Nancy and Ashish, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai
Nancy and Ashish hosted their wedding events at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah Resort and Armani Hotel in Dubai, and their celebrations were marked by warm Arabian hospitality, stunning environs and rocking performers.
Ashish wanted a destination wedding, and so he and bride Nancy zeroed in on Dubai which was a convenient location for both sides of the family who would be flying in from New Delhi and Kolkata. Here, Nancy and Ashish share what went into making their dazzling wedding at the sprawling Jumeirah Beach Hotel so memorable.
How We Met
“Ashish hails from Kolkata and I am from New Delhi. We met through an arranged marriage setting. Our parents first met each other at the Taj Bengal hotel and that gave us time to interact. Ashish and I met a couple of times before finally saying ‘Yes’ to our marriage. Although ours was an arranged marriage, Ashish proposed to me by sneaking out during a meet-up at Taj Bengal and managed to buy me a small ring from the gift shop in the hotel at the last minute. He also got some champagne to mark the occasion and pop the question.”
Wedding Venue
“Ashish was really keen on having a destination wedding in Dubai, UAE, which was very convenient for both sides of the family to travel to from New Delhi and Kolkata. We decided to get married at the beautiful Jumeirah Beach Hotel in the heart of the city. We loved its picture-perfect location, nuances of Arabian culture and warm hospitality which were perfect for our grand celebrations.”
Wedding Functions
Sangeet
“Our wedding celebrations kicked off with a sangeet night at Madinat Jumeirah Resort which had an Arabian theme. Noted Pakistani singer Atif Aslam was the star of the night. We had local dancers, singers and a band from Dubai to entertain our guests. Some family members also performed on Bollywood dance numbers. The energy at our sangeet was infectious and it was hard to spot a single person who wasn’t shaking a leg. The beautiful Arabian theme with ethnic decor elements, and performances by friends and family truly set the stage on fire.”
The bride wore a beautiful pink and blue lehenga, and Ashish wore an all-black jacket and dhoti trouser ensemble for this evening event.
Mehndi
“The next day’s celebrations kicked off with the mehndi ceremony at Jumeirah Beach Hotel that had a beach theme. The decor theme incorporated main colors like teal and yellow which looked beautiful in the sunny outdoors. A live band serenaded our guests and local dancers performed and entertained the gathering. Since this function was held by the beach, our guests got a chance to relax and unwind.”
Nancy wore a vibrant yellow and pink lehenga with pretty tassels, and Ashish wore a white trouser and shirt with pink motifs, a hat and pink scarf to match the breezy, sunny beach vibe. Guests could relax under all-white canopies set up on the beach and decorated with white floral arrangements.
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Cocktail Night
“The cocktail night was held right after the mehndi event. We decided to host this party at the Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa. The guests got a taste of the mix of bhangra and hip-hop in RDB (rhythm, dhol, and bass) style thanks to the band that performed that evening. Chic decor, specialty cocktails, a power-packed performance by the band alongside a beautifully nippy February breeze blended perfectly to make this a memorable night.”
Haldi
“The ‘haldi’ (turmeric application) ceremony was an intimate affair with only our close family members attending. While this ceremony was taking place at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the rest of the guests were taken on a luxurious yacht cruise to relax and enjoy the performances that were arranged on board. This gave them a chance to unwind after which they had to prepare for the wedding ceremony which was taking place the same day,” shares Ashish.
Wedding and Reception
The wedding ceremony took place on the lawns of Jumeirah Beach Hotel and it was a beautiful outdoor setup. The ceremony was a very traditional one and our decor was in sync with that aesthetic. I accessorized my gorgeous red and gold lehenga with a beautiful necklace set, a gorgeous ‘matha patti’ (forehead band) and earrings. I wanted my look to be subtle, and my makeup artist managed to make me look elegant that day. Ashish looked equally handsome in his ornate matching sherwani with gold and green motifs as he made the grand entry followed by a ‘baraat’ (groom’s procession). After the traditional ceremony, we had a reception party where artists like Javed Ali and Ankur Batra performed all night. The performances kept the guests dancing to some groovy numbers and remix songs that evening.”
Advice for Couples
“You can manage everything yourself if it is not too large scale and if you plan well in advance. It is also more fun that way. Also, consider hiring one photographer instead of multiple photographers and videographers as it helps a lot. It gets difficult to sit down and shortlist pictures after the wedding when you have so many photographers sending you a bulk of what they have shot.”
The Wedding Makers
Locations: Armani Hotel Dubai (Cocktail Party), Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai (Sangeet) and Jumeirah Beach Hotel (Mehndi, Haldi, Wedding, Reception)
Wedding Planners: Nidhi Poddar, Satish Ramnani, Vicky Tulsyan (Kolkata), Sudarshan (Dubai)
Decor: Baisakhi Flowers and Roop Chatterjee (Kolkata)
Makeup Artist: Gino Alducente (Dubai)
Bride’s Outfits: Shantanu Goenka, Shantanu and Nikhil, Manish Malhotra, Anjali Arjun Kapoor, Anamika Khanna, Sabyasachi, Nikasha Tawdey Khemka
Groom’s Outfits: Sabyasachi, Shantanu and Nikhil, Shantanu Goenka
Entertainment: Atif Aslam, Javed Ali, Ankur Batra
Photographer: Dev Purbiya Photography
