The results are in. You, our readers, have spoken. Akata and Aveneesh’s Lavish Indian Wedding was your favorite. In honor of the winner, we want to recognize them by posting an encore of this wedding. Couples gain a ton of inspiration from real weddings and we are so happy to share these with all of you! All of the finalist’s posts were incredible and thank you all for voting!

This featured wedding comes from Ben Sassani of Sassani Photography. He is a Houston, Texas based wedding photographer. Ben has been so accommodating to GSS on this feature. Thank you! We also want to give a shout out to the AH-Mazing Amber Strickler of Zasey Photography for second shooting on this gorgeous wedding!

Akata and Avaneesh were married at The Hilton Post Oak in Houston, Texas on May 28, 2011. Akata and Avanessh were kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

What sold you on your wedding venue? We needed a place that could fit 600 people, a nice location, and guest accomodations. We found it at the Hilton Post Oak in Houston, TX!

How long have you been together? A little over 2 years.

 How did Avaneesh propose? Avaneesh surprised me with a trip to Nassau, Bahamas. He rented a private boat and had the captain take us to the uninhabited Rose Island (named for the color of its sand-pink, aka my favorite color!). As the sun was setting, he got down on one knee and proposed!

What was your favorite part of your big day?

Akata: At the end of the reception, when I finally danced with Avaneesh, as my husband, to a song that describes everything he is to me. “The Truth” by India.Arie.

Avaneesh: Akata’s wedding entrance. In traditional Indian wedding custom, the groom is shielded (by way of holding a drape in front of him) from watching the bride’s entrance to the mandap where he is waiting. This is done so that everyone except the groom can watch her graceful entrance while he sits in anticipation (yes, it’s very mean). So while this was happening, my sister (who was holding the drape) was giving me a play-by-play so that I could have some idea of what was going on. Then all of a sudden my sister gasps and says “she’s crying, it’s so cute!” and then starts crying herself. Then I hear of a chorus of guests break out into sniffles as they join Akata in her tears of joy. I almost started crying as I was overwhelmed with joy myself…but luckily I was able to hold it back and saved myself from being laughed at by my groomsmen! I understood where Akata was coming from at that moment as I too had been waiting more than two years from the day I fell in love with her for this very day and it was finally here.

Akata, what was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”?  Because I had so many events for my wedding, I spread them out throughout the 3 days. My something old was a necklace my grandmother left me; I wore it to my first event, the Mehndi. For my something new, I had all my new outfits from India. My something borrowed was the necklace my grandmother gave to my mother to wear at her wedding. I wore the same necklace for my wedding. My something blue was Avaneesh! His outfit for our reception was an elegant blue Indian outfit.

 Akata, your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”? Well we were having a traditional Indian wedding with all the pre-wedding events and the wedding and reception. I needed to buy 5 Indian outfits. My family and I traveled to India for 2 weeks and purchase all of my outfits in Mumbai. I knew my wedding outfit was the “one” because when I saw it, I immediately pictured myself walking down the aisle in it. I hadn’t felt that way about any other outfit I had seen.

 What song did you dance to for your first dance? Our first dance was to “Lucky” by Jason Mraz & Colbie Calliat

 How did you choose your wedding color palette? Many traditional Indian weddings have gold, white and maroon or red as wedding colors so that was the easy part. For our reception, I wanted colors that represented Avaneesh and I. I love the color plum pink! I had always imagined that plum pink and snow white would somehow be incorporated into my reception colors. When Avaneesh and I went to India to do our wedding shopping, we both found the perfect reception outfits–mine was a dark plum pink and his was a royal blue. So, our color palette included different hues of pink and blue with snow white and silver accents to give an icy white look.

 Do you have any advice for bride and grooms that are in the planning process? Plan ahead!  Regardless of how much time you have (or don’t have), it’s important to move quickly on the decisions you have made and make a timely, sound decisions on those you haven’t.  In a city the size of Houston, there are hundreds (possibly thousands) of weddings year-round, so if you have a particular venue, photographer, make-up artist, etc. in-mind, then book them quickly because if you wait too long, you’re most likely going to be searching for the next-best option.  Also, most vendors require non-refundable deposits, so make sure you are completely sold on the vendor before signing any contract or paying any deposit because that money is not coming back.  I feel that some couples make decisions too quickly without having done the proper research and end up regretting it.  Some even take the loss (which can be in the thousands) and sign with another vendor they liked better.  Take your time in making decisions but make sure they are YOUR decisions.  It is okay to include family members and/or friends in the process but keep in mind that this is your wedding and you make the decisions!  Also, be as organized as possible.  We used Google applications (email, calendar, documents) to stay organized and to collaborate with our family members who were helping us.  If you have a large family, use them   Assign roles and responsibilities early on so everyone knows what’s expected of them on the Big Day.

Vendors:

Venue: Hilton Post Oak in Houston, TX

Dress: Bawree in Santacruz, Mumbai, India

Cake: We opted out of a cake and used that money to make our wedding even more special to us.

Floral: I ordered them from Sam’s Club and my sisters and cousins made my and my bridesmaids bouquets.

Linens: Mandap Creations for ALL of our decorations

Catering: Bombay Brasserie

DJ/Band: DJ Yogi Goyal

Videographer: A&A Video

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: I bought them from a small invitation shop in Mumbai. I cannot remember the name!

Event Planner: Avaneesh and I were the only planners for our wedding. He was amazing throughout the process!

Thank you so much, Ben, for sharing this amazing wedding with us! Please stop by his website and blog and show him some love! And thank you, Akata & Avaneesh, for taking your time to answer our questions! We wish you both a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!! May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com. We HEART submissions!

Favorite Wedding Post from 2011

Today is the very last day to vote for your favorite featured wedding blog post for 2011! We carefully selected our favorites and want to know which one is your FAVORITE? You can only vote once, but you can campaign for your favorite on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever else. Get to work to make sure your favorite reigns as the viewer’s choice! Voting ends at midnight on January 31st, 2012. Don’t delay!!

Ready to rock the vote? Click here!

GSS’s Things We LOVE :: Brides and Bridesmaids in Cardigans!

Good morning, Lovelies!!!  Since it’s winter cooler temps are the norm… Cardigans and sweaters are part of our everyday attire in the winter.  So, why wouldn’t they be part of your wedding day attire??  We’re loving that brides and her bridesmaids are incorporating these great sweaters into their wedding day attire.  Below are some of our favorite images from professional photographers as well as some of our favorite cardigans to purchase for this trend: James Moes … [Read More...]

GSS Favorite Featured Posts 2011

Its that time again … time for you to vote on your favorite wedding post from 2011. We carefully selected our favorites and want to know which one is your FAVORITE? You can only vote once, but you can campaign for your favorite on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever else. Get to work to make sure your favorite reigns as the viewer’s choice! Voting ends at midnight on January 31st, 2012. Don’t delay!!   The Finalists are………   Jenny & Alex’s Gorgeous Wedding :: Maile … [Read More...]

GSS Wedding Inspiration Board :: Champagne & Blush

We know that most women have loved pink since they little girls.  But when it comes to weddings, it can be tricky using pink.  You don’t want to end up with a wedding that looks like Pepto Bismol was spilled on everything or that a bubblegum bubble burst all over your reception!  There are other shades of pink that are extremely pleasing to the eye.  Take the color Blush for example.  It’s so soft and subtle.  Mix in some shimmering shades of gold, like Champagne and you’ve got yourself a … [Read More...]

The Finalists are………

Jenny & Alex’s Gorgeous Wedding :: Maile Lani Photography

Kara & Anthony :: Doug Treiber Photography

Tamara & Mike’s Dallas Wedding :: Sara & Rocky Photography

Amber & Matt’s Eco Friendly Wedding :: Amie Otto Photography

Ginny & Andrew’s Viaggio Estate Wedding :: Jillian Bisinger Photography

Madelyn & Justin’s Romantic Vintage AND Sexy Modern Inspired Anniversary Photo Session :: Crave Photography

Emily & Justin’s FUN Scrabble Engagement :: Jodi Schlosser Photography

Akata & Avaneesh’s Lavish Indian Wedding :: Sassani Photography

Jennifer & Brian’s California Vineyard Wedding :: Three Nails Photography

Kristen & Frank’s 11.11.11 Antique Wedding :: Tara Swain Photography

Now that you have had the pleasure to see these beauties…..choose your favorite carefully and petition your friends and family, so you can see your favorite take home the gold! Voting ends at midnight on January 31st, 2012!

image by Amy Karp Photography

Your wedding day is rapidly approaching. Your family and bridal party is frantically calling, texting and emailing you to find out where and when they should be lined up and ready to go for the wedding day. This can be a stressful thing to coordinate. With the help of your wedding professionals they can guide you. They have experience with weddings and if you are working with a wedding planner….no biggie. They have this timeline already planned. So you don’t have a wedding planner. Don’t turn into a B WORD….BRIDEZILLA! Don’t let the stress of the wedding day ruin what it is truly about – you are about to marry your best friend.

Things to think about for your timeline….

What – What will this block of time be for? Be realistic with time blocks. Talk to your wedding professionals to find out how long they will need for specific things.

Where – Where everyone will need to be? Calculate drive times with a cushion for potential traffic.

Who – Who needs to be where and at what time? Does your wedding florist need to be in the venue at a certain time to deliver flowers and set up before the guests arrive? Does your wedding photographer have a set time of contracted hours with you for your wedding day?

When – When will they need to be there?

Wedding Day Timeline from Style Me Pretty on Google Docs

We love this Excel template on Google Docs from Style Me Pretty. They have created this template and you can easily input your timeline and share it with your bridal party, family and wedding pros. Use this as a guide to make your own.

Because we love pictures so much, we want to add a few things to consider when scheduling these events. Some time blocks will be out of your control. For instance, the Church or venue has set times for you to be in and out and you really can’t work around that. If you have the entire day to start from scratch. Think about lighting….Do you prefer the natural light for all of you images? Do you want a first look in a garden with those golden rays of sun? The golden hour. That magic hour of light that is so beautiful happens about 30-45 minutes before sunset. Noon is not ideal for outdoor pictures. A seasoned photographer can catch you looking fantastic in most any lighting condition, but be aware of where the sun is in the sky before you schedule outdoor pictures on your timeline. If you schedule your formal portraits after sunset, know your photographer will most likely be using artificial light to capture these precious images for you. Sunset ceremonies are romantic in theory, however, due to very short window of light, your photographer will most likely be using artificial light for any formal portraits after the wedding ceremony.

Remember…this your wedding day! A day you have dreamed about for a very long time and don’t stress of the timeline. It will all be perfect. At the end of all of it, you will have married your best friend!

GSS Featured Wedding :: Ashlin & Steve’s New York Military Wedding :: Kassie Moore Photography

Today’s fabulous featured wedding comes from Kassie of Kassie Moore Photography.  Kassie is a Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas based wedding photographer.  Kassie has been so sweet and accommodating to GSS and we have truly enjoyed working with her on this feature. Ashlin and Steve were married on December 3, 2011 at the Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, New York.  Kassie even took the time to tell us a little bit about the wedding day: “The weather was crisp and gorgeous! It was … [Read More...]

Winter Wedding Favor Greatness :: Hot Chocolate on a Stick!

Even though we live in Texas, it does get a little chilly here…  So we thought we’d feature some fun hot chocolate type wedding favors for you!  We found these super adorable and YUMMY hot chocolate on a stick favors over at Make and Takes.  These are super fun- and hey- if it ends up being 70 degrees for your January wedding, (Which isn’t unheard of in Texas… One day it’s 40 degrees and the very next day it may be 70.  Seriously.  Texas has crazy weather!) don’t fret because these … [Read More...]

GSS Inspiration Board :: PLAID!!!

Happy Monday, Lovelies!  We have such a fun inspiration board for you today.  Last year, Plaid made a huge comeback in the fashion industry and it’s slowly creeping into the wedding industry scene now.  With that said, check out this super cute Plaid inspiration board we put together for you! White Bridal Bouquet:  JL Designs Plaid Peep Toe Pumps:  Kate Spade Plaid Bow Tie:  Image Courtesy of Jagger Photography Plaid Wedding Cake:  Whipped Bakeshop Plaid Wedding … [Read More...]

GSS Wedding Trends :: A Recipe for a Beautiful Spring Wedding

I am starting this year with a blog post about designing your Spring wedding with careful planning and designing in mind.  After reading many articles online and in magazines about what is hot for Spring 2012, I have come to the conclusion that we are looking at very high expectations from our brides!  AND THEY WANT TO PERSONALIZE THEIR WEDDINGS! Floral design, photography, cake design, invitations…the list goes on!!  An educated bride is going to want to incorporate her vision from the … [Read More...]

GSS Wedding Inspiration Board :: Black & Boysenberry

Happy New Year, Lovelies!!!  We certainly hope that 2012 brings you all love and prosperity!  Speaking of prosperity… this Black & Boysenberry inspiration board looks so rich and decadent!  YUM! Black and Purple Tablescape:  Wish Special Events    Purple Clutch:  Hatty and Moo Black and Purple Lounge Mood Image:  Lighting by Got Light Purple Satin Peep Toe Pumps:  Pura Lopez Black and Purple Wedding Program:  Cesar Palima for Artpix Portrait Studio Black … [Read More...]

GSS Featured Wedding Tip :: To Look or Not to Look :: Seeing Each Other BEFORE the Ceremony

Couples seeing each other before the ceremony is something couples debate fairly often. As a wedding professional, I can attest to this superstitious debate tugging at the minds of many pre-wedding couples. To see each other or not. We found an article on snopes (and you know snopes has to be accurate, right?) breaking apart the tradition :: modern custom dictates that bride and groom not see each other before the ceremony. Why this is so is a bit of a mystery, with the most popular … [Read More...]

GSS’s Things We LOVE :: Scratch Off Save the Dates!!!

Does anyone else have as much fun with Scratch Off lottery tickets as we do?  There’s just something so fun about scratching off that silver stuff to see if you have won anything.  And then there’s the adrenaline rush you get while scratching it off… Followed by the quick let down once you figure out that you have lost.  These things become so addicting!  Well, Unless Someone Like You has come up with some super fun Scratch Off Save the Dates and we’re totally in love with them!  Why … [Read More...]

We found an article on snopes (and you know snopes has to be accurate, right?) breaking apart the tradition ::

modern custom dictates that bride and groom not see each other before the ceremony. Why this is so is a bit of a mystery, with the most popular guess so far postulating that the build-up to the lady’s unveiling at the altar possibly keeps the groom from getting cold feet and rethinking the whole matter. Another explanation speculates that this custom is in some way related to primitive seclusion rites in which a betrothed girl cannot be seen by anyone prior to her wedding lest she pass ill luck to others. (The betrothed are regarded as occupying an in-between stage in life and thus one fraught with potential danger because of its uncertainty.)

images by Amy Karp Photographer

So, lets look at a couple positives from choosing to see each other before…

The big reveal :: This very special romantic moment happens while the couple is alone and they can exchange words and physically touch each other and not hold back and emotion.

The formal wedding portraits :: If your wedding photographer does formal portraits during the day, a lot of them can be accomplished now before the ceremony and after the ceremony, less time for this event and more time at the wedding reception.

From a photographers point a view, Wedding Photojournalist Association ::

No matter where they are when they see one another, it is a wonderfully romantic moment. Having this time to be together can help diminish the stresses of the day. The couple can focus on what’s really important, as opposed to the many details that must fall into place. As a result, they’re love for one another takes center stage. And this can happen no matter what the setting. This definitely comes across in the photographs.

Which ever route you decide to take, make sure you are doing it on your terms. Your wedding day can be however you like it to be. Its a beautiful and special moment whether you choose to see each other before or after you exchange wedding vows.

Vintage Inspired Luggage for Your Honeymoon

Looking for some fabulous luggage to take with you on your honeymoon?  Check out these pieces of luggage!  Every bride deserves to have some stylin’ luggage! Luggage Images Top to Bottom, Left to Right: The Editor Series by Steamline Luggage:  If you’re looking for something light weight and trendy to suit your traveling needs, The Editor is your ideal choice.  Available in three sizes, Vanity Case ($82), Carry-On ($230) and Stowaway ($266), the body is made from a natural linen … [Read More...]

GSS’s Things We LOVE :: Prisma Design Couture Necklaces

Accessorizing a clean, effortless wedding dress with a statement necklace has been a popular trend this year.  These statement necklaces made by Prisma Design are stunning!  Most of these designs start from scratch from a bolt of fabric, carefully cut into strips and then sculpted into ruffles.   They are then artfully combined with vintage styled appliques or satin and velvet.  These are perfect for that beautiful new dress or some would dress up that plain t-shirt (or tank top) and … [Read More...]

GSS Inspiration Board :: Christmas Cheer :: Mint Green & Red

Happy Monday, Lovelies!!!  We sure hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  We sure did.  Santa was very good to GSS!  It’s definitely one of our favorite holidays.  There’s just something so nostalgic about Christmas time!  With that said, we created this adorable Christmas Cheer inspiration board using the color palette of Mint Green & Red.  Doesn’t it just give you the warm fuzzies?! Mint Green & Red Centerpiece:  City Florist         Image Courtesy of … [Read More...]

GSS Featured Session :: Mark & Amanda’s Day After in a Vinyard :: Jonathon Ivy Photography

Samantha with Jonathan Ivy Photography in Dallas read my request on Facebook for some gorgeous wedding submissions. Of course they never disappoint us with trends and inspiration with the fabulous weddings, portraits, and other things they send over for us to feature. They sent us Mark and Amanda’s Day-After session. They call them Mr and Mrs Sessions. Here are some words from JIP :: We absolutely LOVE Mr & Mrs Sessions!  With a post wedding session like this we are able to go out and do … [Read More...]

GSS’s Things We LOVE :: J Dot Designs’ To DIE For Shoe Accessories!!!

Are you searching for some FABulous pumps for your bridesmaids?  Or maybe just a really sexy pair for New Year’s?  We found these super gorgeous shoes by Martinez Valero (above image) on Endless.com.   But for some ladies, they might be a bit pricey.  But have no fear!  We, again, we have found a true gem on Etsy!  We introduce you to J Dot Designs!!!  These brilliant shoe accessories (aka ankle cuffs and spats) that slide or tie on, will turn any ol’ plain pair of pumps into something … [Read More...]

GSS Inspiration Board :: Red and White Striped

When planning a wedding during the Christmas season, it can be hard not to get too caught up in the Christmas theme.  There are ways to incorporate the holiday season into your December wedding without being tacky.  Take for example our Red and White inspiration board.  We added in a stripe to this palette in order to give this board a little bit more a of a holiday feel without going overboard.  Think subtle and sweet candy canes…  Red and White Wedding Invitations:  CWeid … [Read More...]