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Bridal Diaries Entry #1: From London to Toronto
This week's entry follows the wedding journey of Arti Kashyap back in 2017.
Arti & her husband Marc at their wedding Ceremony. Arti wears the Ashneet Skirt & Ashneet Top with a Red Net Dupatta from the SS17 Bridal Collection.
Arti was a special client of ours. Travelling from London to visit our showroom, we couldn’t wait to meet this soon-to-be bride! Born and raised in Toronto, this Canadian beauty found love across the ocean. Moving to London in 2014, Arti met her now husband, Marc, within her first month in the new country.
“We met through work; I was a consultant who got sent to his company on a project. What started off as a friendship, eventually grew into something more!”
Arti & Marc at their reception. Arti wears a custom top paired with the Nazanin Skirt and a Coral Net Dupatta.
The couple took their vows in King City, Ontario at The Manor. A beautiful location with plentiful greenery. A true fairytale location!
Not every girl dreams about her wedding day or wedding look, so when the time comes around, choosing an outfit can be tricky! Arti, however, had at least a few ideas in mind before starting the outfit selection journey.
Our OG clients remember the days when we offered custom designs for our brides. What made this custom experience so intimate for the Mani Jassal team was being approached with a request to incorporate Arti’s mother’s sari into her look.“All I knew was that I really wanted something classy, traditional, and modern. I knew my outfit had to be red for the ceremony – that was a non-negotiable aspect. To be honest I had tried on loads of stuff that just didn’t seem like me. But, when I came to the showroom, I tried on a ceremony outfit and knew it was the one."
“For the reception, I debated getting a white dress. But, I also had my mom’s wedding sari to use as an element of my outfit. By being able to combine that with a white skirt, was the most amazing way to bring that vision together.”
Arti fell in love with the Nazanin Skirt from the SS17 Bridal Collection. Throw in a Coral Net Dupatta and the custom top fell perfectly into place. We also loved how she paired her reception outfit with the classic blue Manolo Blahnik heels. Gorgeous!
“For your outfits, let them represent you and not what everyone else likes. People thought I should have made my wedding outfit heavier with more designs but that wasn’t me, so I stuck to it. You should be comfortable and listen to what feels right and feels like you.”
We couldn’t have said it better. Unapologetic is our favourite way to describe our clients. After listening to Arti’s preferences and getting to know her, we knew our brand was the perfect match. For her ceremony, Arti found her dream red piece in the Ashneet Skirt and Ashneet Top, a popular choice for simplistic brides.
“Classy, elegant, sexy and simple!”
Those were Arti’s choice of words when describing her style.
“Outside of places like Mani Jassal, everything looks the same. Its hard to find a uniqueness in all the embroidery and jewels. My personal must haves were a red ceremony outfit and a way to make my evening outfit leverage my mom’s wedding sari and the idea of a wedding dress.”
Arti was introduced to the Mani Jassal brand through a few friends. Comparing her experience with other boutiques, Arti admires the simplicity.
“Growing up watching shows like Say Yes to the Dress, you get a view of how it could be. Yet every time I tried on a ceremony outfit, I just didn’t see me. Everything was just too much in terms of design and too heavy."
"In the midst of all the panic / rush in those initial planning weeks, I came across Mani and never really looked back.”
We couldn’t have chosen a better description for her outfit! Arti and the Ashneet Set were a match made in heaven (second to her and Marc of course!).
In level of importance, Arti claims that outside of large aspects such as venue planning and décor, her outfits were very important.
“The clothing is what makes the bride and what tells the world what kind of bride you are.”
“My day job is in the corporate environment and my side hustle is out of a gym. So, I spend my time between sweats and suits. When I'm out I try to take the classy and casual route and throw in a little sexy.”
Elegant yet sexy is right! After trying on 10 outfits in both Toronto and London boutiques, the Ashneet gave Arti her perfect mix of casual elegance. She reminisces, about her Mani Jassal experience and how she was able to express her style through our pieces.
“Mani was so great to work with in terms of customizing the outfits and also by helping me work out what I could do in terms of colours, design and styles. It allowed me to take what was me and combine it with the existing styles.”
Each appointment at the Showroom begins with a few questions to get to know our clients. We asked Arti how she felt visiting us during her appointments.
“AMAZING! It was just easy, simple and stress free which I loved. There was never a time when I did not walk into the showroom and walk out upset. Instead I just felt more and more excited about the wedding after each interaction which is how I think it should be.”
We’re glad to hear Arti was just as excited about her outfits as we were! Unfortunately, there were some bumps in the road when addressing aspects of the wedding planning process, as one would expect.
“The whole idea of pissing people off and feeling bad for the good things that were happening really made planning and enjoying the process hard. But in the end and looking back, it was our time as a couple and I should have not let thoughts like that consume me.”
However, Arti ensures her wedding was more than perfect.
“Having everyone I love in one place was amazing. Since moving to London, it’s rare you have everyone together and having the chance to combine our London lives with my Toronto life, was incredible."
We asked Arti for any advice she may have for future brides. She advices,
“Write down first on your own and then with your husband all the things you want for your wedding – décor, style, look, feel, etc. Go through that and decide what you are willing to compromise on and then go into the full planning process. Weddings are full of managing people’s opinions and the most important thing is to stay true to yourselves and make sure that whatever you do is representative of the two of you."
"My wedding was a once in a lifetime experience that for me, literally meant the world.”
Thank you so much Arti for allowing us to be apart of your wedding planning process. This simplistic approach to self-expression is our design moto.
View some picture highlights from Arti & Marc's wedding!
Did you enjoy reading about Arti’s experience? Share your own MKJ Bridal experience and participate in our Bridal Blog Series. Email us at press@manijassal.com to get involved.
Special Thanks to the Arti's wedding team:
MUA
Jewellery: Banglez
Makeup: Rav B Beauty
Evening Hair: Shamela Hair Designs
Photographer: Dave Abreu
Decor – The wedding house
Venue – The manor by Peter and Pauls
Signage + additional décor : Nadiya V Designs
Follow Arti on IG!