Bride: Priya Patel
Groom: Yuvraj Dhesi
Photography: Jessie Rae
Q: How did you two meet, and what was your first impression of each other?
Raj and I met at a holiday weekend pool party in Tampa. My friend, Sammy, recognized Raj and asked me to come with him so he could meet Raj. Sammy was essentially using me as bait. It must have worked because Raj talked to Sammy and eventually asked if I was single, which I was. In a shameless maneuver to get my phone number, Raj asked me to take a photo with him on HIS phone and then asked for my number so he could “send me the photo.” Spoiler - I gave him my number. We ended up parting ways that day but stayed in touch and eventually started dating months later.
Q: Can you share the story of your proposal/engagement?
Raj proposed to me on December 28, 2023. We travelled to Calgary, Alberta, under the guise of having me meet Raj’s family for the first time. It was Christmas time, so I ended up getting to meet Raj’s entire family. Raj knew that I had always wanted to visit Banff, so after the holidays, he planned a few days there. The morning of the proposal, Raj made a reservation for Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Hotel. Once that was over, Raj and I headed outside to look at the beautiful mountainscape. He told me to turn toward the mountains so he could get a few aesthetic photos of me. I turned around and he started snapping away, or so I thought… When he was finally done, he asked me to turn around, and as I did, I noticed he was on one knee!
Q: Describe your wedding day for us. Did you have a favorite part of the wedding?
There is only one way to describe our wedding, and that is MAGICAL. When you’re marrying your best friend and have all your loved ones around you, it really does feel like the best day. Raj’s favorite moment of the day was the Anand Karaj, and mine was the Vivaha.
Q: Tell us more about your reception.
From the beginning, we knew we wanted our reception to be an upscale dance party. Empire Banquet Hall in Calgary, where we had our reception, already has a beautiful Venetian design with gold accent walls. To have it feel like a dance party, we had our production team, House of Bounce, place a large screen on the stage with the DJ booth in front to give the illusion we were at a music festival. It was the first time our parents had gone to the club, if you know what we mean.
Q: How did you choose your wedding attire for both of you?
I’ve known for a while that I wanted to wear either a red or ivory monochrome lehenga on my wedding day. For the Anand Karaj, I wore red, and ivory for the Hindu wedding. I got a custom red lehenga with a veil made by Shia from Nazranaa in New Jersey. The veil had Yuvraj Singh Dhesi on it, which was a surprise for Raj. I did some shopping in India, where I found my Hindu wedding lehenga and Garba outfit at Asopalav. Ahmedabad. My original reception outfit was a disaster, so I had to purchase a last-minute outfit from Seema Gujral, which turned out amazing (and made me feel like Barbie)! Raj got both of his wedding outfits from Bobby at Pooja’s Boutique. Raj sent Bobby some inspo pictures, and Bobby used his magic to create the designs Raj wore.
Q: Were any traditions or customs particularly important to include in your wedding?
We might both be Indian, but this really was a multicultural wedding, with two different groups of people coming together. That’s exactly why we had a part reserved for Garba and a part reserved for Jago at our Welcome Party. We also had program cards with descriptions during both weddings, so guests could follow along and know what was happening.
Q: Where did you honeymoon?
We haven’t gone on our official honeymoon yet but are hoping to go to India sometime soon. We had a mini honeymoon as soon as our wedding ended, in Banff. This trip was more to relax after spending a whole year and a half planning for the wedding.
Q: Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Raj and I laugh about this. My speech, to me, was a disaster, and if I could go back, I would redo it. If Raj could go back, he would have asked if there were any single ladies in the room for our Vichola (matchmaker), Sammy!
Q: What do you love the most about one another?
It’s so hard to pick just one thing we love about each other. For me, I guess it would be that Raj is always down for my wild and spontaneous ideas. Raj’s favorite thing about me is that I have taught him to slow down and enjoy life. He is also constantly entertained by my sense of humor.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to couples planning their wedding, what would it be?
You’re going to fight, but you must realize it’s not personal; it’s because you’re in a very stressful period of your life. Wedding planning is like having a second job, especially if you do not hire wedding planners, which we did not. When you get to your wedding, you’re going to have such a blast that it’s going to make you ask yourself, “Why were we even fighting?”
