Bharti and Siddhartha at Vivanta by Taj – Surajkund, Delhi NCR
From personalised wedding videos in guests cars to a memorable shayar (poet), this Surajkund wedding of Bharti and Siddhartha served up a lot of fun
Our series, ‘Featured Weddings’ brings you wonderful moments from weddings held at the finest venues across different cities. Every wedding has its own story to tell, and the story of Bharti and Siddhartha’s wedding is as delightful as the couple themselves. Here, their wedding planners, Neha and Darshan Shroff of Momente tell us all about it here.
How they met
Bharti and Siddhartha met through their families about six months ago. Bharti – a true Mumbai girl at heart – was wooed by the charming mannerisms of this New Delhi boy. A few meetings and deep conversations later, they were ready to get engaged and get married soon after. The wedding date was fixed and preparations began for a January wedding in Siddhartha’s home city – New Delhi.
Since both were keen on giving the event a feel of a destination wedding, the venue chosen for the two-day celebrations was the beautiful Vivanta by Taj – Surajkund, NCR.
Wedding Events
The event started with the arrival of guests who were welcomed at the airport and escorted to their vehicles where they were treated to a personalised wedding radio show with RJ Rahul Manjal complete with all the couple’s favourite songs, growing-up stories, gossip and much more! On reaching the hotel, guests were welcomed in the lobby with ‘moti malas’ with pom pom tassels.
Mehndi
The following day, the bride’s family hosted a Mehndi only attended by her side, which was something new and non-traditional while still keeping a bit of the ‘Kitsch Indian-ness’ to it. Rani Pink – a New Delhi based decor company did an outstanding job. The outdoor garden area was decked up with colorful fabric buntings and floral pastel fabrics forming the roof of the tents. Rustic wooden picnic tables displayed frilled mason jars and birdcages filled with ribbon tassels, fabric candyfloss flowers and real blooms. The bridal seating area was decorated with a kitsch parrot backdrop and colorful ribbons with mirrors hanging from the top. The mehndi artists, tarot readers and live Punjabi singers kept the guests entertained as they feasted on candy floss and flavored popcorn served in personalised tubs.
Live stations serving finger foods and tantalising chaat counters added to the whole “mela” vibe of the event. Gota jewellery, pom pom rings and Bandhini dupattas were given to the ladies as gifts. Keeping in sync with the funky and kitsch theme, the bride had her friends blowing bubbles as she walked in. She wore a pink embroidered peplum top with beige dhoti pants by Delhi-based designer Sonali Gupta for the event.
Sangeet
The Sangeet at Sarovor Portico had more of a Moroccan feel with gold and red drapes, colorful lanterns, floral chandeliers and ‘hukkas’. LED screens fitted into an ornate carved structure formed the backdrop of the stage. It was a traditional fun-filled sangeet with performances by family members and the couple themselves.
Haldi
The next morning was the ‘haldi’ ceremony. The décor was kept very simple with a traditional pink and gold gota flower backdrop. A very Punjabi dhabba style lunch was organized at the Paranda restaurant complete with Sarsoon Ka Saag and Makkai Ki Roti on the menu, and a live lassi counter manned by a Punjabi Gabroo. Games such as Ring the Bottle, Balloon & Darts, Hungry Hippos and Jenga were organised to keep guests busy. Winners of the games were given badges with funky Bollywood slogans on them. A truck art themed selfie corner and a foot spa were most popular among all age groups.
Wedding
Pink, orange and gold were the colors of the wedding that took place in the evening. A sea of orange and gold gota and tissue tassels hanging from the central tent was simply breathtaking. The mandap was simple but dazzling with white rajnigandhas and red roses. The seating consisted of a mix of Chiavari chairs and low diwans – both spruced up with gota flowers, tassels and mirrors.
The baraatis were welcomed with ‘moti malas’ for the men and ‘ittar’ bottles for the women. Wet tissues personalised with the wedding logo, welcome drinks and rich dry fruits in decorated glasses were served to the guests as they proceeded for the varmalas.
The bride looked gorgeous in a red embroidered lehenga by designer Tarun Tahiliani. For the varmala the bride walked in escorted by her brothers who carried a red dupatta adorned with gold kaliras. The passage to the mandap was lined with long gota ribbons which shimmered in the light as the bride walked in, adding an ethereal charm to the moment. Rose petals were showered on the couple as they exchanged garlands. Mantras were chanted by a group of shank pandits as the bride walked in towards the mandap for the pheras.
The food stations were interesting and served a variety of dishes like Tea-infused Figs with Cream Cheese on Crostini to the local Aloo Tikki and Gol Gappe. The desert was undoubtedly the best part of the menu with dishes such as Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Cheese and Zinfandel Jelly with Chantilly Crème.
Reception
The reception shifted indoors to the banquet hall. The color palette chosen was a deep red and peacock blue, which made the entire place look regal. The stage backdrop consisted of white and red roses. An international trio of harpist, flutist and violinist played popular Bollywood instrumental music and welcomed guests as they arrived for the reception. Apart from the delicious food, the guests enjoyed the couplets by the capital’s famous ‘Shayari Paanwala’.
The Wedding Makers
Wedding Planner: Momente Wedding Planners
Décor: Rani Pink
Photos & Videos: Hitched & Clicked
