Nidhi Subbaiah and Lavesh Khairajani, Coorg
Popular South Indian film actress and model Nidhi Subbaiah married her longtime boyfriend Lavesh Khairajani amidst close friends and family in Coorg
Actress Nidhi Subbaiah and Lavesh’s wedding was filled with equal parts of grandeur and fun as it seamlessly fused Sikh, Kodava, and Sindhi customs to orchestrate a breathtaking wedding hosted in Coorg.
How we met
Lavesh saw me at a Christmas party and asked about me. When a common friend told him I was an actress he was a bit overwhelmed. Then I bumped into him again the following June at a friend’s wedding in Mahabaleshwar. I was shooting for a film and asked my friend to pick me up. To my utter surprise I realized Lavesh was my friend’s best buddy and that’s how we got talking.
The proposal
We thought we’d spend New Years together and drove up to my hometown, Coorg. We had an early dinner at a restaurant and I excused myself to use the powder room. While I was away, Lavesh asked the manager of the resort to fill our table with flowers, cheese and champagne. He had a cute little speaker, connected to his phone, which he wanted to use to help propose to me. But his well thought out proposal didn’t go quite as planned. The audio on the phone kept going off but at least it didn’t hinder Lavesh’s attempts. After an hour of trying to fix the audio, he just asked me to look at the stars and silently went down on one knee and asked me to marry him!
Wedding Planning
We started planning four months prior to the wedding. The guest list, decor, lehengas, other outfits, food and signages were all perfectly planned by my family and my brilliant team from Lakiru Events Planners, Bangalore.
Wedding Venue
We wanted a destination wedding and had narrowed it down to two locations- one in Coorg and the other in Goa. However, since I hail from Coorg, and the proposal was in Coorg, we decided to get married there.
We checked out several resorts but the minute we entered The Club Mahindra Virajpet Resort, we knew this was it. The number of rooms in the hotel was ideal for our large families and perfectly complemented the theme of our wedding.
Wedding Functions
Santh Shagun
Lavesh is Sindhi and we wanted a mix of both Kodava and Sindhi wedding traditions. We started the wedding with a Santh Shagun, a Sindhi pre-wedding ritual. Here, an anklet was tied around Lavesh’s right foot, seven married women poured oil on his head, after which he had to break an earthen lamp wearing new shoes. The ceremony culminates with his relatives tearing off his clothes to ward off the evil eye. I wasn’t allowed attend and it was an utter surprise to me when I saw him completely battered and shirtless at the end of the ceremony!
Sangeet
I love fairy lights and so my planner went out of the way to illuminate the lawns with a galaxy of LED and delicate fairy lights to evoke an ‘enchanted forest’. Lavesh and I were escorted to our seats by a saxophonist playing our favorite songs. The night was so much fun with performances by our family and friends.
For the sangeet I decided to go with a beautiful peach lehenga by Dolly J with stunning flower appliques on it. I accessorized with heirloom jewellery and minimum makeup to balance out my glittery attire.
Wedding
We woke up from a fun-filled sangeet party for an early morning baraat that lasted an hour. My entry had been planned for months and was a mix of both our cultures. My brothers were dressed up in traditional Coorgi attire and even performed the traditional ‘Valaga’ dance. It was very special. Our wedding followed the Sikh rituals Sindhis follow so I wore a gorgeous powder pink lehenga from designer Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor and accessorized it with heirloom jewellery comprising kaleeras, nath and a statement gold necklace.
Reception
We hosted our reception at the Crystal Hall in Madikeri. It was an intimate event that included a Ganga Pooja. I wore a beautiful red Kanjeevaram saree that I picked from a local store in Coorg and matched it with a long gold necklace and mogra gajras to give it a traditional twist!
The Wedding Makers
Wedding
Resort: Club Mahindra, Virajpet
Bartenders: The wedding bartenders
Singer: Mateen Kardame
Wedding Planners: Lakiru events, Bangalore
Hair and Makeup: Rajendra Padresi and Jyoti Rajendra Sardar, Mumbai
Videographers: Under One Roof Creative Solutions
Travels: Igoza travels, Mangalore
Outfits:
Sangeet: Dolly J
Wedding: Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor
Reception
Reception Venue: Crystal hall, Madikeri
Decor for reception Venue: Omkar Decoraters
Caterers and bartenders: Crystal Hall
Photographers: Nitesh Square
