When it came to choosing a planner, it really came down to familiarity. We talked to a bunch of planners but after our call with Sonal, Natasha immediately said, “She feels like one of my Indian desi aunties!” It was the tonality, the way Sonal spoke to us — it just felt so familiar and comforting. And from that point, we felt like she really understood our vision — a cultural desi wedding with a strong American influence. That blend was really important to us.
We actually found the venue. We always knew we wanted to get married in Manhattan so we checked out a few places, which had wow factors — but this one (Cipriani Wall Street) absolutely blew my mind. It just felt grand and breathtaking. And then the balcony inside — like, who has a balcony inside a ballroom? That was it for me!
Planning felt pretty chill at first — until January came around, and Sonal and Ginny were like, “Hey guys… it’s less than six months away!” And suddenly it hit us — we have to start making decisions! The decor team took the time to really listen to what we wanted and went the extra mile to bring that vision to life. DJ Suhel was amazing — we worked on playlists together and he totally stuck to the vibe we wanted. What was great is that most of the vendors had worked together before at SJS events, so everything just flowed — we didn’t have to worry about managing how they collaborated. It was seamless and I honestly think our wedding was one of the best I’ve ever attended — and I was the bride! While we were taking photos, someone came up to shake Emaad’s hand and said, “I’ve been to this venue before, and it’s never looked this beautiful.” That meant so much. And even though I couldn’t hear everyone, I could see it in their eyes — people were blown away by the decor and the entire experience.
Thank you, Sonal, and the entire SJS Team — you made our dream day a reality!