Tanvi and Tanay, Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort, Indonesia

Tanvi Arora, from the renowned Amrapali Jewels family, wed hotelier Tanay Kapur in a lavish three-day wedding in Bali, Indonesia. Here, the bride shares highlights of the grand affair.

How We Met
“In May 11, 2014, Tanay was celebrating his friends’ birthday at a rooftop pool party in Jaipur. He had just landed from Chicago and was getting himself ‘Indianized’ among his friends. A few drinks later, he heard a foreign accent in the background and proceeded to strike a conversation with her. After all, birds of a feather flock together. A common friend introduced Tanay and me at the party, and then we took it to the bar from there. We’ve spent a lot of time at such fun venues ever since.”

Wedding Venue
“We chose Bali as it was our dream location. Bali, a Hindu island in Indonesia, is also called the ‘Island of the Gods’. It offers a very humble environment and people are very respectful of each other there. We chose Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort for our wedding. Everything seemed conveniently close by thanks to its design, yet the resort did never felt compact or crowded. The use of natural materials and greenery made it more inviting. The hotel also had very diverse venues which made it interesting for us to plan our various functions.”

Wedding Functions
“In order to create an unforgettable experience, we focused on the smaller details so that our guests could have a lasting experience.”

Close Family Welcome Dinner
“The Welcome Dinner was hosted by us for our close family and friends who had arrived earlier. It was held at an outdoor temple in the five-star Alila Villas Uluwatu Resort. To officially start our wedding celebrations, we had a Balinese wedding ceremony at this event that was conducted by a local priest. I wore a pink and green saree by Shivan & Narresh, with jewellery by Amrapali. Tanay’s outfit was by Khanijo & Suket Dhir.”

Welcome Lunch for Guests
“As most guests arrived on this morning, we organized another Welcome Lunch for them at the resort’s Kweezeen restaurant. It was an informal ‘meet and greet’ between the families and all guests.”

Sundowner
“That evening, we hosted a sundowner at the Jewel Box in Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort. The decor was a beautiful blend of rustic and an outdoor beach theme with colors of white, green and wood. Everyone was dressed in white apart from me. Tanay and I both picked Gaurav Gupta outfits for this function – I wore a grey gown and Tanay looked dapper in a white blazer. We organized LED drummers and a fire dance show which was performed by a local Balinese group. After that, the band ‘Mumbai to Ibiza’ performed and wowed all our guests!”

Mehndi Lunch & Pool Party
“The mehndi lunch was held at the outdoor pool area called CCC (Catch, Cut, Cucina). It was a fun event where women wore kaftans and men donned casual shorts and tees.The decor included Balinese flowers and hanging elements in pastel colors like green, pink and rose gold. I entered on the hit soundtrack from the movie ‘Queen’ – ‘London Thumakda’ with my parents, while Tanay was already chilling in the pool! We arranged for flip-flops, fans, and hats for our guests. Some let loose and jumped into the pool, while others enjoyed shisha, massages, games like Spin the Wheel and Tug of War, alongside fun activities that involved kissing the groom’s brother’s forehead or having a shot with the bride’s brother! We had also hired bartenders from Bangkok who added a quirky infusion of Thai flavors like coconut and tom yam in the cocktails. I wore a floral yellow lehenga by Rahul Mishra with jewellery by Amrapali, and Tanay’s outfit was by Rohit Bal.”

Sangeet
“This was held later in the evening at the Kecak Grand Ballroom. We wanted to bring out The Chicago Theatre feel to depict the city where Tanay studied, so the color scheme for the decor was all red. The stage had red drapes with lot of chandeliers, and the tables were decorated with red centerpieces. The surrounding walls were black with starry lights. Tanay and I both wore Manish Malhotra ensembles for the sangeet. We made a dramatic entry with a shadow dance performance. This was followed by an impromptu qawwali performance between guests from both sides of the family, after which loved ones performed choreographed dances. Both our fathers also gave heartwarming speeches at this event. The party continued with Mumbai-based DJ Notorious playing until the early wee hours of the morning.”

Wedding & Reception
“The following afternoon, our pheras were held by the beach side. The ‘baraat’ (groom’s procession) journey was action-filled for two hours! Tanay came in a red Impala, but eventually decided to get up on the DJ truck and spray champagne on the baaratis. I entered in a Mini Cooper. My brothers escorted me to the mandap while holding a ‘phoolon ka chaddar’ (floral canopy) over my head. The inspiration for the mandap was Hyderabad’s ‘Falaknuma Palace,’ and it was designed in colors of baby pink and white, and had a cutwork ceiling, crystal and glass hangings as well as a Ganesha as the backdrop highlight. After the pheras, we had a board where guests could write marital advice for us. The pheras was followed by the reception at the Gamelan Ballroom. The decor for this event followed the same color scheme as the pheras, with baby pink and white flowers, candles, crystals and tall floral centerpieces. The highlight of the night was singer Adnan Sami’s performance. I wore a lehenga by Anamika Khanna and jewellery by Amrapali, while Tanay picked a Shantanu & Nikhil creation.”

Advice for to-be-weds
“Do trust the wedding planner you hire. Remember to pick a good hotel and focus on staying positive and having fun. Don’t get carried away by others opinions. Never assume that everything will happen according to the plan. Weddings are not like a regular event and last-minute changes in schedule are inevitable.”

The Wedding Makers

Venue: Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
Wedding Planner: Innaz Communique (Innayat Khubchandani), Indonesia
Catering: Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort & Queen’s Restaurant, Jakarta
Bride’s Outfits: Shivan and Narresh (Welcome Party), Gaurav Gupta (Sundowner), Rahul Mishra (Mehndi Lunch), Manish Malhotra (Sangeet), Anamika Khanna (Wedding and Reception)
Bride’s Jewellery: Amrapali
Makeup Artist: Natasha Moor
Groom’s Outfits: Khanijo & Suket Dhir (Welcome Party), Gaurav Gupta, (Sundowner), Rohit Bal (Mehndi Lunch), Manish Malhotra (Sangeet), Shantanu and Nikhil (Wedding and Reception)
Wedding Invitations: Divyanka Bedi
Choreographer: Manoj Sharma

Photography: Capturing Emotions, Jaipur

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