South Asian Splendor

Kajal and Kunal met at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where Kajal had recently transferred and didn't know many people.

It was October 2004, and Facebook was still new. Kajal and Kunal became fast friends on the burgeoning social networking site. They had their first date at Maggiano's in Schaumburg.

"With Kunal. I've always had this feeling that our time together was going to be a big adventure," says Kajal, who has a career in social work. "He inspired me to have dreams for myself and I love him for that reason."

For Kunal, it was Kajal's carefree attitude that made him fall in love.

"She was unlike anyone I knew," says Kunal, a marketing consultant. "I knew I loved her when one morning I woke up and found a Hershey's Kiss in the bathroom."

The couple had been dating three years when Kunal proposed to Kajal while she was engrossed in a TV show.

"It took about a minute to fully comprehend what he was saying," Kajal says. "Once I caught on, I ran around the house like a crazy person before saying yes!"

"I have worn my hair down every day of my life," Kajal says. "I was adamant that I didn't want an updo that was plastered to my head and [my stylist] was able to give me an updo with the softness I wanted."

Kajal's vibrant red gown featured mustardy gold accents and was a gift from her maternal uncles. She completed the look with large jewelry for plenty of sparkle. Kajal's veil was picked out by her grandmother in India and shipped to the United States.

"I wanted to wear a gown that complemented the setting," the bride says. "I knew it had to be a little on the over the top side, because of the grandness of the Gold Coast Room. I wanted [the gown] to be amazing, without being too flashy—that's pretty much my style. I picked very big jewelry, because when else can a girl get away with wearing her body weight in jewelry?"

Kunal was unable to see his bride as she walked down the aisle, his view obstructed by a curtain. The couple's favorite moment of the day was when the curtain was lifted and they saw each other for the first time during the ceremony. Instead of bouquets, bridesmaids carried traditional prayer plates with candles.

Other customs Kunal and Kajal incorporated included having Kajal's bridesmaids "steal" Kunal's shoes.

"It would be considered undignified of the groom to leave the ceremony without his shoes. However, he cannot wear his shoes into the mandap," Kajal explains. "During the ceremony, it is the job of the groomsmen to protect the shoes, while the bridesmaids try to seal them. If the bridesmaids are successful in stealing the groom's shoes, the groom's family has to buy them back from the bridesmaids."

The couple transformed the scene for their jazz-style reception, going from traditional maroon and gold colors to chic green, blue and black. Centerpieces featured blue and green hydrangeas and orchids, as well as clear crystals, candles and feathers from India's national bird—the peacock. For an earthy, rustic feel, trees from the ceremony were reused to make taller arrangements. Kajal always wanted to have a wedding and reception at the Drake after seeing "My Best Friend's Wedding" and admits she only half-heartedly looked at other venues before making her selection.

"The Drake Hotel is such a landmark in Chicago," Kajal says. "What better place to celebrate our lifelong citizenship in this city than with a Jazz-themed night in a Chicago landmark?"

Guests feasted on numerous Indian delicacies, including mint chicken, aloo tikki and bhel appetizers, butter chicken and yogurt potato saag.

"The food was very good—a must have at an Indian wedding," Kajal says.

Among the yummy flavors in the newlyweds' four-tier cake were Kajal and Kunal's favorite—chocolate with raspberry mousse. In addition to the scrumptious treat, the couple satisfied sweet tooths with boxes of Indian sweets as favors.

For their first dance, Kajal and Kunal chose an Indian song set to an old Frank Sinatra beat.

"The song is about unstoppable, intoxicating love," the bride says.

Include your family in the planning of your wedding!