Shivani and Vikas’ vibrant Tampa Indian wedding weekend combined luxurious attire in bright shades of marigold and ruby, and a glamorous reception filled with elegant flora, blush accents, and gold details. The bride and groom wed with a traditional ceremony before hosting their friends and family in a ballroom reception and dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

“We had multiple themes throughout the wedding events. Our first event was a Haldi ceremony where we the bride and groom are showered with blessings and Haldi painted on them for a pre-wedding glow. For the Sangeet event, we wanted to keep it fun and asked guests to wear bright colors. The decor for Sangeet was whimsical with fun shaped candles and boho vibe,” Vikas detailed. “For the wedding ceremony we incorporated a touch of traditional Indian decor with a gold framed Mandaap with florals to give a regal feel, and for the wedding reception we wanted a romantic setting with baby pink florals and soft lighting. We chose shades of pink and red because Shivani is a romantic and wanted soft colors for our special day. Doing several different themes allowed us to combine regal traditional decor with a modern twist.”

“The couple wanted their ceremony and reception to be modern and elegant. So when working with Nikun Events, the decor team, we kept the color palette soft with blush and ivory tones and accented it with gold as the metal. We also used lots of candles to give a very romantic vibe,” wedding planner Sokha Im, of Aspara Events detailed. “The evening before we hosted the Sangeet, and we used the already existing blue color tones in the Skylark Ballroom as a base and added muave to create a boho-chic design. Hanging wicker baskets and pastel florals completed the vision for the bride.”

The St. Petersburg couple sought a resort-style venue for their 225-guests, many of whom were traveling to the area for the wedding. With its expansive event space, convenient accommodations, and attentive service made the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay the perfect choice for their December celebration.

“We looked for a venue that could really feel like a vacation for all of our guests. We wanted to be at a place that could accommodate all our guests and still have the ability to take our breath away. We needed a place where all the guests feel like they wouldn’t have a single worry the entire weekend as soon as they walked in. We decided on the Grand Hyatt the minute we walked in,” Shivani beamed. “We could instantly picture our Bharart precession at the the outside sign with the greenery. The views looking out to the water on the way to the dance hall were stunning. The Skylark Ballroom was the icing on the cake. Walking out and seeing all of Tampa Bay from a penthouse suite literally took our breath away. We could’ve been blessed with a better venue.”

“Working with Shivani and Vikas was an absolute joy. Their vision, warmth, and trust in the process made every moment specialm” Brittani Couture, Event Planning Manager, at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, shared. “From the vibrant colors to the intimate traditions, helping them create a celebration that reflected their love and culture was truly an unforgettable experience.”

The pair enjoyed multiple culturally significant events with loved ones, including a lively Sangeet and an intimate Haldi ceremony, during which the bride and groom are painted with turmeric paste for blessings, purification, and good luck. Shivani and Vikas prioritized their guests’ experience throughout the weekend, focusing on a delicious menu and an energetic playlist.

“Food and music were the most important elements! We wanted the food to be incredible because our people to fed. Shout out to Sajan for making the most impeccable assortment of dishes. Music is also huge for us as we both love to dance and our friends do too. DJ Pavan was able to really hone in to our music sense and bring it alive,” the groom detailed. “The reception and Sangeet were equally important. Shivani and I love to have fun, and we love to dance and party with our friends. The atmosphere Nikun provided for Sangeet could be described as nightclub in Tulum vibe, which is exactly what we wanted. And for our reception, she made it so classy and elegant! We were able to do all of our coordinated dances with our friends, and Pavan keep the dance floor packed the entire time.”

Although the weekend filled with festivities was unforgettable, the bride and groom recount their post-reception gathering as a core memory.

“The most memorable party was the after party! While we could go on and on about how each individual event was so much fun, the event that describes who and Shivani are as a couple the most was our after party after the reception,” the groom reminisced. “We are the type to never want to let the party end, so we had everyone up to our room after the reception was over. Unfortunately, our friends don’t know how to temper their excitement and security was at our honeymoon suite asking us to keep it down. But, the Grand Hyatt came through and the security offered to us to go back up to the Skylark Ballroom overlooking all of Tampa Bay so we could continue our special day! Our DJ friend brought his setup and Shivani was DJing until 6 a.m. for all our friends. That perfectly encapsulates who we are as a couple and another reason why Grand Hyatt was just so amazing in making every aspect of our special day possible.”

The Proposal:
The wedding proposal was at The Edition hotel rooftop bar at sunset with Shivani’s family and one of her best friends, Jade. It had to be timed perfectly as I had just gotten off a week of ICU rotation during his residency and was immediately resuming work the next day. Shivani had an idea it was happening, and it almost didn’t happen because when she tried on her dress she didn’t like. Her mom had to rush to the mall to get her a new dress before the proposal. 

What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We looked for a venue that could really feel like a vacation for all of our guests. We wanted to be at a place that could accommodate all our guests and still have the ability to take our breath away. We needed a place where all the guests feel like they wouldn’t have a single worry the entire weekend as soon as they walked in. We decided on the Grand Hyatt the minute we walked in. We could instantly picture our Bharart precession at the the outside sign with the greenery. The views looking out to the water on the way to the dance hall were stunning. The Skylark Ballroom was the icing on the cake. Walking out and seeing all of Tampa Bay from a penthouse suite literally took our breath away. We could’ve been blessed with a better venue.