In the bustling heart of New York City’s Lower East Side, a chance encounter at 212 Hisae’s bar set the stage for a beautiful love story. Sreshta, fresh from a medical school interview, sought a night of dancing to unwind. Meanwhile, Niketh, amidst his demanding third year of medical studies, had a similar idea. Little did they know their paths were about to cross in a way that would change their lives forever. As Sreshta stepped into the lively bar atmosphere, her eyes met Niketh’s, sparking an instant connection.
One date was enough for Sreshta to realize Niketh was “the one.” It marked the end of her search for love, as she found her perfect match in him. The proposal was a tale straight out of a romantic novel. Sreshta had always dreamt of being proposed to in a red dress. Attentive to her dreams, Niketh orchestrated a series of dates, each requiring Sreshta to wear a different red dress he had thoughtfully purchased. The third date, set against Washington Square Park’s Christmas tree backdrop during the holiday season, unfolded the surprise proposal.
The wedding planning journey was a collaborative effort between Sreshta & Niketh. They chose New Jersey for its large-capacity venues, settling on the stunning Legacy Castle. They wanted something more unique and rustic for the sangeet, leading them to the enchanting Pleasantdale Chateau. They enlisted the help of Chandai Events, a wedding planner recommended by mutual friends.
Sreshta’s vision for her wedding attire was clear and color-coordinated. She envisioned herself in red for the ceremony, white for the reception, and green for the sangeet. Sreshta’s hair and makeup were carefully chosen from Instagram inspirations, ensuring a unique look for each event with the help of Looks by Jassi.
Sreshta’s mehndi, crafted by SamArtHenna, was a beautiful blend of personal motifs and traditional designs. It featured a classical dancer and cups of coffee on Sreshta’s arm, symbolizing her interests, while Niketh’s arm showcased a Master Chief logo and a basketball, representing his passions. The intricate design on her palms depicted a man spinning his bride, symbolizing their love.
This wedding, a blend of personal touches, thoughtful planning, and cultural richness, was not just a celebration of Sreshta & Niketh’s love but a testament to their journey together. From their serendipitous meeting in a New York bar to their enchanting wedding day, their story is a beautiful reminder of the magic of love, fate, and perfect timing.
Congratulations Sreshta & Niketh!
How did you meet your Groom, and when did you know he was “the one”?We met while out at a bar (212 Hisae’s) in the Lower East Side of New York City. I was coming back from my first medical school interview and wanted to go dancing to blow off some steam, while my future groom (Niketh) was in the middle of his grueling third year of medical school, wanting to do the same. My friend and I saw the long entrance line and almost decided to turn away when my friend happened to see a Snapchat of another friend inside that bar. We reached out to that friend who helped us skip the long line and make it in! As I walked into the bar, Niketh and I made eye contact and felt an instant connection. As fate would have it, the very people who got us into the bar happened to be sitting right next to Niketh … and the rest is history. He asked me for my number that night, and we went on our first date 5 days later after texting each other consistent paragraphs daily. After our first date itself, I knew he was “the one” and that I would not be going on a first date ever again.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!I had always envisioned myself wearing a red dress when I got proposed to. So, in the weeks leading up to the proposal, Niketh bought me 5 different red dresses and planned various dates that I would wear these red dresses too – the idea being that I could wear my red dress while still being surprised. I thought this would go on for a while as I recycled these 5 different dresses on various dates, but it ended up being on “date” # 3, where he proposed to me in front of our closest friends and family in Washington Square Park, where we spent the late hours of our first date, in front of the Christmas tree during my favorite time of year (the holiday season)! It was perfect and followed by a party at a space nearby with a larger group of friends & family.
Tell us how you went about planning your wedding, and your overall experience with the Venues, Hair & Makeup, Outfits, Decor Theme, and all of the other important details.My now-husband, who was incredibly involved, and I started from square one together. We decided we wanted a venue in New Jersey because they had some of the bigger capacities that would allow for our anticipated guest count. Once we found Legacy Castle, we booked it almost immediately, and there was nothing like it! Then, working backward, we wanted a sangeet venue in the area, but one that would be more unique & rustic, not just a banquet space. I stumbled upon Pleasantdale Chateau in a Google Maps search, and as soon as we visited with our family, we knew we had to book it. After we booked our venue, we booked our incredible wedding planner, Chandai Events, after hearing about her through several mutual friends. As for our outfits, I was very much into color coordination and certain color palettes; for some reason, I immediately pictured myself in red for the ceremony, white-ish for the reception, and green for the sangeet. My husband luckily agreed to match all those colors to my satisfaction! I also wanted to wear different types of outfits for each event, so although it took a long time, we ended with a saree for the ceremony, a gown for the reception, and a lehenga for the sangeet. For the hair and makeup, I again wanted different looks for all of the big events, so I spent a lot of months on everyone’s favorite Instagram account to find looks that would be suitable for each of the events. I found my makeup artist early on, Looks by Jassi, and also followed her page to see which of her styles I liked the best. Finally, for the decor, my husband and I have different styles – I am more into elegance, and he likes extravagance. I think the decor ended up coming together beautifully to reflect each of our styles. For our sangeet, I came up with the disco theme because I really wanted it to be all about dancing, given my family background in dance. Partyland Sajawat, our decorators, really took it from there and brought elements of neon, disco balls, and other things to bring the theme to life. For the ceremony, we really just focused on having a romantic, classic floral vibe with no theme in particular. We wanted our mandapam to be grand but practical (so everyone could see the rituals!). Lastly, our reception theme came from our decorator; we called it a Celestial Theme. We wanted a navy blue to complement our beige/ivory outfits and just went with ivory florals and gold accents from there.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?I would say the first look with my (now) husband but from the Sangeet. We did a first look before our sangeet & before our ceremony, but the sangeet one replay in my mind the most because it was our first large wedding event, kicking off the wedding weekend, and it just felt so surreal that it was actually happening. It was a beautiful, sunny, surprisingly hot day in April, and I was just trying not to pass out from my heavy lehenga & the heat, but seeing Niketh on the first look just reminded me what it was all about.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?Enjoy the process and time spent wedding planning – being engaged is a time with your groom that will never come back! And wedding planning, though stressful, can engage some of those fun/creative parts of you that you don’t always get to use; you can make the wedding as unique as you want and reflective of you and your spouse as individuals and as a partnership.
Anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)My mehndi was done by SamArtHenna, who incorporated all the motifs I wanted along with her signature, gorgeous designs. “My” arm had a classical dancer on it with cups of coffee, and my “groom’s” arm had a Master Chief logo on it with a basketball – we felt this represented us each best individually. On the palms of my hands, we added a man spinning his bride around that you can see when the palms are together, a symbol that meant a lot to us, too. Ultimately, though, we didn’t want it to be all motifs or too modern, and my Mehndi artist was able to make it look not too modern with some traditional, intricate henna detail as well!
styleTraditionalRomanticContemporaryseasonSpringcolor
Photography: House of Talent Studio
Sangeet Venue: Pleasantdale Chateau & Conference Estate
Pompton Plains, NJ Indian Wedding by House Of Talent Studio Post #16029