The wedding of documentary filmmaker Yasmin Kidwai and Major Atul Gupta of 61st Cavalry at the Le Meridian, Delhi on 7th January, 2004 was attended by the crème de la crème of the capital’s political scene. After all, Imran Kidwai, the father of the bride is the secretary of the All India Congress Committee and her grandmother (naani) is none other than veteran politician Tajdar Babbar. Yasmin also happens to be the niece of political leader Mohsina Kidwai.

Yasmin and Atul at their wedding

The couple met for the first time a year back when Yasmin approached the 61st Cavalry while working on a documentary on polo. Says Yasmin: “While we kept meeting over one year, our decision to get married happened quite suddenly, and our engagement period lasted a little less than a month.”

	Since Yasmin was busy with her film projects and her father busy with the election programme, most of the wedding planning and shopping was done by Yasmin’s mother Shahnaaz Kidwai who runs a boutique at her residence in Alaknanda, Delhi.
Yasmin with her mother Shahnaaz Kidwai at Chauthi ceremony

Says Yasmin: “After having witnessed all the glitzy weddings in Delhi, I was clear about two things. That my wedding would be a simple, personal affair and secondly that I would not go overboard spending on my trousseau.” Interestingly, the bride and her parents did not even design and print a wedding invite. The invitations to all the 350 guests were extended on telephone.

Yasmin's only wedding purchase was a red zardozi saree by Ritu Kumar which she wore for the chauthi ceremony. Her wedding dress was designed by her mother. The pink ghaghara choli made in net fabric and lined with silk, was embroidered with dull gold zardozi work and swarovski crystals. Her accessories included her mother’s antique gold choker set and maang tikka and Delhi's make-up diva Ambika Pillai gave her a simple and minimal look. The fauji groom looked dapper in a Jodhpuri from Lugani's in Delhi's South Extension. Yasmin’s brothers and their friends also got their outfits from Lugani's and had it coordinated with the grooms wear.

Some of the guests who graced the occasion included Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Senior Congress Leader Manmohan Singh, Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, Sofiya-daughter of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mumtaz-daughter of Ahmed Patel.

Major Atul Gupta is presently posted in Jaipur but due to his polo association travels between Jaipur, Delhi and Bombay. Yasmin will continue to be based out of Bombay, and while working on her film projects she will continue to manage Picture Perfect, which she launched with friend and filmmaker Natasha Silvera. Picture Perfect offers personalised wedding videos that involve in-depth, pre and post wedding interviews with the family and friends of the bride and groom. Shot in a filmi-style, the wedding videos made by Picture Perfect contain inserts of interesting stories on the bride and groom, their insights and feelings on their relationship coupled with moments of humour and vignettes of interesting accounts that went into making their wedding event.