It is so crazy to hear that many relationships start off with being just friends - just like this one! A few years of their relationship resulted in our bride, Saloni, friend-zoning her now husband. But before she knew it, he proposed in the most magical way - while the two were watching Monica and Chandler's wedding on "FRIENDS"! If this isn't an iconic love story, I don't know what is! Saloni sparkled at her wedding wearing Seema Gujral's Tahzib Lehenga and looked absolutely stunning! Congratulations to this lovely couple - the KYNAH team is honored to be a part of your special day. We wish you all the love and happiness in the world!
As said by Saloni:
How was your KYNAH experience? What was your favorite part about working with us?
I've been aware of KYNAH for a while now and I've seen it grow from a bespoke e-Commerce brand to THE destination for Indian designer wear in the United States. It was also really important to me that I support businesses run by boss brown ladies as well! So when my now-husband proposed, I knew I had to get at least one outfit from KYNAH. The pandemic also was a huge factor, as I wasn't in a position to go to stores in the Bay Area or fly to Dubai or India to shop. KYNAH's virtual bridal pop-ups seemed like a lifesaver. The initial virtual meet was with Aisha and was the most critical step of the process for me. She made the effort to understand what I was looking for and walked me through the outfits in all of the designers' latest collections. I genuinely felt like I was there in the pop-up with her. After the appointment, I was confused between a few lehengas. Sahar from the KYNAH team was incredibly patient with me, and sent pictures of both lehengas to help me make my decision. I also got detailed instructions on how I could take measurements for the blouse, the skirt and I can't even begin to describe how useful that was. Once I placed the order, the regular communication didn't stop and I was kept informed about the status of the order. And of course, the cherry on top was the moment the lehenga was delivered and trying it on! I was slightly concerned about the quality, given that it was shipped from India to the US. However, there wasn't a single sequin out of place, the fitting was perfect and the outfit was everything I could have dreamed of! Overall, my KYNAH experience can be summarized in one word - INCREDIBLE. There wasn't a single part of the KYNAH experience that I did not enjoy - it genuinely felt like every virtual wedding shopping scenario had been thought of. The team is the kindest and most helpful group of people I have worked with. They were there for me from start to finish and made a typically stressful experience completely stress-free for me. Suffice it to say that I can't wait for all the weddings now, because I know where I'm getting each and every one of my Indian outfits from.
What about the Tahzib Lehenga caught your eye?
It was actually the first outfit I got for my wedding, specifically for my sangeet. For someone who wears only neutrals, I knew that finding a lehenga that would be simple, stunning, unique - and that would satisfy my mother - would be really difficult. When I did my research on the KYNAH website, I felt drawn to Seema Gujral's aesthetic. I found her outfits to be stunning showstoppers, yet minimal in their design. While I had bookmarked quite a few lehengas from Seema Gujral, two of them were my top 2 picks. However, what made the Tahzib win for me was its level of detail. It's not just any other sequined baby blue lehenga. The more you look at it, the more you find something new about it - the lilac and peach embroidered flowers, the delicate sequins in different sizes, the mirror work imitation on the blouse. It completely took my breath away when Sahar shared the lehenga's pictures with me. I'm so incredibly happy with my decision, it was one of the best looks from my wedding and I got so many compliments!
How did you add your personal touch to you and your husband's big day?
Our wedding was in Bangalore in India. For many of our friends from Europe and the US, this was their first Indian wedding AND their first trip to India. To ensure all our guests knew what was happening, we created a wedding website with details about the ceremonies, what to expect in a Tamil Hindu ceremony, places to shop Indian outfits from (KYNAH being one of them of course) and bars and restaurants to check out in Bangalore. We also ensured that we had design elements of places that we have lived in and are significant to us - pastel themes represented California for our mehendi, Arabic lamps and Turkish rugs represented Dubai for our sangeet and rustic lamps, greens and jasmine flowers represented Southern India for our wedding!
How did you meet your husband? Tell us more about the proposal and your
relationship!
I met my husband in grad school at Cornell University! We were both in the same graduating batch and had lots of common friends. While he was interested from the very beginning, I was NOT. So I proceeded to break his heart and bro-zone him. Cut to 9 months of forcing him to be friends, loads of 15 minute coffee breaks between classes and labs, and several movie nights, we finally realized our feelings for each other and started dating two months before we graduated, not entirely sure where life would take us. We ultimately ended up in the Bay Area, living together and trying to figure out how to become adults. He proposed to me 4 years after we started dating at the most perfect moment - at home with pizza, while watching the "FRIENDS" episode of Monica and Chandler's wedding.
What was the smartest thing you did while planning your wedding?
Leaving wedding planning to the professionals and getting a wedding planner. It was near impossible trying to plan a wedding in India with me in the Bay Area and my parents in Dubai. I tried for a few months, and ultimately gave up because of the stress. Having someone local planning the wedding was extremely useful as they could negotiate with all my vendors and coordinate every aspect of the wedding, including scenarios I hadn't even thought about.
Vendors:
*Vendors listed by IG handle:*
Wedding Planner: Tales of Marigold
Venue: The Beginning
Photography & Videography: The Candid Theory
Hair & Makeup Artist for Sangeet: Shruthi Julta
Wedding Design & Decor: With Love, Nilma