Arushi and Palash, Gurugram

Luxurious, and punctuated by heartfelt moments, Arushi Arora Kathal, a former data science consultant, and Palash Kathal, a businessman’s nuptials in the month of July were a joy to behold. Despite a last-minute change of plans due to the lockdown, this duo stayed strong and orchestrated a number of stunning pre-wedding events at the elegant Taj Palace in New Delhi that did full justice to their vision. Photographing every moment of their cheery union was WeddingSutra Favorite – Sumit Productions who with their knack for capturing the right emotions at the right time produced mesmerizing shots. Also, to woo their guests with a magnificent invite was WeddingSutra Favorite – Izhaar By Core Designs who made sure the couple’s lively personalities were expressed perfectly on paper!

How They Met
Arushi shares, “We met via an arranged marriage setup and something just clicked from the very first conversation. We kept talking non-stop for days at first and finally met a month later. Our families met post that, and then we took our own sweet time to understand each other better. I am a typical Delhi girl who never wanted to leave the big city. But surprisingly, for Palash, I didn’t even think twice about making the move to Jabalpur!”

Wedding Venue
In order to experience the best of luxury and fun, the couple chose the iconic Taj Palace in New Delhi to host their wedding guests along with the Sufi night, Mehndi and Haldi events. Arushi shares, “The hospitality at Taj Palace was absolutely flawless, Their staff was extremely humble and courteous which made everyone feel at ease. With its spacious indoor venues and lush lawns, all of us could comfortably enjoy the festivities. Additionally, all the rooms offered picturesque views of the city which our guests loved!” For the wedding and engagement, the duo chose A Dot by GNH in Gurugram and Vijan Mahal, Jabalpur for their reception.

Wedding Planning
Arushi explains, “At first, a destination wedding filled with regal grandeur at Jaipur was on the cards which took us eight months to plan! Unfortunately, the lockdown restrictions were imposed and our wedding plans for the month of May were put on hold. But we were quick to change our plans and decided to move the festivities to Delhi with just seven days to go!”

Arushi and Palash opted for Sumit Productions who knocked it out of the park with stunning shots. The happy bride shares, “While I love getting clicked, Palash is camera shy. But the team of Sumit Productions was fantastic as we didn’t even have to pose for pictures! We got all our wedding pictures and our entire wedding video on our Bidaai day. They planned several surprises for us, like a detailed edit of our wedding day entries and Jaimala which was showcased during our pheras! Moreover, we got a physical album of our wedding on our reception day which was just five days later! The team also created a comprehensive storyboard for all our functions. Having them around was so much fun and we would happily work with them again.”

To make a perfect impression with their wedding invites, they chose Izhaar by Core Designs who left them awe-inspired with their creativity. Arushi shares, “The team at Izhaar by Core Designs is a true pioneer when it comes to designing physical invites. They understood our vision instantly and crafted a design that beautifully complemented our personalities.”

Weddings Functions
Bridal Mehndi
The bridal Mehndi took place indoors where the bride cozily got mehndi applied on her palms along with the other women of the family. With a little help in the decor department from Palash’s mom, the entire space looked fresh and breezy.

Sufi Night
Arushi shares, “The Sufi Night followed a blue and white theme which was accentuated by tassels, Moroccan lamps, white drapes and latticework. Live Sufi performers kept the party spirit high throughout the evening with their soulful tunes. Even the food menu followed the theme with tables laden with Turkish and Lebanese delicacies. This event was a perfect ice breaker as both our families interacted freely and reveled to the music.”

Mehndi Carnival
With a capacity of 403 luxurious rooms that could easily accommodate the entire wedding party, Arushi and Palashs Mehndi carnival at the Taj Palace was a colorful and boisterous occasion. The bride shares, “This function was a riot of colors with ribbons, dream catchers and macramé elements dominating the decor. A giant Jenga and other board games kept our guests entertained while quaint chaat stalls along with cocktails pleasured their taste buds. Both our families danced to the beats of the Dhol while I was getting henna applied.”

Cocktail and Engagement
Arushi shares, “Apart from the rituals, family performances were planned. Our parents danced together merrily, our siblings showed off their moves, even as the father-daughter dance left everyone emotional. Palash and I also took everyone by surprise as we closed the performances with a cute act of our own. Manj RDB added fire to the stage and the crowd wouldn’t stop dancing. Additionally, the Bolly Jammers had everyone setting the stage on fire for the after-party.”

Chooda
Simple, intimate, and heartfelt, the chooda ceremony was filled with joy as everyone gathered around the bride and blessed her. Hosted indoors at Taj Palace’s ‘Shah Jehan’ banquet hall, this occasion was elegant, minimalistic yet plush.

Haldi
Brimming with smiles and in sync with tradition, the Haldi had everyone at their cheerful best as they playfully smeared the bride and groom with turmeric. Arushi shares, “It was an all-yellow floral décor, and the bright marigolds added the perfect amount of cheer. We both had so much fun bombarding each other with petals! Rajasthani chaat added a traditional Indian touch while live singers serenaded us.”

Wedding
Arushi recollects, “We wanted a perfect royal affair and I’m happy to say, that is exactly what we got. The baraat was upbeat and a pyro shower was set up at the entrance to welcome them. Palash made a grand entry with his family in tow while I entered seated on a chariot. However, the Varmala ceremony was the highlight as it was replete with grandeur and went off exactly as we had envisioned it! We’d always foreseen our parents shedding tears of joy at this moment, and luckily enough, this tender moment was perfectly and very sensitively captured on video!”

Reception
The celebrations ended on a high note with the couple hosting their final event, a glamorous Reception, at the groom’s home city of Jabalpur. Adorned with twinkling lights and blooms, it was truly an enchanting event!

Advice For Couples
Arushi advises, “Always plan everything ahead of time as you never know what’s going to happen at the last minute! And for the brides, please buy your heels before ordering your lehengas and do visit a dermatologist at least six months before your wedding. Moreover, talk to your makeup artist and convey your concerns clearly.”

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Taj Palace, New Delhi (Sufi Night, Mehndi, Haldi); A Dot by GNH, Gurugram (Cocktail and Engagement, Wedding); Vijan Mahal, Jabalpur (Reception)
Wedding Planner: Encasa Events
Décor: Ferns N Petals
Groom’s Outfits: Shantanu and Nikhil (Sufi Night), Amaare (Mehndi Carnival), Kunal Rawal (Engagement and Cocktail), Ankit V Kapoor (Haldi), Rohit Bal (Wedding, Reception)
Bride’s Outfits: Yoshita Couture (Sufi Night), Aneesh Agarwaal (Mehndi Carnival), Amit Aggarwal (Engagement and Cocktail), Rimple and Harpreet Narula (Wedding, Reception)
Jewelry: NakhreWaali (Sufi Night), Kamal Palwal Jewellers (Mehndi Carnival, Reception), Nirakara Jewellers (Engagement and Cocktail, Wedding), Fooljhadi (Haldi), PC Jewellers (Reception)
Floral jewelry: Fern N Petals ( Mehndi)
Makeup: Makeup by SP Eastland
Mehndi: Mehndi: Shalini Mehndi Artist
Entertainment: Bismil Band (Sufi Night), Alisha Arora (Mehndi), Sanchita Hazra (Mehndi), Manj Musik (Engagement and Cocktail), Bolly Jammers (Engagement and Cocktail), Jea Band (Wedding), The Storytellers (Wedding), Swaraag (Wedding)
Wedding Invitations: Izhaar by Core Designs
E-Invite and Wedding Stationery: Customizing Creativity
Photography and Videography: Sumit Productions

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