Chris and Akanksha tied the knot on the beautiful morning of April 27, 2024, in New Jersey. The Sandalwood Ballroom of The Marigold Banquet Hall witnessed the holy matrimony of diverse cultures coming together and all united by love.
The morning of the wedding
A 3 am early morning jump-start for the magical wedding day started at Akanksha’s home in East Brunswick, New Jersey. The home bustled with energy and music as the bride was getting ready. Makeup and hair were done for the wedding party and everybody was pumped up to start their voyage to the Marigold Banquet Hall for the final prep for the D Day. At the bridal suite, Akanksha is busily draping her traditional red saree, arranging her ornaments, and adorning the Nath. She looks like a vision come true in her attire and the happiness, and excitement for the day were gleaming on her face.
Right across, in the Marigold’s Groom Suite, Chris is getting ready for his big day. With an ivory-colored sherwani and the traditional draped pagadi on his head, he looks regal and all excited for the ceremony. A bright red shawl on his shoulder ties his costume with that of Akanksha as they head towards the most important day of their life.
With the extravagant, exquisite décor all done, the mandap for the wedding is all ready and is shining with the joy of the occasion. The bride and groom head on to their photoshoot, to capture the best moments of the day so that they can treasure these memories for life. Chris and Akanksha’s photos were taken with their friends and family in the Marigold Banquet Hall, commemorating the auspicious occasion. The bridal party, groomsmen, family, and friends were all happy, and excited for the wedding shenanigans to begin.
First Look
Under the white-colored Gazebo, Chris stood, with anticipation, joy, and excitement to see his bride for the very first time. Both of them turned to look at each other with joy overflowing and tears of happiness filling both their eyes. With elegant couple portraits done that will etch Chris and Akanksha’s memories for life, it was time to click photos with the bridal and groom party. The entire set of people who are happy and have arrived to share the love of the couple.
Traditional Gauri Pooja
In the bridal suite, Akanksha geared up for the auspicious Gauri pooja ahead of her wedding. The pooja is done to seek the blessings of Goddess Gauri, Parvati for a happy married life. These deeply rooted rituals are done with utmost devotion and commitment.
Baraat
As the Guari pooja ended, guests moved towards the breakfast counters. A beautiful spread of chai, veg puffs, and sandwiches welcomed the guests and prepared them for the wedding celebrations to come. Meanwhile, the mobile baraat system was all set up and the fun and frolic of the occasion just started. In a blue Corvette, Dancing to the tunes of a specially prepared baraat playlist, the groom and groomsmen danced away to glory. There was a special dance performance by the bridesmaids and the bride’s family, changing the environment to one of festivity. With Chris and his family welcoming “Swagat” into the mandap, everybody got ready for the wedding procession.
Wedding ceremony
With all the guests taking their respective seats, the wedding ceremony started. Chris, his parents, and siblings walked towards the mandap to the tunes of “Tenu Leke”. Followed by the bride’s parents and sister to the tunes of “Godh Gojira, laaj lajiri”. Ganesh Pooja is done in the mandap to seek blessings for this auspicious day. All eyes are then glued towards the end of the hallway, anticipating the bride’s entry. Akanksha walked towards the mandap, hand in hand with her uncles to the tunes of “goryaa, goryaa”. Antarpat is used and both Chris and Akanksha stand with jaimalas in their hand for their wedding. Once the Antarpat is lowered, they put garlands on each other. Both of them read their vows to each other after this and exchange rings ending the ceremony. With the priest announcing them husband and wife, they sealed this magical occasion with a kiss.
With the tune of “Sajiri Gojiri” in the background, the couple walks out of the mandap as rose petals are tossed at them by the guests as a symbol of their blessings and joy. With the happiness of a well-done marriage, the couple and family pose for post-wedding pictures, before relishing the lunch. An amazing spread of the lunch menu was enjoyed by friends, and family as they started getting ready for the reception evening.
Reception
All dolled up in a lilac lehenga and black suit, Akanksha and Chris arrived at their reception. With a wide spread of delicious foods, an array of couple portraits in the ballroom, family pictures, with the music of a DJ, it was a night to remember. In the cocktail hour, everybody performed with full energy. Chris and Akanksha had their first dance, hand in hand, with love and joy in their eyes. A performance by students of Akanksha who is a trained classical dancer also marveled the guests and added a cherry on the top. The reception ended with the tune of the “Every Time We Touch” song.
Cheers to Chris and Akanksha and their lifelong love!!!
