Rutuja and Sanket, Udaipur

A typical case of opposites attract, Rutuja and Sanket belong to different professions and have different likes and dislikes. But they are similar when it comes to matters of the heart which is all that matters for this duo. Theirs is an arranged-love marriage that had an abrupt start and found its happy ending in a grand wedding in Udaipur, planned & Designed by Weddingsutra Favorite – Dreamzkrraft. Scroll below to read about their love story.

How They Met
Rutuja shares, “We stayed in the same area around 10 minutes apart from each other. It was my mother who insisted I meet him as she’d come across his profile via family friends. Till then, I was not looking to get married and was studying for my master’s degree but there was something about his smile that caught my attention. Incidentally, this picture that I first saw him in was clicked in Udaipur which is where we eventually tied the knot. Our first conversation came to an abrupt end, but I managed to connect with him later that night again and from then, we haven’t looked back.”

The Proposal
Sanket popped the question in a romantic proposal that Rutuja couldn’t help gushing about. “He proposed to me when we were just two months into the relationship. He had decorated his house with flowers and balloons that had our photos on it along with romantic movie dialogues. At the end of each this quiz, I found a big photo frame that had a collage of all my childhood photos and as I looked at him, he was on one knee with a ring and a bouquet of flowers. I was so lost for words and could only keep saying ‘yes!’”, shares Rutuja.

Wedding Venue
Rutuja had always dreamed of a regal Indian wedding with the royal architecture of Rajasthan serving as a backdrop. She says, “Back in 2004 when I visited Udaipur with my grandparents, Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon was getting married there and I had seen her wedding from the City Palace. Everything looked so grand, and that very moment I had made a promise to myself that I would one day, get married just like her at the Jagmandir Island Palace someday.”

Wedding Planning
“We had the best team we could ever have, and everyone was efficient and hardworking. Dreamzkrraft did their job beautifully and were very meticulous in their planning. They made sure to incorporate even the most minute suggestions and treated us like royalty. DJ Aman Nagpal made sure every one of our guests shook a leg to his beats and his music made each party come alive. HRH Group took good care of our sangeet and wedding catering in Udaipur. Our guests in Udaipur were hosted at Radisson Blu Palace Resort and Spa and The Lalit Laxmi Vilas Palace. The Wedding Story was with us to capture all the precious moments right from the gol dhana to the reception”, says Rutuja.

Wedding Functions
Pre-Wedding Festivities
The pre-wedding celebrations included a lagan lakwanu ceremony on the groom’s side and a Kankotri ceremony in which the wedding invites were given out. In lieu of the bride’s love for Swarovski crystals, her father designed an invite with a Swaroski crystal heart, and enclosed within was a smaller crystal heart. This design was executed to perfection by Entertainment Design Company. These invites were then presented to the deities and the groom’s side in a nostalgic ceremony that re-lived Rutuja’s childhood memories. Rutuja looked radiant in a maroon velvet lehenga with floral motifs as she gracefully twirled about for a picture with Sanket in his beige kurta. The ceremony stayed true to the traditional theme with floral decor and colorful seating arrangements for the guests.

Cocktail Party
With the theme aptly named sunset glam, the cocktail party with DJ music was a glitzy affair at Aer, Four Seasons, Worli. The bride and groom showed off their glamorous side as Rutuja donned a heavily embroidered silver gown and Sanket paired a checkered blazer with maroon pants and a pair of breezy loafers. The decor was ultra-modern, and the location of the venue gave guests a 360-degree view of the Mumbai skyline. With Sanket and Rutuja’s friends sharing interesting anecdotes, the party was a gleeful affair with plenty of laughter and music.

Haldi (Bride)
Decorated in hues of yellow and orange, the bride’s haldi had a distinct floral theme to it. A light and breezy affair, the bride donned a vermillion red lehenga with golden floral embroidery and accessorized it with floral jewellery. As the Haldi application commenced, she slipped into a simple one-shoulder lehenga that matched the hues of the marigolds that were generously scattered across the house.

Welcome Party (Hawaiian theme)
After the round of celebrations in Mumbai, the next stop was Udaipur where everyone was welcomed with a Hawaiian themed ‘welcome party’. Complete with quirky cocktails, cane hats and colorful decor, the party had everyone dancing with neon flower garlands around their neck in true Hawaiian style. The checkered floors complemented the colorful canopy beautifully as the hula dancers showed their moves on the dancefloor. Both the families also joined in on the celebrations with dance performances that floored the bride and groom. Dressed in a light pastel blue outfit and cat-eye glasses, Rutuja entered with Sanket to the tunes of the saxophone. Keeping in mind the casual theme of the party, Sanket wore a white embroidered kurta and paired it up with wayfarer sunglasses. These festivities were later followed by a DJ night where everyone had their dancing shoes on again grooving endlessly to the rhythm on the dance floor.

Haldi (Groom)
Overlooking the white marbled palatial architecture was Sanket’s haldi ceremony which was decorated with orange marigolds and a variety of other yellow hued flowers. The breathtaking dome at Radisson Blu with its luxurious chandelier made quite the statement as the groom and his family posed for pictures. Following his bride’s cue, Sanket donned a yellow kurta and was happily smeared with haldi by his family members.

Mehndi
The mehndi was a purely Gujarati affair with the theme being ‘traditional Gujarati prints’. The decor was filled with pops of color with a canopy of red and teal drapes paired with traditional furniture. There was also plenty of entertainment for the guests with a ‘Spin the Wheel’ game, caricature artists, fortune readers and DJ Aman Nagpal belting out groovy tunes. Peppered with quirky Indian elements like floral pinwheels and truck fruit basket, the ceremony channeled youthful vibes. The bride and groom were a picture-perfect happy couple as they made their entry on a painted rickshaw decked with flowers. Rutuja wore a teal blue and mustard yellow lehenga with a heavily embroidered red and gold dupatta. She accessorized her outfit with heavy kundan jewellery with blue and red teardrop stones and a pair of cat-eye sunglasses. Sanket on the other hand, donned a teal blue embroidered bandi kurta with white trousers.

Sangeet
The sangeet was an unforgettable affair with renowned artists Sachin and Jigar giving live performances at the Zenana Mahal that left everyone spellbound. Held in the City Palace, Udaipur, this event followed a royal theme with antique candelabras, luxurious rugs and ornate wallpaper. Rutuja’s eye-grabbing outfit was the highlight of the evening with its elegant design while Sanket looked dashing in a patterned velvet black jacket paired with white trousers for the evening.

Wedding
Held at the impressive Jagmandir Island Palace, the couple tied the knot under a canopy of flowers with Dharini Thakkar reciting the wedding chants in the traditional Gujarati way. Everything about the occasion was an ode to the inherent regal theme. With her red and gold lehenga paired with statement Kundan jewellery that included a nath, an ornate necklace, a maang tikka and a passa, Rutuja was the perfect royal Indian bride. To make sure that all the attention was on his stunning bride, Sanket chose to keep it simple with a gold sherwani and a red turban. The glimmering lights of the palace lit up the entire venue as the bride and groom exchanged garlands under a domed arch with a floral backdrop. A wish that Rutuja made years ago, just came true at this magical evening.

Reception
For the reception, Rutuja and Sanket left no stone unturned as they celebrated the end to their perfect wedding with an opulent party at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. Keeping in mind the royal theme with floral accents, the stage had a palatial backdrop created completely with flowers. The newlyweds made a sparkling entry and Rutuja looked radiant as she was serenaded by her husband.

Advice for Couples
Rutuja shares, “My biggest tip is to choose wisely, prepare a list of things you always wanted and book things well in advance. Stay calm on the main day and rest assured things will go the way you wanted.”

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Aer, Four Seasons, Worli (Cocktail), The LaLiT Laxmi Vilas Palace (Welcome Party), Raddison Blu Palace Resort and Spa (Family performance, DJ Night, Groom’s Haldi, Mehndi), Sangeet (City Palace), Jagmandir Island Palace (Wedding), Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai (Reception)
Wedding Planner: DreamzKrraft
Décor: DreamzKrraft
Caterers: HRH Group
Groom’s Outfits: Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla (Dear Dikre), SS Homme (Cocktail), Manish Malhotra (family dance), Kunal Rawal (Mehndi), Gaurav Gupta (Sangeet), Sabyasachi (Wedding), Raghavendra Rathore (Reception)
Bride’s Outfits: Sabyasachi (Dear Dikre), Kresha Bajaj (Cocktail), Dolly J (Haldi and Welcome Party), Sabyasachi (Wedding)
Jewellery: Sabyasachi Jewelry, Jaipur Gems, Anmol Jewellers
Floral Jewellery: Floral Art by Srishti (Haldi)
Makeup: Ojas Rajani (Cocktail), Rekha Shah (Haldi), Hriya Marfatia (Mehndi, Wedding, Reception, Sangeet)
Hairstyling: Ritika Kadam
Mehndi: Harin Dalal
DJ: DJ Aman Nagpal
Wedding Invitations: Entertainment Design Company

Photography: The Wedding Story

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