An Enchanted Garden Themed Wedding in Parsippany, New Jersey

In the spring of 2014, Sumant Mukhopadhyay and a few of his friends decided to go out to Zeppelin Hall to watch March Madness. While they were out, one of his good friends mentioned she knew of the perfect girl for him. Pulling out her phone, she showed him the girl’s Facebook profile and Sumant was immediately intrigued. Even though he assumed the odds of connecting on a personal level were slim, he decided to send her a friend request and see what happened.

Days later, Liha Patel was home recovering from her birthday celebration when she received a Facebook message. It was Sumant, who introduced himself and mentioned how he heard of her from a mutual friend. After several messages back and forth, they decided to meet for their first date – dinner in the city that led to hours of sharing stories, laughs, and future dreams. “I was really nervous, because I already liked him from our messages and conversations,” Liha describes. “When we finally met, I thought he was cute and funny, and knew it was going to be a fun date.” 

On March 24, 2016, it was Liha’s birthday. The proposal took place rather spontaneously, as Sumant had planned to pop the question the following day. As soon as he came home and had the engagement ring, however, he couldn’t wait; and the two celebrated the entire weekend with their closest friends and family.

At first, the wedding planning process was overwhelming in terms of choosing a date and location. Once the couple finalized both, the rest was a breeze. “Our planner, Reema of RB Event Design, was instrumental in the planning process and helped secure the vision we wanted,” explains Sumant. “To us, catering, décor, and entertainment were really important, so lots of time and energy went into planning those details.”

When the big day arrived, the bride and groom felt like guests at their own enchanted garden-themed wedding. Everything unfolded perfectly, beginning with a beautiful ceremony filled with white and green florals surrounding the mandap. For the reception, patterned lighting dressed the walls, custom bars were built onto the dance floor, and food was provided by Moghul catering. By the end of the celebration, the newlyweds were filled with bittersweet exhaustion – sad that it was over, but happy that their wedding turned out so wonderfully. 

Liha and Sumant began their new lives together with a six-day honeymoon in St. Lucia at Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort. “We stayed at a private beach resort and had our own private villa with great service throughout,” Sumant describes. “The island is known for its dormant volcanoes and we were surrounded by amazing views. The food was also amazing, and exploring the surrounding area was a lot of fun. Even though we were exhausted from our wedding weekend, we enjoyed the crystal blue beaches, relaxation, and delicious meals.”