Meet One of our South Asian Bridez: Lakshmi Reddy
Meet Lakshmi! She and her husband had a gorgeous wedding at The Plaza in New York City, and we had the honor of doing her South Asian bridal hair and makeup for her big day. In this exclusive interview, she discusses her wedding-day preparations, gives advice for upcoming Indian brides, and talks about her experiences with Cinderella Bridez.
Q: What Indian bridal makeup look were you going for on your wedding day? Glamorous and bold? Simple yet elegant? Soft glam?
Lakshmi absolutely loves designer fashion, so she really wanted to go for bold, glamorous outfits for her wedding-day events. She had four events planned for her wedding and had unique looks planned for each. For her Pellikuthuru, which is a Telegu ceremony that marks the commencement of the wedding, she first wore a sari her mother wore for her own Pellikuthuru to get blessings from her family. For her second entrance, she wore a sari that was gifted from her grandmother. For her Sangeet, which is a large party with all her and her husband’s friends and family, she wore a look based on the popular TV show Bridgerton. Instead of a traditional dance performed by her and her husband, they instead decided to hold a cocktail party for their Sangeet at the Rubin Museum of Art, which is where they went for their third date. For her wedding, Lakshmi wore a red sari that was gifted by one of her aunts, accompanied with a gold belt called oddiyanam or vaddanam. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, and she wore a red drape as a covering. Lastly, for her reception, she wore a beautiful sparkly gown from one of her favorite designers, with a headpiece worn on the side of her hair. Out of all her gorgeous looks, she loved her reception look the most.
Q: How/where did you get inspiration for your Indian bridal makeup look for your wedding day?
Because Lakshmi has a passion for fashion, she had certain designers in mind while planning her wedding-day looks. She has a friend who’s involved with the fashion industry, and she helped her get connected to some of these designers. On her search, she looked at different photos online and got her looks ordered and sent from India. Because she got married at 40 years old, Lakshmi already had a very good idea of her own style and tastes, which made it easier for her to search for looks that she knew she would absolutely rock.
Q: Did you have a pre-wedding skincare regimen for your big day? (skincare products, dermaplaning, facials, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, etc.)
Although her wedding took place in April, Lakshmi and her husband officially got married on June 20, 2021 by signing marriage papers and having a very intimate celebration with their immediate family members. While planning for their “big fat Indian wedding,” Lakshmi got pregnant in December 2021. One amazing advantage of this pregnancy for her wedding was her “pregnancy glow.” Even though she had plans for different skincare regimens for her wedding, she ultimately didn’t have to do anything extra because of this glow.
Q: How did you handle any stress (if you had any) while getting ready for your South Asian wedding?
One way Lakshmi handled wedding-day preparation stress was by delegating trust and responsibility to her family members, which helped her not to get overwhelmed by trying to do everything herself. Her husband was also very involved with the wedding-day preparations, which helped ease any anxieties that she might have faced.
Q: How did you choose your perfect wedding venue? What aspects did you consider?
Both Lakshmi and her husband love New York City, and they wanted to get married at a very iconic NYC location. And what’s a more memorable location than The Plaza? Located at 5th Avenue, not only is the venue itself a gorgeous and exemplary location of NYC, but there are also so many beautiful sights around this venue, making this an easy decision for their one-of-a-kind wedding.
Q: Where did your guests travel from?
Their guests traveled from all over the country for their spectacular wedding. From California to Hawaii, so many of their guests traveled over the country for their celebrations.
Q: How did you mentally prepare for a multi-day Indian wedding ceremony? (with multiple events, things can get exhausting and overwhelming. How did you keep calm throughout the process and planning and handling these events? Sangeet, Mehndi, Haldi, Garba, etc.)
Lakshmi and her husband hired a wedding planner in advance because they had four events planned for their big celebration. She described how nice and reassuring it was to rely on a professional to take care of any changes to their schedule and accommodate to the stress that could happen on a wedding day. Before their ceremony, she and her husband also spoke to an Indian priest about the wedding. Because their vows are written in Sanskrit, they needed his help deciphering their meanings to decide which ones meant the most to them.
Q: How did you and your spouse meet? How did you know you wanted to marry them?
Lakshmi and her husband met on the popular dating app Hinge, and by their 5th date, they already knew they were in love. After three months of dating, the two got engaged. Because they were in their early 40’s when they met, they already knew what they wanted and what they were looking for in a life partner. They lived in the same area, had a lot of common interests (such as going out to eat, appreciating high-end fashion, traveling, and watching the same kinds of tv shows), and had the same values, making them a perfect match. For Lakshmi, one reason she fell in love with her husband is his humor and wit. He is not only one of the funniest people she knows, but he also appreciates and understands her own sense of humor. Together, the two make an amazing pair.
Q: What are/were your honeymoon travel plans?
After they officially got married in June, the two went to Hawaii for about a week. Her husband is obsessed with the Four Seasons Resorts, and a new location had just been renovated near their honeymoon area. This was Lakshmi’s first time at a Four Seasons location, so she was excited to share this experience with him. Her favorite memory from this trip was spending time with her husband at a pool that was decorated like a jungle. It was almost as if she were in the movie Avatar. The pool was mostly empty, so the two enjoyed their time alone together at this gorgeous resort.
Q: Do you have any do’s and don’ts for planning an Indian wedding?
For any upcoming South Asian brides, Lakshmi advises to make sure that you are comfortable around your hair and makeup artist. Because there are so many different events planned for Indian weddings, there will also be several looks you’ll have to prepare for. You’ll most likely spend a majority of your time with your hair and makeup artist, so make sure to find someone who you like and trust. As for wedding don’ts, she advises against booking your wedding vendors last minute. If there’s a specific vendor you want for your big day, you’ll have to book them way in advance to make sure they’re available.
Q: Why did you choose Cinderella Bridez for bridal makeup, bridal hair, and bridal styling for your Indian wedding?
Lakshmi actually met Barbie a few years ago at a fashion week event. Because she’s a fashion enthusiast, she traveled here with a friend, and the two immediately began a friendship. She followed Barbie on social media, and she saw the amazing work that she’s done in the past. Lakshmi was also able to meet some of the brides that booked Cinderella Bridez for their own wedding makeup. She loved that Barbie is a perfectionist who does everything she can to make sure the bride looks her absolute best. She felt that she could really trust Barbie with her bridal hair and makeup. During her trial, she loved the look that Barbie did and booked her for her Indian wedding.
To Lakshmi and her husband, we wish you nothing but happiness for the future! Thank you so much for this interview experience!
If you want to read more about our South Asian bridal hair and makeup services, or if you want to learn about makeup, skincare, and wedding tips, check out the rest of our website at cinderellabridez.com. Or if you want to take a look at Barbie’s experiences as a small business owner, visit her website at barbiepatel.com.
Special thanks to all of Lakshmi’s vendors!