Rikin and Dipti, Grand Oasis Cancun, Mexico

Bollywood played a major role in inspiring some of the events and themes at Rikin and Dipti’s lavish wedding at the Grand Cancun Resort in Mexico. The picture-perfect festivities were captured by WeddingSutra Favorite WeddingNama, and bride Dipti shares some details here.

How We Met
“Rikin and I went to medical school together and met in the anatomy lab, literally over a cadaver! For him, it was love at first sight, but for me, it took a year of wooing from his end. But eventually, I couldn’t resist his charm, sense of humor, and determined attitude. We are poles apart. Rikin is a true New Yorker, always on a mission, whereas I am a laid-back Californian. Rikin is a total Gujju when it comes to spending, and I have always been a pampered princess without a credit limit. We could go on about our differences, but it’s these qualities that make us fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Two years into our relationship, I flew to London for a surgery externship. A week later, Rikin missed me so much that he switched his rotations and followed me to London. We spent three months finding every excuse to ditch work and gallivant around Western Europe together. As a result, we felt even deeper in love! There was no looking back after that.”

Proposal
“Rikin proposed to me on January 1st, 2016, under the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York. He had planned out everything perfectly behind my back. He flew down my family from California to New York and invited our loved ones to be a part of this special moment. He got down on one knee and said some really cheesy Bollywood dialogues that I wouldn’t dare repeat. He gave me a gorgeous rock and then I cried – in an ugly way! It was perfect. After the proposal, he hosted a dinner party, where we popped champagne and celebrated with our loved ones all night.”

Wedding Planning
“The whole wedding planning process was a labor of love. In an alternate universe, if I weren’t a doctor, I would have been a party planner for sure. This was my chance to shine and be my wedding planner. I was the creative genius behind the entire production and Rikin, the brilliant executor. We realized that our guests were traveling very far to be a part of our wedding so our goal was to create an event that everyone would remember for a lifetime. We researched and created extensive spreadsheets to keep track of everything. We hosted a competition in our family to come up with a perfect hashtag, and #SunSandShaadi won. We wanted each event and each detail to be a reflection of our love and gratitude. And the results exceeded our expectations. When it came to photography, Rikin and I both agreed that photographers were something that we would not compromise on. We searched all over the USA, Canada, and Mexico but were pretty disappointed with the same-old work everywhere. I came across WeddingNama’s work on Instagram and was hooked. We were so excited by their colorful pictures and unique style. We were even more thrilled when they picked us! They were incredibly flexible and shot all our events in the scorching Mexican heat for five straight days, always with a smile. We gave them full creative freedom and boy, did they deliver! Thanks to them, we have our memories beautifully captured to cherish for a lifetime.”

Wedding Venue
“My family is based from California, and Rikin’s family are in New York, and both of us are currently living in Virginia completing our residency. No matter which location we picked, one side of the family would have had to travel. So we decided to do a destination wedding in Mexico. Getting married on a beach was a no-brainer. The hard work came when we had to decide between St. Maarten, a Caribbean island we call our second home – that’s where we met, went to medical school and fell in love or Cancun. We ultimately chose Cancun because of the ease of putting together a full-fledged Indian wedding thanks to experienced Indian vendors based there. We chose The Grand Oasis Cancun Resort because it had the best beach and a lively vibe. We met with the resort’s wedding department and were impressed with their professionalism and excitement. Initially, we were skeptical because they had never hosted a large Indian wedding before. However, the whole team was so thrilled by that idea, so we decided to take a leap of faith.”

Wedding Functions

Welcome Party & Game night
“Our wedding weekend kicked off with an informal ‘Bienvenidos Fiesta’ (Welcome Party), which took place on a terrace garden surrounded by a koi fish pond. That evening, we handed out personalized welcome bags which contained a ‘Thank You’ message, itinerary for the weekend, map of the resort with event venues highlighted and helpful Spanish phrases, a hangover kit, and customized ‘ladkewale/ladkiwale’ (Groom’s Side/Bride’s Side) t-shirts. We asked our guests to wear these t-shirts to the game night which took place later that night. This event was the perfect icebreaker as everyone got super competitive and comfortable with each other. The dress code for the Welcome Party was breezy and casual for all the guests. Rikin wore a custom-made black sherwani by Arvindbhai Khatri in Mumbai that he paired with his Bajirao-style handlebar mustache. I wore a white ball gown with an Indian twist that truly made me feel like a princess. I paired it with kundan ‘chaand baali’ (moon-shaped) earrings with multilayer ear chains. On the game night, Rikin and I wore ‘dulha’ (groom) and ‘dulhan’ (bride) shirts.”

Haldi & Pool Party
“The ‘haldi’ (turmeric application) ceremony was an informal function held on the infinity deck of the resort with a breathtaking view of the beach. We asked our guests to wear yellow which made for incredibly vibrant pictures. After the function, all the aunties and uncles stripped down to their bathing suits and jumped in the pool, and we all spent the afternoon getting wet and wild! For this event, I wore a traditional yellow and green nauvari saree that I borrowed from my grandmother’s closet. I paired it with my mom’s gold jewellery from her wedding and finished the Maharashtrian look with green glass bangles, a ‘nath’ (nose ring), and ‘chandrakor tikka’ (forehead ornament). Rikin wore a dhoti and lost his kurta when the bridesmaids went crazy painting him yellow.”

Sangeet
“The Bollywood-themed sangeet was held by the pool, and featured a laid-back set up with white lounge furniture and pop-art, colorful, and kitsch decor such as pillows, kites, pinwheels, Chinese lanterns and neon parrots, alongside a Bollywood photo booth backdrop we created ourselves. Our guests enjoyed posing in front of the unique backdrop with fun props that included lots of Bollywood dialogues. On one of our first dates, we watched the Bollywood movie Andaaz Apna Apna and since then it’s been a staple in our relationship. Because of our obsession with the movie, we knew it had to be a part of our wedding. The evening comprised of surprise performances by our guests. Instead of doing speeches, our friends and cousins ‘roasted’ us by sharing hilarious mishaps and jokes about Rikin and I. My sister and bridesmaids put together a skit about a couple that comprised Bollywood dialogues that had all the guests in splits. Our playlist that night was all Bollywood hits from the 90s! For this function, Rikin wore a yellow silk kurta and a Nehru jacket with a long-draped detail from Kora by Nilesh Mitesh. He paired it with a layered necklace that created a royal look. My outfit was from Benzer. I am a Maharashtrian and always wanted the Paithani to be part of my trousseau and also wanted the sangeet outfit to be very bold and colorful. When I saw the green/blue raw silk ghagra paired with a gorgeous pink/orange Paithani dupatta, it was love at first sight. The outfit was so light-as-air that it made dancing all night very easy.”

Wedding
“As Cancun’s ocean and white sand beach have a magnificent beauty of its own, we kept the decor for our Hindu wedding ceremony simple and elegant. Our color theme was pink, peach and red with white flowers which looked striking against the turquoise water in the background. We gave everyone bright parasol umbrellas that matched our color scheme. In addition to providing kulfis, ice slushies, and coconut water, we also gave personal fans that attached to your phone – these were quite a hit. Rikin entered in style on a jet ski and then danced down the beach with his ‘baraat‘ (groom’s procession). The bridesmaids and groomsmen entered the mandap to a choreographed performance. Rikin wore a gold raw silk sherwani from Carron. He paired it with a red and gold brocade dupatta, a kundan and ruby layered necklace, a red turban detailed with a kundan turban ornament and a white feather. I chose a red and gold lehenga from Seasons in Mumbai. Since it was a daytime outdoor wedding, I wanted something light and easy to wear. I paired my lehenga with my grandmother’s kundan ‘laffa’ or choker, green glass bangles, kundan ‘nathni‘ (nose ornament) and ‘haath phool’ (hand jewellery).

Reception
“Our dreamy reception was held on the beach, and we had all-white decor for that ethereal vibe. From the white tiffany chairs, chair sashes, linens, backdrop, Victorian sweetheart sofa, bird cages, and flowers with some peach and blush pink accents – everything was white. We lit up the place with hundreds of candles and had multiple ornate free-standing chandeliers marking the isle and surrounding the periphery of the venue. The evening started on a fun note as we put all our guests’ pictures with their table numbers in a tequila shot so they had to ‘take a shot and take a seat.’ Our first dance was choreographed by one of our best friends. We ended it with the ‘Friends’ theme song ‘I’ll be there for you,’ which is a daily staple of our life. This was followed by very emotional speeches by our loved ones that left us in tears. After that, our guests got up and performed in a surprise flash mob to the hit ‘Badri Ki Dulhaniya’ track. After the reception was over, everyone migrated to the nightclub in the resort and continued the party till five in the morning. Rikin wore a white and black tuxedo from Hugo Boss with a velvet bottle green bowtie and pocket square to match my outfit. He detailed the outfit with D & R cufflinks for our initials. I wore a velvet green lehenga with intricate gold embroidery from Roopkala in Santa Cruz. This was the heaviest outfit of my bridal trousseau but shimmered the brightest all night.”

Wedding Makers
Venue: Grand Oasis Cancun Resort (Mexico)
Wedding Coordinators: O-Weddings (Cancun, Mexico)
Décor: Latin Asia Destination Indian Weddings (Cancun, Mexico)
Caterer: Taste of India (Cancun, Mexico)
Entertainment: DJ Omar
Hair and Makeup: Styling Trio Riviera Maya
Mehndi: Veronica de la Paz (Cancún, Mexico)
Bride’s Outfits: Benzer (Sangeet), Seasons (Wedding), Roopkala (Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Arvindbhai Khatri (Welcome Party), Kora by Nilesh Mitesh (Sangeet), Carron (Wedding), Hugo Boss (Reception)

Photography: WeddingNama

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