Writer Ashley Brozic and Suneal Nandigam, the owner of a luxury car dealership, had tons of mutual friends at the University of Miami, but never met in school. Then, one night after Suneal had graduated, they both happened to be out in Coconut Grove. “Suneal was hanging out with a mutual friend, and I offered not only to give them both a ride home, but to drive them to Taco Bell,” Ashley remembers. “Suneal thought I was so nice. Really, I just love to stay out.”
For the next year, they ran into each other sporadically, until Suneal joined Ashley’s kickball league with the express intent of asking her out. But Ashley didn’t even give him a chance before she did it herself. “I’m not sure what got into me, but I remember getting this spontaneous feeling and telling a friend, ‘I think I might date that guy,’” she says. “Before the game started, I stormed right up to him.”
They dated for a decade before getting engaged, never in a rush to get married. “We’ve always been good about doing things in our own time,” Ashley says. And yet, for not being in a rush, Ashley certainly had ideas—or what she calls her “celebration theory.” “Yes, a wedding is about the couple, but it’s also very much about the guests, many of whom travel far to celebrate you and who also spend their own time planning their outfits, coordinating logistics, and shopping for gifts,” she says. “You want to make sure to provide them with an experience that’s considerate, fun, and that authentically reflects who you are as a couple.”
She prepared an epic mood board (“the page count could only be described as biblical,” she says) and enlisted Events by Zeiry to bring the multi-day Miami event to life. Adriana Rivera and Vanessa Adrian Films were on-hand to capture every special moment.
“Miami is our love story, so this was always going to be the place,” Ashley says. “And we knew we wanted to celebrate both our Indian and Cuban heritages, giving our family and friends a little window into each world while also infusing our own personal style. We like to think of our aesthetic as old-school vintage with a bit of a modern edge.” A haldi and a welcome party (to which she wore De Castro’s green Checkmate dress from Over the Moon) kicked off the celebration, before two full days of wedding events.
Needless to say, there were a lot of outfits to curate. She tried on many dresses before the ah-ha moment. “Many felt close, but it wasn’t until I tried on Monique Lhuillier’s Issa that everything just clicked,” she says. “I loved the lived-in feel of the dress, the way the corsetry was pleated and peaked up dramatically at the neckline, and the way the skirt bunched to reveal subtle layers of tulle.”
She worked with the seamstresses at Miami salon Chic Parisien to turn it into a two-part look that she could wear throughout the reception, swapping the full skirt for a sleek column. “We added a fabulous asymmetrical statement bow to the back to give it a classic, Old Hollywood touch, and I styled both looks with emerald cut earrings by Mateo in blue topaz,” Ashley says.
For Ashley’s Indian ceremony look, Suneal’s mother and cousin traveled to India to select a raw silk saree. “They also sourced and designed all of the [bridesmaids’] wardrobes in India,” Ashley says. “It was a mix of lehengas and sarees in reds, pinks, and blues, paired with tons of accessories they brought back from their last trip.” The bride’s second look was a scarlet lehenga with three-dimensional flowers from Kalki Fashion. “Bridal lehengas are heavy!” Ashley says. “But it didn’t stop me from twirling all night. I loved the way the embroidery glittered under the hanging lights.” The Clyque beautified her for both events.
The real festivities began on Friday. “For our Hindu ceremony and sangeet-like celebration, we wanted it to feel like you were at a grand garden in India: vibrant, rich, and a little wild and overgrown,” Ashley says. “Miami Beach Botanical Garden was perfect for this. Pink tasseled tents fanned out around a central round bar. We chose a lot of wooden elements like cane chairs and hand-carved arches and shelves, which complemented the surroundings and spoke to traditional Indian craftsmanship. Our florist, Flormosura, decked out the entire venue in pink and red tropical flowers.”
At the reception, Aroma Indian Cuisine served traditional Hyderabadi cuisine and loved ones performed special dances. “My friends had been waiting over a decade to perform a Bollywood-style dance, so the minute we got engaged, they were ready to set up practice!” Ashley says. “Suneal’s cousins choreographed for us, and when it came time to perform, we left it all on the dance floor and had a good time.” A DJ set by Awaaz Entertainment, including everything from Telugu classics to disco to salsa, got everyone on the floor.
The next day, April 20, 2024, Suneal and Ashley spent the morning putting the finishing touches on their wedding vows before their Western wedding ceremony on the rooftop terrace of The Miami Beach Edition. “We wanted our western ceremony to be a light-hearted celebration of love,” Ashley says. Guests sipped Prosecco as the Florida Fellowship Super Choir performed Motown hits, and the bride’s lifelong friend officiated. “Our dog, Harry, ran up the aisle to deliver us our rings, and after ‘I do,’ the three of us walked out to Stevie Wonder’s ‘For Once in My Life,’” Ashley shares.
Inside, every detail of decor was considered and intentional. “I called our aesthetic ‘Tropigalia’—like if you merged the Tropicana with a Rat Pack-era New York,” Ashley says. “We draped the ballroom in moss green velvet and integrated classic lounge elements like bentwood chairs, red velvet couches, and white tablecloths. The stage and dance floor were the heart of the room: Guests danced under the glow of our neon sign, disco balls, and fringed lighting fixtures. Of course, we couldn’t throw a party without an automotive element, so we put our own spin on a traditional black-and-white checkered floor by using the ‘Pasha’ print, a pseudo-psychedelic interior fabric Porsche used in the ’70s and ’80s.” Elements & Accents, Alibaba, and Nuage Designs provided the rentals that brought it all to life.
The energy was nonstop. “We put together a detailed playlist, but there was no need, because Michael Feria from Event Factor did not let up,” Ashley says. “We played a mix of R&B and Latin jazz throughout dinner, but before the last table could clear their plates, he turned up the volume and unleashed the bongo player and saxophonist. There wasn’t an empty spot on the dance floor the entire night. We brought the house down, Miami-style.”
Late that night, the party continued at Basement, The Edition’s underground bowling alley and skating rink. “Guests sipped espresso martinis and ate empanadas, fries, and burgers as they bowled, skated, and danced on couches and tables,” Ashley says. “We partied until the lights came on…around 4 a.m. Both we and our guests needed a few weeks to recover!”
