Michele and Harsh, Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Michele and Harsh lived their lifelong dream – to get married with a view of the symbol of eternal love – the Taj Mahal!
Michele and Harsh’s fairytale wedding festivities overlooking the beautiful Taj Mahal was a wonderful way to begin their brand new chapter as husband and wife.
The Proposal
“Harsh and I were in a long-distance relationship once I finished law school and moved back home to New Jersey from Boston. We were both really stressed at work and Harsh planned a weekend getaway for us. He told me to pack my bags and booked me a flight to Boston. Once I landed, we drove up to Vermont and spent our first day visiting some breweries &grubbing on some of the area’s best farm-to-table restaurants.The next day he asked me to get dressed for brunch and said he’d be back in an hour. He returned with a picnic basket and suggested an impromptu picnic overlooking Lake Champlain. It had rained that morning and I kept complaining that the ground would be too wet but he insisted on it. The next few moments would change my life forever. He handed me a wooden corkscrew/bottle opener and asked me to open a bottle of Pellegrino. When I looked at the corkscrew closely, it had the magical words -“Will you marry me Michele?” engraved on it. I was so shocked! Even before I could grasp what was going on, he was down on one knee, with the most beautiful ring in his hand. It was truly the happiest moment of my life.”
Wedding Venue
“We got married on March 11, 2017, in Agra overlooking the “greatest symbol of love”— the Taj Mahal. The Hindu wedding ceremony took place at the Taj Khema Mount. We chose a destination wedding in India to ensure our guests were treated to a truly unforgettable and memorable experience. Our Reception, Pithi and Mehndi ceremonies were hosted in the Grand Ballroom of the Courtyard Marriott, Agra.”
The Wedding Décor
“Each event showcased different décor and was carefully curated by my mother, Casey, who is not a wedding planner, but definitely should be! She worked tirelessly with Kunal Chatterjee from Kineto Decor in Delhi to ensure every detail of our wedding was perfect.”
Wedding Functions
Pre Wedding Photo-shoot
“We started off with a fun 2-day-pre-wedding photo and video shoot. We wanted the Taj Mahal as the backdrop in all of our pictures to symbolize the permanence of true love. Our first day was spent taking gorgeous pictures at the Taj Mahal and the second day was spent capturing videos and more breathtaking photos at Mehtab Bagh and the Red Fort. Each day, we both wore different Indian attire.”
Mehndi
“Our Mehndi took place in the Grand Ballroom of the Courtyard Marriott hotel in Agra. The décor was done entirely in various bright regional flowers that beautifully complemented the overall pink, yellow and red drapes in the center stage. Lots of colors were added to show the vibrant colorfulness of an Indian wedding. For the Mehndi event, I wore an orange sari with floral borders and accessorized my bright attire with handmade floral jewellery from Delhi.”
Pithi
“The following day was the Pithi/Maticore, where turmeric paste was smeared on our faces, arms & legs. Per tradition, Harsh and I had our Pithi ceremonies separately and did not see each other until our wedding day. Since this was a relatively simple event, I wore a white and gold sari from a boutique in Chennai and accessorized with heavy gold bangles.”
Wedding
“Our wedding was a celebration of our friendship and togetherness and followed traditional Hindu rituals. We performed our pheras in the morning under a beautiful Mandap decorated with yellow drapes and white/red/yellow flowers. We wanted our guests to experience a slice of the royalty and the warmth of India, so they were all ferried to our wedding by horse carriages. We had colorful canopies to relax in and a fun photo booth so our guests could click some candid moments, whilst having the Taj Mahal as their backdrop.
I had always envisioned myself in a customary red lehenga with gold embellishments and was happy to have found one at a boutique in Amritsar. It was gorgeous and it complemented my heavy, gold bridal jewellery. My ‘royal-styled’ wedding train was designed via conversations over WhatsApp between my mother in New Jersey and Prerna Bharadwaj, a designer in Delhi. The embroidery on my train represents patterns from the Taj Mahal. This was the first time anyone had ever seen an Indian bride with a wedding train. Everyone was mesmerized!”
Reception
“The Reception décor had a French soirée theme: all white with a hint of royal blue. The Cocktail Hour and Reception were the final events concluding the 3-day-long celebration. Our guests were entertained with the fantastic dance performances of the Blasters Dance Troupe followed by the artistic vocals of Shanky and Troupe. The dancers were from the famous show, Mohabbat, the Taj Show at Kalakriti. The entertainment was truly spectacular and everyone loved it! In all, it was an evening filled with lots of memories which Harsh and I will cherish forever.”
Advice for ‘to-be’ couples
“Hire a wedding planner a year in advance, as they are usually pre-booked. If you are planning your wedding yourself, have a script for everyone to follow. Review the script and have rehearsals a few times so everyone is on the same page. Make sure you sit with your photographer to discuss your vision. If you don’t have any ideas, they should provide options. In all, enjoy your wedding to the fullest because it goes by in the blink of an eye!”
The Wedding Team
Location: Taj Khema Mount, Agra (Wedding Ceremony); Courtyard by Marriott, Agra (Mehndi, Pithi and Reception)
Wedding Planner: Casey Rampersaud
Wedding Invitations- Customizing Creativity, Mumbai
Décor: Kineto
Jewellery: Sona Jewelers, New Jersey
Wedding Bands: Tacori and Cartier
Makeup Artist and Hairstylist: Vanity on Wheels
Entertainment: Blasters Dance Troupe; Shanky and Troupe
Photographers and Videographers: Jabs Inc. Studio and UNESCOtravelers Photography
