Ashna and Brett, Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

From a proposal on a beach in Japan to a beautiful wedding at the incredible Taj Falaknuma Palace hotel in Hyderabad, Ashna and Brett’s wedding celebrations were all about family bonding, multi-culti bonhomie, and breathtaking vistas. WeddingSutra Favorite – Naman Verma Photography captured snapshots from this wonderful event while the bride shares highlights of their wedding below.

How we met
Ashna and Brett both grew up and studied in the US (she at Yale, he at MIT) and now live in San Francisco where they work for tech-start-ups. Brett and his roommates used to cook dinner every Sunday night and invite friends over. One Sunday, four years ago, they invited one of Ashna’s friends who brought Ashna along. It was love at first sight for Ashna – she was totally smitten by Brett’s snicker-doodle cookies!

The two fell in love for real and in May 2017, Brett asked Ashna to marry him in Miyajima, Japan as the sun set. Ofcourse she said yes!

Wedding Venue
Taj Falaknuma Palace is a heritage hotel in Hyderabad. It used to belong to the Nizam of Hyderabad and has played host to royalty like King George V, Queen Mary, Edward VIII and Tsar Nichols II. The couple fell in love with this incredible palace hotel and knew this was the place for their big day.

Wedding Functions

Haldi
In true tradition, the wedding began with a haldi. Held in the beautiful outdoor spaces of the palace, the décor featured fresh flowers in a palette that resonated with the bride and groom’s vibrant outfits. Playful and lively, the underlying sentiment at this event came courtesy Ashna’s choice of attire – her grandmother’s wedding sari! Brett wore light green to complement his bride.

Mehndi
All things bright characterized the mehndi function. The venue by the pool was brought to life with the decor in popping colors, a beautiful seating area for the bride, adorned with colorful Rajasthani elephant hangings, vivid drapes, floral arrangements and more. While the surroundings were vibrant, the bride matched the colorful vibe by wearing a bright yellow lehenga by Anita Dongre.

Cocktail Party
The highlight of the glitzy cocktail party was the stage and the quirky décor details at the entrance. All set for an entertaining evening, with lights and music to match, the performances were scintillating and the guests couldn’t stop dancing until late that night!

Wedding
The décor for the wedding was bucolic – all floral, green and white. Everything was aligned with what they had imagined. All the little details they spent months planning helped but the really amazing thing was that their loved ones travelled great distances to come celebrate with them. They had over 150 guests come from USA, Lebanon, Mexico, and Japan, and the fact that they all came to witness their marriage was such a gift. The couple wanted to make sure each one knew how grateful they were to have them there. The two wrote hand-written letters to every guest who came and left these notes in their hotel room along with a basket of their favorite Indian snacks. Their goal was to make sure every guest felt valued and appreciated, and everyone really loved the personal touch!

Advice for couples
“Our advice to newly engaged couples would be that while the planning process can be stressful at times, don’t sweat the small details that go wrong. At the end of the day, what matters most is all the people you have by your side to celebrate your love. And of course, don’t forget to enjoy the process along the way. Being engaged is such a special and unique time in a relationship – savor every moment of it!”

The Wedding Makers
Venue: Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad
Decor: Dinaz Noria
Bride’s Outfits:  Anita Dongre (Mehndi), Shyamal & Bhumika (Wedding)
Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Photography and Videography:  Naman Verma Photography

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