The quote of the review would, of course, be from my bride Prina: "People kept asking me if I was stressed out planning my wedding and I kept saying no because I have a Tejel." I have to admit, at first, I was skeptical on having a wedding planner or coordinator at all but this is one of those stories where a type-A, micro-managing, overzealous about the details, annoying (groom) was completely wrong. We definitely needed Tejel and our friends, families, vendors, and even strangers have all stated that we may have thrown the wedding of the year. The 3-day event took nearly a year of relaxed planning: several meals, a Vidhi Ceremony, a Mehndi Party, a Tamil-centric "kuthu" baraat featuring a rickshaw, a gorgeous Gujju waterfront outdoor wedding in the San Diego marina, and a reception with so many moving parts to close things off. Throughout it all, I'm sure Tejel can attest that I was still a bit annoying as small glimpses of both my diva self and my Groomzilla self came out but I was able to let loose completely eventually for Tejel to gracefully facilitate a smooth, gorgeous wedding that our friends and family (even those that have been to dozens on dozens of Indian weddings) cannot stop raving about.
Tejel, Krupa, Mansi... the ambiance that you stand for extended to a thoroughly satisfying peace of mind. For someone that constantly needs to be in control, my phone was with one of my Groomswomen or the Maid of Honor for most of the weekend while I was able to just take things in, one breath at a time, organically and just enjoy our big day knowing that even if a dozen (and sometimes seemingly a million little things might be going wrong behind the scenes) that the ABT team took the brunt of that stress to execute a perfect wedding. I'm always on my phone so this was a big deal. Most couples say they don't eat during their weddings but no, not us. Tejel and her team ensured we had a peaceful intimate meals at both our Mehndi dinner along with our grand reception continually being served champagne and whiskey without ever feeling rushed. An impossible task, made possible especially with 300+ guests.
I went from questioning whether we need a planner to not only fully accepting that one is necessary but understanding the intricacies of coordination enough to know that Tejel is the best in the business and her team, working with our decorator, hotel executives, caterers, bakers, DJ, makeup artists, Mehndi artists, hair stylists, photobooth operators, photographers, videographers, bartenders, along with overbearing uncles and aunties, remained exceptionally immaculate at their jobs. Prina & I will look back on our wedding day and surrounding events with so much joy and warmth in our hearts and Tejel Patel is responsible for that. Thank you, Tejel. We're so grateful for you and I'm glad to have a new friend. read more