During their sophomore year at USC in 2004, Megha Parmar and Sonny Gulati were introduced through mutual friends. That first encounter took place at Megha’s apartment and included snacks and the movie, Braveheart.
“Megha thought I was a complete weirdo, whereas I thought she was a typical, sheltered, naïve OC girl,” Sonny reveals. “Megha told me that she only watched Indian movies, which I knew were terrible, so I decided to introduce her to Hollywood’s best movies to show her what she had been missing out on. In short, she thought I was even weirder.” Despite their initial absence of romance, the two were both pursuing business degrees and spent time together until the end of college, when they realized they liked each other more than just friends.
“SONNY PRESENTED MEGHA WITH THE FINAL PHOTO REEL. THE LAST PHOTO WAS OF HIM ON ONE KNEE, HOLDING A RING.”
The proposal took place on the couple’s anniversary, August 29th, which included breakfast in bed, lunch at Perch downtown, and a trip to the Getty. At the Getty, Sonny secretly brought along a custom ViewMaster–which he pretended he purchased at the Getty gift shop–and surprised Megha with different reels of photos of the two together throughout the day.
When they stopped for a wine and cheese picnic at the Exposition Park Rose Garden, where they hung out during their USC days, Sonny presented Megha with the final photo reel. The last photo was of him on one knee, holding a ring. “After seeing the last picture, she looked up and I proposed,” Sonny says. “I had our parents meet us for a quick photo shoot, then we went out to dinner; and for her last surprise of the night, I had our friends meet us for a nightcap.”
The wedding planning process was headed by Flavia of Allure Events Atelier. Like most Indian weddings, there were multiple events that took place during the days leading up to the ceremony. The wedding day was set for the date of the bride and groom’s eight year anniversary, and the entire day was breathtaking–everything the bride had envisioned, and more. “Although it was the hottest day of summer, the wedding was awesome,” says the groom. “Everyone had a ton of energy. The flowers were gorgeous. There was so much happening that I barely remembered it all.”
An outdoor reception was held at sunset, overlooking the ocean on the lawn at Pelican Hill. During the reception, the USC Marching Band made a special appearance and led everyone to another party indoors, where a circular bar and lounge were set up along with a DJ.
The band played some USC favorites, including “TUSK” and the Trojan Fight Song, and the DJ spun dance and hip-hop music all night long. At midnight, the newlyweds and their guests indulged in one of their favorite foods, In-N-Out, which was the perfect way to cap off the celebrations.
WEDDING TALENT
Location: The Resort at Pelican Hill Newport Coast, CA; Event Design and Planner: Allure Events Atelier, Irvine, CA; Floral Design: Butterfly Floral & Event Design, Los Angeles, CA; Linen: Luxe Linen, Irvine, CA; Linen: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental, Napa, CA; Rentals: LM Event Productions, Studio City, CA; Rentals: Revelry Event Designers, Los Angeles, CA; Draping: Always the Best Party Rentals, Anaheim, CA; Lehenga: OSAA by Adarsh; Reception Dress: Carolina Herrera; Groom’s Ceremony Attire: Sabyasachi
