"Just what the Doctor Ordered" - Anjani + Nadeem's Wedding in Los Cabos
How two resident physicians planned the ultimate destination wedding
Nadeem and I met while volunteering for the same organization in college, and we started dating at the end of our senior year. After our first year together, we embarked on our long distance adventure while we were both in medical school. We spent many of our weekends traveling back and forth to see each other, and created so many great memories along the way. Five years later, we finally reunited in Chicago, where we now share a home!
Author - Anjani, Bride
When a Selfie Isn’t Just a Selfie!
Nadeem completely surprised me with the proposal, which is impressive considering I had been playfully asking him for months when it would happen!
He planned everything with one of his friends who was getting married later that year. He told me we were meeting them to help with their wedding tasting (they are vegan and gluten-free and so I figured they needed some extra opinions) and suggested we stop at a nearby park beforehand to take photos. When we got there, he asked if I wanted to walk around while we waited for our friends to join. At one point, he suggested we take a selfie, which is very on brand for us, and of course I said yes. Right after he took the picture, he got down on one knee!
He had a photographer hidden nearby who captured the entire moment, followed by a beautiful photoshoot with the Chicago sunset in the background. He proposed at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, and it was truly perfect!
Three Years in the Making
We had a long engagement, which I would absolutely recommend! We got engaged in August 2022, and while we initially explored venues in Chicago, we kept coming back to the idea of a destination wedding. A friend of mine had gotten married in Los Cabos a couple years prior and recommended Shaadi Destinations, which is how we got started.
We reached out to Shaadi Destinations in the Spring of 2023, spent the summer thinking through what we wanted, and worked with Shaadi to narrow down our options. In December of 2023, we traveled for in-person site visits to check out our top choices and signed our contract as soon as dates opened in the summer of 2024 for our preferred date in 2026!
Taken Care of From A-Z
We knew we wanted a destination wedding because we wanted our guests to feel like they were on vacation! One of the biggest benefits of a destination wedding is having everyone together in one place. There is no need to travel between venues or worry about logistics, and everything is taken care of so that your guests can truly relax and enjoy. Additionally, there’s something for everyone whether you love the beach and spa, or want to catch a round of golf before the wedding events get started!
Why Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos Stole Our Hearts
Los Cabos was already one of our favorite destinations, and I especially love whale watching there in the winter. We were so excited to share that experience with our friends and family, so we planned our bachelor and bachelorette celebrations leading into the wedding to start the fun a little early. We rented a boat and took everyone whale watching, and our parents even took their friends out to do the same, which made it even more special!
We chose Hard Rock Los Cabos because it was a beautiful, modern property right on the beach with incredible sunset views. During our site visit, we were so impressed by the rooms, food, and service. Everyone was warm, kind, and welcoming from the moment we arrived.
We also had a large guest list, and capacity was really important to us. With over 700 rooms, we did not have to worry about cutting people from our list, which meant a lot. Another huge bonus was having an in-house Indian chef!
265 Guests Later…
Honestly, we were not surprised about our guest count! While destination weddings can sometimes narrow guest lists, we found the opposite. People were excited about the opportunity to turn it into a vacation and spend extended time together. Additionally, because we started planning so far ahead, it gave our friends and family plenty of time to block off their calendars.
One of the most special parts of our wedding week was walking around the resort and constantly running into friends and family. That kind of shared experience creates so much quality time, and I think people really look forward to that!
Facetime Measurements FTW
Planning the Haldi was one of my favorite parts of the entire process! I love that it brings together people from different cultures in such a joyful, colorful, and playful way. It is full of love, blessings, and just the right amount of chaos.
I came across a designer named Sunaina Khera while looking for outfits, and the moment I saw her yellow lehenga with 3D flowers, I could not get it out of my head. I explored other options but kept coming back to it.
I ended up ordering it custom through her team, and it was such a seamless experience. Since we were unable to travel to India to shop for our outfits, all of the measurements were taken over FaceTime video with the guidance of her seamstress. Everything is made to your measurements, and the dress arrived fitting perfectly without any alterations, which honestly never happens! I felt like a princess in it, and the twirl was unmatched.
While on the topic of outfits, I have to give a shout out to the teams that helped me find and create my Sangeet and wedding day outfits! For any couples in Chicago, Studio East6 had a great variety of designers and dresses. They were able to help me order both mine and Nadeem’s Sangeet outfits directly from the designer. They provided great service and excellent communication regarding all customizations! My wedding dress was from Ultimate Bride in Chicago, they have a gorgeous selection of dresses and the most incredible team to make the process of selecting a dress and going through alterations such an exciting and comfortable experience!
Sparks Were Flying at this Sangeet!
Reflecting with our friends, almost everyone said the Sangeet was their favorite event!
There is something so special about dancing on the beach with the ocean breeze and the energy of everyone you love around you. The bonfire and fireworks made it even more magical and really brought everything to life.
I would absolutely recommend having a dance party on the beach! People sometimes worry about the sand or walking in their outfits, but it ended up not being an issue at all especially with the dance floor. My tip is to encourage comfort for all your guests. I wore platform sneakers under my lehenga and stayed on the dance floor all night!
Sweet Tears For This Beautiful Love Story
The day goes by so quickly, but one of my favorite moments was actually our ceremony morning.
Nadeem and I were sitting together writing out our vows, and we were both tearing up as we went. At one point, we realized we should probably read them to each other beforehand if we wanted any chance of getting through them during the ceremony without completely sobbing!
That moment gave us time to pause and reflect on everything we had been through and everything ahead, which made the rest of the day feel even more meaningful.
Another highlight was our officiant, one of our closest friends from medical school. He told our love story so beautifully, and there truly was not a dry eye on the beach!
AtelierAttentive? A Perfect Planner!
Planning a wedding during residency can feel overwhelming, but we had an incredible team that made everything so much more manageable.
Shaadi Destinations handled so many of the logistics, including our room block and guest transportation. Having an experienced wedding planner who was available and attentive throughout the entire wedding planning process made such a big difference in our experience. Our planner, Andrea from AtelierA, truly brought everything we envisioned to life. She took the time to understand us, our families, and our vision, and translated that into something tangible and beautiful.
She also connected us with an amazing group of vendors who worked seamlessly together. On the wedding days, she made sure everything ran smoothly so we could be fully present and enjoy every moment. From managing timelines, to quietly putting out small fires that inevitably arise, to making sure I had backup shoes on the dance floor, she thought of absolutely everything!
SD Was Always There For Us <3
We were introduced to Shaadi Destinations through our friend, and we quickly learned that they were the experts in South Asian destination wedding planning. During our initial call, we learned all the ways in which Shaadi would help us throughout the process, and I could tell that they were going to live up to the promise of being our partners in paradise and in our wedding planning journey!
They were incredibly responsive and thorough throughout the entire process. We had constant communication with them, and they always made themselves available. They have deep knowledge of their hotels and vendors and provided honest, thoughtful advice at every step. That level of transparency made such a difference for us!
They made the entire process feel so much more manageable and far less stressful. Whenever something came up, they were the first people we reached out to, and they always provided reassurance along with practical solutions. Having that kind of support helped us stay calm every step of the way.
Overall, we truly could not recommend Shaadi Destinations more highly. They removed so much stress from the destination wedding planning process and guided us every step of the way. Their professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine care made such a difference, and we are so grateful to their entire team for helping bring our wedding weekend to life.
Three Tips From Me to You
Find a wedding planner you trust who truly understands your vision. Having a strong team makes all the difference. An excellent wedding planner will know what you’re thinking before you have to say it out loud and will anticipate your needs on the day of the wedding. I would apply the same advice to all of your vendors. It’s surprising how much time you end up spending with your videographer, photographer, and hair & makeup team. For this reason, it’s so important to find people who match your energy and vision, and this can really set the tone for so many of your wedding memories!
After months of detailed planning, it’s important to let go and be present once you arrive at your wedding! At a certain point, you realize that everything is out of your hands, so soak in every moment and enjoy being surrounded by everyone who has shown up to love and support you!
Prioritize comfort and the things that make you feel amazing. If you are comfortable and having fun, then so will all of your guests! Your energy sets the tone for the entire weekend, so remember to take it all in and celebrate!
One of my favorite feelings was simply walking around the resort and running into friends and family. Having everyone from different phases of your life all in one place is such a rare and special experience. Whether it was dinners with high school friends, time by the pool with co-residents, or late nights on the terrace with family, every moment felt meaningful!
Cheers For My Dream Team
We truly had the most incredible team, and I would work with them again in a heartbeat!
Our photographer, Gareth Davies, and our videographer, Robert Redd from Memories Films, captured every moment of our wedding celebration so beautifully. They both have wonderful energy and their creativity is astounding. They were both so easy and fun to work with. Their same day edits shown at the reception were absolute showstoppers, and we still rewatch them all the time.
DJ Sobe brought absolutely incredible energy to every event and created the perfect mix of Indian, Western, Latin, and Arabic music so everyone felt included on the dance floor.
Styling Trio made me feel like the best version of myself. They really listened to what I wanted and kept everything feeling natural, comfortable, and true to me!
I also have to shout out our amazing choreographer, Cesar Salinas who is based in Chicago. Taking dance lessons leading up to our wedding week was one of our favorite experiences during the wedding planning process. I would highly recommend dance classes to anyone, evening if you have no prior experience. Neither of us had danced previously and he made us look and feel amazing on the dance floor!
Our list of vendors:
Destination Wedding Agency - Shaadi Destinations (Website - Instagram - Email)
DJ - DJ Sobe - S&S Productions and Entertainment (Website - Instagram - Email)
Mehndi, Hair, and Makeup - Lemons & Mehndi (Website - Instagram - Email)
Off to the Turkish Riviera!
We are taking a delayed honeymoon later this year to the Turkish Riviera! We will be traveling the coast, and we cannot wait to relax, soak up the sun, and enjoy the sea!
Shaadi Destinations is the premier, award winning, modern-day destination wedding travel agency for South Asian couples seeking a streamlined process, incredible experiences, and a party friends and family will never forget! We save our couples thousands of dollars while throwing them the wedding festivities dreams are made of.
We live and breathe destination weddings - with just one consultation, you will be light years ahead in your destination wedding planning process. In less than one week, Shaadi Destinations will find you the most perfect resort that meets your needs, your budget, and your desires. With our vendor relationships and pre-negotiated exclusive perks at resorts across Mexico and the Caribbean, we are confident we can find exactly what you are looking for. You'll find we have the best rates, best incentives, and best booking experience.