A Magical Punjabi Wedding Week in Woodside, California by Denise Lillie Engagements

A Magical Punjabi Wedding Week in Woodside, California by Denise Lillie Engagements

Jasmine Kahlon and Gianjeet Johal first connected on Coffee Meets Bagel at the beginning of February 2018. After their initial correspondence, Jasmine noticed there was something different about Gianjeet, who was very present, kind, and respectful. On February 11th, they agreed to meet up in downtown San Jose.

“It was a day I will never forget,” Jasmine recalls. “We spent time chatting and learning more about one another’s interests, family, past experiences, places we traveled, and future aspirations. His honesty and genuine nature created a spark inside of me. I knew there was something special and unique about him. That became the first date of many we spent hiking, exploring the Bay, eating delicious food, spending time with our families, and eventually led to the foundation of our love. By Spring 2019, we decided to get married and had our traditional Punjabi engagement ceremony by June of 2019.”

Although the couple had already celebrated their engagement, Gian planned a more private moment as well. Soon after the engagement ceremony, he took his new fiancé to Lake Tahoe, where they spent the day at a Lake Club. After walking along a pathway down to the dock, Jasmine turned around to see Gian down on one knee. Gian made a heartfelt speech, Jasmine gave an emphatic “YES,” and the two boarded a boat and set sail with a bottle of champagne.

As working professionals, both Jasmine and Gian were relieved to hire Denise of Denise Lillie Engagements to plan and design their large-scale celebration – a magical Punjabi wedding week set for March 20th. A day before their wedding week, however, shelter in place mandates started in the Bay Area and the couple decided to postpone their wedding date. They still wanted to get married in 2020 but were realizing that their wedding vision would have to be scaled down significantly.

“After months of debating when would be the best time to reschedule, we made the decision to have our intimate wedding the week of October 2, 2020,” explains Jasmine. “This meant we had to go from planning a wedding with 250 guests to a wedding with 50 guests, total. Together with Denise, we worked together to scale down all events, incorporate the home as a venue, and find a new outdoor reception venue. Initially, we had indoor hotel venues booked for the Sangeet and reception. Since this was not an option, we decided to have the Sangeet at home, wedding lunch at home, and reception outdoors at a winery. Luckily, it was a smooth process to reincorporate all our decorations for each event at these new locations. The hardest part was to scale down the guest count; but with much thought, we invited our closest family and friends.”

Despite Jasmine having some feelings of apprehension and anxiousness as her wedding approached, Denise pulled off a beautiful week of magical Punjabi wedding events for her couple in the midst of a pandemic. The wedding day began early, with Denise delivering Starbucks to the bride as she got her hair and makeup done.

“Denise’s timeline of events and logistical expertise allowed for everything to run smoothly and on time – not the norm for Indian weddings!” adds the bride. “What I had envisioned for my wedding exceeded my expectations. I was calm, cool, collected, and READY! Even moments before walking down the aisle with my brother on my right side and sister on my left, I felt so calm and ecstatic about our future. The wedding ceremony was magical and memorable as we partook in the traditional ceremonies. Most of all, I appreciated the intimacy during the wedding day.”

The theme of the wedding was “A Whole New World,” which came to life at a spectacular outdoor winery overlooking the Bay Area lights. Jasmine felt like a princess surrounded by all the carefully curated décor details, from the name cards to the signage, to the flowers. Although their wedding day was vastly different from the celebration they had originally planned, the end result – an intimate and magical Punjabi wedding in an outdoor setting – turned out to be even better.

“I felt I was able to chat and dance with all my family and friends in attendance,” shares the bride. “It was a great start to a week that continued to be filled with love, joy, and smiles. I am thankful Gian and I had the support of our family and Denise in carrying out an unforgettable wedding week. I would change absolutely nothing about my intimate wedding week!”