Zubin and Aashna, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

After falling in love the traditional arranged marriage way, Zubin and Aashna chose to celebrate their union surrounded by history and heritage.

Here, the couple shares some highlights from their extravagant wedding celebrations designed by Yolo Entertainment & Weddings, The Wedding Co and WeddingSutra Favorite Vivaah.

How we met
An arranged marriage setup, Zubin and Aashna met a few times in Mumbai as well as in Delhi to learn that they were truly meant for each other. Their growing fondness for each other lead to the beautiful breathtaking roka for a select few close family members and friends at the Taj Lands End, Chambers room, followed by an extravagant celebration at the Taj Lands End Ballroom, the onset of the #A2Z celebrations!

Proposal
Zubin enjoys planning and logistics and managed to pull off a grand proposal in one of the most picturesque destinations in the world – the Maldives. What the bride thought was going to be a pre-wedding shoot at the Taj Exotica, Maldives turned into something much more. A private cruise, champagne, flowers and then Zubin surprised her with a ring. And that was the start to their Happily Ever After.

Wedding Venue
The couple chose the royal, prestigious Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur for the wedding while the Sangeet was held at the most renowned and splendid Mehrangarh Fort. The reception was hosted in Mumbai at Jade Gardens in Worli as over 1,000 guests from across the world and the crème de la crème attended the function.

Wedding Functions

The Masquerade Ball
The color theme for this evening was Black, Gold, Purple, and Red. The party began as guests were dropped off to the porch of the Umaid Bhavan Palace in a stunning vintage car. They were then ushered to the pre-function area at the Palm Court by glamorously dressed hostesses. Here, they kick-started the night by welcoming the bride-to-be and groom who entered the Royal Palace to the sound of a magical symphony.

Champagne popped and then the one and only, world famous trio – Paris House Addict, had everyone on their feet in the Marwar Hall. The Fountain Courtyard was set up beautifully for loungers who enjoyed their Led-lit sheeshas by HookahRoyals while the bar flowed with alcohol. The chandelier champagne bar was the highlight of the evening as a skilled suspended acrobat served guests throughout the night. Masked in mystery and draped in decadence, the masquerade ball was nothing short of magical.

Pool Side Brunch
Cabanas supported by mirrored pillars that sparkled and set off reflections of the sky, past pink florals and a specially curated bar by the Wedding Bartenders meant the pool-side Drunch was off to a great start. Guests loved their breezy daiquiris, martinis, mimosas and specialities like the interactive Mimosa Bar, Gin & Tonic Bar, Martini & Marguerita Bar and the Sangria Bar. A worthy rival for its attention was the Sheesha Bar with its larger than life hookahs and themed floral sheeshas to set the vibe.

Zubin and Aashna were welcomed to their party by Mirror Man and Mirror Woman. DJ Julia Bliss made one and all groove to her music and the Djembe drummers and beautiful hostesses added to the decadent ambience of this afternoon. The food area was beautifully done up with shades of pink, mirrored tables – rectangular and hexagonal with pink florals.

Sangeet
Guests came together at the porch in front of the humongous gates of Mehrangarh Fort for the sangeet. An Army Band played and as Zubin and Aashna arrived, the Kanchi Godhi dance troupe performed for a touch of local flavor.

The couple’s parents opened the doors of the Fort to begin the procession in true Rajasthani style with folk performances to rousing tracks from Ghoomar to Kalbeliya while local entertainers welcomed the procession.

The rampart was set up, ready with chaat and drinks and the instrumental fusion band Indian Jam Project began to play. An hour later, the procession headed by the bride and groom walked towards the main concert hall past a succession of cold pyros that paved either side of their walkway. The elegant and dramatic entry was to a remix of the evergreen track – Dildaara with Stand by Me.

The Sangeet culminated with a beautiful solo performance by the bride followed by Zubin and Aashna performing to the most romantic track of the season ‘Hawaayein Hawaayein’.

The turning point of this evening was the heartthrob Guru Randhawa, who took one and all by storm with his power packed performance. Dj Aman Nagpal and his band set the dance floor ablaze with his popular chartbusters.

Pheras and After Party
The Baraat procession was worthy of a Maharaja. The line-up saw a fleet of vintage cars, a horse-drawn, individual horses, elephants and camels. The most famous Sunder Band of Jodhpur origin and Lavasma were on hand for the royal touch. Starting from Lancer Lawn to the gates of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, guests danced to the tunes of DJ Aman Nagpal and his dhol walas playing evergreen Bollywood medleys and remixes.

At the Palm Court, the groom was welcomed by beautiful shamadan girls who escorted him and the entire procession towards the Rotunda where the Baraatis were welcomed with gifts, garlands, sweets, royal necklaces and the signature flower shower to close the rituals for the evening.

The groom watched the bride enter in her specially designed Palki on the most popular bride entry track ‘Din Shagna Da‘. Cold pyros paved the way towards the Varmala Bridge created. The Varmala exchange set the sky ablaze with spectacular fireworks perfectly choreographed to the tunes of the chartbuster ‘Sky Full of Stars’ leaving one and all mesmerized.

Reception
The theme for this celebration was Garden Diaries. The fervor continued in Mumbai at Jade Gardens, Worli, where in guests flocked in, wearing bow-ties and gowns to congratulate and celebrate the newlyweds. The decor saw a garden of flowers from tulips to hydrangeas to lilies. The setup of cabanas, the bar, and other seating was entirely in white offset by lavender florals and lighting to create the most romantic mood.

The evening was set ablaze by the popular girl band, Silver Strings who drew the guests’ attention with their high tempo Hindi – English mash-ups which then led to the famous WeddingSutra Favorite DJ AJ making one and all dance through the night.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better 3-day extravaganza for my brother. I loved every minute of it. The planners onboard ensured every event flowed seamlessly and as planned at the onset so that we could enjoy the celebrations.” adds Natasha, Zubin’s Sister.

Advice to Couples
“Start the process and planning well in advance for a destination wedding. Choose a wedding planner who resonates with you, is on the same wavelength and then trust their expertise. Also, do a thorough recce of the place chosen. It is essential to be absolutely clear about what you want in order to achieve the best results.”

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Mehrangarh Fort (Sangeet), Umaid Bhawan Palace (Wedding), Jade Garden, Worli (Reception)
Wedding planners: Jueta & Pratik from Yolo Entertainment & Weddings and The Wedding Co.
Wedding Decor & Event Production: Vivaah
Entertainment: DJ Julia Bliss, Indian Jam Project, Dj Aman Nagpal, Guru Randhawa, Silver Strings, DJ AJ
Choreographer: Binaisha Deshmukh Dance Company
Fireworks Show: MORANI Fireworks by Azan Morani
Sheeshas: HookahRoyals (Delhi NCR)
Invitation Designers: Malaga Arts a.k.a Mars arts
Wedding Hampers: The Wedding Lounge by Urvi Sethi
Makeup Artist: Tejas Shah
Brides Outfit: Tammana Kapoor Bhatia (Sangeet), Sabyasachi (Wedding)
Grooms Outfit: Manish Malhotra (Masquerade Ball), Shantanu and Nikhil (Sangeet), Tarun Tahiliani and Sabyasachi (Wedding)
Photography: Ram Bherwani

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