The day Aditya proposed in April 2024 was pure bliss. As a self-proclaimed Type A person, I thought planning a wedding would be a breeze. I'm the kind of person who's always prepared. In fact, when Aditya popped the question, I was ready to return the proposal with a ring of my own for him.

However, I quickly realized that planning our nuptials would be anything but a fairytale. Navigating the endless sea of vendors, venues, and cultural considerations felt like another full-time job!

I was part of the first wave of my friends and family to plan a South Asian wedding in the Bay Area. Let's just say, it was a learning curve. From finding a venue that could accommodate a havan fire to sourcing caterers who understood the intricacies of the various South Asian diet restrictions, the struggle was real. I turned to Instagram and joined a bunch of Facebook groups with other brides like me to find some support, suggestions, and answers to my questions. But it wasn’t enough! With our ideal wedding date being less than 8 months away, we decided to just do the wedding in India so that we could still have our dream wedding without all of the stress planning a wedding in the Bay Area would have incurred.

When I stumbled upon Shazia's vision for Laali on one of the many facebook groups I had joined for help with wedding planning, I knew I HAD to help build this. This was exactly what I had needed — a platform that would simplify the wedding planning process for South Asian weddings. A place where you could find everything from culturally relevant vendors to expert advice.

At Laali, we're passionate about creating unforgettable and blissful wedding experiences. Because let's face it, your wedding day should be a celebration of love, not a source of stress.