Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Wedding – Part 1 of 6

The spectacular three-day wedding of this gorgeous couple took place at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, and this wedding was just off the hook from start to finish. Guests flew in from all over the world to see what surprises this stylish couple would serve up for their wedding events, and the dazzling array of food, surprises and ceremonies did not disappoint. The first surprise? Custom hotel room card keys with the couple’s names and event dates. Yep: Custom room card keys, which were just so cool.

The festivities kicked off on a Friday with a mid-day pool party. After a short break, guests were treated to a formal engagement ceremony at sunset, followed by a welcome party that rocked until the wee small hours of the morning. The party took place in room draped in white and featuring a water fountain in the middle of the room (with cool metallic spheres), and featured a crazy amount of custom food and chocolates. I don’t know how anybody actually woke up on Saturday morning, but wake they did, and families and friends gathered for Sindhi poojas (first for the bride’s side, and then for the groom’s side). After the poojas, the bride retired to her room to have her menhdi done, and then took a break before coming back downstairs in a breathtaking Manish Malhotra lengha for her pre-sangeet festivities. The groom and his family entered later, carrying roses for the bride and her family. The sangeet festivities started outside on a lawn, then moved indoors for the party. Alex and the team at Square Root Designs did an incredible job with the sangeet decor, which had a Moroccan feel and made fantastic use of color. Dance performances highlighted the event, as did a sumptuous buffet.

There was no sleep for the weary that night, though, as Alex and his team started on the ballroom decor a day before the reception, working around the clock to get everything set up. It’s always a pleasure to work with Alex, because he always has the ballroom decor ready early for photos, which enables us to do our very best job documenting the decor. It was also a pleasure to work with the delightful Ajita Chopra, who expertly coordinated a million crazy details into a truly breathtaking event.

The next day started with small oil ceremonies in the bride and groom’s respective hotel rooms. The wedding itself took place in a huge burgundy-colored mandap covered with flowers and fronted by vases filled with hued water. The foggy skies couldn’t compete with the bride, who was once again resplendent in a Manish Malhotra lengha that suited her beautifully. The mandap itself was jam-packed with family on both sides, and it was clear that these families are inseparable. The reception room itself was just crazy beautiful, and a huge testament to the artistry of Alex and the team at Square Root. I don’t even know how to describe the ridiculously beautiful setup, which included mirrored tabletops, floral arrangements of all sizes, and a sweetheart table whose canopy looked like it was made for royalty. The bride was renamed as part of the wedding ceremony, so she was introduced by her new name at the grand entrance.

I’ll be breaking this stunning wedding up into six posts, so be sure to check back to see all the details. First up? The engagement ceremony and welcome party. Can’t get enough of this wedding? It’s featured in the 2012 Orange County issue of Ceremony Magazine, as well as in Square Root’s ad in the Los Angeles issue of Ceremony. Be sure to pick up a copy at your local newsstand, or to check it out online at www.ceremonymagazine.com.

Coordination: Ajita Chopra, Ajita Chopra Events
Venue: Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel
Floral Design & Artistry: Square Root Designs
Cinematography: Simply Cinematic
Hair & Makeup: Jaywant Thakre and Shahida Sheikh (India)
DJ: DJ Lloyd and DJ Sharad
Entertainment: Paris House Addict
Menhdi: Lishma Patel at Beauty by Lishma
Aerialist Bartender: Jena Carpenter at Dream Cirque
MC: Kubra Sait
Sangeet and Wedding Outfits: Manish Malhotra
Reception Outfit: Anjalee And Arjun Kapoor
Engagement Outfit: Natasha Kapoor