One day, out of the blue, Meena got a text message saying, “Hi Meena, Gagan here,” and since then, we could probably fill a decently-sized Barnes & Nobles with our texts.”
Q: How did you meet?
Gagan: Meena is from Vancouver, Canada (but living in Baltimore, USA) and I’m from Canton, Michigan. Meena’s first-cousin is married to one of my friends in Michigan. They introduced us while they were dating. They had been trying to get us to meet up for months but both of us were a little uncomfortable with the whole “setting up” business. One day, out of the blue, Meena got a text message saying, “Hi Meena, Gagan here” and since then, we could probably fill a decently sized Barnes & Nobles with our texts. We met up a couple months after getting to know each other and since then, knew that we were on the same path, together. Being from different cities and sometimes being apart for weeks at a time, “home is where the heart is” has been a resonating theme in our lives.
Q: Could you share your proposal story?
Gagan: A couple weeks after Meena finished medical school, I proposed to her in Chicago, her favourite American city. She was caught completely off guard. I had gathered all our friends and even had some people fly in to celebrate with us. Who would say no to that?
Q: Describe your wedding day. What was your favourite moment?
We were surprised by how fast and smooth everything went. It seemed like a year and a half of planning was well worth the outcome. We both had an amazing day filled with lots of different emotions. The best part for us was to see that our family and friends took a lot of time and effort to make sure that we had the best weekend ever. Our families helped us out tremendously and it was amazing to see how loved we are.
Q: Could you tell us about your reception?
Meena: Since Gagan’s family and friends were from out of town, it was important to us to show them a good time and make everyone feel special and included. Each day we added something different to keep everyone entertained, with the grand finale being the reception, with DJ Ace from Decibel Entertainment orchestrating the best party we all had ever attended. Both of us felt so much love from everyone, it was unbelievable.
I could not imagine everything running smoothly and everyone having a smile on their face the entire time. For the reception, we knew the party was going to be good, but we didn’t know it was going to be THAT good. When you have everyone from a one-year-old to a 90-year-old on the dance floor, you know you did it right. And when the popular photographer says, “best of the year,” while it’s still happening, who can not smile and feel insanely happy.
Q: Can you describe your outfits?
Meena: Our wedding style was modern day raja/rani. Royal chic! We kept the wedding day theme very traditional and peaceful, with soft colours. My outfit was inspired by a jewellery advertisement that featured Amy Jackson which I saw a few years ago and was in love with. I wanted something a little different so I went with the traditional, punjaban, longer top look. Gagan’s outfit was stark white with antique gold touches. To add to the royal look, we blinged out his turban. Both our outfits were custom made in India, without either one of us going there. My outfits were from a boutique in Chandigarh where I have been getting my clothes made for about 15 years. Gagan’s was from New Era in Phagwara; his reception outfit was custom made from Michigan.
Q: If you could provide any advice to other couples to be married, what would it be?
A: Start early. When we first started planning, about a year and a half ago, we were noticing that a lot of our vendors had “holds” so it was important that we book right away. Spend money on the right things. For us, food and reception DJ were most important and we definitely got the wow factor with those. Negotiate with vendors when you can, most are very reasonable. Have lots of inspiration photos and let people know the kind of ambience you’re going for, they make it happen. And last, remember to eat and have fun. Everyone is there to welcome you as a husband and wife in your new role, so stop, take a minute, and feel all the love you are being showered with.
Photo Courtesy of Amrit Photography
