Ellina and Kartik, Hotel Fateh Garh Udaipur, Rajasthan
Indian rituals and Russian customs came together for Ellina and Kartik's 'fusion wedding' in Udaipur.
Ellina and Kartik first met in Germany, fell in love in Switzerland and wed in Rajasthan. Their wedding in Udaipur was a beautiful mix of both their cultures – Indian and Russian – and all the special moments were captured by WeddingSutra Favorite – D’silva Films. Here are some highlights of the celebrations shared by bride Ellina.
How They Met
Ellina shares, “Back in 2015, I used to offer to show people around in Bern through Couchsurfing. This was the time when Kartik was visiting Bern for his visa formalities and signed up on the website. We both got along really well and became good friends. After our first meeting, we would meet and text each other often. Once Kartik moved to Switzerland for work, we started to meet each other more often. He would regularly invite me over for dinners, and one evening, after he cooked a fabulous meal, over some beautiful Ben Howard tunes, it all came together. We soon realized that we saw each other as more than friends, and started dating. The same year we travelled all around the world together.”
The Proposal
Kartik proposed marriage to Ellina six months after they started dating. She shares, “Kartik proposed to me at the dinner table in my house, in front of my parents, brother and grandmother. Interestingly enough, he went down on his knees and memorized lines in Russian for the proposal. We celebrated the evening with Indian food and some sparkling Russian wine.”
Wedding
The wedding festivities were divided into four main functions comprising a cocktail party, mehendi, wedding and sangeet.
Since Ellina is a Russian, and Kartik an Indian Hindu, the couple wanted the wedding ceremony to have elements of both cultures and not just focus on one of the two. Hence, the duo tied the knot in a gorgeous Indo-Russian nuptial ceremony that incorporated the mostimportant rituals of both cultures Hindu as well as Catholic.
Talking about the inspirations that went behind planning this ceremony, bride Ellina says, “We wanted to have both our cultures integrated into the wedding. Instead of opting for a classic Christian or a Hindu wedding, we took traditions from both cultures that we felt most connected with. The theme was colourful but soft. The idea behind having different functions was to give enough time to people from both cultures to connect with each other and have fun.”
The bride wore a gorgeous white mesh gown for the ceremony which was adorned with floral embellishments. The groom on the other hand looked dapper in a stylish beige suit designed by Manyavar.
With a decor done in soft, colorful pastels, the wedding was a sight to behold for all the guests who had a gala time attending it.
Reception
The Wedding Makers
Venue: Hotel Fateh Garh Udaipur, Rajasthan
Wedding Planner: Anil Soni for Hotel Fateh Garh Udaipur
Groom’s Outfits: Manyavar (Cocktail, Mehendi, Wedding)
Bride’s Outfits: Zara (Mehendi), Ivy & Oak (Sangeet), Mary’s Design (Wedding)
Cake: The Bake Affair, Udaipur
Photography: D’silva Films
