Pooja Acharya and Tanay Gupta, Samode Palace, Rajasthan
Fusing red, white and gold hues seamlessly, this couple’s floral mandap at their palace destination wedding looked straight out of a fairytale!
Canada-based Pooja Acharya and Tanay Gupta’s destination wedding in Rajasthan was regal yet punctuated by fun moments where the couple enjoyed laughter-filled moments with their close ones. With five distinct events that celebrated the journey of their love, their union was planned by WeddingSutra Favorite – Noon Moon Events.
How they met
Pooja shares, “Tanay hails from Calcutta and I hail from Mumbai. As fate would have it, we met in New York while pursuing our undergraduate degree. We first crossed paths during the freshman orientation, became fast friends and there has been no looking back ever since!”
Wedding Planning
Planning their wedding was Noon Moon Events which left the couple impressed with their proactive nature and creativity. Pooja shares, “We wanted a wedding that stood out from the many other weddings we have witnessed. We conveyed to the planning team that everything had to be unique and they, indeed, came through with some great ideas that were flawlessly executed.
Hospitality was also one of our topmost priorities. Events had giveaways for the guests, like colorful sunglasses at mehendi and Haldi, gajras for guests at Haldi to tie around their wrists and colorful bangles for the ladies at the mehendi. Reusable welcome bags were placed in each room consisting of snacks, juice, chocolates, medical kit/medicines and a wedding itinerary.”
Weddings Functions
Mehndi
The bride shares, “The theme of the mehndi took a cue from a desi mela. Various counters, like a parrot tarot card reader, jutti wala, chudi wala, and live chana jor garam kept the guests entertained. On the decor front, we went all out with the colors. This event also doubled as a welcome lunch and we treated everyone to a lavish Rajasthani buffet. The planners arranged dhol players to welcome us and both our families had a fun time mingling.”
Sangeet
Pooja shares, “The sangeet theme was ‘shimmy on’ and we encouraged all the guests to wear shimmery, glamorous outfits. The decor consisted of mirror balls, a majestic unicorn and purple lights that lent a magical glow to the evening. Our entrance was punctuated by fireworks and we had such a gala time dancing to our favorite tunes. The bar served drinks with personalized straws and coasters with our names on them. Additionally, we also added a special cocktail named ‘The Pixie’ to pay homage to our fur baby.”
Haldi
Pooja shares, “With the theme being ‘Morning Glow’ everyone was asked to wear yellow-hued outfits. We wanted to keep the decor very simple for this event and used a lot of fresh flowers to accentuate the look of it. My besties along with Tanay’s best friends and Tanay surprised me with a performance right before the haldi ceremony. Fresh coconuts with our monogram carved on them were served to guests and we were surprised when it turned out to be a hit as we did not expect people to warm up to it quickly given that it was the chilly month of November.”
Wedding
Pooja shares, “The wedding began with a minimalistic safa bandhai ceremony and dhols that were played to signal the beginning of the baraat. Tanay rode atop a vintage car and my family welcomed his entourage with garlands. For my entry, the guests were given bells that they chimed as I walked in. The decor was filled with pastel hues, fresh flowers and bells that were suspended from the mandap. It was an evening ceremony and it was quite beautiful with birds chirping while we did the pheres.”
Cocktail Reception
For the ‘Starry Night’ themed reception, everyone dressed up in their western formals and geared up for a glam night surrounded by natural beauty. Pooja shares, “We wanted the decor to be soft, romantic and vintage. There were round tables with red cloths, huge arches and small hanging chandeliers. A floral wall with LED signage read ‘Some Things are Meant to Be’ while an RnB soul live band entertained the guests. There was a ‘Photo Booth’ as well where people could take instant polaroid photos and stick them on our guest book along with their messages. The bar menu also had drinks named after the cities we’ve lived in.”
Advice For Couples
The couple shares, “Don’t sweat on the little details. Trust the process and get the right vendors who match your vibe. For us, getting the right wedding planners made the whole process stress-free. Also, make sure you eat and drink properly at your wedding!”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: Samode Palace, Rajasthan
Wedding Planner: Noon Moon Events
Groom’s Outfits: Anita Dongre, Arjun Kilachand, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Ted Baker, Raghavendra Rathore
Bride’s Outfits: Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anita Dongre, Arpita Mehta, Anamika Khanna, Ekaya Banaras
Floral Jewellery: Floral Art (Haldi)
Makeup: Meraki by Ritika
Hairstyling: Anitashil Hairstylist
Entertainment: Anirudh Varma, Amira Gill
DJ: DJ Vaibhav
Stationery: HIECO by Simran Monga
Photography: Hitched & Clicked
