A 2 States Love Story That Started with Hate and Turned Into Awe-Inspiring Love

Are you planning your destination wedding in the mountains? Read through the beautiful story of Priyanka and Jigar for a perfect planning guide.

Queenie Singh

23 of May, 2023

destination wedding

Book Wedding Art Photography

Indian weddings are like none other. Whether it's the delightful food spread, the astonishing decor, or the laidback luxury woven into every small detail, what makes an Indian wedding stand out is the love that two people share that eventually creates a unique and eternal bond between two families. The beauty and essence of a traditional Indian wedding haven't lost their touch for the beautiful story of Priyanka Jaiswal and Jigar Joshi. Have you ever watched a love story and instantly felt that their everlasting love is one for the ages? The same is true for their beautiful story and journey.

This couple met in the United States, hated each other first, became best friends, and fell in love. Telling us about the interesting story of how they actually met, Priyanka said, "We both are RF Engineers and met here in the United States while doing my master's at San Jose State University, California. We were in the same class, and he was a person who got a 4/4 GPA, and I barely used to pass. Jigar was in a very bad mood and was sitting in a cafeteria in the library. One of my friends told me to meet Jigar here in the cafeteria, and he will join us here in 10 minutes. I wanted to have coffee, and my school bag was heavy. I asked Jigar to watch my bag so that I could go and get coffee. I still remember he told me “ Tu meri koi nai lagti, I am not going to watch your bag”. I was in shock as I could never imagine anybody talking like this. I went to my friends and told them that I would never talk to this guy (Jigar). Keep me away from Jigar. Anybody who knows Jigar knows what a sweetheart he is. That was the first and last time I saw him like that, and to date, I am in shock, I tell him what happened to you that day; I have never seen you like that in 8 years. After that incident, I kept my distance from Jigar."

"One day I and my friends were walking to my apartment in California, and I said I am going to fail tomorrow. Jigar being the nicest person, said I will come to teach you tomorrow. He came walking at 7 AM in the morning the next day(Suddenly there was a bus strike in California) to teach me and make sure I didn’t fail (at that time, he was not at all interested in me, just came with a good heart thinking her parents are spending so much on masters here, their money should not go waste). That is when I got to know him and thought he was really a nice guy. We eventually became best friends, but he never dared to ask me out. After 6 months he went to India on winter vacation and told all his family including Di, Jiju, Mom, and Dad, that 'I will marry this girl'. Mind you, at this time, I didn’t even know about his feelings nor had the slightest idea that he liked me (Ha-ha he had some confidence). All his family video called me from India and said to him in a little low voice, “ Saaru Che par nai” which means she is good, but it’s a NO from our side, and I went in complete shock; what the hell just happened as he never asked me out or told me about his feelings. His family obviously said no as they wanted a Gujarati Bahu, but he was very confident about me. Now his family loves me more than him(Lol)."

Mehndi Ceremony

Priyanka and Jigar kicked off their wedding festivities with their Mehendi ceremony full of fun, fervor, dancing, and beautiful memories. For her beautiful bridal mehndi design, Priyanka had a set vision and knew how she wanted her henna to be created. She wanted her entire love story to be drawn into her mehndi. Giving us a back story of how the couple started dating, she said, "We went to Yosemite for camping, and that’s where we started dating(April 2, 2016). Where he made me realize he would be there for me no matter what the situation was. We graduated from San Jose State University in May 2017. He got a job in Raleigh, North Carolina, which was 2600 miles from where I got my first job ( San Diego). There was a time difference of 2 hours as well, but he made sure that we met every month. On August 4, 2019, he took me surprised me with a beach proposal in California. We were in a long-distance relationship for three years, and there was never a month when we didn’t meet. He always used to fly for me and make sure we had a good time together traveling. We have seen a lot of ups and downs, but he has kept his promise to date and never left my side. I married my best friend, my biggest support system, my safe space, and the best human being after eight years of dating in Jan 2023."

Makeup Artist: Ojas Rajani, Hairstylist: Ritika Kadam

Venue: Mountain Shadow Resort

Bridal Mehndi: Jyoti Chheda

All Photographs: Wedding Art

Sangeet Night

As Priyanka and Jigar planned a perfect destination wedding, they held their Sangeet night the same day they had their mehndi function in the morning. From special performances by their friends and family, it was nothing less than a memorable spectacle to remember for life.

Wedding Planner: Panaash Entertainment

Venue: Mountain Shadow Resort

All Photographs: Wedding Art

Also Read - Planning a Traditional Indian Sangeet Night? Here's Everything You Must Know

Haldi & Pool Party

Telling us about the beautiful memories from her wedding ceremonies, Priyanka told us, " As it was a wedding where people from Mumbai, Gujarat and north India were there. We ensured that both elements of north Indian and Gujarati traditions were included at our wedding. I loved all the functions so much. The most fun part was the sangeet, the unplugged night, and the wedding. Everything was so much fun, starting from me sitting on the dhol at Mehendi to our friends tearing his kurta at haldi, to them throwing me with a 12 Kg lehenga in the pool to the unplugged night where we danced so much to the wedding and best chandelier cake at the reception."

Makeup Artist: Ojas Rajani, Hairstylist: Ritika Kadam

Wedding Planner: Panaash Entertainment

All Photographs: Wedding Art

Also Read - Haldi Ceremony - The Perfect Blend Of Tradition And Fun

Unplugged Night

One of the most important things that a couple can do is enjoy their wedding festivities to the fullest as there are special moments that stay with them for life and can be cherished as everlasting memories. Priyanka and Jigar had this same vision while making the most of their grand celebrations.

Makeup Artist: Ojas Rajani, Hairstylist: Ritika Kadam

All Photographs: Wedding Art

Wedding Day

Planning a beautiful wedding with their planners, Priyanka and Jigar had a clear vision of how they wanted their big day to be. As she said, "This wedding was our dream come true. When I was walking down the aisle, I was about to cry but as soon as I saw Jigar at the end. We danced and laughed like there was no tomorrow. I saw everyone who was present at the wedding crying when they saw our varmala. One memory that I will never forget is when Panditji said " Beta baith jao ye dance floor nahi hai". We started dating in the Mountains at a National Park in California (Yosemite National Park). We wanted to have a wedding with a mountain backdrop. That's when Jigar told me about this beautiful place known as Igatpuri. Everything was exactly how we dreamt of."

Makeup Artist: Ojas Rajani, Hairstylist: Ritika Kadam

Venue: Mountain Shadow Resort

Wedding Planner: Panaash Entertainment

All Photographs: Wedding Art

Wedding Reception

At the first function after their wedding, Priyanka and Jigar made a spectacular entrance for their wedding reception. The showstopper for their function was a gorgeous and scrumptious chandelier cake designed exclusively by a home baker, Krishya's Sweet Treats, that made everything much sweeter.

Wedding Planner: Panaash Entertainment

Venue: Mountain Shadow Resort

Wedding Cake: Krishya's Sweet Treats

All Photography: Wedding Art

As they say, opposites attract, and surely it is the case of Priyanka and Jigar. Even after being the opposite ends of the pole, they are best of friends and life partners. While your love story may be written in the stars, the journey you embark on to reach your love and destination is beautiful in a way where words might feel short. Telling us what's more important while finalizing your dream venue, Priyanka said, "I would just advise you to follow your heart. You will know it is the one when you see it." and we couldn't agree more.