Meet Puja! We were given the opportunity to prepare her for her big day in January. One January 27th, they had a Sikh ceremony, and on the 28th, they had a Hindu one. After their wedding, we reached out and had the pleasure of interviewing her about her experiences.

Q: What bridal look were you going for? Glamorous and bold? Simple yet elegant?

Even before her makeup trials, Puja knew she wanted to go for a traditional look for both ceremonies. She went on social media apps like Instagram and TikTok for most of her inspiration, but got help with finishing touches from Barbie during her makeup trial. Together, they came up with a perfect traditional look with glamorous makeup.

Q: How did you get your skin ready for your makeup look? (skincare, dermaplaning, etc.)

Before her wedding, Puja suffered from bad acne and dry skin. Because her ceremonies were during the winter, her dry skin would have been at its worst, and she knew she didn’t want that. To help her skin, she went to a dermatologist and started doing topical treatments and hydro-facials. She also started using triple-layer moisturizers and different serums to keep her skin plum and hydrated. These products and treatments definitely helped her skin not only look great for her wedding day, but their effects left her skin healthy and happy afterwards.

Q: How did you handle any stress (if you had any) while getting ready for your wedding?

On the day of her wedding, Puja’s jewelry broke. Due to timing, she couldn’t go out and buy more jewelry, so her bridesmaids all chipped in and gave her their jewelry. With Barbie’s assistance, they figured out which pieces matched her outfit the best. However, this wasn’t the only stressor she faced at her wedding.

For both ceremonies, the families walk down the aisle with the bride and groom. However, her husband’s extended family were traveling from over the country and were experiencing rush hour traffic, so they didn’t make it on time. This wasn’t a major issue for the Sikh ceremony, so they extended breakfast and had the rest of the guests take photos. However, the schedule for the Hindu ceremony was a bit more strict, since certain events were arranged for specific times.

Although Puja wasn’t worried about her husband missing their wedding, she was stressed about the timing of it all. However, with the help of Barbie and her event planner, she put on her game face and tried to stay calm. She knew that there would be ups and downs, and despite her worries, she persevered and continued. Her event planner was amazing at handling and making necessary changes to their schedule, which helped calm Puja’s nerves.

Q: Where did your wedding take place? What made you decide to choose this venue?

Puja and her husband got married at Hilton Parsippany. Although this wasn’t Puja’s first venue choice, she loved the staff after she met them. They were helpful, nice, and did what they could to help make her day perfect.

Q: Where did your guests travel from?

Puja revealed that her and her husband’s guests are from all over the world. Many traveled from New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Belgium, India, and more. Because they knew their guests would be coming from different parts of the globe, they wanted to make transportation easier by having their wedding near an airport, so they could easily get to their venue.

Q: How did you prepare for your wedding ceremony? What aspects did you consider for your wedding?

After they got engaged on December 25th, 2021, the two of them started planning for their wedding by first getting all of the vendors and venues they wanted. They knew how difficult and stressful it is to make these kinds of reservations as the wedding day got closer, so they did it right away. They created a budget and an itinerary, and as their big day was approaching, they hired an event planner to finalize any finishing touches. In order to plan ahead, Puja created a time-frame for every week leading up to the wedding. She set aside two hours every day to work on wedding planning, and at the end of every week, she had to get certain tasks done. Despite her already busy schedule as an accountant, she still managed to make the time for her big day. After a year of preparing and planning, the two of them finally got married. She revealed that she felt “unemployed” afterwards because of how much work she put into their wedding.

Q: How did you and your spouse meet? How did you know you wanted to marry them?

The two of them met through a mutual friend on April 6th in the nursing building at Montclair State University. She was a senior at the time, and he was a freshman. She described their meeting as “love at first sight” for him. He regularly messaged her on Instagram and Snapchat, and although she thought he was annoying at first, they eventually became best friends.

One day, Puja got into a really bad car accident. Her husband dropped everything and went to her. He was there for her, met her parents, and did all the things a boyfriend would do.

At the time, Puja didn’t feel like she could handle a relationship. He knew that, but after a while, he said he couldn’t be friends with her anymore. He liked her too much to handle just a friendship. At that moment, she realized that she couldn’t lose him, so they started dating, and continued for 6 years before their engagement.

The moment that Puja knew she wanted to marry her husband was at her birthday party. She had already graduated college at this point, but her husband was still in school, so he showed up after his classes and school work were done. Although her friends were already at the party, when he appeared, she felt like her whole atmosphere changed. She felt like the party was actually starting after he got there. This moment made her realize how special he really is to her, and she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

Q: What are your honeymoon plans?

After their wedding, Puja and her husband’s parents gave them a trip to Jamaica as a gift, which they consider their “pre-honeymoon.” Unfortunately, Puja also got really sick during this trip, so she and her husband mostly spent their days at the beach relaxing. Although she wasn’t feeling great, she still had an amazing time because she’d “rather be sick at the beach with a view than at home.”

Their actual honeymoon is planned for sometime next year. They plan on going to Thailand, Malaysia, and Bali. Although her husband has an itinerary of places he wants to visit while they’re there, Puja wants a place to relax with an amazing view. We wish them the best time when they go!

Q: What advice would you give to a bride who’s planning her wedding?

For anyone planning their own big day, Puja advises to keep an open mind and openly communicate with others. Especially for Indian brides with big families, it can be hard to decide wedding plans when everyone wants to be part of it. The best thing to do when this happens is to control your stress. If you’re stressed out, you’re not only making yourself upset, but you could also upset and hurt those around you. Remind yourself that your wedding guests want to see you get married and want to be there with you when it happens.

Q: Are there any moments that stand out to you from your wedding day?

Because she and her husband had two ceremonies, Puja had three grand entrances. Two for walking down the aisle, and one entrance for her and her husband. Because Puja is a very shy person, she was afraid that she would be too nervous to walk down the aisle. However, this was not the case. As soon as the doors opened, she was greeted by all of her and her husband’s friends and family. She saw everyone she loves in one room, and they were all brought together to see her and her husband get married. She wasn’t scared, anxious, or nervous. It was such an unexpectedly warm and comfortable feeling that everyone she loves and cares for was there. She forgot about her shyness and happily walked down the aisle, seeing everyone happy for her on her and her husband’s big day.

Q: Do you have any do’s and don’ts for planning a wedding?

From her experiences, Puja recommends getting an event planner to help you get the job done. Her planner also helped her through wedding stresses and worries. And because of her background as an accountant, she also recommends creating a budget. After your wedding, you might not realize how much you spent until you spend it. And above all, even if something goes wrong, you should smile through it. Your wedding day might seem hectic, but when you look back, you’ll realize how much time flew. Just enjoy the time you have with your partner, friends, and family. The people who love and support you are going to be there, and they’re going to be there for you.

Q: Why did you choose Cinderella Bridez for your wedding day?

Before her wedding, Puja didn’t know anything about Cinderella Bridez. However, she saw a few videos pop up on her For You Page on TikTok. As time went on, her event planner started suggesting different bridal agencies, and one that he recommended was Cinderella Bridez. During her initial meeting with Barbie, Puja said that she was very direct. She felt like Barbie wanted to be part of her big day instead of just trying to get another client, like some other agencies she talked to. Instead of feeling like she was talking to an advertisement, she felt a connection with Barbie.

While discussing her traditional wedding look with other agencies, they tried to talk Puja out of it by claiming this look was too old-school and out of style. However, Barbie loved her idea and worked with her to make it perfect. And on the day of her wedding, Barbie “proved her worth” by not only creating an amazing look, but also by helping her when she faced obstacles.

Even after the wedding, Puja and Barbie are friends. Even though they had never met prior to the wedding, they still keep in touch and maintain their relationship.

Thank you so much to Puja for not only letting us prepare her for her special day, but also for this interview opportunity! To Puja and her husband, we wish you nothing but happiness!

If you want to read more about weddings, makeup looks, and skincare tips, or if you’re trying to find a great service that provides the perfect bridal day look for your wedding, check out cinderellabridez.com to learn more! Or if you want to learn more about Barbie’s journey as a business owner, check out her website at barbiepatel.com.