Tanya and Vatsan, Indana Palace Jodhpur

No points for guessing why Tanya likes to call her nuptials the ‘2 States Wedding’. Her wedding to Vatsan however, was a masterclass in seamlessly blending customs and rituals from two diverse cultures in the same country. It exemplified the harmonious coexistence and immense mutual respect between the families. There’s perhaps no more important aspect of a strong relationship.

Infinite Memories shares with us the most poignant moments from the nuptials as Tanya tells us all about the wedding.

How we met
We’re both mechanical engineers from BITS Pilani, Goa, but we saw each other for the first time at the company we’d been placed together. It was love at first sight. There was an instant connection and sparks flew. At work, eight of us shared an alma mater and we automatically formed a clique. This was an easy excuse for the two of us to hang out together and as we got to know each other better, love grew. Soon we were making excuses to spend time alone – hanging out over a chai and somewhere between all those tea breaks, we realized we’d found our ideal match.

Proposal
A while later, I decided to pursue a career in modeling and Vatsan went away to America to set up his own venture. We started discussing the way ahead for the two of us and the topic of marriage came up. Vatsan approached the proposal like a typical Indian romantic. Our families were involved from the outset and a dinner meeting was arranged. I had no idea what was about to happen but everyone else was in on the surprise. When we got there, Vatsan suggested we all pose for a photograph and just as the entire family was ready for the picture, he went down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I loved everything about the moment! But especially the ring! I’d often told him about the kind of ring I had in mine and he’d had one customized to my taste!

Wedding Venue
We chose Jodhpur to get married in. My paternal side of the family is from there and I have a close association with the city. Also, with Vatsan’s family being from Chennai, I thought a wedding there would be a unique experience for them. Mostly, I’d always dreamt of a royal wedding and there’s no place better than Rajasthan to achieve that. Nothing less than a palace would do and after seeing several properties, we decided on Indana Palace Jodhpur. The moment I saw it, I could imagine my wedding functions here. The architecture is stunning and there was adequate accommodation for all our guests. Also, the property was huge enough to provide a different venue for each of our events which brought a touch of uniqueness to each one. The courtyard where we had our pheras was definitely the most breathtaking. The platform in the center is surrounded by a water feature and is perfect for the rituals. The Taj Mahal was the inspiration behind the design of this venue and it truly looks grand.

Wedding Planning
People think they’ll be able to handle every little thing at their weddings but there is so much to look after that it’s just advisable to hire planners who will take the load off you. Our Udaipur team, Yesha D Weddings stood out from the rest because they understood our traditions and helped execute them perfectly. The planning took an entire year and I was involved in the process right through, always ready with pictures and references for anything I wanted. I have to say I got a lot of my inspiration from WeddingSutra! Our photographers Infinite Memories handled our memories from the pre-wedding shoot in Thailand all the way to the vidaai. Mohit and his team were there when we needed them and the pictures are proof of a job well done! The team’s commitment stands out. They were always there – whether it was a small puja at 6 ma or the after party past midnight. Someone was always capturing the moments that a less committed team would have missed. Their professionalism was always evident and we just relaxed knowing they’d be there. There was not one time in the whole event that we had to go looking for them. As we started receiving the photos (which was also on time, if we might add), there were so many pictures to which our reaction as “whoa!” and “yeh kab hua!?” Mohit and his team have our highest regard and we would love to work with them again!

Wedding Functions

Mehndi
We had a Rajasthani Mela theme for the mehndi and for real authenticity, we skipped the DJ and had ghoomar dancers and folk musicians. It really got the mood going. The dancers performing in the middle of the hall got everyone excited and encouraged them to shake a leg too. We got lac craftsmen to set up a station at the function and make bangles for the ladies right in front of them. We even had a couple of games like balloon shooting and for the classic ‘Ring Toss’ except we switched small souvenirs with miniature bottles! The experience was fairly new for Vatsan’s family and my friends and it was a true taste of Rajasthan. I wore a pink lehenga with a mint green dupatta and to complement my attire, Vatsan wore a white kurta pajama and paired it with a floral mint green Nehru jacket. We wanted the whole function to be very colorful and so we even asked our friends and family to wear clothes in a kaleidoscope of color.

Sangeet
The decor was peach and white and complementing the set up was my beige lehenga that I paired with a peach dupatta. Vatsan wore a blue tuxedo. When it was time for the function to begin, our friends entered in pairs, dancing to the beats of ‘Let’s Nacho’ and at the end of the trail, we entered! Everyone was thrilled by this! Another really fun performance was the Girls Vs Boys medley our choreographer had prepared. The highlight, however, was Vatsan’s bua, Nandini Sridhar’s performance. She is a professional singer, the voice behind several Bollywood hits like ‘Jo Bheji Thi Duaa’ from the film Shanghai and ‘Bhare Naina’ from Ra One. Vatsan and his brother (who is an Indian idol finalist too) joined in and our guests were taken to a musical paradise via our sangeet!

Haldi and Janeu Pooja
These events happened simultaneously. While Vatsan sat for the Pooja, I had a Haldi. The pooja was very ritual oriented and there was no theme to it. For the Haldi, however, the obvious choice was ‘Yellow’; the bright yellow decor and yellow clothes perfectly matched the cheer that surrounded this function.

Pool party
We asked everyone to show up in resort-wear for our pool party. We wanted an easy, breezy vibe and we passed around a whole bunch of Hawaiian garlands, feather boas and colorful sunglasses. This function was packed with madness and fun!

Baraat
For the Baraat Swagat, I wore a rani pink lehenga. After a muted sangeet outfit, it was time to play up the colors and drama. I was going for the absolute Rajasthani Royal appeal. The outfit had intricate gold work and I amped up the opulence by accessorizing with a mathapatti and a heavy necklace. Vatsan wore a sherwani that featured heavy work on it as well. For his entry, we initially considered a vintage car but then thought his family would miss out on the authentic North Indian style wedding so we went ahead with a ‘ghodi’.

Pheras
The baraat was a totally North Indian one but our pheras were a nod to South Indian customs. We did the rituals in their entirety – the Kashi yatra, my father bringing Vastan back, changing the saree within 11 minutes – everything. I loved that we went ahead with this instead of the North Indian pheras. Not only was this so much more interactive, despite being rooted in tradition, it was also a new experience for my side of the family. My family and friends wore silk sarees for this function to honor traditions that Vatsan’s family believes in.

Advice For Couples
Get married to a person with whom you are very compatible. Minor adjustments will always have to be made but if you really get along well with someone, those things don’t really matter as much.

The Wedding Makers
Wedding Venue: Indana Palace Jodhpur
Wedding Planner: Yesha D Weddings
Wedding Photographer: Infinite Memories

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