Akshay Chavan, Blogger on Indian Royalty writes about the wedding of Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar
The wedding of Prince Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar and Princess Nivritti Kumari Singh Deo of Patna Balangir was a much anticipated affair. It was a union of heirs of two distinguished dynasties. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar is the son and heir of Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, the 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty in Udaipur dating back almost 1000 years! Despite such distinguished history, the family adapted well to modernity and were among the first families to open their Lake Palace as a heritage hotel. Today, HRH group runs a network of heritage hotels and charitable institutions.

From left to Right: Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, his mother Vijayraj Kumari Mewar, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar and Nivritti Kumari Singh Deo

Princess Nivritti Kumari Singh Deo of Patna Balangir hails from an equally ancient and distinguished family. The house of Singh Deos ruled over Patna Balangir in Orissa. After independence, the family made a transition to ‘Political royalty’. Nivritti’s great grandfather was RN Singh Deo, who served as the Chief Minister of Orissa from 1967 to 1971. Both of Nivritti’s parents, mother Sangeeta Singh Deo and father Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo are senior BJP leaders from Orissa.

From Left to Right: Padmaja Kumari Parmar, Vijayraj Kumari Mewar, Shriji, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar ,Bhargavi Kumari Mewar, Lokaviaa Mewar Rathore, Bhuvika Mewar Rathore and Lokendra Singh Rathore of Kotri

Following the Rajput royal tradition, the wedding was held at the Bride’s place in Bhubhaneshvar. The wedding venue was decorated like the Patnagarh Palace. Senior political leaders, members of Royal families from all over the country and prominent business persons attended the wedding.

Similar lavish festivities are planned in Udaipur, where the groom’s side will throw a series of receptions for the guests against the backdrop of opulent palaces and shimmering Lake Pichola. The event that the City of Lakes is gearing up for is the Shaadi Ri Goth or wedding reception which will be held on January 24 at Shikarbadi, Udaipur. It is expected that a huge number of guests including visitors from abroad and important dignitaries from all over India will land in the city to wish the bride and groom. The wedding ceremonies will draw to a close on January 28 with the Bidai (farewell) or ceremonial farewell given to the pundits (priests), after which the ceremonies are officially declared as having been completed as per the ancient Vedic traditions adhered to by the House of Mewar and its 76th Custodian, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur.

Actress Producer Amita Pathak and Singer Raghav Sachar’s wedding cum reception at Hotel Sun n Sand, Juhu was a star-studded affair with Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Abhishek Bachchan, Jimmy Sheirgill, Rohit Shetty, Prabhu Dheva, Neetu Chandra and Rajkumar Santoshi among others in attendance.

Amita Pathak who made her Bollywood debut with the film ‘Bitto Boss’ is the daughter of Producer Kumar Mangat.

Amita and Raghav

Kajol and Ajay Devgan

Teejay Sidhu and Karanvir Bohra

Karishma Tanna and Nigar Khan

The newly weds and their parents

T-Series head Bhushan Kumar with his wife Divya and his singer sister Tulsi

Krishika and Sunil Lulla

Actress, model and former MTV and Channel V VJ Raageshwari Loomba is getting married tomorrow and the celebrations commenced with a pre-wedding party at Hotel Four Seasons, Mumbai. The celebration themed ‘Eat, Pray and Dance’ was an intimate affair and the guest list was restricted to family and close friends. Groom Sudhanshu Swaroop is a Human Rights Barrister based in UK. The duo were introduced by parents and friends via email and their friendship grew over Skype. After marriage, the actress-singer will be moving to London.

This Sunday morning, the families of the bride and groom bonded over a game of cricket at an industrialist friends cricket stadium in Thane. The couple thought of having a cricket match as the groom and many of his guests from UK are big cricket enthusiasts. The shaadi cum reception to be held tomorrow i.e. 27th January, will be a traditional affair, for which Raageshwari will be wearing a rich ensemble by Neeta Lulla. WeddingSutra wishes the beautiful couple a long and happy ride together.

Mumbai is looking forward to a high profile wedding this weekend. Ahana, the younger daughter of Bollywood superstars Hema Malini and Dharmendra is tying the knot with Delhi businessman Vaibhav Vora. The celebrations will be held between 1st and 2nd February at ITC Grand Maratha in Andheri (East). Here’s more news on the wedding.

Photos of Ahana and Vaibhav Engagement held at Hema Malini’s Juhu Bungalow last year.

Hema Malini with elder son-in-law Bharat Takhtani and to-be-son-in-law Vaibhav

Parents Hema Malini and Dharmendra with their daughters and the grooms.

- Unlike elder sister Esha Deol’s wedding which was a fairly grand affair, Ahana’s is expected to be on a less grand scale, as the bride wanted it that way.

- The grooms family have booked over 200 rooms at the Hotel. The Mehendi will be an at home affair while the Sangeet, Wedding and Reception will be at the same Hotel. The wedding will be held as per Tamil traditions.

- Last week guests received the invitation, a beautifully designed card accompanied with home made ghee ladoos.

- Ahana will be wearing creations by Neeta Lulla for all the functions.

- Hema Malini is working closely with the Hotel authorities to oversee the plans, while daughter Esha and her husband Bharat Takhtani are taking care of the other arrangements.

Watch this space for more!

A delicious slice of Mumbai society will be in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Nadine Dhody, the lovely daughter of Rita and Raja Dhody is marrying textile tycoon Niraj Jiwrajka of Alok Industries. The couple who met and fell in love in London are tying the knot at Ritz Carlton, Abu Dhabi and over 350 guests from Mumbai, UK and other parts of the world will be flying in for the three-day celebrations that commence on February 1st. The Jiwrajkas who hosted their daughter Prita’s wow wedding in Mauritius in 2010 were looking for an international destination that would be accessible for hundreds of guests from Mumbai. Abu Dhabi scored on two counts, its connectivity, and its wow property Ritz Carlton that has now rolled out the red carpet for big Indian weddings. Friends and relatives of the Dhodys and Jiwrajkas who have attended some of the most fashionable weddings in Bali, Mauritius, Turkey and Dubai are looking forward to the celebration at Abu Dhabi’s most magnificent property, which is now turning out to be a hot spot for ultra HNI’s (High Networth Individuals) from India.

The beachfront Ritz-Carlton, Abu Dhabi situated next to the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

An article on recent society weddings will be incomplete without a mention of the lavish Singh-Kathawala wedding which took place in Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur. Karan, the son of Jasjit Singh, MD, Associated Capsules got married to Educationist Naamah Kathawala. When the groom’s mother Kavita Singh is a design maven and top art collector the guests who included top brass industrialists and bollywood superstars knew that this would be one wedding where the decor would be nothing less than splendid and spectacular. Kavita Singh (who also happens to be actor Anil Kapoor’s sister-in-law) handed over the decor duties to Mumbai’s ace event stylist Dhun Cordo who put together the look for all the events. The highlight of the celebration was the Sangeet where Gipsy Kings from South of France flew in to perform.

The magnificent Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur one of the world’s largest private residences is a golden hued desert sandstone monument set amidst acres of verdant gardens.

While the Dhody-Jiwrajka, Singh-Kathawal families opted for a Destination Wedding, Bollywood stars Hema Malini and Dharmendra are hosting a home town wedding for their younger daughter Ahana who is marrying Delhi businessman Vaibhav Vora. Initially the Deols and Voras were considering venues like Amby Valley, Lonavla and The Lalit, Goa but they finally picked ITC Maratha Sheraton in Andheri (East) for the two day celebrations which commence on Saturday, 1st February.

ITC Maratha, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Andheri (East), Mumbai

Oh, and there’s a beautiful young couple from Mumbai, she is a talented fashion designer and he is a business magnate and their grand destination wedding is at Fairmont, Jaipur in a fortnight from now. Watch this space for our interview and exclusive pre-wedding shoot with them at Taj Land’s End to be featured here next week!

Ahana Deol, daughter of Hema Malini and Dharmendra is marrying Delhi businessman Vaibhav and after the at-home Mehendi the first gala celebration was the Sangeet at ITC Maratha Sheraton.

Hema Malini (in a blue saree from Shyamal & Bhumika’s ‘Royal Procession’ Collection) poses with the Voras

- Unlike sister Esha Deol’s Sangeet which was a star-filled affair, Ahana’s sangeet was a smaller yet fun-filled celebration with performances by family and friends. Sonam Kapoor was one of the few guests from Bollywood. The shy and reticent Ahana is known to be a very private person with a small circle of close friends mostly from her school (Jamnabhai Narsee) and neighbourhood in JVPD Scheme, Juhu.

Sonam Kapur was the star guest at the Sangeet

- The highlight of the evening was when the bride’s father Dharmendra entered the banquet hall. After the formal photo sessions of the Samdhis- the Deols, the Voras and Takhtanis (Esha’s parents in-law) many guests clamored around Dharmendra to click photos with him.

From left to right, The Takhtanis, Deols and Voras

- The function started at around 10.30 pm with Vaibhav’s friends opening to the number ‘Aaya dilli wali girlfriend chhod chhad ke’ (from the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Diwani). Vaibhav’s friends joked about how they were ‘nervous’ to be competing with ‘Bollywood’ Mumbai but were confident that they would rock the Sangeet

- After the performances by Vaibhav’s side, Ahaana’s family and cousins (including Madhu Shah of ‘Roja’ fame) danced to Bollywood hits. Madhu was undoubtedly the star performer on stage, and literally shone as she happily danced with her ten year old daughter. Ahana’s friends spoke about how they are happy for her, but a little sad that she will be relocating to Delhi, but they are now looking forward to visit her new home in Vasant Vihar and enjoying the Vora family’s hospitality.

Esha and Bharat Takhtani with friend Anushka Manchanda

- Since the Groom’s family has booked over 200 rooms at the hotel, there were two entrances– one for the hotel residents who walked in directly from the elevator to the banquet halls, and the red carpet entry for other guests.

- The decor was modern with lots of blue lights. It was reunion time for many of Vaibhav’s classmates from St Columbus, Delhi and Babson Collage, US, and all of them were seen having an amazing time dancing and bonding with friends.

- The food was an interesting mix of North Indian, South Indian, Pan Asian and Continental, and there were lots of options for both Vegetarians and Non vegetarians. They included specialities from ITC restaurants like Dakshin, DumPukht and the live stations dished out pastas and appams & stew. The dessert station had a mix of Indian and continental desserts including the Kerala speciality ‘Ada Pradanam’.

- The ITC Maratha Sheraton and Wedding Planners Var Vadhu team alongwith the Security men (from Celebrity Security guard Shera’s company) worked super-efficiently and were at all spots to ensure guests were comfortable. In between though, they couldn’t resist coming near the banquets to take a ‘dekko’ at the celebrities at the fun-filled sangeet.

- Hema Malini’s brothers, son-in-law Bharat and his parents mingled around to chat with the guests. Esha didn’t move too much as she was nursing a hand fracture. Dharmendra stayed on till post midnight, the Deol brothers (Sunny and Bobby) didn’t attend though.

Esha wears a flowy cream net lehenga with gold embroidery by Shyamal & Bhumika.

Wedding Decor & Planning- Var Vadhu
Photos Courtesy- The Wedding Story

When we entered the gates of ITC Maratha Sheraton in Andheri (East) we could witness more than the usual chaos that typically happens at a celebrity wedding venue. The reason- Narendra Mody was expected in a few hours, and for over 48 hours the Wedding Planners (Var Vadhu) had a stupendous task coordinating between the Chief Minister’s machinery, the Mumbai police and the hotel security.

We entered the lawns at around 8.30 am and the seats were almost full with guests waiting to wish the newly-weds and catch a glimpse of all the celebrities. Ahana, Vaibhav and their parents went on stage post 10.00 pm to cut the cake. There was already a queue in front of the stage, and one of the first guests to come up were Zarine and Sanjay Khan with their eldest daughter Farah. A number of bollywood stars including Rekha, SRK, The Bachchans, Sonakshi Sinha and industrialists including Venugopal Dhoot, Rajashree Birla then arrived on stage where Ahana & Vaibhav, his parents and siblings, Hema Malini & Dharmendra and Esha Deol & Bharat Takhtani thanked everyone their presence.

Vaibhav Vohra and Ahana Deol. Ahana wore a creation by Manish Malhotra.

From left to right- Vaibhav’s siblings, Dharmendra, Vaibhav Vohra, Ahana Deol, Pushpa Vohra, Hema Malini, Vipin Vohra

Narendra Modi with the newly weds and their families. Also seen on the stage, Kiran Joneja and Ramesh Sippy.

When Big B and Jaya Bachchan along with Abhi-Ash entered the venue we could hear a lot of noise near the entrance- hundreds of waiting photographers pleading with them to pose for a few more minutes. But the star of the evening was undoubtedly Baba Ramdev. As soon as he blessed the couple and posed for the shutterbugs, friends and relatives of the Vohras watching the proceedings cheered in applause and the words ‘Vohra, Vohra, Vohra’ filled the air. The next VVIP guest was Narendra Modi whose assistants carried two bouquets. The second bouquet was for Esha and Bharat whose wedding he could not attend in 2012.

Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan with Aishwarya

Ahana with Deepika Padukone

Rekha. Sonakshi Sinha in a saree by Ritu Kumar.

Juhi Chawla and Ranveer Singh

The pop/rock band ‘The Other People’ kept the guests entertained with popular hits from the 70′s and 80′s and the food was an amazing spread of Chinese, Coastal and North Indian delicacies. The best part of the buffet was the Dessert Studio where we tried a small helping of a few mithais and desserts, our favorite was the creme brulee and we couldn’t resist taking a generous second helping!

The party now continues in Delhi where the groom’s father Vipin Vohra the Chairman of Continental Carriers will host a reception. Watch this space for more!

Wedding & Reception Details
Invitation Card- Archana Luxury Invitations, Delhi
Trousseau Packing & Wedding Favors- www.ceremonial-hues.com
Entertainment & Cultural Performances- Narayan Mani (Wedding) and ‘The Other People’ (Reception)
DJ for Sangeet and Post Reception Party- Gaurav Malvai
Food & Venues- Banquet Hall and Lawns, ITC Maratha Sheraton
Wedding Decor & Planning- Var Vadhu

Photos Courtesy- The Wedding Story

Ahana, daughter of Hema Malini and Dharmendra wed Delhi businessman Vaibhav Vohra in Mumbai. The post wedding reception was held at the Vohra’s sprawling farmhouse near Kapashera border in Delhi. Red and floral was the decor theme for the evening and Ahana wore a pastel green ball gown by Shantanu & Nikhil. Groom Vaibhav looked dapper in a tuxedo and red tie.

Ahana Deol and Vaibhav Vohra

Dharmendra and Hema Malini, the newly weds and Dharmendra

Unlike the celebration in Mumbai which was a star-studded affair, the celebration in Delhi saw lots of politicians but only one bollywood star (Prateik Babbar). Hema Malini looked stunning in an ivory saree and Ahana’s sister Esha Deol Takhtani wore a pink ensemble with a silver sling on the arm she had fractured.

Prateik Babbar

Esha and Bharat Takhtani with Vaibhav Vohra’s brother

This is an arranged marriage for Ahana and Vaibhav. Ahana’s father actor Dharmendra and Vaibhav’s father Vipin Vohra, the owner of Delhi-based Continental Carriers have been friends for long and the young couple were introduced when Vaibhav visited Mumbai just after Esha Deol’s wedding.

More photos of the Sangeet and Mumbai Reception here.

Wedding and Reception Details
Venues- ITC Grand Maratha (Mumbai) and Vohra Farmhouse (Delhi)
Event Management- Var Vadhu (Mumbai) and DJ Singh (Event Decor, Delhi)
Food- ITC Grand Maratha, Mumbai and Amit Dua (FNB India, Delhi)

Photographs Courtesy- http://www.frozenintime.co.in/

Rohan, son of Jewellery business magnate Mehul Choksi (Gitanjali Group) tied the knot with Snagda Talera in Pune. Snagda’s family runs Pune based Talera Group a leading company in the Logistics and Real Estate business. The who’s who of bollywood, business, fashion and politics were present at the three day celebrations and the star entertainers included Mika Singh, Salim Sulaiman, Parthiv Gohil, Paris House Addicts, DJ Hiren, Raell Padamsee, Nash Naubert and more.

Rohan and Snagda with Mika Singh

The wedding was managed by Mumbai-based GS Worldwide Entertainment and the functions took place at Pune’s JW Marriott Hotel and the Talera’s sprawling mansion (Mohini Mahal). The celebrations commenced with a welcome lunch for the Baraatis where the theme was a traditional Mehendi setup and singers Shruti Rane and Usha Deshpande entertained the guests. For the evening High Tea at the Rooftop lounge of JW Marriott there was a singing performance by Ali Quli. This was followed by a dinner at the same hotel where Mika Singh kept everyone on their feet. The party continued till the wee hours of the morning with a casino set up for the elders, while the youngsters moved to the nightclub Miami for a performance by the fabulous French trio Paris House Addict.

Mehul Choksi and family

On Day two was the traditional Rajasthani theme Mehendi, where singing sensations Parthiv Gohil, Manasi Parekh Gohil and traditional dancers entertained everyone. The much awaited Sangeet was on the same evening with a musical display by duo Salim-Sulaiman followed by Performances by Paris House Addict and ace DJ Hiren Bhawsar.

Day three commenced with a musical theatrical show- Raell Padamsee’s ‘Sound of Music’ show during breakfast. This was followed by traditional wedding functions like the Pithi and Mahera. The Wedding was held at Talera House– Mohini Mahal. The post wedding reception started with scintillating performances by Nritarutya- Indian Contemporary Dance Company by Mayuri Upadhya. After which there were performances by flautist Nash Naubert accompanied by the stunning Gaysil Naubert and her troupe.

The Wedding Details
Bride and Groom Wear- Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla
Bride’s Makeup- Ojas Rajani
Decor- Ipsita Biswas
Event Host- Sunanda Ezra
Band- JEA Band, Delhi
DJ- Hiren Bhawsar

Entertainers
14th April
Welcome Lunch: Shruti Rane and Usha Deshpande
High Tea: Ali Quli
Dinner: Mika Singh
After Party: Paris House Addict

15th April
Mehendi: Parthiv Gohil
High Tea: Iraana
Sangeet: Salim Sulaiman
After Party: Paris House Addict

16th April
Breakfast: Raell Padamsee’s Sound of Music
Mahera: Usha Deshpande
Lunch: Roy Zaltsman
Wedding: Nritarutya – Indian Contemporary Dance Company, Nash Naubert and Gaysil Naubert and her troupe

Photographs- Joseph Radhik
Event Planners- GS Worldwide Entertainment

By Jaspreet Soni

IPL may have set the pulses racing of the cricket enthusiasts, but it was the sultry model Mashoom Singha who bowled famous Australian cricketer Shaun Tait over, four seasons back at one of the IPL parties. They are all set to tie the knot this month. The wedding is going to be a very private and intimate affair. Mashoom and her sister Shamita Singha, both top models and exclusive event planners have little to worry about when it comes to wedding planning. They run the lifestyle blog www. onesoullife.com too. We talked to Shamita Singha about the first wedding in the family and the preparations.

Though Shamita has planned many exclusive events for her event management company, OneSoul Lifestyle Promotions, the wedding in the family is different. She says, “It is easy in a sense because you are already used to the grind, the planning. But at the same time, planning your sister’s wedding is not a usual assignment or job. There are lots of emotions involved. Everything has a sentimental value to it. You have to take care of parents’ emotions, bride and groom’s emotions and my own wishes for my darling sister. So it gets a bit emotionally taxing but its lot of fun too.”

But who is calling the shots, we ask. “It is Mashoom who is making choices in terms of what she wants and it is me who is executing them and making sure they turn out perfect for her big day”, says Shamita.

Since Mashoom and Shaun both believe in an intimate wedding with very close family and friends, the challenge of keeping the guest list to the minimum is humongous given the social network of the two sisters and Shaun himself. She says, “It is the biggest challenge as the guest list can run into thousands but we want the wedding to be very special with only the people who really matter, a close knit affair with everyone feeling the joy and happiness.”

The wedding festivities will kick off with a warm Indian style welcome dinner with bollywood music for the guests from Australia. Shamita is keeping the décor authentically Indian for the event. “I am dressing up the place with lovely mogras, rajnigandhas, marigolds, matkas, tokris, bangles, dupattas, all things Indian. There will be a sumptuous Indian food spread and loads of Bollywood spice.”

Shamita is taking Mashoom out for her bachelorette party. A day after, there will be a temple wedding ceremony and later in the evening, a white wedding followed by a cocktail cum reception. Shamita Singha tells us that the best in the industry have come forward to take care of every aspect of the wedding. “Everything has fallen into place so beautifully, so we really didn’t need to shop around for vendors. One friend is helping with décor, while another close friend is designing Mashoom’s jewellery. And then being in the event industry, I know so many creative persons like photographers and makeup artists so everything is quite a breeze. These are the times when you realize how blessed you are with some really great friends.”

Shaun is also warming up to the Indian culture as he gets involved in the friendly banter with his soon to be sister-in-law. Shamita says, “It’s the little sweet things like joota chuppai in our tradition that have him in splits. We have a good laugh over it. He is such a sweet and chilled out guy who is more than happy to embrace the Indian culture with open arms. ”

Mashoom will be wearing a creation by celebrated designer Anand Kabra for her Indian wedding and an unconventional yet elegant Gavin Miguel gown for her white wedding.

When actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin stepped out following their wedding ceremony in Venice, Italy, we couldn’t help but notice their elegant Platinum wedding bands.

Jewelry expert Michael O’Connor comments says, “Platinum is known as the eternal metal as it does not wear down as easily as other metals. That eternal sentiment is reinforced by Amal’s sparkling ‘eternity band’ style and George’s classic solid platinum band. Both bands are classic in style, which never goes out of fashion.” Amal’s dainty platinum band comes as a new addition to accompany the sparkling platinum engagement ring which George presented to her earlier this year.

Actress Dia Mirza is tying the knot with her long-time boyfriend Sahil Sangha in New Delhi, where his parents live.

Yesterday, was an intimate Mehendi function for which Dia wore a marigold yellow anarkali suit in chanderi fabric designed by Ritu Kumar. It was teamed with a fuschia color odhni. Sahil wore a maroon red kurta.

The Sangeet is tonight and the Wedding takes place tomorrow. Both these main functions are at farmhouses in Chattarpur, New Delhi. For the sangeet, Dia is expected to wear an Anita Dongre creation, for the wedding a Ritu Kumar ensemble, and for the post-wedding dinner, a Shantanu Nikhil gown. According to Dia’s friends, actor Boman Irani is likely to do the ‘Kanyadaan’ for Dia as she considers him a father figure. During the making of ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, they shared a very special bond and hence, he will perform all the rituals of a father.

Watch this space for more!

For her Sangeet ceremony at a farm house in Chattarpur, New Delhi Dia Mirza wore an Anita Dongre lehenga and polki jewelry. Sahil Sangha looked sharp in a black bandhgala and white churidaar.

Actress Dia Mirza wed Sahil Sangha at an intimate function in New Delhi. The wedding cum reception venue was Rosha Farms, a private farmhouse in Ghitorni, South Delhi. Security was strict at the venue and after the couple tied the knot, they stepped out to pose for waiting news persons, before proceeding to change for the reception.

Present at the the three day celebrations were the couple’s close friends, families and relatives. Many of Sahil’s parents friends and his classmates from school (Springdales) and college attended the post wedding reception. Guests from the B-town fraternity included Lara Dutta, Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan and Cyrus Sahukar. Overall, the wedding was a quiet and private affair. One of the guests, a neighbour of the Sanghas in Greater Kailash quipped: “The couple are celebrities but they chose a fairly simple wedding by Delhi high society standards.” There were around 100 to 150 guests at the mehendi, around 300 guests at the sangeet and close to 400 guests at the reception.

Dia wore a beige and green Ritu Kumar sharara for the wedding and a Shantanu & Nikhil gown for the reception. Sahil wore a cream silk achkan and emerald green kurta by Raghuvendra Rathore.  Dia’s wedding sharara was inspired by Ritu Kumar’s Falaknuma collection, which highlights the heritage of craftsmanship that the city of royal Hyderabad is renowned for. Dia, who is from Hyderabad briefed Ritu Kumar about wanting a Hyderabadi touch for her Delhi wedding and keeping this in mind Ritu Kumar designed the rich, traditional ensemble (incidentally after Dia Mirza announced her engagement, we were quite sure the Hyderabad girl would get married at Taj Falaknuma Palace).

The newly-married couple have no honeymoon plans as of now and are planning to get back to work soon. “We will celebrate Diwali with family in Delhi and then head back to work. We plan to go for our honeymoon by the end of the year”, Sahil stated in a newspaper interview. Dia and Sahil are business partners- they co-own a production house, ‘Born Free Entertainment’ and their first film Love Breakups Zindagi made its debut in October 2011.

Venues- Private Farmhouses in Westend Greens (Youngster’s Party), Chattarpur (Mehendi, Cocktail and Sangeet) and Ghitorni (Wedding and Reception)

Catering
Youngster’s Party- The Feeding Concepts
Mehendi, Sangeet, Wedding and Reception- Varun Tuli (Food, Inc, Catering by Yum Yum Tree)

Wedding Wear
Dia’s- Ritu Kumar, Anita Dongre, Shantanu & Nikhil
Sahil’s- Shantanu & Nikhil, Raghuvendra Rathore

Decor & Design- Gautam Vedi

Pulkit Samrat of ‘O Teri’ fame is tying the knot with Shweta Rohira next week. Pulkit first met Shweta, a Writer when she interviewed him about his role as Lakshya in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Shweta, who is into holistic sciences, also wrote a book, ‘The Start of the New Beginning’ on Pulkit’s ambitions and his journey from Delhi to Mumbai. Pulkit speaks to WeddingSutra about his wedding in Goa and the post-wedding celebrations in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Congratulations! So you’re tying the knot in Goa, did you consider any other places for your destination wedding?
Goa was always the first and only choice! We always wanted a beach destination wedding and what better place than Goa! I shot my first music video at the same resort in South Goa where I’m getting married so I have some beautiful memories of this place. And both of us love the white sand beach there.

Tell us a little about Wedding Planning and how have you and Shweta shared work and responsibilities?
The only thing we agreed on was to marry each other! Post that every decision has been a roller coaster ride. She wanted pink, I wanted blue. She wanted glitter, I wanted it subtle! That’s when Dreamz Kraft (the Wedding Planning & Décor specialists) came in to create the balance. We have this joke about the bride getting hyper because of pre-wedding stress and how caution should be practiced when the bride is in a ‘Bridezilla’ state of mind.

What has been the most fun part of wedding planning?
The best part has been the initial stages of planning which included a recce to the venue. That was more like a holiday. We also loved the process of designing our wedding card! Super thanks to Zohara the Creative Head of Purple Heather who helped us design the invites which our guests are cherishing as a keepsake. Now the stressful part, which I guess starts when the countdown begins! I deliberately avoid looking at the task sheet.. I don’t want to be a‘Groomzilla’. My advice to brides and grooms-to-be, if you have a Wedding Planner, go by their guidance and all is well. If your families are taking care of it, help them where required, else let them do what they have planned and you will be in a happy state of mind.

Tell us more about the wedding celebrations in Goa, Mumbai and New Delhi. Goa’s where the fun begins. We tried our best to make it a fun wedding and Dreamz Kraft has done more than what we were looking for. The two-day celebrationswill be an intimate and fun affair and we’ve called it ‘A Knotty Affair’. The celebrations include a Mehendi Mela, Moroccon Sangeet Night, Rain Dance, Pheras on the Beach, and finally our First Dance as Mr. & Mrs. We carry forward the infectious fun energy from Goa to Mumbai for the Reception. It’s at Taj Land’s End in Bandra, Mumbai. The second Reception is at a Taj property too- Taj Palace, New Delhi.

What about the Honeymoon plans?
This question is injurious to my health! Post the wedding I begin the last schedule for Dolly Ki Dolli followed by T Series and Dharma films. So honeymoon plans can only happen in June 2015. But surely that’ll be a long one!

Who is designing your wedding wear?
Shweta’s attires have an emotional connect. Her wear is designed by Second Skin in Chembur where her mother’s wedding lehenga was designed. She always loved what her mother wore for her own wedding and wanted her wedding wear to be designed by the same place. For jewellery our go-to destination is Anmol Jewellers in Bandra. My outfits are being designed by Bandra designer Ashley Rebello. From a sherwani with Rajasthani pita work to a block printed jacket and the tuxedo I think he has done a fabulous job of designing some very stylish pieces.

Tell us more about your wedding makers.
Priti Sidhwani and her team from Dreamz Kraft have been helping us every step of the way- from the little details to the hospitality and entertainment, they are taking care of it all. They’ve sourced some great Moroccon lamps and surais for one of the parties. The beach will be transformed into a Banaras ghat, keeping authenticity in mind, they’ve made replicas of shades on the ghats. They have also connected with Chefs United who are flying chefs from Ajmer, Delhi, Benaras, Amritsar and Tundey Miyan from Lucknow to make the food an authentic and scrumptious delight! Harvey India Tours & Travels helped us coordinate and book the venues. And design company Purple Heather has worked on all the design elements. Because of all these people and teams, Shweta and I have been able to enjoy our spa visits and pre-wedding parties!

Hyderabad is looking forward to Arpita Khan’s wedding. Salman Khan’s sister is tying the knot with businessman Aayush Sharma  and the two day celebrations commence on 18th November. According to a close friend of Arpita the celebrations at the former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad will be conducted as per Hindu Punjabi traditions and the functions include the Mehendi, Sangeet, Pheras, Reception and finale Post Reception Party.

- Aditya Motwane, the former CEO of Percept Weddings might step in as a consultant to handle coordination for the wedding day only, but most of the wedding planning and execution is being done by Arpita herself, as she was keen to be personally involved in everything. “Its going to be a luxurious yet intimate celebration at one of the most enchanting wedding venues in India, just the way and where Arpita wants it to be”, says the friend.

- Almost all the vendors and specialists lending their services for the wedding are from Mumbai, from the Makeup and Mehendi Artist to the Floral and Decor Designers. The catering will of course be taken care of by the Taj Chefs.

- It is not known what Arpita and her beau will be wearing but in all likelihood the bride will be wearing traditional ensembles by Abu-Sandeep and Sabyasachi and elegant gowns by Falguni & Shane Peacock and Monisha Jaising.

Arpita Khan, the sister of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is tying the knot with Aayush Sharma at Taj Falaknuma Palace today. The celebrations commenced last evening with a Mehendi at Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills. As reported by WeddingSutra last week, half the guests have been put up at Taj Krishna and the others at one of the 60 Rooms of Taj Falaknuma Palace. The wedding ceremony and post-wedding sangeet cum reception on the lawns of Taj Falaknuma Palace will be a fairly intimate affair with just over 300 guests. But it’s the security that is huge at both venues. Salman’s personal bodyguard Shera has brought in a big team of bouncers from Mumbai, then there are the Taj security teams, and a huge contingent from Hyderabad Police, making it a posse of over 600 security and policemen, almost double the number of guests. The security at Taj Krishna is strict, though the hotel is not closed for outsiders. Taj Falaknuma Palace is out-of-bounds today and tomorrow, unless you are a wedding guest or part of one of the wedding organising teams.

According to Wedding Designer & Stylist Rachana Lucknowala the décor at last night’s Mehendi was traditional Indian floral, while for the evening nuptials it is pink and English inspired. “The wedding will be a typical Punjabi wedding, but for the décor, Arpita wanted the Palace arches to be the highlight—so the décor is modern & understated with natural hues and silver elements. After the pheras, the guests will proceed to the lawns for the sangeet cum reception where the décor theme is black, red and gold.”

While Arpita and Aayush’s family members will be putting up performances at the Sangeet, singing sensation Mika will also be performing there.. The menu for the brunches, lunches and dinner include a wide range of Indian and world cuisine. But for the main dinner tonight it is going to be Hyderabadi cuisine like Biryani and Pathar Ka Gosht.

The Wedding Makers

- Venue Management- Girish Sehgal (General Manager Taj Falaknuma Palace) and team
- Wedding Styling and Décor- Rachana Lucknowala (Vivaah/ Party Cruisers, Mumbai)
– Wedding Day Logistics & Co-ordination- Aditya Motwane (Motwane Entertainment and Weddings, Mumbai)
– Wedding Invitations- Entertainment Design Company (EDC)
– Bride & Groom’s Wedding Wear- Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla

Photos Courtesy- Manogna Reddy

After a fairy-tale extravaganza in Taj Falaknuma, Hyderabad, the Reception of Salman Khan’s sister Arpita Khan at Taj Land’s End in Bandra, Mumbai was an equally grand affair. The Khans chose to host it at the indoor Ballroom of Taj Land’s End instead of the terrace lawns, where there are restrictions on music post midnight. The menu was around the theme ‘Cuisines of India’. The decor theme was red and gold, and was executed by Rachana Lucknowala, one of Mumbai’s top wedding decorators who took care of the decor for the celebrations in Hyderabad too.

Security at the hotel was obviously tight; while the restaurants and main lobby were open to public, access to all three passageways leading to the Ballroom were restricted to wedding guests and event teams only. The huge posse of camera and news persons were placed near the main gate for photo ops. Salman and Sohail Khan’s close friends Event Planner Aditya Motwane and Talent Manager Reshma Shetty stepped in to coordinate with the hotel and manage the event. Salman Khan’s personal bodyguard Shera (he also also runs the security firm ‘Tiger Security Services’) and his team guarded the main entrances.

Arpita who wore Abu-Sandeep ensembles for the celebrations in Hyderabad, wore a different designer creation for this function. An elegant pink & lemon lehenga by husband-wife duo Falguni & Shane Peacock. Aayush looked dapper in a tuxedo.

Actor Farhan Akhtar, his sister, filmmaker Zoya, veteran actor Prem Chopra were among the first guests to arrive at the venue. Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi, Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh and Imran Khan and Avantika were also there. Maanyata Dutt, the wife of Salman’s friend Sanjay Dutt, came with her twins Shahraan and Iqra. The Kapoors were represented by Karisma, her father Randhir and aunt Reema Jain and her husband.

The actors who came included Hrithik Roshan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sidharth Malhotra. Actresses Sonakshi Sinha, Dia Mirza, Ameesha Patel and Patralekhaa wore Manish Malhotra couture. Well-known socialites like Pinky Reddy, Natasha Poonawala and Kaykasshan Patel wore ensembles by Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla. Arpita’s bhabhi Malaika Arora Khan wore a white dhoti sari by Sonaakshi Raaj while her sister Amrita Arora wore a coral sari.

Shah Rukh Khan who couldn’t attend the celebrations in Hyderabad arrived at 2.00 am and soon dragged the newly-weds to the dance floor and danced with them much to the excitement of the DJ who played tracks from Baazigar’s Kali Kali Ankhen, Chennai Express’ Lungi Dance and Happy New Year’s Indiawale. Later, Sohail and Arbaaz Khan and more family and friends headed to the dance floor and the party wound up at 6.00 am.

The Wedding Makers
Venue & Food- Taj Land’s End, Mumbai
Event Co-ordination- Aditya Motwane and Reshma Shetty
Decor & Styling- Rachana Lucknowala (Vivaah Wedding Decor/ Party Cruisers India)
DJ’s- DJ Willy & DJ Chetas
Security- Tiger Security Services

While many would associate Bollywood stars weddings with huge grandeur the reality is that most stars choose to have fairly intimate weddings. More than grand, they are star-studded thanks to the guest list. Here’s more about the star-studded events and where the top Bollywood stars wed in 2014.

The Grand Weddings

Ahana Deol and Vaibhav Vora- Hema Malini & Dharmendra’s younger daughter Ahana wed Delhi businessman Vaibhav Vora at a five-star Hotel in Andheri (East), Mumbai. The Sangeet was a fun-filled party for close family and friends, the wedding was a fusion of Tamil-Punjabi traditions and was followed by a reception for over 1,000 guests.

Earlier this week, our blog post Bollywood Marriages 2014 generated a lot of excitement with the wedding community asking us many questions on B-town weddings. So here’s more on the last wedding of 2014 and what to expect in 2015.

- One of the grandest Bollywood Marriages of 2014 was of Ahana Deol (daughter of Hema Malini and Dharmendra) with Delhi businessman Vaibhav Vora. While initially Hema Malini and the to-be-weds were thinking of a destination wedding in Goa or Aamby Valley, they finally hosted it in Mumbai. The last Bollywood Marriage of 2014 is of talented actress Anjori Alagh who weds her long-time boyfriend Rohit Goyal. The bride’s parents well-known TV actress Maya Alagh and corporate head-honcho Sunil Alagh have chosen the stunning, high-end heritage property Samode Palace near Jaipur for the two day destination wedding. Incidentally much before Fairmont Jaipur and the newer properties in Udaipur like Leela and Sheraton became destination wedding hot-spots, Samode Palace was the venue for the well-heeled in Rajasthan.

Samode Palace, Jaipur

Anjori Alagh

- Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina are getting married, is what a close friend of Neetu Kapoor tells us. When are they likely to get married? Your guess is as good as ours, but apparently the love-birds don’t want to fix a date now, and most likely it will be in end 2015. “Don’t expect the wedding to be a big, fat or ostentatious affair. Most likely it will be like his cousin Kareena Kapoor’s wedding- where families and close friends check into a city hotel for a cosy 1 or 2 day celebration”, is what the friend tells us.

- Priyanka Chopra’s brother Siddharth is tying the knot early next year. We hear the Actress and her mother spent a lot of time meeting event agencies and venues. The task was finally handed over to Mumbai based Cineyug and the venue is a luxury hotel in Goa. Siddharth is a Chef by profession and his fiance Kanika Mathur is from Delhi. The wedding is likely to be a fairly grand affair, according to sources over 250 rooms have been booked for the three day celebrations in the last week of February.

Priyanka Chopra with brother Siddharth

- Its an arranged match and big, fat home-town wedding for Kush, the son of actor Shatrugan Sinha. Kush is marrying Taruna Agarwal, the daughter of a UK based business magnate. The engagement celebration was a quiet affair at Taj Lands End, Mumbai and the three day wedding celebrations in January are at Taj Lands End and Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

Kush with his twin brother Luv and sister Sonakshi

- The very talented daughter of a popular Bollywood Designer is tying the knot. Nishka Lulla, a well-known designer herself is engaged to South Mumbai businessman Dhruv Mehra. Last when we spoke to Nishka, she was busy scouting for destination wedding venues. “It will be an intimate celebration sometime in June, in all probability in India itself”, she quipped.

                                                                                                                                         Photo Courtesy- DKreate

- And yes, there’s one more beautiful couple who who we hear are tying the knot in January 2015- Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu but as of now we have no confirmed news on where they are tying the knot. Usually we are the first to know who is getting married where, but for Soha and Kunal we don’t have the ‘where’ details yet. We hope to share this info with you soon!