Inside 'Indian Matchmaking' Stars Arti Lalwani and Jamal Ahmed's 4-Day Mexican Wedding (Exclusive)
stars Arti Lalwani and Jamal Ahmed got married on March 1 at Planet Hollywood Cancun in Mexico
Their four-day nuptials incorporated several Indian traditions, including: Haldi, a turmeric purifying ceremony for the bride and groom; Sangeet, a musical celebration with everyone; and Saptapadi, a seven-step ritual around a sacred fire during vows
"We wanted our wedding to feel like a vacation," the bride tells PEOPLE. "We wanted to mash up the two cultures and take every fun part of a Hindu and Muslim wedding and create our own"
Indian Matchmaking's Arti Lalwani and Jamal Ahmed have tied the knot!
The Netflix stars got married in an "epic," four-day Mexican wedding, with the ceremony taking place at Planet Hollywood Cancun on Saturday, March 1. Sixty guests attended the couple's nuptials, which kicked off on Thursday, Feb. 27, with Haldi and a welcome party in the evening, followed by Sangeet the next day. The celebration concluded with a yacht trip at sunset on Sunday, March 2.
"Each event had a theme, but the entire wedding was focused on fun, vibrant and colorful," Lalwani tells PEOPLE. "Most importantly, love conquers all."
Notable guests include Indian Matchmaking costars Shekar Jayaraman, Shital Patel, Avi Shingwani and Viral Joshi.
Lalwani and Ahmed's romance played out on season 3 of Indian Matchmaking. Their engagement was hopeful to viewers because Muslims and Hindus have historically not married due to political tension between Indians (Hindus) and Pakistanis (Muslims). The couple ensured their wedding combined both cultures.
"Being able to marry the man I love in front of our friends and family is a symbol that love conquers all. After the show, we had lots of love but a ton of criticism because we grew up with different religions," Lalwani says. "Showing that we could do everything we wanted from both cultures and religions meant the world to me."
"Our love is sacred — through the ups and downs we will not back down and give up," she continues. "We want to be an example for all the Muslim/Hindu couples out there that you can absolutely get to this step one day too."
The destination nuptials were the first time the bride and groom's families met in person, as Lalwani's family is based in Georgia while Ahmed's family is from Michigan.
"We wanted our wedding to feel like a vacation," Lalwani says. "We wanted to mash up the two cultures and take every fun part of a Hindu and Muslim wedding and create our own."
The beach welcome party included the tradition of Haldi, in which turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom's skin to bless them with prosperity and purity. They also had a not-so-traditional game of tug-of-war between the two families. "Spoiler: the rope broke in half," Lalwani jokes.
The following night was Sangeet, a party filled with music, dancing and other festivities.
To start the wedding day was Baraat, a celebratory wedding procession in which the groom arrives with his friends and family. Many guests held colorful, decorative umbrellas.
Although the bride's late father was unable to walk her down the aisle, his picture was pinned to her bouquet and her custom kaleeras (traditional Indian bridal accessories) were dedicated to him and her dog. She also wore a white lehenga and custom veil that read, "Dad, with you in my heart I never walk alone."
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"My nephews somehow convinced Jamal to take off his shoes before even entering the ceremony location. They then walked down the aisle with each shoe, a Hindu tradition we loved," says Lalwani, who like her fiancé had custom Nike Air Force 1 shoes for the ceremony.
Lalwani's nephews wore mini tuxedos and held a sign that read, "Too Late to Run Uncle Jamal. Here She Comes!"
The ceremony was officiated by a close friend of the couple, Daniel Vega.
"We kept the tradition of the Saptapadi with seven circles around the fire, but we had seven family members read each vow, including my nephews for the vow on children," Lalwani explains.
Afterward, guests had a mix of Indian and Italian food for dinner before getting a slice of the two-tier vanilla wedding cake. They also enjoyed performances from the newlyweds and Lalwani's nephews.
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Lalwani and Ahmed — who met on a dating app, had their first date at Costco and got engaged on Sept. 12, 2022, at The Deck at Island Gardens in Miami — are most excited for "traveling, a puppy and kids — in that order only."
"Every morning I wake up and see a ring on his finger and absolutely cheese because I know he is now mine," Lalwani says. "He is my biggest supporter and every day I find a reason to love him a little more."
She continues: "They say that fairy tales are made up for little girls, and it's easy to feel discouraged dating in this day and age. Don't be afraid to love with your whole heart. As Sima Aunty [the Netflix series' matchmaker] said, 'I wanted to be a princess and at the end of the day I married my prince charming.' "
Additional Credits:
DJ: Elite Entertainment @eliteent
Decoration: Gama Group @gamagroup
AV: Mills and James @millsjames_weddings
Content Creation: The Muse @the_musemx
Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist: Claudio Alejandro @itsbyclaudio
Kaleera: Bows and Blings by Aayushiak @bowsandblingsaayushiak
Veil: Bridal Veils by Laadli @bridalveilsbylaadli
Groom's Barber: Jonathan @icutart
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