Barbie and Nandan, Taj Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur

Barbie and Nandan went from being good friends to being in love. Here bride Barbie shares all the fun, festivities and inspirations that comprised their wedding celebrations.

How We Met
“We met while pursuing our MBA studies. Since the course involved us taking semesters in different countries, we met a lot of people. Nandan and I were acquaintances but got to know each other during our group assignment in Singapore. Our friendship developed into dreamy date nights and gradually into love!”

Wedding Proposal
“Over the course of our group assignments (which involved us having late-night extra-long intimate conversations) I got a chance to know Nandan much better & completely fell head over heels for him. So, the truth is, I chased him and fortunately, he reciprocated my feelings. After a brief long-distance relationship which brought us more closer, we eventually moved into the same city giving our relationship a chance to blossom more. To my absolute pleasure, he proposedto me for marriage and almost after a year and a half of beautiful courtship we finally got married.”

Wedding Venue
“I always wanted a palace wedding and shortlisted places such as Jaipur, Udaipur and Agra. We liked a number of wedding venues, but were completely besotted by the Taj Jai Mahal Palace in Jaipur. Ours was a winter wedding and the open lawns of the palace were just perfect for it. The architecture and the overall surroundings of the place led us to book it as soon as we saw it.”

Wedding Functions

Cocktail Party
“We wanted our wedding to be an extension of our personalities and therefore wanted all the guests to enjoy each of our wedding functions. The décor for the evening was artistically done in beautiful LED lights to give it a club-like vibe. To match the party spirit, I wore a beautiful peach and powder blue tulle gown from Shyamal and Bhumika which made me feel like a modern-day Cinderella.”

Mehndi
“Even though my mehndi took more than five hours to complete, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of its application. I wanted to wear something bright that would complement the traditional floral décor, and went with a beautiful lime green and mango colored Niki Mahajan lehenga. The lightweight nature of the lehenga paired with minimal jewellery made for a beautiful summer mehndi look.”

Sangeet
“My outdoor mehndi function slowly evolved into a ‘concert-like’ sangeet which was made special by some fun and impromptu dance performances by my friends and family. The emerald green floral Sabyasachi Mukherjeea lehenga fit me like a dream! It was not only extremely comfortable but also made me look gorgeous.”

Wedding
“Our wedding was a beautiful amalgamation of both Gujarati and Punjabi rituals. There were two recurring elements in all our functions – great food and unlimited alcohol! Apart from the décor and other logistics, we made sure that our guests felt extremely comfortable and truly enjoyed our wedding. Our mandap was decorated with roses and fairy lights to give it a traditional yet minimalistic appeal. The mango yellow and red lehenga from Frontier Raas was the ultimate choice for my big day as the contrasting colors went very well with my kundan neckpiece and ‘nath’ (nose ornament). Makeup Artist Bianca Louzado did a swell job on me and made me look absolutely gorgeous on all my wedding functions. Since I do not wear makeup on a daily basis, I wanted a simple yet dewy look which she incorporated very well.”

Reception
“We had an intimate reception just an hour after our wedding ceremony. It was an after-party of sorts wherein we both got drunk and just loved the slight buzz during that starry evening. The entire venue was decorated with diyas and fairy lights, which added to the glitz of the evening. I had always wanted to wear a heavily embroidered gown and the green and gold one by Frontier Raas magically complemented my Nawabi-inspired statement necklaces and a passa!”

“A sexy duo who uses their magic wand (camera) to turn your wedding into a fairytale that you cherish for the rest of your life. Shades were the first vendors we finalised, even before deciding our wedding dates or venue. I was so sure of them that my husband believed that I was more sure of ‘shades’ than him. They did make me exceptionally proud of my decision and I still relive each and every day of my wedding festivities because of their amazing clicks.”

The Wedding Makers
Decor Production: The Stage Craft
Location: Taj Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur
Bridal Trousseau: Nikki Mahajan (Mehndi), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Sangeet), Frontier Raas (Wedding and Reception), Shyamal & Bhumika (Cocktail Party)
Makeup Artist: Bianca Louzado

Photos Courtesy: Shades Photography

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