Rikki and Tarun, Taj Lands End, Mumbai

Rikki, a baker by profession, fell in love with Tarun, an author, over a video call. He wrote the book ‘Things We Don’t Know.’ When this Singapore-based couple met for the first time in Bangalore, she gifted him something special to encourage his passion for writing. Here, Rikki shares moments of their romance and wedding at Taj Lands End in Mumbai.

How We Met
“Our first meeting was virtual when we chatted over a video call for about an hour. By the end of our conversation, I knew this was it! It all started when I had gone to see my brother off at his college in Australia and my mother asked me to connect with Tarun who was in Singapore at that time. So we coordinated a convenient time to speak with each other, and with this began a string of our online rendezvous. From our conversations, I had gauged that he had a penchant for writing, so I gifted him a diary from Australia when I first met him in person. Our families also accompanied us for this meeting to we could not chat freely with each other. Towards the end of the evening, Tarun asked my father if he could take me out for dinner. It was decided that he would bring me back to the hotel by 10 pm, but we couldn’t stop talking and by the time I returned, it was 1 am! The two of us got on like a house on fire and were extremely comfortable with each other. The next morning when we were asked if we would like to take this relationship ahead both of us said ‘Yes!’ We were so sure about this that there was no need to wait. Moreover, we would anyway have an entire lifetime to get to know each other further. Our ‘roka’ (Punjabi ceremony signaling a couple’s commitment to each other before the formal engagement) ceremony happened the following week and I couldn’t have been happier. He is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Wedding Planning
“We hired Perfexion Events to plan and manage our wedding. Mr. Anil Bohra, the owner of the company, and his son Ashish became like family during the process. They had been with right from the start and had even taken care of our engagement. The team did the most wonderful job with our wedding trailer and I can’t wait to see the whole movie. For our photography, we went with Studio 2000 who did a fantastic job with the pictures. Rohit Singh did my makeup and Mahesh Patil styled my hair. Both of them were extremely accommodating, humble and flawless with their techniques. Our tiered wedding cake was by Rinku from D Cake Creations and I must give her credit for the wonderful design and flavor.”

Wedding Venue
“We hosted our wedding at the Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai. I was in love with the venue because of the sea views it offers. Plus it was slightly secluded and away from the city’s hustle and bustle. We had indoor as well as outdoor functions, which worked well for us. The hotel had enough rooms to accommodate all our guests. Our nuptials were a two-day affair and the splendid spaces made it look like it was nothing less than a fairytale wedding.”

Wedding Functions

Cocktail Party & Sufi Night
“The celebrations kicked off with a cocktail party with a The Great Gatsby theme for youngsters while our parents hosted a ‘Sufi Night’ for their guests and our extended families. The ballroom for the cocktail party was decorated to emulate the vibe of New York in the 1920s. The dance floor and the bar featured art deco prints in black and gold. In the center was a champagne tower into which both of us poured the bubbly. This party was entirely Ashish’s doing and it turned out to be one hell of a night! I wore a red Shantanu & Nikhil gown for the party and Tarun complemented my dress by wearing a black suit with a red pocket square.”

Mehndi
“The next morning we had our mehndi celebrations. The decor was vibrant with pops of bright pink and yellow, and there were beautiful seating spaces under bright canopies. Multiple garlands of fresh flowers were strung around each canopy creating a festive look. The lively colors brought the entire venue to life and it felt like the traditional Marwari wedding celebrations had truly arrived! Evocative of the green color of henna, I wore a green Tarun Tahiliani lehenga while Tarun wore a beige kurta with a maroon bandi that was embellished with floral embroidery.”

Sangeet
“The sangeet function was probably the most happening event of all. The night commenced with performances by both our families. However, the party didn’t stop at that. We had Pritam take over the event and the guests were serenaded by his magical tunes. It was a night that will not be forgotten by anyone who attended it. For this function, I wore a Gaurav Gupta ensemble whose graceful cape sleeves that cascaded all the way down to the floor while Tarun wore a Shantanu & Nikhil outfit.”

Wedding
“Inspired by the age of royalty, the decor featured red roses in abundance, and the setup was soaked in golden light that brought a regal charm to the environ. I wore a red Tarun Tahiliani creation for the wedding.”

Reception
“Our elegant stage was the focal point of the reception decor. Another eye catching detail was an ice sculpture of a couple right in the middle of the venue. At first, we weren’t too sure about having this piece as part of the decor at all. However, we went ahead with it based on the recommendations by our wedding planners, which I am glad we took. This centerpiece really helped put the whole look together beautifully. I wore a Gaurav Gupta outfit in pink and silver for this final event.”

Advice To Couples
1. “Make sure that at least one of you gets involved in the planning process. No matter how tedious it may seem, in the end, it’s totally worth the effort.”

2. “Ensure that you personally meet most of the people/ teams who will be a part of your wedding before you book them. It is important that you get along with everyone as you don’t want to be annoyed with people’s attitudes on your big day. This applies to wedding planners, photographers and videographers, makeup artists as well as your choreographers and anyone else who will be contributing in major ways to your wedding.”

3. “Finish your shopping at least three months before your big day. Most designers take a minimum of two months to customise your outfit, after which you will need at least two trials before you are happy with your outfits.”

4. “Try and delegate responsibilities to siblings, close friends, and close relatives. You both shouldn’t have to worry about anything other than making sure you are having the time of your lives!”

The Wedding Makers
Location: Taj Lands End, Mumbai
Wedding Planner: Perfexion Events (Mumbai and Jodhpur)
Bride’s Outfits: Shantanu & Nikhil (Cocktail Party), Tarun Tahiliani (Mehndi and Pheras), Gaurav Gupta (Sangeet and Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Shantanu & Nikhil (Sangeet)
Makeup Artist: Rohit Singh (Delhi NCR)
Hairstylist: Mahesh Patil (Mumbai)
Wedding Cake: D Cake Creations (Mumbai)

Photography: Studio 2000

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