Priyanka + Mikesh: A Rajasthani Indian Wedding

Her Big Day Team
Feb 6, 2017
3 min read

Bride: Priyanka Jain Vora

Groom: Mikesh Vora

Location: Bretton Woods, New Hampshire USA

Wedding Date: June 5th 2016

Venue: Omni Mount Washington Hotel

Number of Guests: 400

Culture Represented: Indian

The most memorable part of your wedding: Being lifted up in the “palki,” carried by my brothers through 400 guests to reach the wedding “mandap”

Did you do anything unique, crazy or fun: We had a “Sangeet” night the day before the wedding, which is a night full of dance/singing performances by family members/friends. There is great food, music and some incredible open-floor DJ dancing. I also choreographed and performed a very special dance with six of my bridesmaids to a popular Bollywood song called “Deewani Mastani.” In my spare time, I run a Bollywood Dance School/Company called Rangeela, here in Seattle where I teach and choreograph Bollywood dance! Check us out for more information if you're interested in having us help you choreograph a wedding first dance or a group dance! My husband loves dancing too. He had a “Baraat” or a welcome entrance to the venue with his family/friends dancing at the front gates of the Omni Hotel. He came in riding on a regal horse/carriage. We both had an awesome time choreographing our first dance which was a mix of romantic lyrical/classical style dance mixed with upbeat Indian songs. We only practiced the routine three times, as we were living long-distance during our engagement! Thankfully it turned out just how we wanted, and it was a true hit with our wedding guests!

What was the most difficult part about planning your wedding: Finding the wedding outfits in India and coordinating with my husband’s outfits. He was quite particular on his style/colors just as much as I was. We also only had one day to shop together in India.

What was the easiest part about planning your wedding: Figuring out the catering, transportation and lodging logistics – I had the help of my parents/brother to take care of this!

Any words of wisdom to the couple planning their wedding: Enjoy every moment you have together during the wedding planning process, even if you get into arguments. This is how your relationship will grow. Try to do your best to manage keeping both sides of your family happy, while staying sane yourself. Be sure to delegate tasks to friends, family, cousins or anyone trustworthy and reliable. Don’t be afraid to smile big, laugh out loud, and cry!

Also, many people will tell you, "don't sweat the small stuff" with wedding planning. While this is great advice for your actual wedding day, I found that it was incredibly crucial to sweat the stuff that is most important to you during the planning phase, even if it is small. This is the stuff that will make you smile on your wedding day, other than of course, marrying your to-be hubby! For example, if having a glamorous photo shoot is very important to you, then spend time finding the best possible photographer for you and explain to your loved ones why you need to carve out an extra 30 minutes for a special photo shoot on your wedding day. If your mom or sister is more into decor or floral arrangements, then let them take lead on planning that - giving you time to focus on your favorite aspects of the wedding. You can't be everywhere, and delegating tasks to others is going to save you from a lot of unnecessary stress. So in short, sweat the stuff that matters most to you, just not all the stuff.