Rekha and Vijay Mallya to host daughter’s Wedding in Bali

May 24, 2011 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for

Three of South India’s top industrialists are hosting their daughter’s marriage in June. Lakshmi, daughter of TVS Group’s Venu Srinivasan is marrying Rohan Murthy from the Infosys clan, Mallika, daughter of Sanjay Reddy of GVK Group is marrying Sidharth Indukuri in Hyderabad and Laila, daughter of Rekha and Vijay Mallya is marrying in Bali. Laila and her fiancé Samar Singh, 35 have known each other since a few years and they got engaged in Bangalore this year. The intimate wedding celebrations are between June 18 and 20 at the Ayana Resort and Spa (earlier known as the Ritz Carlton).

Samara Melwani, our correspondent in Jakarta tells us more about Ayana Resort: “It’s one of the most sought-after luxury wedding venues in Bali, and every year they host a few grand Indian weddings mostly of families from Dubai, Jakarta and Singapore. Not sure if Laila and Samar’s wedding will be a traditional shaadi or why the Mallyas picked Ayana, but one of its strengths is that their staff are considered very capable at managing Indian Weddings. Ayana is also a dream locale thanks to their ‘wow’ space—the Rock Bar on the Cliff.”

Rekha, Vijay Mallya’s wife was earlier married to Shahid Mahmood, with whom she has two children, Laila and Kabir. Sidhartha, is Vijay Mallya’s son from his first wife Samira. Laila, who is adopted by Vijay Mallya studied at University of Bentley, Boston, after which she set-up a Fashion & Accessories business in the US. She returned to Mumbai in 2009 and her first job here was Executive Assistant to the then IPL Chairman Lalit Modi. Samar studied at GD Somani School in Cuffe Parade, and after graduating from Sydenham College, he worked in Tanzania; he now manages a newly set-up Stock Trading/ Finance business in Mumbai.

We hope we don’t just get to see the photographs of the wedding but also get to see it on ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’ (even though this is not a Big Fat Wedding but an intimate affair with less than 250 guests), the program produced by Mallya’s television channel NDTV Good Times.

Tags: Ayana Resort, Bali, Laila, Samar Singh, Vijay Mallya, wedding

Model Tupur weds Dubai businessman in Bali

May 23, 2011 Celebrity Wedding Pictures, Destination Weddings

Gorgeous model Tupur Chatterjee wed Dubai businessman Sonu Shewakramani at the newly opened W Retreat & Spa in Bali. The celebrations which included the Welcome dinner & Engagement, Mehendi lunch, Sangeet, Navghari, Haldi, Wedding & Reception were held between May 13 and 15th.

Samara Melwani, our Jakarta-based correspondent tells us more: “The beautiful wedding was managed by Innayat Khubchandani, Bali’s most popular planner for Indian Weddings. Bali, is one of the hottest and most popular international wedding destinations—but what was special about this wedding, is that it was the first Indian wedding to take place at the W Retreat & Spa located within the trendy beachfront enclave of Seminyak. The wedding was a friends and family affair, and the Shewakramani’s guests flew in from all over the world. Many of Tupur’s friends from Mumbai were there too—including Vivek Oberoi and his wife Priyanka. The musical rendition by Atif Aslam at the Welcome Dinner by the pool-side was one of the highlights of the celebration.” According to Samara the guests went ga-ga about Tupur’s well chosen looks and outfits for each of the functions and her wedding lehenga appeared to be a Sabyasachi creation.

Sonu and Tupur were introduced to each other through a common friend and have known each other for less than a year. Tupur is the granddaughter of veteran film-maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Her twin sister Tapur is also a well-known model (their names are inspired by a famous line from Rabindranath Tagore’s poem Bishti Pore Tapur Tupur). Sonu’s family have business interests in Lagos, Nigeria and Dubai and his parents live in Emirates Hill, Dubai

Tags: Bali, Innayat Khubchandani, Sonu Shewakramani, Tapur, Tupur Chatterjee, W Resort, wedding

‘Brides want rich yet light lehengas’

May 18, 2011 Fashion & Bridal Wear

Featured Designer – Payal Singhal
Payal Singhal established her label in 2000 to fill a niche for eclectic Indian clothing for young women of her age. Now thanks to a global design sensibility the label stocks in various countries and travels with its unique mobile trunk shows all over the world. The next trunk show is in NYC on 20th and 21st May (click here for more details).

Payal spoke to WeddingSutra on her style and what brides want

Q- Tell us a little about your ensembles?
Payal Singhal creations are very feminine with fine detailing. Ultra-chic and eclectic the silhouette is flowy, the embellishments intricate and the look very elegant and graceful.

Q- What inspired your latest collection of bridal wear?
This season, I have designed very stylish creations with less embroidery. For brides seeking rich yet light lehengas. Many brides want to wear their beautiful wedding outfit again, so I advice them how later on they can redesign one piece of the ensemble, for an all-new look.

Q- What Trends are you seeing in 2011?
Many women are looking for ‘practical’ Indian wear. Stylish creations with a contemporary twist, easy to wear and carry. My innovative offerings include attached dupattas, jewellery being part of the outfit so they don’t get weighed-down by heavy neckpieces.

Q- Do you have a personal favourite style/ silhouette of Bridal Lehenga?
I love the chiffon tiered fish-kali lehenga—with a gownish silhouette.

Q- How would you describe the Payal Singhal Bride?
I would describe my client as very modern and confident! She possesses a distinct sense of style and is clear about what she wants. Having said that, I must emphasise that my extremely wearable and stylish clothes appeal to very different clientele– traditional Indian brides, contemporary South Asian woman and New York style stars.

Q- If you had any words of wisdom for brides-to-be, on how to pick the right wedding lehenga, what would it be?
It’s nice to be clear about what you want, but don’t be too clear about the color or the silhouette. Keep trying different colors and concepts—with valuable inputs from the designer.

Q- Besides the dress, what else should a bride splurge for on her wedding day?
Three or four heavy pair of earrings! Matchy-matchy necklace and bangles remain in the locker. But you can have lots of fun with earrings—pairing them with Indian, Indo-Western or Western wear. I personally love the versatile earrings designed by one of my favourite jewellers Shravan Satyani of Satyani Jewellers, Bandra.

Q- What do you like to do when you are not designing?
I’m a big television buff, I unwind by watching mindless television. And no, I don’t watch fashion and style shows on television!

Love Payal’s creations? You can win a Payal Singhal Indo-Western ensemble by participating in our Share and Win contest. Click here to learn more.

Tags: 2011, Bridal Wear, Lehenga, Payal Singhal, Shravan Satyani, trends, Trunk Shows

Abu-Sandeep Style Directors for GVK Wedding in Hyderabad

May 16, 2011 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for

Hyderabad’s most high profile industrialists, Pinky and Sanjay Reddy (of GVK group) are hosting their daughter’s wedding in June. And here’s the big news, couture kings Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla are designing the decor and sets for the three big celebrations- the Sangeet, Wedding and Reception. The Wedding Managers are Delhi based E-Factor and Hyderabad-based Dinaz Noria and the functions will be held at the expansive GMR Arena and HICC, not at the GVK owned hotel properties (they co-own three Taj properties in Hyderabad). Both the families (groom’s father Indukuri Syam Prasad Reddy runs Indu Projects) have a huge circle of friends and family, so they needed a venue that could accommodate atleast a few thousand guests. The first celebration is Pellikuture (bride’s getting ready ceremony) at the HICC. It is hosted by politician T.Subbarami Reddy (Pinky Reddy’s father) and the highlight of the evening is a Bharat Natyam recital by Hema Malini.

Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla have, over the years, come to be known for their supremely sublime clothes and somewhat surreal interiors (they have designed actress Dimple Kapadia’s home and their home accessories clients include Hollywood stars). Recently, they launched their decadent furniture and accessories line at Sussanne Roshan’s new store The Charcoal Project. But the only time we’ve heard about their involvement for shaadi decor was at Ash-Abhi’s home wedding. A few top couturiers like Tarun Tahiliani have ventured into wedding design & decor. Tahiliani set-up a luxury floral boutique in association with Ferns n Petals and his creative talent was seen at a Munjal wedding, Sanjeev Nanda’s sangeet at a farmhouse and at Krishna Bhupal’s (Sanjay Reddy’s nephew) wedding celebrations at Taj Falaknuma.

Abu-Sandeep also known as the Maharajas of Indian fashion, always maintain that they don’t make garments but heirlooms for their clients like the Bachchans and Mittals, Nita Ambani and Parmeshwar Godrej. What adds to their mystique is that they are extremely selective about who they meet or associate with. Hearsay— they personally meet a prospective bridal client only if her wedding lehenga budget exceeds Rs 10 lakh!

Tags: Abu Jani, Dinaz Noria, E-Factor, GMR Arena, GVK, HICC, Indukuri Syam Prasad, Interiors, Pinky Reddy, Sandeep Khosla, Sanjay Reddy, wedding, Wedding Decor

International Photographers big-focus: Big Indian Weddings

May 15, 2011 Wedding Photographers

Photographing a beautiful Indian wedding is a much sought-after assignment for many international wedding photographers. Some photographers even prefer to make India their temporary or permanent home. Like Cory Goldberg from New York who now lives in Mumbai, Sephi Bergerson from Israel who lives in Goa and UK-based Annie Heslop who stays in India for a few months every year. And those who come regularly look forward to living here someday, like LA-based Dina Douglass at Andrena Photography (recently named as one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World by American Photo Magazine). Says Dina: “There is no place like India. From the moment I step off the plane, I am transported into a world that is unlike any other. The hospitality is incredible and the wedding venues are a photographer’s dream! I am equally excited when I get to shoot in the villages and more rustic areas. The juxtaposition of a gorgeous couple against a rural backdrop is something that creates brilliant images.”

(Left) Dina Douglass of Andrena Photography, (Right) Annie Heslop. (Below) Photograph by Dina Douglass

Cory Goldberg who lives in Khar, Mumbai tells us what he looks forward to most: “Action at the baraat! It’s very intense and as a photographer, it’s important not to get overwhelmed with all the many things happening in so many places. It can get chaotic– but in terms of capturing raw emotion and unforgettable candid moments, nothing beats the baraat.” He adds: “The style in which I work is a combination of candid, photo-journalistic, semi-posed portraiture, as well as a good amount of still life and landscape. I believe it is important when covering an event as dynamic as a wedding, to be versed in more than one style of shooting.” Cory is in India from September through May, and he goes back to the US during the monsoons. He explains: “Although I find the monsoon quite beautiful, my equipment hates the rain and humidity!”

Photograph by Cory Goldberg

Wedding Planners opine that traditionally, India’s wedding photography industry has had a community connection— most clients felt a photographer from their own community would be the best person to photograph the family wedding, but this is changing. And while India’s wedding market may be huge, that doesn’t mean all talented wedding photographers can get many assignments soon. As Prakash Tilokani, one of India’s most successful photographers explained in an interview to WeddingSutra: “Talent is of course one of the most important requisites for success, but you also need to be patient, sensitive and possess an astute business sense to grow and prosper.” Josh Komanappali originally from Andhra Pradesh, lived and worked in the US for 15 years, and he recently relocated to Hyderabad. He says: “In the US, I hardly got a chance to photograph Indian weddings, and it’s an all-new experience here, the market and mind-sets are different but that’s part of the learning experience.”

Photograph by Annie Heslop

Cory, Dina and Annie believe Kodak Better Photography Wedding Photographer of the Year (WPOY) Award is one of the best initiatives for India’s Wedding Photographer fraternity. Says Cory: “I was fortunate to attend WPOY 2010 and pleased to see such an array of genuine talent and innovation among the photographers.” Dina who is the only solo female photographer to make it onto the list of American’s Photo’s top 10 international wedding photographers, is elated to hear that more Indian females are joining the traditionally male-dominated profession: “In 2011, I hope Kodak and Better Photography institute a special award to recognise female photographers, and I’d love to be a part of it.”

Photograph by Dina Douglass

And while they are fascinated by the Indian Wedding, there are other passions and interests that make their India sojourn more enjoyable or meaningful. Annie Heslop spends time teaching photography to children in a school in Orissa, where she lives. She says: “I’m happiest when I’m shopping for Indian spices, music and essential oils, and I love eating out—Bhel Puri and all street food are my favorite.” Cory takes up freelance acting assignments and enjoys seeing music and theatre performances and travelling. He adds: “I’ve been a vegetarian for over a decade, so I prefer eating out in India. When I’m back home I’m always on the look-out for good Indian restaurants and when I find a South Indian thali, I couldn’t be happier.”

Tags: American Photo, Andrena Photography, Annie Heslop, Baraat, Better Photography, Cory Goldberg, Dina Douglass, india, Josh Komanappali, Kodak, Photographs, Prakash Tilokani, Top 10 Wedding Photographers, wedding, Wedding Photographer of the Year, Wedding Photographers, Women Photographers

Bollywood Beauties at Cannes 2011

May 12, 2011 Fashion & Bridal Wear

We know, we know, nothing bridal about Cannes but we are as excited as anyone else about the record number of Bollywood celebrities walking the red carpet this year!

At the opening ceremony Aishwarya Rai looked stunning in a one-shouldered Elie Saab couture gown. The grey colour delicately-embellished asymmetrical gown sits beautifully on Aishwarya’s hour-glass figure. And we love the hair!

Minissha is such a surprise in this delicate champagne color Gauri and Nainika gown. We approve.

Tags: Aishwarya Rai, Bollywood stars, Cannes 2011, Elie Saab, Gauri and Nainika, Gowns, Minissha Lamba, red carpet

Shakira to perform at Big Indian Wedding in Venice

May 9, 2011 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for

This is the fortnight of shaadis @ the world’s most beautiful locales. Last week Steel King Lakshmi Mittal’s brother Pramod hosted his daughter’s wedding in Istanbul, this week his good friend Pramod is hosting a 3-day wedding extravaganza in Venice. Pramod Agarwal is a UK based billionaire and his daughter Vineeta is marrying Muqit Teja; the wedding venue is the San Clemente Palace Hotel & Resort

The wedding spaces@ the San Clemente Palace Hotel & Resort, Venice. San Clemente Church and (below) the dining halls

Lakshmi Mittal’s niece wedding in Istanbul, was an intimate wedding affair, but the Venice wedding is expected to be a grand, bollywood style extravaganza. According to newspaper reports from Italy, over 800 guests will be present ‘at the most incredible wedding’. A huge team of co-ordinators and specialists from Mumbai and Delhi will be there—these include the logistics & hospitality teams, decor king Sumant Jayakrishnan, ace photographers Badal & Raja Jain, DJ Gaurav Malvai and a host of prominent artists. A team of well-known chefs from India will take care of the desi khana, and the Italian vegetarian spread will be created by Italy’s celebrity chef Federico Salza. The wedding festivities commence on 12th May with a welcome party at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia. Singing sensation Shakira will perform on Day 2. The celebrations on Day 3 will be at different spaces in the San Clemente resort, the highlight being a grand show conceptualised and directed by the famous artistic director Franco Dragone.

The Churchyard and (below) the centuries old Park

According to one of the guests@ the Mittal wedding in Istanbul, the event was one of the most low-profile weddings of the Mittal family. There were no Bollywood or International artistes, and it was all about the personal touches, with dance and entertainment performances by the family members. No Mittal wedding is complete without Kolkata’s Munna Maharaj who prepared the North Indian cuisines, the South Indian delicacies were prepared by Mumbai’s celebrated Chef Mutthuswamy.

Tags: Indian wedding, Muqit Teja, Pramod Agarwal, San Clemente Palace, Venice, Vineeta

Junior NTR ties the Knot

May 9, 2011 Celebrity Wedding Pictures

Popular Telugu actor Junior NTR tied the knot with Lakshmi Pranathi at a grand ‘Gold and Purple’ theme wedding at Hitex, Hyderabad on 5th May. The elaborate sets were created by South’s award-winning Art Director Anand Sai, and the décor was done by Hyderabad’s most sought-after Wedding Planner Dinaz Noria.

Junior NTR is the son of N. Harikrishna, the eldest son of late NT Rama Rao, film thespian and the founder of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Pranathi’s father is a Hyderabad-based business magnate and her mother Narne Mallika, is TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s niece. Huge crowds of fans gathered outside Hitex, and the couple walked into the massive venue for the pre-wedding reception at 7.40 pm. Politicians of all hues, film and business personalities greeted the couple, post which the stage was reset for the traditional wedding ceremony that began after 1.00 am.

Pranathi wore traditional heavy silk sarees and gold jewellery for the wedding. For the reception, she chose a lime georgette saree with a pink border and white work teamed with heavy diamond jewellery. Junior NTR wore a white sherwani.

Tags: Anand Sai, Dinaz Noria, Gold and Purple, Hitext, Hyderabad, Junior NTR, Lakshmi Pranathi, Narne Mallika, Pictures, Theme, wedding, Wedding Photographs

The Big Fab Mittal Wedding

May 6, 2011 Celebrity Wedding Pictures

Lakshmi Mittal may be the richest Indian in the world but he became a household name in India, only after his daughter Vanisha’s wedding in 2004 and now, the Mittal family is a ‘dream’ client for all top shaadi specialists. On 5th May his brother Pramod Mittal’s daughter Vartika got married at the luxurious Ciragan Palace in Istanbul. While the media in Turkey went ga-ga about the Steel King’s niece’s wedding, many other events hosted by the Mittal family have been much talked about, some being controversial too! We feature some of them and profile the biggest names in the fashion and shaadi business who make them happen.

Aditya Mittal’s Sangeet@ Victoria Memorial
Five years before Vanisha wed in France, Lakshmi Mittal’s son Aditya wed Megha Patodia in Mittal’s home-town Kolkata. Mallika Sarabhai and Mamta Shankar performed at the sangeet at Victoria Memorial and the wedding venue was the palatial residence of the Jains (of the Times of India group). Some of Calcutta’s citizens reacted with shock at Victoria Memorial’s trustee’s decision to rent out the sacrosanct monument for a ‘shaadi’. “Shameless money power has asserted over good sense” they screamed. “Next, Mittals will want to hire the Taj Mahal”. Mittal paid Rs 9 lakh as rent to Victoria Memorial, and back then, this was a jaw-dropping figure, but Calcutta’s business community quipped that Victoria Memorial trustees were no match for the Mittals and that he got a great deal for a steal!

Bollywood Glamour in Paris
Top notch international performer Kylie Minogue was present at Vanisha Mittal’s wedding, but it was Bollywood glamour that dazzled the guests. The script was penned by Javed Akhtar, music composed by Shankar Mahadevan and dance moves choreographed by Farah Khan. Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla played Aditya and Megha, while Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee brought alive Vanisha and Amit’s romance. Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai with their high-energy numbers and the inimitable Javed Jaffery drew the loudest applause.

Morani brothers orchestrate Big Birthday bash in London
Pramod Mittal 50th birthday was celebrated in Central London and as part of the grand celebration, there was a big bollywood show, Sajid Khan hosted the event, SRK played James Bond, and Bipasha Basu, Celina Jaitley and Dia Mirza were the sexy sirens. The event was orchestrated by the Moranis, Mittal’s favourite event managers who also managed Vartika-Utsav’s wedding in Istanbul.

Trousseau Treasures by Abu-Sandeep
Abu-Sandeep, Tarun Tahiliani and Suneet Varma worked on Vanisha trousseau and bridal wear—the biggest contract was awarded to Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla who design occassion wear for the Mittal family. The Mumbai-based duo designed Vanisha’s wedding outfit and 15 other outfits for her Trousseau. Tarun Tahiliani, designed the lehenga for the doli night, while Suneet Varma made the ensembles for the Sangeet, Bollywood night and the Mehendi.

Munnabhai’s Magic
Caterer turned restauranteur Munna Maharaj is a favourite of high profile industrialists seeking the ultimate vegetarian spread. The Kolkata-based chef’s first big break was in 1988, when he whipped up delicacies for Kumaramangalam Birla’s wedding in Mumbai, but he became known as India’s catering king, when he cast a spell with his epicurean delights at Vanisha’s wedding. Munna flew to Paris with his team of 38 chefs to prepare all the vegetarian meals at the six-day wedding affair, and his signature items Jodhpuri chakki ki subzi, the nine course badam mithai and Lakshmi Mittal’s favourite sweets—misthti doi and rosogulla.

Mittal-Saraf alliance in Mumbai
When Natasha Mittal (Lakshmi Mittal’s brother Vinod’s daughter) got engaged to Varun Saraf (son of construction magnate and Grand Hyatt owner Arun Saraf), Mumbai was looking forward to the Power Wedding of 2010. The wedding was out of the bound for the press, and hence not much is known about the ‘wow’ elements of this wedding, except that it was the classiest and most elegant affair@ Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

Tags: Abu-Sandeep, Aditya Mittal, Istanbul, Lakshmi Mittal, Megha, Morani, Munna Maharaj, Pramod Mittal, Vanisha, Vartika, Victoria Memorial, wedding, Weddings

Steel King hosts Big Fat Wedding in Istanbul

May 4, 2011 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for, Destination Weddings

Vartika and Utsav

Lakshmi Mittal’s niece Vartika, is tying the knot in Istanbul on 5th May. And the buzz in Turkey is that the Steel King’s niece’s wedding is much grander than UK’s Royal Wedding. ‘Wedding fit for a King, niece of the six wealthiest man in the world to wed at Ciragan Palace’ reports a newspaper in Istanbul. Vartika, daughter of Lakshmi Mittal’s brother Pramod Mittal got engaged to Utsav Goenka, in October last year, at one of London’s hottest new exciting venues—The Boiler House in the Battersea Power Station.

Over five hundred guests from around the world have flown in to Turkey for the three-day festivities and three hundred rooms have been booked at Istanbul’s most exclusive hotel Ciragan Palace Kempinski (reports state the Mittals have paid over two and a half million Euros just for the rooms). The festivities commenced with a welcome dinner at the Sait Halim Pasa, a charming mansion. The pre wedding ceremonies– the Bhaat, Mudda Tikka and Mehendi were at the Ciragan Palace Ballroom after which guests were ferried on boats to the Sangeet venue– Suada, the private island. The main wedding function and post wedding cocktails are at the Ciragan Palace Gardens. The Wedding Planners are Meptur Luxury, Turkey’s leading destination management company and Cineyug, the entertainment services company run by the Morani brothers.

Istanbul has become one of the most preferred international wedding destinations for billionaires. The destination offers anonymity and all lavish western comforts; it’s a shopper’s paradise, a gourmet’s delight and a centre of culture with ancient Ottoman palaces, treasury of miniature art and architectural marvels.

Ciragan Palace Kempinski

Tags: Cineyug, Ciragan Palace, Daughter, Destination wedding, Indian wedding, Istanbul, Lakshmi Mittal, Meptur, Moranis, Niece, Pramod Mittal, Sait Halim Pasa, Suada, Utsav Goenka, Vartika Mittal, Venues, wedding, Wedding Planners