Bhakti and Vishnu, Della Resorts, Lonavala

The Bhakti and Vishnu wedding at Della Resorts, Lonavala, was a four-day affair with eight events, over 45 vendors, all planned within four months! The couple’s love story also makes one believe that some love stories are written in the stars! Helming the planning and design was WeddingSutra Favorite – Janvi Dave – Weddings & Events.

How They Met
Vishnu had a liking for Bhakti right from their school days. School wasn’t their only common ground. Their fathers are friends and business associates, and, during a trip when they were in college, Vishnu and Bhakti interacted for the first time. From then on, they secretly started talking to each other, but only over the phone. They didn’t meet alone face to face ever. This ended after a while as Bhakti was not ready to have a relationship. But as fate would have it, their parents arranged their match! And so, the couple kept #ItWasMeantToBe as their wedding hashtag.

Wedding Planning
Janvi Dave of Janvi Dave – Weddings & Events, says, “The bride’s and groom’s families are from Morbi in Gujarat, but call Hyderabad their home. We suggested Lonavala as a venue option, which the family loved. They loved the idea of hosting the wedding at Della Resorts, Lonavala as this would be a new and unique location for their guests as well.”

The wedding theme was centered around travel, as all the guests would be journeying to the celebration. The e-invite creatively featured Lonavala and a train, reflecting the fact that most guests were traveling by train from Hyderabad to Lonavala. The itinerary was designed like a treasure hunt map, where guests followed a route to discover details of each upcoming event. Even the hamper boxes were customized to resemble suitcases, perfectly complementing the travel theme.

Wedding Functions
Family Welcome
The family received a Maharashtrian-style welcome with Dhol Tasha and Nashik Dhol. The guests enjoyed it so much, they played Garba on it for almost an hour.

Mehendi
The celebrations began with an intimate gathering of close family—a cozy soirée that set the tone for the festivities. The team chose to infuse the event with a macramé and boho theme, adding warmth and a laid-back charm to the evening.

Lagan Lakhwanu
The décor for this function was South Indian as the bride had expressed her love for the South Indian aesthetic. It would also be the perfect theme for a traditional event, as it would convey a soothing and fresh feel for the early morning gathering.

Haldi
For the Haldi the panning and décor team “brought” the Positano market from Italy to Lonavala. The Haldi had to be a lively event with several activities and it was the first event that would be attended by all 450 guests. The function started with a high-spirited couple entry, followed by an adorable couple performance. From delightful family performances, to a rain and foam dance, the Haldi was packed with activities. There were also stalls for face painting, nail art, a tattoo artist, and a digital caricature photobooth with personalized prints.

Mandwa Muhurat
The Mandwa Muhurat, a traditional Gujarati event, was held indoors. The planned Garba was held on the lawn. After the ceremony, guests cooled down at the soda and gola station!

Sangeet
For the sangeet décor, it was time to travel back to the 80s Retrowave Era. The team at Janvi Dave Weddings and Events made a boombox-shaped stage backdrop with split LED screen for the couple’s entry with an integrated graphic on the LED. There was an 80s’ television set for a photo booth, a cassette backdrop for couple’s seating, an LED dance floor with a captivating MI Bar ceiling décor, and a fascinating LED & MI Bar entrance, a life-size welcome board with a real customized retro car.
The couple entered to an LED screen integrated graphic dance, with the exhilarating Rodney & Band perform.

Carnival
The carnival saw a recreation of Mumbai’s famous Kaali Peeli taxis as a photobooth, and also a recreation of the city’s famous double decker bus as the main entrance gate, adding a bit of nostalgia to Mumbai’s favorite mode of transportation from the 90s. The Mumbai Local Train inspired the DJ station’s façade.

Baraat
Knowing how much the two families loved dancing, a DJ was arranged on a on a moving van, an Emcee ensured interaction and Dholis were called all the way from Delhi. Special effects, sunglasses, brooches, safas and vintage car for the groom added to the fun quotient.

Varmala
The Varmala was an entirely separate event — from the outfits to the venue, everything was distinct. The couple wore different ensembles, and the setting had a magical, fairytale charm.

While the bride and groom envisioned an intimate entry with just the two of them on the ramp and stage, the family hoped for a more elaborate spectacle for the guests. The final concept struck the perfect balance between both wishes.

The event began with dancers performing on stage, setting the tone before gracefully making way for the couple’s entrance. As the bride walked in, the performers exited, creating a breathtaking moment as she made her way towards the groom. To elevate the dreamy aesthetic, the bride added a veil to her look — and with the golden sunset as the backdrop, it became a truly picture-perfect memory.

“We used pyro techniques instead of fireworks, as those weren’t permitted — yet it still looked grand, beautiful, and magical. The Varmala was undoubtedly our favorite event,” shares Janvi.

Wedding
The wedding ceremony had a magical and dreamy vibe. A ‘Tree of Life’ concept was incorporated for the Mandap, as it symbolizes life, good luck and fertility. The mandap had huge mirror work panels with floral pasting, adorned with gold acrylic laser cutouts, family seating on both sides, and a ramp with themed florals and fairy lights. White and green exotic blooms added to the overall elegance.

The Wedding Makers
Venue: Della Resorts, Lonavala
Wedding Planning: Janvi Dave – Weddings & Events
Décor Design: Janvi Dave – Weddings & Events
Production: Yes99 Events
Makeup Artist: Twinkle Mota
Emcee: Shivramsinh
DJ: DJ Ricky
Entertainement: Vaishali and band (Musical Phere), Raja Dholis, Rodney & Band (Sangeer)
Choreography: Ishwer: The Sangeet Creator
Digital Invites & Wedding Stationery: Janvi Dave – Weddings & Events & Dave Design Club
Wedding Photographer: Vishal Studio

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