Taanvi Chhetri and Adrian Raj, ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru
A minimalistic white church wedding, a regal Hindu wedding to a post-wedding sangeet - this couple’s cross-cultural wedding was an exuberant celebration.
A cross-cultural wedding that exuded warmth and love with every event, Taanvi Chhetri and Adrian Raj’s fusion wedding in August witnessed a plethora of fun-filled festivities where the couple expressed their cheerful personas. Bring their vision of a cosy and joyous celebration to life was WeddingSutra Favorite – Castles and Coasters who guided the couple to plan a memorable three-day wedding. Additionally, WeddingSutra Favorite – Aara Decor and Design seamlessly understood the couple’s tastes and executed a decor that reflected their unique perspectives.
How They Met
Taanvi and Adrian have known each other since childhood but it was only in college that they reconnected. After a few months of a long-distance relationship, the couple decided to tie the knot in a beautiful multi-cultural wedding.
Wedding Planning
Edul Mahudavala from Castles & Coasters shares, “For their three-day wedding festivities, the couple chose Bengaluru which was a safer choice during the pandemic and gave them the flexibility to keep a few events at home. The couple was keen on making the celebrations seem like a destination wedding and hence, they even accommodated their Bengaluru-based guests in the hotel they got married. Their wedding menus were carefully curated to bring a culinary experience for all the wedding guests. Adrian’s family is from Sri Lanka, while Taanvi’s mom is from Bihar and her dad is from Nepal. They wanted the guests to experience the different cultures through food. For example, they had an entire Sri Lankan section with dishes like a live Kothu roti station and Idyappams with chicken curry and sambal.”
Gushing about the planning team, Taanvi shares, “Castles and Coasters were the most incredible team to work with. They comforted us when we were worried about the execution, they presented the most amazing ideas when it came to decor, and they were always available to answer questions and walk us through decisions and changes. We really couldn’t have had our dream wedding without them. I am forever grateful for the love and attention they gave our wedding – they made us feel like family and it was a fun and crazy year with them. They were a part of it all and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Ensuring that everyone was in high spirits as the festivities began was WeddingSutra Favorite – Best Kept Secret who belted our groovy pop tunes that had everyone shaking a leg and humming as they enjoyed themselves to the fullest.
Weddings Functions
Youngster’s Party
Edul shares, “The first function was a youngster’s party which was a sundowner where all their friends and cousins got together and mingled freely. The duo wanted to enjoy themselves with their close ones before the wedding celebration began in full swing and wanted to unwind freely.”
Church Wedding and Reception
Namha shares, “The church wedding was intimate, warm and brimmed with love. The wedding was minimalistic and elegant while the glamour levels were amped up for the reception with chandeliers, pastel shades of flowers and lots of tiny candles. It was planned in a ballroom with the concept of ‘Lavender Light’- a theme that Taanvi and Adrian’s energy inspired. Lavender came in from the wildflowers which signified how two individuals can be different and yet co-exist beautifully blossoming together.
It was grand yet romantic and created a perfect ambience for the evening celebrations where the live band had everyone grooving for almost three hours!”
Mehndi Brunch
The next morning a mehndi brunch was hosted on the terrace. Exuding laid-back vibes with lots of finger foods for everyone to snack on, the event indulged everyone’s taste buds and even had its own taco station. Namha shares, “ Being a traditional function we wanted to incorporate some Indian elements in the decor with bright colours and cutwork panels. Thankfully, the location was on the terrace which meant that we could enhance it to look like a garden.”
Haldi
Edul shares, “The haldi took place in the garden of the home where Taanvi grew up. All their closest family and friends were present and they bonded over those few hours with lovely cocktails and amazing food. Taanvi’s maternal aunt and Taanvi took charge of the decor and it was such a fun experience – a little crazy and worrying at times too. It made them understand the effort and complexity involved in putting together any wedding event.”
Hindu Wedding and Sangeet
The hindu wedding celebration commenced with a baraat punctuated by the dhol beats. Hosted indoors, the decor was royal, rich and majestic. The wedding flowed into an after-party which was the couple’s version of a sangeet. Edul shares the challenges they faced, “ The wedding was set to an outdoor location. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side. The only indoor venue we could shift to was where the sangeet was happening.” Namha adds, “ Within the span of a night we had to merge the two themes of the sangeet and the wedding. The wedding decor was inspired by Sabyasachi – the bride’s favourite designer. But, we wanted to downplay it and, to do so, we used jewel green tones which were enhanced by florals and mixed media to bring in depth. The mandap and the sangeet stage were the same, however, the artfully placed props did the trick and made the fusion seamless.”
Needless to say, the party went on till the wee hours of the morning the celebration met a beautiful, perfect end.
Advice For Couples
Taanvi says, “Weddings are stressful and emotional but it is really about love and togetherness. Start planning early and have a good idea of what you want. Your wedding planners are your pillars of strength through the process, you have to trust them and let them do what they need to. They know it better and if you give them the space, they will do an amazing job.”
The Wedding Makers
Venues: Olive Bar and Kitchen (Youngster’s Party), St. Patrick’s Church (Church Wedding and Reception), ITC Gardenia (Hindu Wedding and Sangeet, Mehndi Brunch)
Wedding Planner and Design: Castles and Coasters
Décor Production: AARA Design & Decor
Groom’s Outfits: Anita Dongre (Mehndi Brunch), Bas Bespoke (Church Wedding and Reception), Sabyasachi Mukerjee (Hindu Wedding)
Bride’s Outfits: Mishru (Mehndi Brunch), BHLDN (Church Wedding and Reception), Sabyasachi Mukerjee (Hindu Wedding)
Bride’s Shoes: Fizzy Goblet (Mehndi)
Jewellery: Shruthi Sushma (Church Wedding and Reception)
Sound: Dj Sasha & team
Entertainment: Best Kept Secret (Church Wedding and Reception)
DJ: Varun Manjunath, Jasmeet Singh Sawhney, Sasha
Photography: Vivek Krishnan Photography
