Ali and Zainab, Hyderabad

With the serene countryside serving as a backdrop, Ali and Zainab’s nuptials had a distinct touch of old-world charm with a modern twist. Replete with luxurious elements, the tender moments at this wedding were captured tastefully and candidly by WeddingSutra Favorite – Ramit Batra whose well-timed clicks ensured that the couple cherished these memories for a lifetime.

How They Met
Zainab shares, “Ali and I started dating in 2015. As I went to the UK to pursue a master’s degree, our relationship became a long-distance one and that somehow played in our favor. It made us realize that we wanted to take the next step in our relationship.”

Wedding Venue
Following a royal theme throughout the ceremonies, the wedding was held against the stunning backdrop of Fort Grand. The reception, however, was held at Taj Falaknuma Palace, an opulent and breathtaking venue with a rich history being the former palace of Nizams.

Wedding Planning
With Mintu Kalra and Marigold Events on the decor, the wedding went ahead smoothly and both Ali and Zainab were extremely happy with the commitment their team showed. On the photography front, Zainab shares, “I checked Ramit Batra’s Instagram page and immediately got in touch with him to check his availability. And he did such an amazing job capturing our fun, emotional and candid moments. He made things so much easier for us as we were busy with the ongoing ceremonies. I think the most memorable pictures he took were during the bidaai time. I still get teary-eyed when I look at those pictures, it makes me relive the moments again. However, the portraits done at Taj Falaknuma Palace are the best. With the venue’s backdrop and Ramit’s expertise the pictures came out to be incredibly gorgeous and elegant.”

Weddings Functions

Haldi
For Haldi, the duo went the traditional way with an ‘all yellow’ theme. Held under the open sky with yellow canopies blowing in the wind and yellow seating areas strewn across the floor, the groom’s haldi ceremony was a casual affair that, both, the young and the old from the couple’s families rejoiced.

Zainab’s haldi, however, was a more formal affair with a solemn entrance where she was surrounded by her girl squad. Bright yellow marigolds dominated the decor as Zainab was happily doused in turmeric by her closest friends and relatives.

The duo chose to don varying shades of yellow for the occasion with Ali wearing a bright yellow kurta and Zainab going for a burnt orange kurta set that she accessorized with floral jewellery.

Mehndi
Following a carnival-like theme that had pops of brightly colored elements, mehndi was a happy and sunlit affair that had the girls gushing over each other’s mehndi designs. Everyone was all smiles as they got henna patterned on their hands and enjoyed the beats of the dhol along with traditional Rajasthani dancers. For the occasion, Zainab chose a pastel green lehenga with gold embroidery on it. She went light with the accessories with a pair of statement kundan earrings.

Sangeet
In true desi style, the sangeet had a ‘bollywood to ballet’ theme which had everyone showing off their best moves on stage. The plush decor punctuated by hues of green and gold made the perfect backdrop for the duo’s relatives who flaunted their dance moves for the couple. As Ali and Zainab took the stage to dance the waltz together, the bride looked radiant in a pistachio green lehenga accessorized with diamond jewelry and Ali kept it simple in a black bandhgala along with a pocket square.

Nikah
For the big day, Ali made an unforgettable entry to the venue in a red vintage car. The couple took their vows in the royal halls of Fort Grand that gave an added touch of royalty to their wedding. With a central stage that had sufi singers on the right and sufi performers on the left, the occasion was an emotional one for Zainab with over 2000 guests who offered their best wishes to the newlyweds.

Zainab’s velvet, wine-colored lehenga with golden embroidery was the showstopper with its intricate design that included pops of pink to contrast the red. She chose to accentuate these pink tones with golden kundan jewellery that had pink dropstones, a maang tikka, and an ornate passa. Ali also pulled all the stops for the occasion with a heavily embroidered red and gold sherwani which he paired with a pearl and emerald necklace.

Reception
The reception was a glitzy event held in the palatial grounds of Taj Falaknuma Palace. With the entire venue swathed in white flowers and golden light, Ali and Zainab looked radiant as they took the stage to be greeted by their family and friends. Greeted by sparklers and an eight tiered cake, the couple also hosted a dinner afterward at the iconic 101 dining table at Taj Falaknuma Palace.

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Fort Grande (Wedding), Taj Falaknuma Palace (Reception)
Décor: Mintu Kalra and Marigold Events
Groom’s Outfits: Tom Ford
Bride’s Outfits: Sabyasachi, Zeefa
Photography and Videography: Ramit Batra

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