Dear Shovaen and Jaya,

I was so happy to attend your beautiful wedding. Induji, Jagdishji and the rest of the Godhwani family did a wonderful job planning the whole marriage weekend.

I was touched when Jaya’s parents personally came to me to show their gratitude and respect.

Today is an important day, your wedding anniversary, and I offer my blessings to you. Both of you be happy, healthy, and helpful to others who need your help.

God bless you, Shovaen and Jaya.

Love from Ba!

Mom and Dad: We were getting nervous and excited on the Mehndi day morning.  When we woke up in the morning, we were thinking “Oh my God! Finally the day has come and a lot of people are coming to our home… How we going to handle this?” But, when we looked outside, we were so proud seeing our home and the way it was decorated. When we  went outside, tears came from our eyes and those tears were happiness tears. We remember Shovaen’s family walking up and into our home and starting the festivities.  Jaya slept in her room one last time before the wedding.

On the Sangeet day, we left from home to the hotel and arrived in the hotel lobby. We could not believe that finally the day had come and we are going to leave our home that we ARE GOING TO GIVE OUR DAUGHTER AWAY! To the Patel’s and she will belong with Shovaen now. Once we got in the hotel room, we could not believe that we were staying in that suit… one which we only can dream about. We were feeling on top of the world that God had given us this opportunity to have the wedding in such a beautiful hotel. When we walked into the Sangeet hall, we were amazed to see that THIS hall is for our Godhwani daughter’s Sangeet party. We can see the people’s eyes saying wow!!! What an amazing Sangeet party. Jaya & Shovaen were looking so great, all the people were dressed up, Sindhi people were playing Garba… Ravi & Tara danced to Meri Pyari Behaniya Banegi Dulhaniya, Saj Ke Ayenge Dulhe Raja made us cry! What a food bazaar there was with the food choices!!!

Finally the day arrived which we were planning for a long time. The Ceremony and the Kanyadan… The wish of every parent. We walked Jaya to the Mandap. What a beautiful scene at the Garden in Intercontinental. When Jaya & Ravi were little kids, we use to think we would like to do their weddings at the Intercontinental Hotel and our wish was fulfilled. Sitting at the Mandap, we were very happy and sad at the same time that we are giving our daughter away and that we are going to fulfill our duty and complete the biggest responsibility of our lives after doing the best we could as parents.

Getting ready for the Reception, we were thinking tonight is the grand finale! We walked into the reception hall, and it was a proud moment to see the beautiful setting. We could not believe it was our daughter’s wedding reception happening. We will never forget how we did it, but we all got it done and thank God we made it happen!

Shovaen’s family was very great and very cooperative from start to finish. We had a lot of fun with all the Patel's!

Dad: The speech was ready, and I was making sure that tears should not come from my eyes. Dancing with Jaya for the father and daughter dance, wow it was a great feeling. For Indu's speech, she just didn’t want to write it down and to just go up there and speak!

We remember seeing friends and family and seeing smiles on all the faces. It was done and thanks for the all the help to Tara, Meena Bua, Dolly, Ravi and all the friends who put a lot of effort to make sure everything goes smooth. We also remember not being able to eat! Every time we tried someone would want to speak with us and say congratulations!

After reception we got in our room and slept very well. The next day Jaya was coming home as a married girl. She is a Patel now, she was my baby girl, and will always be daddy's girl.

Mom: The shoe story was a very scary and funny moment! Ravi was trying to protect the shoes and the boys were trying to steal the shoe! They both fell on the floor and I was thinking “LET IT GO!” But Ravi and the others were fighters and we got the shoes back!

Happy 1 year, Shov and Jaya. I love you both so much!!

"It's a beautiful thing."

The start of this relationship for me was not the first date Shovaen and Jaya went on, but the second date, which could only mean that something special was happening here.

The entire wedding weekend was a whirlwind of joy and excitement spent with our amazing family and friends. The vibe at the baraat was electric, and DJ Chani had us going strong for at least half an hour. We were dancing away in the scorching Texas heat under the sun, but we didn't feel tired for one moment. 

I remember a moment after the wedding and before the reception when somehow I ended up in our suite by myself. I sat down to practice my speech for the reception, but then thought - this is my son’s wedding, I need a glass of champagne! I relocated to the hotel lounge and was gladly joined by some of my cousins.

But my most memorable moment was when a bus full of our family pulled up to Jaya's home. The genuine, immensely wonderful, and heartfelt welcome we received from Jagdishji, Induji, Ravi, Tara and family will stay in my heart forever.

To see my son truly happy with two grand families coming together was one of the proudest and happiest moments in my life.

And so began the most incredible weekend of our life.

Happy Anniversary dearest Shovaen and Jaya.

With love,

Mom

The photo of Shovaen looking out the window brings back powerful memories for me. I remember wondering what you were thinking about - whether you were nervous or excited. All I knew was that I was so proud of you and so happy to watch our family grow.

The photo of Shovaen and Jaya playing a wedding game together brings back memories of how much laughter and fun we had. It made me feel so thankful for our family and I can always think back to that moment and smile. Having Ba with us at the wedding meant so much to me. She was so happy to see you guys thriving and taking a big step forward together. I will always cherish my memory of her face when she stood up to hug you both after the wedding ceremony.

Hi Shovaen and Jaya!

Some responses from "what was your favorite part of Shovaen kaka and Jaya kaki's wedding":

Anya: smearing yellow food on Shovaen kaka's face, dancing and star wars! I love you Shovaen kaka and Jaya Kaki!

Ayan: Star Wars and watching other people dance. Love you too!

Rajan: All those food stations at the Mehndhi were amazing! and stormtroopers. ;)

Kinnery:  What an amazing wedding it was! Your love for each other and the family was so overwhelming and we were so happy the whole weekend. Some of my favorite moments were staying up late practicing the dances and hanging out with all the cousins, watching Ayan's pants fall down at the pithi, watching the look of pure happiness as Anya smeared Shovaen's face with haldi, seeing the kids form lifelong bonds with their cousins, and seeing the looks of pure love and happiness on Shovaen & Jaya's face throughout the weekend. Most of all, I loved how you were both able to include the entire family and make everyone feel so special despite it being such a huge wedding! Love you guys.

Love,

Kinnery

Congratulations Jaya and Shovaen on your one year anniversary!   

With lots of love from Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Akshay (Buxs)

Hi Shovs & Jaya!

What a cute idea! I'm in Honolulu writing this! I have some highlights of the wedding below, though don't have pics that match the moments :(

Thursday night

- seeing shovs in the lobby, catching up, realizing how this moment was actually here after years of growing up together

- all the Patel family in the bus going to Jaya's house, armed with gifts and lots of energy

Friday

- practicing (a lot!) for the dance, and getting to spend lots of time with the cousins

- Ravi meeting everyone in the family for the first time since we got engaged

- all the cousins storming into the Sangeet with you and Jaya

Saturday - 

- sitting with Shovaen in the horse carriage

- practicing more for the dance after the wedding

- performing the dance, and having SO MUCH FUN doing it

- going to the after party, staying up as late as i could

Sunday - 

- had to leave very early to attend a conference, but remember thinking how amazing of a wedding it was :)

Congratulations on your 1st anniversary! Wish you many more!

Love,

Shalu

Dear Nutcuts, 

Congratulations on your first Anniversary! 

I have to say my favorite part of the wedding was meeting up with Nutcut's friends post bachelorette party.  The first think I could think of saying was "Oh hey! Shoot, remember when... Hahahaha. No wait, I said shoot not shots."

As always I loved hanging with the family, dance practice, and loved celebrating both of you wonderful nutcuts. 

P. S. I still have and regularly wear my kala kashma! 

Love you! 

Ada/Nutcutlal

It was definitely the most insta-worthy wedding we have ever been too.

We had so much fun with family and the littlest cousins might have had even more fun than us!! 

Jaya’s family was so welcoming at the mendhi and I didn’t realize Roma was a family celebrity until then. 

You were the most glamorous couple and I was shocked at what an incredibly good dancer you were! 

We also remember waking up at 5am with Sahil and hanging out in the Lobby but he / we rallied at the reception! 

It’s hard to pick a favorite memory but I will never forget the late night dance practices and bonding that happens and glad to be part of that tradition. 

Love you both and Congrats on your anniversary!!! 

Some of my favorite memories, besides however awesome it is to see the family and meet the new member, were Darth Vader & friends, amazing food & dance, also seeing the next gen cousins together.

Prashant, aka "the joker" was a hit!

Plus, Rajan doing a shot was worth remembering.  

But Mom and Dad's joy of having their grandkids with rest of the family was really big. 

Dance practice was particularly cool too.

Dear Jaya and Shovaen,

Wishing you a Happy Anniversary and a Great Life ahead to eternity! 

The best advice, unsolicited, I can give you is – Become “best friends” to each other and give the other person more importance than yourself. This will give you the ultimate happiness (again) to eternity!! – I guarantee you.

Now the wedding highlights –

Receipt of an invitation – wedding in Dallas, Texas, a Hot place in the country!

Really ??? For a New Englander? Go to a gun wilding country, ride horses? NOOOO …

Well…. But It’s SHOVAEN …. Yeah …..

It’ll be  a great time … I knew for sure … See all the Patel Clan (keep them under control). See, meet and find equally colorful Jaya’s family..

I was convinced it’ll be a HOT Wedding!!

And Boy what a Cool .. and Hot wedding it was …

And now my Executive Summary or shall I say Godfather’s Final Words?!

What we saw  was a couple in grand standing and what we experienced and felt to the heart was the wedding of half a century!!

Jaya’s parents, family poured their heart out and exhibited a wedding that I think was the best in the 50 years I have been going to the weddings in this country!

Most everything was one of a kind, unique, classy and elegant with a touch of class. It brought the best out from everyone and made them feel heavenly!

Appetizer stands -Global; Dinner tables – size and shape to fit the group, Wow! Color and décor all around was first of a kind! Food and Drinks … another dimension!

Too many unique items all around, so many that my soft/hard disk falls short to hold that much data!

The most important was the personal touch of Mr. and Mrs. Jagdish and Indu Godhwani at so many steps at all events – day or night, before or after the wedding, they were everywhere greeting us and making sure we really felt at home! – That was a touch of class and culture that you rarely see!

Well, Mr. & Mrs. Godhwani – Jai Ho!

And Jaya and Shovaen, a year is behind you, but a lifetime is ahead of you. I am sure you made the smart adjustments already along the way so you can now always fly on the magic carpet!

Some more memories from Pallimasi:

At the Mehndi event

1. Most funny quip:

We were all gathered in front of Jaya's beautifully decorated house shimmering with thousand lights, bearing "Najaranu," waiting for our cue to enter. We were all admiring each other's outfits and making small talk when little Charlie who was also lined up and carrying something in his arms quips, " Mommy, so many Indian people here today!”

We all burst out laughing!

2.  Some events leave good impressions. This one was one of those.

The Punjabi ladies were sitting on the floor in a circle around a lady playing Dhol and singing fun mehndi related songs designed to poke fun at the party of Damad. We were invited to join. Jaya was looking exceptionally stunning in her designer outfit! Meanwhile, the grand children were having a blast having mehndi applied on their hands in the upstairs balcony. I was asked to sing some songs and so I joined in. I was in the middle of my rendition, when we all heard a shout, "Dadi, you have to come and see my mehndi!" I looked up and it was 3 years old Roma stretching her hands from the upstairs balcony! Suffice to say, I rushed upstairs right away! My grand daughter was beckoning!

3.  Another memorable instance was the relaxing afternoon we had in Falu and Bhaskerbhai's suit where we got together for drinks, just exclusively our family. That was cool and I remember we had little Sahil with us to keep entertained!

Lots of Love and do visit Boston, the brain center  and one of the most beautiful cities in the grand natural beautiful landscape!! 

Hemant Masa and Palli Masi

Gargimasi and I wish you and Jaya a very happy 1st wedding anniversary and many more to come.

Enjoy Europe trip.

Sharadmasa and Gargimasi.

Dear Shovaen:

Thank you for asking our input for your first wedding anniversary.  

It was one of the most memorable and wonderful weddings that we attended and  we will cherish its beautiful memories for years to come. It was an elegant and beautiful wedding. Everyone in our family and grandchildren were so excited and were eagerly looking forward to attending. Your wedding was delightfully enjoyed not only by all adult family members but by so many cousins and loving grandchildren.  It was fun watching them all running around, dancing, playing and reminiscing the memorable the family reunion!

The fun started with the lovely evening at Jaya’s parents’ house with Mehndi event. It was a beautiful start of wedding festivities. Lekha  specially remembers music  juggle bandhi between Punjabi and Gujarati songs. We felt warm welcome by Jaya’s family. My (Mahendraclus) memorable thing was start with JW Blue Label, my  favorite! I was in Heaven !  

Rest of the events rolled like a charm. The next day, Mahendraclaus had greatest fun of dancing at Barat.  I enjoyed dancing along the Barat path with the groom party. I never miss a chance to dance at any Barat !

All other festivities commencing from wedding  through reception were awesome. We especially remember the magician guest from UK (Your distant uncle?) who was amazing and drew a lot of interest and attention from everyone. It was something new and different that we saw first time at such event and was most memorable. Our grandchildren had a lot of fun watching him do the tricks.

The Grand Finale with reception was superb! Enjoyed the delicious food, music shows, especially the “ ala Chasma” one and the youngsters’). Mahendraclaus never misses chance to dance with the crowd, till late night!

We both wish you a Very Happy Anniversary with best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous years together forever !  

Lekha & Mahendra

Shovaen,

Congratulations nephew!  It was a great time at your wedding. While you were busy, we were partying on your (and our ) behalf:))

It was a blast. The best part was catching up with all the extended family and looking on with joy on how all of you have grown into really awesome people! 

Vanita mami, Devin, Arianna and I are so happy for y’all. 

ciao ragazzi! avere un anniversario fantastico !! felice numero uno

Numero uno!!

Oh wait! I...Italy was last week. I

Oh wait, I was in Italy making sure I got to Charlotte to I I I immediately got on a plane to your wedding after landing. 

From Italy. 

Then forgot my indian clothes, lost my bag and roomed with...

Shilpaben and Rajiv

But... well worth seeing y’all get married:))

Love,
Manish Mama

PS:  damn iPhone is glitching. Sorry about the haphazard email. 

Hi Shovaen & Jaya,

It has been almost a year and with old age and retirement mentality the memory is fading, however Ilamami and I remember a few things.

The grandkids couldn't wait to get on the air plane to see their cousins, watching out the window at air lanes at the airport.

Once their it was an absolute blast for them.

It was Mami and i who were at your place at lunch time and your mom had to wake you at 2PM or so to at least say buy to us before we left for the hotel from your place.

Jaya's parents were extremely hospitable, caring and friendly. They did an amazing job planning and executing. All wedding events and festivities. I remember her dad coming over and checking to make sure everyone on your side was completely comfortable and offered his assistance before every event and meal. That was a genuine gesture of a very caring man.

The grandkids had a ton of fun. Obviously they didn't really care to dress up in Indian clothes and didn't care much about the festivities boy did they play and have fun with their cousins, noatyer where they were.

It was an incredible feeling to get together with the whole family and to get to know Jaya's whole family.

You and Jaya looked like a royal couple and I remember thinking how lucky you both are to have found each other.

Best wishes for a long, happy, healthy, safe and prosperous life.

Love,

Ilamami and Rohotmama

As soon as we left the bus when we first arrived at jaya's place and entered her home we loved the hospitality warmth and welcome by her wonderful family.

The most memorable was to see Jaya for the first time and her humble family.

we really enjoyed joining the ongoing singing and dancing with panjabi music

I think these are our everlasting memory.

Happy First Anniversary and best of luck from Mukeshmama and Renumami.

Congratulations Shovaen and Jaya for your first wedding anniversary!!!

Lots of love and blessings for lifelong of togetherness.

Hello Shovaen & Jaya

We were lucky enough to meet a group of your college friends during the (groom's ceremony). We invited them up to our room before the wedding to help them with their sarees. Ba really enjoyed that. It made getting ready for your wedding such a special memory.

Mayuri

Jaya & Shov,

You two have been family to me since pretty much the day we met. Coming to Dallas has been so easy because I've had family looking out for me the minute I got here. From just sitting around playing games and watching movies to partying late into the night. 

First of all, thank you! You two have become very special to me in this last year and I'm so happy we've become so close. Second, congrats!!!! You two are so great together and have taught me so much about what a great relationship looks like. Lastly, cheers! To your future and whatever next steps come along the way. And also to every trip we take, to every occasion we celebrate together, to every night just sitting around for the next 70 years. 

Congrats J&S!!! The first of many!!

Love,

Ali Shah

Happy Anniversary!

Dear Shovaen and Jaya,

Congratulations on your first Anniversary!  We send you lots of love and blessings on this special day and hope that you have a wonderful time celebrating the love that you share.  My Mom (Kumud) had a lovely time at your wedding and took these photos for you both to enjoy.  I wish that I was able to attend your wedding, but I look forward to seeing you both sometime soon.

We send you best wishes for many more years of happiness together.  Enjoy celebrating your 1st Wedding Anniversary!

With Love,

Kumud Auntie, Leena, Anaek and Family

Dear Shovaen and Jaya,

Wish you both a lifetime of happiness and togetherness. Your wedding was such an epic wedding and we had the best time ever. Mira's first family wedding to attend and also Salman's first family wedding to attend.

Shovaen - you are kind, loving and very caring person and Jaya and all of us are very lucky to have you. I see that all these qualities are coming from your awesome parents.

We are very happy for you two and can not wait to hold your first baby ever :) hint... hint......

Love you two and have an awesome time.

Jyothi auntie and Manny uncle

Wish you both loads of love...