Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Gift Registry
Many of you have so kindly asked where we are registered for wedding gifts. We have chosen to decline boxed gifts for the wedding at this time. We feel that it will be much easier for the large number of guests traveling from out of town to not have to purchase off a registry and traveling with a gift.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Map and Directions
FROM SKY HARBOR AIRPORT: Take the 202 East and exit at Scottsdale Rd., exit #7. Turn left on Scottsdale Rd. Follow Scottsdale Rd. to Main St. Turn left on Main Street and arrive at Hotel Valley Ho, at 6850 East Main Street. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is approximately a 15 minute drive, or 9 miles.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Flowers for the Mandap
Tera and I have been hard at work making the flowers for the mandap (Indian ceremony alter). Excited to see it all come together!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Wedding DIY
With my sister's bridesmaid dress made, I can now focus on all the other DIY projects! Stay tuned to see what else I come up with! I can't wait to fit her in it! The mannequin is not quite the right size in the photo, but you get the idea. 
Friday, May 23, 2014
Wedding Itinerary 11/01/2014
General flow of events. Check back closer to the wedding for any changes.
Evening of Friday October 31, 2014
Rehearsal dinner 6pm
Location: Old Town Tortilla Factory
Location Map
It's Halloween- one of our favorite holidays, so dressing up is encouraged!!
Saturday November 1, 2014
Indian Ceremony set to take place at 2pm in the courtyard at Hotel Valley Ho
Hotel Valley Ho Location Map
American Ceremony to take place approximately 5:15pm on the Hotel Valley Ho Rooftop
Reception to follow in Valley Ho ballroom
If you have any questions about the wedding weekend, please feel free to ask.
Evening of Friday October 31, 2014
Rehearsal dinner 6pm
Location: Old Town Tortilla Factory
Location Map
It's Halloween- one of our favorite holidays, so dressing up is encouraged!!
Saturday November 1, 2014
Indian Ceremony set to take place at 2pm in the courtyard at Hotel Valley Ho
Hotel Valley Ho Location Map
American Ceremony to take place approximately 5:15pm on the Hotel Valley Ho Rooftop
Reception to follow in Valley Ho ballroom
If you have any questions about the wedding weekend, please feel free to ask.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Travel Accommodations
We have a room block for the "Thakkar/Burton" wedding at The Valley Ho Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ. There are rooms available for Thursday, Friday and Saturday the weekend of November 1, 2014.
The price is $169/night and this is reasonable for the area. Rooms regularly cost around $350/night and that is variable outside of our block. In order to receive the block rate, booking early is advised. The earlier you book, the more easily we can accommodate everyone.
To Book Contact:
You can also visit the website through this link if you like:
HotelValleyHo
We will be holding all events within 2 blocks of the hotel, so it is not necessary to rent a car. The hotel is about 20 minutes from the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. There is also a ton to do in Scottsdale by walking distance or a short cab if you are planning to come in early or stay a bit later.
Please no boxed gifts! We do not want you to have more things to keep track of when traveling.
The price is $169/night and this is reasonable for the area. Rooms regularly cost around $350/night and that is variable outside of our block. In order to receive the block rate, booking early is advised. The earlier you book, the more easily we can accommodate everyone.
To Book Contact:
You can also visit the website through this link if you like:
HotelValleyHo
We will be holding all events within 2 blocks of the hotel, so it is not necessary to rent a car. The hotel is about 20 minutes from the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. There is also a ton to do in Scottsdale by walking distance or a short cab if you are planning to come in early or stay a bit later.
Please no boxed gifts! We do not want you to have more things to keep track of when traveling.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Challenge Accepted!
I have decided to try to make one of the bridesmaids dresses for my wedding. It will be the first time I make a dress for someone other than myself. The dress will be for my sister, Kelly. I have the guidance of my teacher, so I am confident that it will turn out beautifully. I have completed all the prep work and I get to start on the actual sewing tomorrow. Woohoo!!
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| Making the dress in muslin was the first step. This is done for fitting purposes, then the pattern is adjusted and the dress can be constructed. |
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| Fabric |
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| This is the dress I will recreate |
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Neil's Creative Side...
When I asked the girls to be my bridesmaids, I illustrated cards by hand and wrote a letter to each girl explaining why I wanted to have them at the alter with me.
I loved the way they turned out from the jacket around the card to the illustration of each girl with me. I could not wait to hand them out.
The time came for Neil to chose his groomsman and after hearing several times, "gosh, if I had tried to draw a card, it would have been a joke," I thought it would be funny for Neil to draw a card. I asks him if he would want to and of course he was game. I thought my brother would be able to appreciate it most because his wife received one of my cards. Here is his handy work...
I'm so proud of my love for having fun with this. ...My brother loved his card.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
It's getting real!
This morning I signed some rather official paperwork as Neil's "domestic partner." Sounds so serious! I still remember the first piece of mail I received at his place in St. Louis. The August, 2010 edition of Scientific
Of course I still have it!
Friday, February 14, 2014
We Got Engaged! -This is going to be a long post!!
Happy Valentine's Day! What a perfect day to get in the spirit and tell the story of our engagement.
Where to start?! There was so much planning and anticipation leading up to our engagement.
We got engaged on March 27, 2013 almost 4 years after we met. I'm not exactly sure when the idea came to Neil, but I know as early as 2011 he was formulating a plan.
In 2010, Neil went to India with his family and he brought me back a miniature model of the Taj Mahal. I remember like it was yesterday. He came over and woke me up with a this present. Seated on the edge of my bed, he told me the history of the Taj Mahal and the beautiful love story behind it. He explained that it is the single greatest monument in the entire modern world that represents love.
Bringing it back to 2011, at New Years with my family, my brother, sister and sister-in-law were asking Neil when he planned to seal the deal with me. They were having fun and giving him a hard time. Deservedly so. I had, in fact, relocated my life to be with him. He told them his plan to propose. Thus began the trend of telling all of my close friends and family. My sisters loved his plan. Although I didn't know the plan, I did know how impressed they were.
Over the course of the next two years, he would tell people he had a plan and that it would blow me away. He would assure me and my friends that these things take a tremendous amount of planning if they are to be done right. And so the waiting began.
Prior to our trip to India, several people asked me if I thought he would propose there and I would always reply "no." I thought this because it was a trip to visit family and I somehow thought that he would want to do this in private. I also designed my engagement ring. Just about a week before leaving for India, I finalized the design, so I knew the ring would not be finished before the trip.
Our trip to India was amazing. I met all of his extended family and they were absolutely incredible people. Getting to know his grandfather better was truly a blessing.
I asked Neil if we could see the Taj Mahal there and he said no. I was very disappointed. I thought if we were going to be relatively near it, we should go. :(
On the day of our engagement, we celebrated Holi in the morning with his family and some of the other people in the apartment complex. I have seen this holiday in movies and I was so excited to be there for it. We had a great time. I absolutely loved it. Not even knowing that it would be such a life-changing day, I saved the t-shirt I wore, so I could frame it.
After getting cleaned up, we packed for a day trip that was to be a surprise for me. Before we left Kusum DiDi was giving hugs and saying something in Hindi to Neil with a great big smile on her face. Everyone came out to see us off. We got in the car and Neil was giving the driver instructions in Hindi. I would later come to know that Kusum DiDi said, "You will go away as two and you will come back as one." and then she kissed him on the cheek and smiled. I also learned that Neil was telling the driver not to mention the Taj Mahal or the name of anywhere we were headed. The two of them had an entire conversation about how I did not know anything related to the plans or that I was going to be proposed to. Neil said that his family had pretty much been talking about it the whole time in Hindi while we were there. It's a good thing I don't speak Hindi that well! ;)
All the sight seeing got the best of me and I slept for a few hours in the car. It would have remained a complete surprise if I hadn't woken up a couple of miles from the hotel and seen all the billboards for the Taj.
Upon arriving at the hotel, walked the grounds checked out all the restaurants until we decided on just the right one. I commented on our walk that the moon looked so much brighter that night than I had ever seen it before.
The restaurant hostess enjoyed seeing an American girl and she gave me a red flower. After dinner, Neil excused himself to use the restroom and when he came out, I had put the flower in my hair. I actually saw his breathe be taken away. I know he loves that, but he seemed especially swept away.
We made our way to the lobby that was so beautifully decorated for Holi and waited for the driver.
At this point it was 9:30 at night and I was wondering where we could possibly be going so late at night. I started to ask questions. Of course I did not get any answers from Neil. So we waited. I patted him on the leg and asked for my chapstick out of his pocket. He had advised me not to bring my purse, so I gave it to him to hold. He literally freaked out. He yelled, "Get out of there!" and jumped back. Startled, I asked what he had in his pockets. He said, "My balls!" I laughed and then noticed that he had our passports. I asked where we would possibly be going that we would need our passports so late in the evening. He told me that we were going to the Taj Mahal.
He explained that the Taj Mahal is only viewed at night once a month during the full moon. There is no electricity around the Taj and it is completely lit by the moon. Because it is made from white marble, the moonlight gives it an iridescent glow.
Once we arrived at the Taj, we split off into the men and women's security check lines. After patting me down and checking my bra the female security officer said to her supervisor, "Laal choti poohl hain." She then left with her supervisor to discuss this. I knew what she meant and I did not want to give up the little red flower in my hair, nor did I understand why this was a security concern. Having waited for them to return, I expected Neil to be waiting for me as I exited the line. To my surprise, he was still being checked and it seemed to be taking a while. I saw him reach into his pocket to empty it...
"HEY YAAR GO GET IN THE LINE!" a man yelled at me. It startled me and I jumped back in line. I figured Neil would catch up to me.
He said they felt the chapstick in his pocket and made him go back to the entrance and leave it on the desk. That DARN chapstick! When he came back, they patted him down and he assured them it was just a ring in his pocket. They demanded to see it. This was when I almost saw him pull it out of his pocket. Neil was pleading with them to not make him do that because he was proposing to me and it was to be a surprise. The guy behind him even jumped in to try to get them to back off. I very narrowly missed all this due to the random guy by the women's line who was upset I didn't keep the line moving.
By the time we walked to the viewing area, the moon was not as visible as it had been, so we couldn't see as well. Neil asked if I wanted to sit on the steps and stay for a few minutes. I sat and he got down on one knee. I can't even remember everything he said. Something about spending the rest of his life with his best friend. I was completely swept up in the moment. I started crying and he asked if that was a yes. I'm sure we all know how this turned out!!
It was funny that after I said yes, I started to look at the ring. I had designed it after all and I had not yet seen the final product. He blurted out, "This ring is fake." It was the silver and cubic zirconia ring the ring designer made as the final step in the design process, so I could approve it and they could begin working on the real ring. It's good that he told me that because the silver ring is a little bigger and not as refined as the real one. I immediately had second thoughts on my design when I examined the fake. However, I probably would not have given it such a close look if he had not said that. By the time we returned to the US, the real ring was ready for pick up and I instantly fell in love with it. The ring was everything I had thought it would be when I created the design.
Neil tried to get us Champagne at the hotel, but Holi is a dry holiday in UTP, so no such luck. We tried to call or send messages to friends and family, but our phones weren't working very well, so we posted it on Facebook. It was so great to get all the phone calls, comments and messages. It really felt like we were able to share our big news with all our close friends and family even though we were far away. It was awesome that he had told so many people and that they were waiting for that call from India!! We spoke to both of our families by messenger or by phone. My mom said he had asked her and my dad for my hand in marriage before we left. Everything was absolutely perfect!
The next day, we went back to the Taj and took a tour. We took a lot of photos and did some reenactment pictures for fun.
When we returned to his Aunt and Uncle's house, they were all waiting to hear about it and they were just so happy for us! We had our celebratory toast that we had been waiting for.
What an amazing trip! I could not have asked for a better engagement story. A few bumps to give us a laugh when we remember, but a truly amazing story. I can see now how it took so much planning.
I really do get to marry the love of my life and the best friend I have ever had. Every day I am more impressed with him and even more proud to call him my love.
Where to start?! There was so much planning and anticipation leading up to our engagement.
We got engaged on March 27, 2013 almost 4 years after we met. I'm not exactly sure when the idea came to Neil, but I know as early as 2011 he was formulating a plan.
In 2010, Neil went to India with his family and he brought me back a miniature model of the Taj Mahal. I remember like it was yesterday. He came over and woke me up with a this present. Seated on the edge of my bed, he told me the history of the Taj Mahal and the beautiful love story behind it. He explained that it is the single greatest monument in the entire modern world that represents love.
Bringing it back to 2011, at New Years with my family, my brother, sister and sister-in-law were asking Neil when he planned to seal the deal with me. They were having fun and giving him a hard time. Deservedly so. I had, in fact, relocated my life to be with him. He told them his plan to propose. Thus began the trend of telling all of my close friends and family. My sisters loved his plan. Although I didn't know the plan, I did know how impressed they were.
Over the course of the next two years, he would tell people he had a plan and that it would blow me away. He would assure me and my friends that these things take a tremendous amount of planning if they are to be done right. And so the waiting began.
Prior to our trip to India, several people asked me if I thought he would propose there and I would always reply "no." I thought this because it was a trip to visit family and I somehow thought that he would want to do this in private. I also designed my engagement ring. Just about a week before leaving for India, I finalized the design, so I knew the ring would not be finished before the trip.
Our trip to India was amazing. I met all of his extended family and they were absolutely incredible people. Getting to know his grandfather better was truly a blessing.
 |
| Visiting PitaJi's farm |
 |
| I just love how happy PitaJi is in this photo |
 |
| My birthday celebration |
I asked Neil if we could see the Taj Mahal there and he said no. I was very disappointed. I thought if we were going to be relatively near it, we should go. :(
On the day of our engagement, we celebrated Holi in the morning with his family and some of the other people in the apartment complex. I have seen this holiday in movies and I was so excited to be there for it. We had a great time. I absolutely loved it. Not even knowing that it would be such a life-changing day, I saved the t-shirt I wore, so I could frame it.
 |
| Haha, I love that Sampada's green hand print is so visible |
All the sight seeing got the best of me and I slept for a few hours in the car. It would have remained a complete surprise if I hadn't woken up a couple of miles from the hotel and seen all the billboards for the Taj.
Upon arriving at the hotel, walked the grounds checked out all the restaurants until we decided on just the right one. I commented on our walk that the moon looked so much brighter that night than I had ever seen it before.
The restaurant hostess enjoyed seeing an American girl and she gave me a red flower. After dinner, Neil excused himself to use the restroom and when he came out, I had put the flower in my hair. I actually saw his breathe be taken away. I know he loves that, but he seemed especially swept away.
We made our way to the lobby that was so beautifully decorated for Holi and waited for the driver.
 |
| Made from flower petals- decor for Holi |
At this point it was 9:30 at night and I was wondering where we could possibly be going so late at night. I started to ask questions. Of course I did not get any answers from Neil. So we waited. I patted him on the leg and asked for my chapstick out of his pocket. He had advised me not to bring my purse, so I gave it to him to hold. He literally freaked out. He yelled, "Get out of there!" and jumped back. Startled, I asked what he had in his pockets. He said, "My balls!" I laughed and then noticed that he had our passports. I asked where we would possibly be going that we would need our passports so late in the evening. He told me that we were going to the Taj Mahal.
He explained that the Taj Mahal is only viewed at night once a month during the full moon. There is no electricity around the Taj and it is completely lit by the moon. Because it is made from white marble, the moonlight gives it an iridescent glow.
Once we arrived at the Taj, we split off into the men and women's security check lines. After patting me down and checking my bra the female security officer said to her supervisor, "Laal choti poohl hain." She then left with her supervisor to discuss this. I knew what she meant and I did not want to give up the little red flower in my hair, nor did I understand why this was a security concern. Having waited for them to return, I expected Neil to be waiting for me as I exited the line. To my surprise, he was still being checked and it seemed to be taking a while. I saw him reach into his pocket to empty it...
"HEY YAAR GO GET IN THE LINE!" a man yelled at me. It startled me and I jumped back in line. I figured Neil would catch up to me.
He said they felt the chapstick in his pocket and made him go back to the entrance and leave it on the desk. That DARN chapstick! When he came back, they patted him down and he assured them it was just a ring in his pocket. They demanded to see it. This was when I almost saw him pull it out of his pocket. Neil was pleading with them to not make him do that because he was proposing to me and it was to be a surprise. The guy behind him even jumped in to try to get them to back off. I very narrowly missed all this due to the random guy by the women's line who was upset I didn't keep the line moving.
By the time we walked to the viewing area, the moon was not as visible as it had been, so we couldn't see as well. Neil asked if I wanted to sit on the steps and stay for a few minutes. I sat and he got down on one knee. I can't even remember everything he said. Something about spending the rest of his life with his best friend. I was completely swept up in the moment. I started crying and he asked if that was a yes. I'm sure we all know how this turned out!!
 |
| Standing in front of the Taj Mahal , moments after he proposed |
 |
| Facebook Post! |
 |
| Celebrating at the hotel |
It was funny that after I said yes, I started to look at the ring. I had designed it after all and I had not yet seen the final product. He blurted out, "This ring is fake." It was the silver and cubic zirconia ring the ring designer made as the final step in the design process, so I could approve it and they could begin working on the real ring. It's good that he told me that because the silver ring is a little bigger and not as refined as the real one. I immediately had second thoughts on my design when I examined the fake. However, I probably would not have given it such a close look if he had not said that. By the time we returned to the US, the real ring was ready for pick up and I instantly fell in love with it. The ring was everything I had thought it would be when I created the design.
Neil tried to get us Champagne at the hotel, but Holi is a dry holiday in UTP, so no such luck. We tried to call or send messages to friends and family, but our phones weren't working very well, so we posted it on Facebook. It was so great to get all the phone calls, comments and messages. It really felt like we were able to share our big news with all our close friends and family even though we were far away. It was awesome that he had told so many people and that they were waiting for that call from India!! We spoke to both of our families by messenger or by phone. My mom said he had asked her and my dad for my hand in marriage before we left. Everything was absolutely perfect!
The next day, we went back to the Taj and took a tour. We took a lot of photos and did some reenactment pictures for fun.
When we returned to his Aunt and Uncle's house, they were all waiting to hear about it and they were just so happy for us! We had our celebratory toast that we had been waiting for.
What an amazing trip! I could not have asked for a better engagement story. A few bumps to give us a laugh when we remember, but a truly amazing story. I can see now how it took so much planning.
I really do get to marry the love of my life and the best friend I have ever had. Every day I am more impressed with him and even more proud to call him my love.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
That One Simple Moment That Changed Our Lives
Most couples fall in love over time after sharing good memories. Our story is a little different. For me, I knew when I first saw Neil that he was a man I wanted to know better. After a few conversations, I knew he was an amazing person with whom I had much in common. From there, it was just lovely getting to know him more every day. I still come to know new things about him from time to time and I love him more now than ever.
For Neil, he was definitely interested and cared about me a great deal, but there was a moment that he knew he loved me. I used to work every weekend with the exception of one per quarter. This left us with little time to date outside of weeknight dinners. The first weekend we spent together was about 3 months after we started dating. We went to a wedding together for his friend Nelly. We spent the entire weekend together and shared so many great times.
At this moment August, 29 2009- we fell so deeply in love with each other. It was only by chance that her photographer captured the moment. We had no idea anyone was watching us. This photo truely captured how we are together. In a room full of people, we can be completely lost in each other.
For Neil, he was definitely interested and cared about me a great deal, but there was a moment that he knew he loved me. I used to work every weekend with the exception of one per quarter. This left us with little time to date outside of weeknight dinners. The first weekend we spent together was about 3 months after we started dating. We went to a wedding together for his friend Nelly. We spent the entire weekend together and shared so many great times.
At this moment August, 29 2009- we fell so deeply in love with each other. It was only by chance that her photographer captured the moment. We had no idea anyone was watching us. This photo truely captured how we are together. In a room full of people, we can be completely lost in each other.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
5/11/13
Engagement Party On the Rooftop of the Mark
Sweet Norah
Logan and Kelly
Two Families Celebrate Together
The Thakkars and the Bride to be
The Thakkars
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Our First Date
Neil picked me up at my place and we went to Vin De Set. Dinner was great; we shared escargot on the rooftop. The conversation was easy and we were each impressed with the adventurous appetite of the other.
After dinner, Neil asked me to go with him to Cielo (another rooftop restaurant) to have drinks with his friend Alan and his girlfriend.
Cielo was awesome. I had a great time meeting his friends and it just felt so easy and natural. We fit into each other's lives right from that first date.
Since the evening was going nicely, I was hoping for an equally impressive goodnight kiss.
Picture this...
We are standing under the street lamps in the parking lot, the night is amazing and we don't want to say good night...
Neil leans in for a kiss and I jumped back about three feet and started screaming. He had no idea what happened. I felt like such a dork. An enormous moth from the street light flew at my ear and I felt it's wings flapping against my face. Impeccable timing.
No worries. Neil offered a do-over and we still get a good laugh out of it.
After dinner, Neil asked me to go with him to Cielo (another rooftop restaurant) to have drinks with his friend Alan and his girlfriend.
Cielo was awesome. I had a great time meeting his friends and it just felt so easy and natural. We fit into each other's lives right from that first date.
Since the evening was going nicely, I was hoping for an equally impressive goodnight kiss.
Picture this...
We are standing under the street lamps in the parking lot, the night is amazing and we don't want to say good night...
Neil leans in for a kiss and I jumped back about three feet and started screaming. He had no idea what happened. I felt like such a dork. An enormous moth from the street light flew at my ear and I felt it's wings flapping against my face. Impeccable timing.
No worries. Neil offered a do-over and we still get a good laugh out of it.
Big Day For the Bride!!!
Today I am going to order my dress! How exciting!!! A big thanks to my friends and family who have weighed in on this important decision!
You will have to see it on the big day for the reveal!!
Monday, November 18, 2013
How We Met...
Neil and I met at St. Louis University Hospital in the Neurosurgical ICU sometime in May, 2009. It was about 2AM and I called him to deal with some sort of issue with my patient. --That's what we usually tell people anyway.
We do not actually agree on the exact moment that we met. I seem to think that I already knew him at that moment. Perhaps, I had noticed him rounding before that. I do remember thinking he was crazy cute and wanting to get to know him better.
There was one instance after we met, when he was on the other side of a window and I was sitting with another nurse. She was asking me who he was and I pretended I didn't really know. She asked me if I knew what his name was while she was trying to read his notoriously bad handwriting. I gave her the exact spelling, while trying not to sound like I knew exactly how to spell it and had maybe checked into him already! She asked what I thought his nationality was and all I could think was that he could probably hear us and I'm sure my face was so red.
We chatted a bit on the long nights in the ICU when Neil would "take a break" that happened to be two floors below his call room and right between my patients' rooms. We instantly found we had a ton of things in common. One day we found ourselves alone- usually we were joined by other nurses, and he asked me if I would like to go out sometime and have a drink. I didn't want to sound like I had been waiting for him to ask me, so I gave it a good pause for dramatic affect and said, "um... ok."
The Story of Us...
I wanted to create a blog for our wedding day. I haven't actually read too many wedding blogs, but rather than bore you too much with details of our big day, I thought I would share things that I think many of our friends and family would like to hear. My favorite part of wedding showers is always learning trivia about the friends and family I'm there to celebrate.
I hope this helps you fill in the blanks if you have not been along for the ride from the very beginning in 2009 and gets you excited for our big day.
I hope this helps you fill in the blanks if you have not been along for the ride from the very beginning in 2009 and gets you excited for our big day.
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