Rishika and Akhil, Taj Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi

After a wedding proposal in the middle of the lake in Rajasthan, Rishika and Akhil’s wedding had to be nothing less than a modern fairytale. Here, they share with us images of their big day and fill us in on all the details.

How We Met
Akhil and Rishika met through their family friends. Both of them clicked from the start, and entered a relationship. They dated while Rishika was pursuing her higher education at the University of Oxford, UK, and Akhil was in New Delhi. When he realized that she was the right one for him, he planned an exotic proposal in Udaipur, Rajasthan, and asked her to marry him in the middle of a lake.

Wedding Venue
Taj Diplomatic Enclave, Delhi was an obvious choice for the bride because of the history that the family shares with this property. This was the hotel where her sister and her parents had exchanged their vows, thus earning a special place in her heart. All the other venues too were in South Delhi as they wanted the locations to be conveniently located for the guests.

Wedding Planning
Rishika was very clear on how she wanted her wedding to be and had envisioned all the themes and details from start to finish. She made the most of modern day technology and created mood boards for each of the functions based on the inspirations and ideas she found on social media. The bride says that she found WeddingSutra to be of great help when it came to gauging top trends for bridal lehengas. However, that wasn’t all – she even chose her photographer and decor team from the WeddingSutra Favorites.

As for the dates for the wedding, she was keen to have a November wedding for the splendid weather that New Delhi enjoys in winter.

Wedding Functions

Cocktail Party
An elegant cocktail party Hyatt Regency Hotel, Delhi marked the beginning of the duo’s wedding celebrations. The inspiration behind the decor was a secret garden of white and green. The venue was decorated using exotic flowers with flower canopies over the dinner tables. The entrance featured a colossal floral chandelier, and in the pre-function area, mirror stands with candles as well as floral arrangements made for key decor elements. A lit up tree was placed in the center of the bar while art deco patterns were seen on its walls. The bride looked resplendent a champagne lehenga by Sabyasachi which she paired with diamond jewellery. The groom, on the other hand, opted for a western vibe and wore an Ermenegildo Zegna suit.

Mehndi
The following morning, the couple welcomed their guests to their mehndi. They hosted the function in an outdoor space that was brought to life with vibrant decor. Birds created using yellow, white and pink flowers dotted the venue, and ombre pink string elements were suspended from the branches of the trees. The fabric of the cushion covers, as well as those used as part of the decor and the floor of the stage, bore motifs from the bride’s wedding invite. The color story was very soothing and ideal for a daytime event. Rishika opted for a red lehenga by Anita Dongre that was paired with a white dupatta. To match the mood of the occasion, she opted for floral jewellery by Devika Sakhuja. The groom made an appearance in a white outfit by Raghavendra Rathore. Several performances by the bride, the groom and their loved ones added to the cheer of the occasion.

Wedding
The duo exchanged their vows Taj Diplomatic Enclave, Delhi the next day, and the colors for the function were pastel pink, peach, and white. Inverted whites roses suspended using white ribbons made for the ceiling of the mandap that was supported by pillars of flowers matching the color scheme. White tuberoses were used to create a backdrop that also lit up, and chairs covered in lace added a delicate touch to the setup. For the wedding, the bride wore a heavily embellished dark pink bespoke lehenga by Tisha Saksena while the groom wore a deep blue achkan by Raghavendra Rathore.

Advice For Couples
“Social media is an essential tool when planning your wedding. It’s a storehouse of an exhaustive list of vendors and ideas, so make the most of it. Secondly, your wedding functions will pass by so quickly that everything will feel like a blur. Don’t miss a second, be present at the moment and enjoy the days to the fullest.”

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Delhi (Cocktail), Taj Diplomatic Enclave, Delhi (Wedding)
Decor: Devika Sakhuja (Cocktail), Abhinav Bhagat (Mehndi and Wedding),
Bride’s Outfits: Sabyasachi (Cocktail), Anita Dongre (Mehndi), Tisha Saksena (Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Ermenegildo Zegna (Cocktail party), Raghavendra Rathore (Mehndi and Wedding)
Makeup Artist: Jasmeet Kapany (Cocktail and Wedding), Pooja Khurana Makeovers (Mehndi)
Hairstylist: Archana Rautela (Mehndi)
Floral Jewellery: Devika Sakhuja
Invitations: Samreen Chawla Design
Caterer: Food Inc. by Varun Tuli (Mehndi)
DJ: DJ Gaurav Malvai
Photography: Shutterdown Photography

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