Karina Gulrajani and Ishaan Bahl, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu
Balancing whimsy and glamour with aplomb, this couple’s wedding by the coast of Mumbai flaunted a variety of themes and emotional moments!
Colourful, glamorous and breezy, Karina Gulrajani, a luxury bag and accessories designer and Ishaan Bahl, an entrepreneur’s wedding celebrations in Mumbai were filled with cheerful moments and unfiltered emotions. And ensuring that each one of these precious moments was captured in beautiful frames was WeddingSutra Favorite – Sam & Ekta.
How They Met
Karina shares, “Ishaan and I met for the first time seven years ago at a common friend’s birthday party. We just connected very naturally, in a very platonic kind of way. We spoke for a bit where he told me about how he wanted to open this restaurant with cookie shots and these unique milkshakes, and I just remember thinking ‘what a cool guy!’ Months later we re-connected at a wedding in Goa and that’s where it all began.”
The Proposal
Recollecting her magical proposal in Finland, Karina shares, “The proposal was so romantic! We’ve always spoken about how we wanted to see the northern lights together and fast forward five years later to Jan 2020, when Ishaan, with the help of my family, planned the most amazing surprise trip to Finland. At first, I thought I was going to North India because I was told to pack for the cold weather! With ham and cheese sandwiches, cheap wine and our favourite songs playing in the backdrop, Ishaan proposed under a glass igloo in Rovaniemi, Finland.”
Wedding Planning
When it came to capturing the wedding the couple entrusted the photography reins to Sam & Ekta who with their expertise captured some truly memorable moments that Karina and Ishaan continue to treasure. Karina shares, “I’ve been a fan of their work for some time now and always knew I wanted them to cover our wedding. Right from our first meeting, we instantly connected with them and were convinced that they were the right photographers for us. We are so grateful for how they’ve captured the most amazing photos, we really feel like we’re re-living those days when we look at the photos now! Each one is so powerful and has so much emotion.
Something I’m never going to forget was when right before the varmala happened and I had just walked down the aisle and everyone’s eyes were on me, Ekta asked me to pause for a moment and take it all in and treasure the moment, which I thoroughly did and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that!”
Weddings Functions
Mehndi
Karina shares, “The mehndi was themed ‘A trip to the tropics’ and I loved the idea of it being super tropical, featuring greens and pinks. We had a coconut water stall with our logo embossed, dances and performances by our closest friends and family, it was a mini sangeet in many ways!”
Cocktail
Karina shares, “The cocktail night was inspired by this place Ishaan and I frequently visit together in London, featuring unique cocktails, statement decor and a super chill vibe. It was a night of toasts, good food and music – bringing everyone together before the big day. The cocktails were inspired by our favourite drinks, especially, Ishaan being a bar owner had a huge role to play in curating this menu.”
Wedding and After Party
The bride shares, “The wedding followed a ‘Garden of Love’ theme and I loved the idea of having a burst of colour here, pinks, greens, purples, orange – a plethora of vibrant happy hues. Later, the wedding was followed by a night party, themed ‘A Starry Night’ and was filled with so many special moments, like, a surprise musical performance by Ishaan’s dad, performances by our closest friends and performance by Ishaan and me too!”
Advice For Couples
The couple shares, “I think our advice would be to always go with vendors who you instantly connect with. We did so and realised that a good team can really make things go so smoothly, especially, when you’re planning during the pandemic. Also, we would recommend switching off from planning mode a week before, and trust that things will all go smoothly!”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu
Wedding Planner: Dee Weddings
Décor: Aash Studio
Groom’s Outfits: Label Crestelli (Mehndi), Raisson D’être by Govinda Mehta (Cocktail), Arjun Khanna (Wedding), Shantanu & Nikhil (After Party)
Bride’s Outfits: Anushree Reddy (Mehndi), Zara Umrigar (Cocktail), Rahul Mishra (Wedding), Falguni Shane Peacock (After Party)
Makeup: Doll You Up by S
Entertainment: Digital Chants (Wedding)
DJ: DJ AJ, DJ Kumar Swamy
Wedding Invitations: Itchha Talreja Designs
Bartenders: The Wedding Bartenders
Photography: Sam & Ekta
