Twinkel Patel and Paresh Maru, New Orleans

Twinkel Patel and Paresh Maru marked their beautiful journey of love with a celebration just as charming. Planned by Alchemy Events, their intimate wedding was an elegant blend of rousing family moments, their heritage and minimalistic style ethos. Watch it unfold below.

How They Met
Twinkel, who works as a registered nurse, crossed paths with Patient Care Technician Paresh on the popular dating app Dil Mil in 2016. She shares, “I was still in nursing school while he was working as an EMT. He was the first to message me with a cheesy quote from ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, which happens to be my favorite Bollywood movie. We clicked instantly and started messaging back and forth. Since I lived in Louisiana and he in New Jersey, we chose Atlanta as a neutral meeting ground for our first date. From the moment we first greeted each other in the Delta terminal all I could think of was – He is the one! Our first official date was at the Georgia Aquarium. By the time our trip came to an end, we had fallen for each other and were already thinking about our next trip together. In the following years, we flew back and forth visiting different cities together, our bond just grew stronger with each passing day.”

The Proposal
She continues, “Paresh planned an amazing proposal. I was under the impression that my sisters and I would have a weekend getaway to Atlanta, but little did I know that my sisters were in on this too. We started our day with brunch at a Mexican restaurant, after which we headed over to the Georgia Aquarium for a ‘VIP tour’. I was super excited for the Dolphin Show and we sat in reserved seats. When an employee asked the crowd for volunteers, my sister and I raised our hands, and as we headed down, I was anticipating we would get to pet the dolphins. My sister answered the first trivia question, and when it was my turn, the employee said, “We have a special guest who’s going to ask you the next question,”. Out came Paresh with a bouquet of flowers and he asked me to marry him. I burst into tears in front of the whole crowd and I still don’t let him forget that”, she laughs, “However, it meant a lot to get engaged in the same place we had our first date.”

Wedding Planning
Having lived in Louisiana for most of her life, Twinkel chose the iconic city of New Orleans as the location for the wedding, and found the perfect venue at The Cannery, entrusting the team of Alchemy Events to pull off the wedding she always dreamed of. Talking about her experience working with them, she shares, “We wanted more of a modern take on a traditional Indian wedding. I am a big fan of floral decoration with blush, white and burgundy, and although we weren’t able to verbalize a specific theme, Rena did an amazing job by creating exactly what we envisaged for our special day. She and her team worked closely with the venue and all other vendors to pull together the most memorable celebration for our intimate wedding of 120 guests.”

Wedding Functions
Pithi
The wedding festivities held in Surti Gujarati and Kathiyawadi tradition began with the ritual of Pithi or Haldi. Decorated in customary hues of yellow and orange, the bride’s ceremony was hosted indoors. The groom’s ceremony which was originally meant to be in the garden, was shifted in at the last minute due to a tropical storm. Floral tablecloths, bright candles and more, added a splash of color to the occasion. The lively rituals were followed with a beautiful dinner service to celebrate the couple. Guests dined on popular favorites such as pani puri, bhel puri, pav vada and dosas among other things, while everyone mingled and also got mehndi done.

Wedding
The Wedding ceremony was a quaint garden-themed affair full of organic floral accents interspersed with sleek metallic elements for a modern feel. Hanging amaranthus flowers in green and burgundy cascaded from the pale pink and white rose flower arrangements for an enchanting effect, while a green photo wall complemented the decor seamlessly along with neon hashtags. The structural mental mandap with candles and flowers reflected the minimalistic ethos of the couple as well as the wedding beautifully, and made for a unique focal point. Dressed in traditional hues of deep red and ivory, the couple looked like the portrait of happiness as they tied the knot.

The Wedding Makers

Venue: The Cannery, New Orleans
Wedding Planner: Alchemy Events
Floral decor: Berry Blossom Flowers
Photo Booth: Boogie Booth
Rentals: True Value Rental
Transportation: Riverbend Charters
Sari Draping: Bharti Patel
Makeup and Hair: Verde Beauty Studio
Bridal Mehndi: Manasi’s Art
Mehndi: New Orleans Henna
Cake: Sucrette Tailored Confections
Catering: Tava Indian Street Food
Ceremony Programs: Studio Ashh
DJ: KhanCept Entertainment
Photography: Jessica Burke (Jessica the Photographer)
Videography: Timeless Productions

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