As so often happens, what started as a friendship in the workplace blossomed into romance for Mamta and Aakar Kamdar.
Mamta and Aakar, both engineers, met at a company event at Intel in 2012 and say that “life has been great ever since.” They started dating and before long, it became clear that knew something was different and special between the two of them. Their friendship deepened so much that Aakar become Mamta’s closest confidant. “From sharing something exciting to venting my frustration, he was always there for me – even when I needed a shoulder to cry on”, she says, “and when I saw that he’d even put up with my lousy cooking, I knew that he was the one for me!”
They enjoyed their time together, getting to know each other while doing the things they enjoyed like Bollywood movie marathons. It didn’t take Aakar long to realize he had found someone special in Mamta. Deep feelings of joy, respect and love bubbled to the surface easily, so on a romantic date in San Francisco, Aakar asked for Mamta’s hand in marriage. Of course, Mamta said “Yes!!!:
It wasn’t long before their parents back in India got together to decide on a wedding date for their son and daughter, and so Mamta and Aakar began their journey together to creating a beautiful and elegant Indian wedding ceremony in California. “It was the first time either of us had undertaken a project of this magnitude outside of our field of work. As engineers, we like challenges and problem solving, but I don’t think either of us realized how big of a task this was when we first started planning.” said Mamta. It seemed almost overwhelming at first, but as they made progress, they found that planning a wedding could be a fun and exciting process, and that they enjoyed working on it together. “It was exciting, exploring the gazillion options available to us”, said Mamta. They enjoyed meeting vendors and finalizing plans. “It was most satisfying when all the pieces fell together,” said Aakar. “We grew together as a couple through this process. Whether it was agreeing on a budget or compromising when the two of us wanted different things, we figured it out, making decisions together.” They found Sacramento Bride and Groom to be a valuable source of information and ideas, and they were pleased to be able to return the favor and share details and lessons learned from their wedding to help and inspire others.
Although they were working together, they divided some of the responsibilities. Mamta choose the décor, cake and made the seating arrangements. Aakar arranged guest accommodations, music and catering. “I don’t think I could have done it just by myself. Aakar worked just as hard as I did to make our wedding event a success.” said Mamta. But it was the decisions made jointly that were the most enjoyable. “I loved all of the date nights when he would take me to different restaurants to try out food in our efforts to find the perfect wedding caterer,” said Mamta.
The big day arrived and not surprisingly (considering the cooperative process and thoroughness of their preparations) the wedding went off without a hitch! Among the unique cultural aspects of an Indian wedding include such things as using henna to decorate the bride’s hands and feet and the mandap, which is a decorated structure where the main ceremony takes place. And what entrance is more spectacular than the baraat which is a procession to the wedding venue with the groom on horseback surrounded by his family members?
But all of the tradition aside, the couple says that their favorite part of the wedding day was having their family and friends from near and far get together to celebrate their special occasion “with gusto”. They have wonderful memories of their first dance (choreographed and practiced to death) and a fun reception entry dance from their friends.
When asked for advice for others who are planning their wedding, Mamta says “It takes time, dedication and proper planning to create a wonderful and memorable wedding. Start the planning early and conduct thorough research. Always ask vendors for references. We found it awkward to ask for references initially, but we soon learned that the good vendors are more than happy to provide them. They are proud of their work and confident that their clients will have good things to say.” They also say that vendors are a good source for lots of advice and helpful tips. Vendors were happy to share do’s and don’ts that helped them with their planning, and Mamta and Aakar feel that its important to hire vendors that you like and who like you in return, and then build a good relationship with them so that they will be eager go out of their way to make it the best day for you.
Another tip they offer is to have an engagement session with your photographer. “It gave us a chance to become comfortable in front of the camera.” As they began to work with their photographer, they started to relax and enjoy themselves being photographed. “His guidance made us look relaxed and natural, and the session gave us a chance to practice posing for the camera. I think the experience helped us take really good photographs during our reception photo shoot when things were more hectic.” said Aakar.
They also suggest that you should be willing to ask for help. “Delegating tasks is hard, but it pays off on the day of the wedding, when you will have no control. Friends and family are more than eager to help, and involving them early on will help them make better decisions when necessary. Our wedding day went perfectly in part because our vendors and friends and family took care of all the things that might have gone wrong.” Said Mamta.
“And invest in Chiavari chairs. They are worth it! Our location didn’t have chandeliers or the perfect carpet, so the Chiavari chairs played a big role in making the place look grand.”
Keeping a sense of humor, a smile on your face and keeping your eyes on the prize (marriage) are the essentials of getting to your goal. Finally, when the day arrives, Mamta and Aakar advise, “Just make up your mind to have fun and don’t sweat the small stuff!”
[PHOTOS] Quinn Photography
