Ishita and Yash, Goa
With an out-of-the-box theme to each function, this couple’s wedding is one to go down in the books.
Childhood friends turned lovers, Ishita and Yash got hitched in the most extravagant way in Goa. What made this wedding exceptional was that each function had a distinctive theme. This innovative and fun-filled wedding was designed & planned by WeddingSutra Favorite – Reet Entertainment and the event was beautifully captured with utmost elegance by another WeddingSutra Favorite – Raj RJ.
How They Met
Ishita and Yash met in school in sixth grade and became best friends. Before they realized that they had feelings for each other, they always joked about how they were each other’s wingmen. The groom shared, “Ishita and I were childhood friends. We were best friends for 11 long years before we started dating. She used to find dates for me, and I would go around finding guys for her. Although I have had a huge crush on her since the first day, I never told her as I did not want to ruin our friendship.”
“I flew to America for a while and that is when she realized that she had feelings for me. I was so excited and fluttery that I was jumping on my bed and running around the hotel! Everything was so surreal for me. Once I got back from that trip, we began dating and thus began our beautiful journey.”
Wedding Venue
Yash shared, “We always wanted to do a destination wedding. We were advised to consider Rajasthan where we could get an authentic and royal wedding feel. But Ishita and I have always loved doing things out of the box. Goa made perfect sense to us since we wanted a much more fun-filled wedding experience rather than a traditional one. We knew Grand Hyatt Goa would be the perfect place for our D-day. The gorgeous lawn overlooking the beach sealed the deal for us!”
Wedding Planning
The groom was all-praise about the wedding planners they hired, “We met with a few planners in Bombay and Goa. A lot of them had the same cliched ideas and we honestly did not want a repeated theme for our special day, and nothing they suggested really excited us. It took us a while to zero down our planner, and we finally found Reet Entertainment. Jatin and his team are absolutely amazing. They give you an exciting visual idea of what they have planned to do with your wedding. We could feel the sincerity in their work. And they honestly made the wait worth it!”
He continues to share their experience with the photographers, “Raj RJ, well versed with his camera techniques, not only produced stunning visuals through our portraits but also managed to encapsulate beautiful moments from our wedding.”
“We wanted those two days to be something where people celebrated us, and to celebrate the event like a festival where everyone could enjoy. All the guests reveled in it so much so, that to date, they still keep telling us how we invited them to the coolest wedding ever!”
Wedding Functions
Carnival
The first day kicked off with a welcoming carnival that had a Rajasthani Mela theme. The traditional decor included bright and vibrant colored canopies, chaiwalas on cycles doling out piping hot chai, life-sized Snakes and Ladders, a lattu corner and a candy floss guy.
The groom shared, “It was a very nostalgic experience for our parents and other older guests as it took them back to their childhood days!”
Sangeet
Yash shares, “The Sangeet ceremony’s theme was based on the movie ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. The color palette of the theme was pastel and very aesthetically pleasing for us. Till the time Ishita and I made a grand entrance, our guests were well entertained by mystery games, photo booths and magicians at the menu. Our entrance was one of a kind as we rolled in at the venue on a hotel luggage trolley to match the theme. It was a night to remember!”
While the bride wore a dazzling emerald green lehenga, the groom donned an emerald green colored dapper tux to compliment her. The couple took to the stage and grooved all night with their guests.
Haldi
The Haldi was celebrated the next morning where the couple had two different venues for their respective ceremonies. The color scheme for both the venues were in elegant hues of gold along with pastel blue and pink. The groom donned an embroidered yellow kurta while the bride dressed in a floral lehenga in shades of beige and yellow.
Wedding
The wedding took place on the lawns of the Grand Hyatt Goa against the backdrop of the mesmerising crystal blue ocean.
Yash shares, “Banaras Ghat was our wedding theme. The entire set up looked as though we were really in Banaras. The ceremony started with three pundits on the stage doing a Maha Aarti and chanting sacred hymns. The ambience felt so majestic and soothing that most of our guests were left teary-eyed. I entered with my baraat and soon after, Ishita made a grand entrance with her friends ringing temple bells. The whole experience felt completely divine.”
The bride chose an authentic red colored lehenga-choli with heavy zari work. She completed her stunning look with an antique gold choker, earrings, matha patti, nathni and bangles. The groom dressed in an ivory sherwani with delicate golden zari work. He paired his outfit with a regal red dupatta, a traditional red Safa with an emerald green brooch on it and beaded emerald green jewellery.
Pajama Party Reception
The groom shares, “Keeping everyone’s exhaustion in mind, we planned a pajama party themed reception. We wanted none of our functions to be cliched, so the party had a fun timer-like game outside the entrance till the doors of the venue opened. It got everyone excited and boosted the party mood. We made sure the place was cozy with bean bags, mattresses and sofas which gave it a casual vibe. Our guests honestly loved it. We wanted everyone to just relax and enjoy the last night of our wedding celebrations.”
Advice For Couples
Yash advises, “Make your wedding a live example of what you both represent as a couple. Normal is boring. Don’t plan something just because it is trendy. Give it time and plan the celebrations in a way that represents you and your partner.”
The Wedding Makers
Venues: Grand Hyatt Goa
Wedding Designer & Planner: Reet Entertainment
Bride’s Outfits: Label Anushree, Mumbai (Carnival); Seema Gujral (Sangeet); Kajal’s Couture, Surat (Haldi); Ghunghat, Surat (Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Sarah & Sandeep, Mumbai (Carnival); Destiny, Surat (Sangeet); Divyam Embroideries, Surat (Haldi), Kora, Mumbai (Wedding); Ted Baker, London (Reception)
Photography: Raj RJ
