartik and Rathna’s big day!

After the wedding was lunch and after lunch was nap time! And nap we did…for almost 3 hours! It was glorious!

And then, before we knew it, it was reception time!

I can’t even describe how fun the reception was – everything from the program, food, dancing, etc. I think it’s safe to say good times were had by all!

Congratulations, Kartik and Rathna! I hope your wedding weekend was all that you dreamed it would be. So glad we were able to end the 2014 wedding season with a huge bang!

How many weddings did you attend in 2014? This was our 8th and final wedding (or wedding related event)!

Aek and Adu SAID I Do!

‘Officially’ Engaged!

An iPhone Free Weekend in Atlanta

Wedding Weekend in Detroit

Three Things Thursday (12)

Wedding Weekend in New Orleans

#ramantik Wedding

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