A Blush-Inspired, Indian Wedding At The Venetian in Garfield, New Jersey

When Nina Vaswani and Sam Patel met 12 years ago, Sam secretly whispered to his friend, “I’ve met my future wife.” After two full years of wedding planning, the couple would be saying “I do” with an incredible wedding consisting of top vendors from all over the United States. “Our wedding day was themed, ‘You are the spark of my life’ for multiple reasons,” says Nina. “Sparks blossomed when we first met, they flourish every time we see each other, and as time goes on, our sparks become even stronger.”

For their wedding day, 500 guests gathered from around the world to celebrate the happy couple at The Venetian in New Jersey. After a whirlwind morning of hair, makeup, and being documented by Braja Mandala Photography and A&A Video Productions, the bride made her way to the ballroom, only to be taken aback by the gorgeous ambiance created by Elegant Affairs.

“As I stood in the middle of the mandap and marinated in the excitement I was feeling, I saw Sam make his way down the aisle – blindfolded – and when it was taken off, his expression said everything,” the bride recalls. “After being together for so long, everything felt like it was meant to be. It was such a fairytale moment and, quite honestly, one of the only clear moments we both remember in the blur of it all.”

Orchestrated by Premini Events, Nina and Sam’s wedding was a mix of traditional Indian and modern American influences. During the wedding planning process, both agreed they wanted their wedding experience to be focused on their guests. As such, cocktail hour included more than 100 different foods, specialty “his and hers” drinks, and grand ice sculptures. As guests transitioned into the grand hallway, a magnificent orchid tree greeted them, holding their place cards and table numbers; and behind it was an incredible reception space

The ballroom was decorated in blush and white flowers, giant crystal table pieces, and a mirrored DJ booth. For the bride, the wedding reception was her favorite part of the day. “It’s where Sam and I greeted the guests behind the ballroom’s curtains, made our entrance down the grand staircase, and danced with our bridal party to ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ by Coldplay,” Nina describes.

“Our first dance followed, and we danced to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ with snowflakes falling from the ceiling. Following our first dance, we did a father-daughter and mother-son dance together, symbolizing the unity of both families.”

Once DJ Suhel opened the dance floor to all the guests, the night was one epic dance party. Towards the end of the evening, a Viennese dessert hour offered guests more than 200 types of Italian desserts, and everyone was served a nightcap of homemade donuts and Starbucks coffee as they left.

“Having all our loved ones in one room meant the world to both of us,” Nina reflects. “Our wedding day was perfect, but the marriage that we have created and will continue to create is something that is invaluable.”