When Paresh Pande and Bhakti Patil were married on July 30, 2016, in Biloxi, it was a magical day filled with precious moments that honored love, family and tradition.
“In Indian weddings, the bride and groom don’t see each other in the first 15 minutes of the wedding,” Bhakti says. “We’re separated by a curtain held by two members of the family. The most special moment of our wedding was when that curtain was pulled and we got to see each other in our wedding attire. This was the start of our journey together.”
When it came time for the reception, the couple had quite a surprise for their guests that paid homage to their Indian culture in a unique way no guest would ever forget. Following their first dance as husband and wife, Paresh and Bhakti celebrated their marriage with a Bollywood dance performance that was one of the most memorable moments of the night!
From large to small, every detail was covered to create a glorious day full of remarkable memories, and the couple acknowledges none of this could have been done without family and friends.
“Our wedding day couldn’t have been possible without the love, support and planning by our families, especially Paresh’s mother Vijaya Pande, who strived day and night for over a year to make this the happiest day of our lives,” Bhakti says. “Also, we couldn’t have planned such a beautiful event without our close family friend, Peggy Ryland.”
The couple’s love story began a few years ago when they met at a party. After a couple of dates, one thing led to another and Paresh and Bhakti realized the very special bond they shared would be a lifetime adventure.
In the fall of 2015, they scheduled an outdoor photo shoot to capture some pictures together with the beautiful seasonal colors, but Paresh had something else in mind.
“The weekend before the shoot, after getting home from dinner, Paresh called me into our bedroom. There were candles lit everywhere, flower petals on the bed and the floor, a bouquet of roses, champagne and a box of chocolate covered strawberries,” Bhakti says. “In the middle of all that, there Paresh was, down on one knee holding the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. Both of us just stared into each other’s eyes, tears of joy rolling down our cheeks. I couldn’t believe this was happening! He asked me if I’d marry him and I said ‘Yes!’ The next day’s fall photo shoot became our engagement photo shoot!”
The couple honeymooned at the Sandals’ Emerald Bay Resort in the Bahamas — “seven days full of romance, fine dining and colorful cocktails.”
Currently, they reside in Illinois where Paresh is an attorney at law practicing criminal law at a private firm and Bhakti is a scientist working at a bionutrient company.
VENDORS
- Photographer: Sean Smith Photography
- Florist: Cardinal Flowers
- Ceremony and reception venue: Biloxi Civic Center
- Caterer: Naomi’s Catering and Nirvana Catering,
- New Orleans
- Serving staff: aomi’s Catering
- Hair and makeup: Antonian Salon
- Jewelry: Karat 22, Houston, Texas
- Gown: Shyamal and Bhumika, India
- Music: Heartbeats Group, Houston, Texas
- Offi ant: Padmakar Gangatirkar, Austin, Texas
- Rentals: ABC Rentals, JK Rentals & Nirvana Weddings
- Cake: French Kiss Pastries
- Transportation: Traveling Angels Tours, Gulfport
- Invitations: India
- Liquor: Twin Star Wine and Liquor, Gulfport
- Photo Booth: Magic Memories
- Horse Rental: Joel Bond, Wiggins
- Videographer: Take Two Video Pro
- Light and Sound: Gulf South Productions