A Classic Southern Wedding at Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley in Raleigh, North Carolina

Although Nisha Chandak first met Emil Kheterpal at his birthday party, it wasn’t until two years later that they had their second and last introduction. A mutual friend noticed similarities between them and thought the two would make a great match.

In Nisha’s usual cautious manner, she insisted on first exchanging emails. This, however, quickly snowballed into hour-long phone conversations. Finally, a first date was scheduled–dinner at Sushi of Gari, followed by drinks at Highlands in the West Village. Conversation was comfortable, as Nisha “looked beyond Emil’s corny humor” and found him to be a genuine and caring man. Meanwhile, Emil thought Nisha was breathtaking with a generous heart and the willingness to laugh at his bad jokes.

As it turns out, Nisha had skipped out on a rehearsal dinner to meet Emil for their first date. Little did she know that escaping one wedding event would pave the way to a proposal of her own. A month before the engagement, Emil emailed several friends and invited them to a fictitious party at the Dumbarton Oaks.

 After narrowly missing a grade four hurricane, which happened to veer east right before the big weekend, Nisha arrived at the garden. She found herself in a romantic and secluded spot with her then-boyfriend, who poured his heart out for the perfect proposal. A surprise celebration was also set up in the garden with their families, and Emil topped off his engagement surprise by whisking his new fiancé away for a relaxing trip to Napa.

The wedding planning process was unforgettable, albeit something neither Nisha nor Emil would like to relive. After selecting the perfect list of vendors and preparing for the special day, the couple was informed six weeks before their wedding that the remodeled venue would not be ready. Stress levels reached an all-time high as they raced to find a backup venue; but fortunately, against all odds, the hotel finished in the nick of time. The driveway and entrance, in fact, were opened to guests only two days before the wedding.

Despite being unsure of what to expect, the bride and groom had the perfect sangeet, ceremony, and reception. Working with Design House Décor was one of the more calming aspects of wedding planning, as the lead designer took the reins and made the couple’s wedding vision come to fruition. All she said was, “Trust me” – the only two words Nisha and Emil needed to hear.

“When we walked into each event, we were as surprised as our guests to find the stunning décor that we wished we could have imagined,” the couple says. “The food for each event was catered by Moghul and was absolutely delicious. Lastly, we couldn’t have had such a flawless weekend without the meticulous attention to detail of our planner, Ace of Events.”

Throughout the weekend, the newlyweds understood that the wedding was made beautiful by the love shared by their family and friends; and the outpouring of love they felt during those few special days was overwhelming and heartwarming.