The leap year wedding story of diviyashni and rajneil

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Inspired by Hollywood royalty, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, Diviyashni and Rajneil set out to plan their very own royal wedding. From pyrotechnics to multiple outfit changes, this wedding was certainly the event of the season–or should we say the quadrennium, because their anniversary only comes around once every four years? That's right! These lovebirds tied the knot on a leap year! Keep reading to hear all about this stunning, action-packed day from the bride herself, and to see more of these dramatic photos by Rolling Canvas.

the vision: hollywood royalty

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We got married on February 29th, 2020 which was a leap year. We picked this date because we thought it was quirky and because it was a date that our guests would always remember as well. Our wedding inspiration was royalty. We wanted it to be similar to Priyanka and Nick's wedding.

the proposal

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Rajneil and I wanted to go somewhere nice for a holiday and on many occasions, we talked about traveling to Hawaii. So, as a birthday present, Rajneil’s parents bought us tickets to Hawaii and they accompanied us as well. Rajneil initially wanted to propose near the Kilauea Volcano, however, at that time, the volcano was erupting and we could only see it from above on a helicopter. The next plan was to propose on the Sunset Cruise by Majestic. When we were on the cruise he had apparently taken the ring out of his pocket to propose but the Captain had ordered us to sit down. Then came the last plan. This plan was the best in my opinion, and I’m so glad that the others didn’t work out so well. Rajneil planned for us to have an Island Tour where the tour guide would be taking photos of us. I was completely oblivious to the plan and just thought it would be nice to have a new profile picture or update my Instagram. The tour started off great. We saw some sights, took some photos, and then went to Sunset Beach. Rajneil was really adamant about waiting for the nice sunset to take the perfect picture. I was being impatient, we had a long day and all I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and relax. But we waited and waited until the sky looked absolutely perfect. He said, “Let’s take a photo of us looking at each other. It will be a nice silhouette.” So we did. Then he got down on one knee and popped the question. I was so shocked that I think everything around me became a blur. I don’t even remember if I said, “yes” or not. I remember crying and just hugging and kissing him whilst trying not to freak out too much. The tour guide took such beautiful photos and even bought us a bottle of champagne.

the fashion

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For one ceremony, Diviyashni wore an ornately beaded dress in the most stunning ruby shade. The groom looked equally regal in a matching shade of red accenting his bright white ensemble. The groomsmen wore light gray Achkan with a modern asymmetrical cut. For the reception, Diviyashni switched things up with a white lace off-the-shoulder gown and wore her long hair down in beautiful cascading curls. Rajneil also changed for the reception, rocking a light gray suit.

I opted to wear a dress instead of a lehenga because I believed it looked more royal and I fell in love with my wedding outfit.

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the cake

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Sparks flew once more when the two emerged in their second looks, just in time to cut the cake. The towering four-tier cake was decorated in a rustic buttercream frosting with fresh sunflower and red rose flowers that matched the bride's bouquet.

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