Rupi and Abbas, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu and St. Regis
Their love story was as dramatic as a movie, and their wedding celebrations were glitzy with Bollywood influences, dancing, a flash mob and lots of revelries.
Abbas ‘proposed’ to Rupi’s father to get him to accept their relationship and intent to wed. Read how they fell in love and staged a series of fun events as part of their wedding celebrations at various locations in Mumbai. Here, bride Rupi shares highlights of the grand nuptials.
How We Met
“We met at a mutual friend’s house party in 2010. Abbas was actually hitting on my friend, and I was okay with that. Later on, we reconnected through another friend at a dinner and I tried setting up Abbas with the friend he was hitting on. Abbas’ friend left us that night around midnight and we continued partying at a club called Jalouse. Before we knew it, daylight struck. We’ve been inseparable ever since. It wasn’t until 2013 when Abbas and I finally started to discuss marriage. Our respective families found out that year and it took my family some time to accept our relationship. Due to certain sensitivities, I asked Abbas to propose to my father, as it was his blessings that mattered most to me. Finally, in 2016, my father said yes! Although Abbas never formally got down on one knee, it was a done deal for me.”
Wedding Functions
Holi Party
“Our wedding celebrations kicked off with a welcome Holi Party at Beach Garden in Juhu, Mumbai, where we had a lovely splash of colors along with neon glow colors that we used in the evening. Our entry was a spectacular one, with Abbas bringing me in on an ornate cycle rickshaw. We planned a flash mob to engage the audience which burst into a color riot at the end of the mob. There was ‘bhaang’ (intoxicating brew) on the menu for guests, and several of them from abroad loved it.”
Mehndi & Sangeet
“The mehndi & sangeet party were held at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, and was vibrant with Bollywood swag! To the surprise of our guests, we had morphed them into movie posters. The planning and execution started months back where each of them was asked to share individual pics without being told of the actual reason. For them to see the same on a larger-than-life Bollywood poster was completely amazing! We also created a ‘Walk of Fame’ where we pasted golden stars with the names of invitees. Abbas entered fully in style on a Segway, whereas I was brought in on a ‘doli’ (traditional palanquin), with musicians beating ‘dhols’ (ethnic drums) and bhangra artists dancing. MC Sid entertained the gathering, and DJ Samir took on after that. The highlights of the event were performances by our friends from abroad who performed to Bollywood songs.”
Wedding & Reception
“A fabulous rustic forest theme was the chosen theme for this occasion. We exchanged vows at the courtyard of the St Regis hotel in Mumbai, and this was followed by a sit-down dinner. The various speeches and skits made the entire occasion very entertaining. One skit was designed with a specific theme of “Borders Dissolve when Love Meets” concept. Cyrus Dastur of Shamiana Films directed a humorous skit which was staged over dinner. DJ KrazyKat took over thereafter and had everyone spinning to his tracks.”
The Wedding Makers
Locations: Beach Garden, Juhu (Holi Party), JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu (Mehndi & Sangeet), St. Regis (Wedding & Reception)
Wedding Planner: Platinum Wedding World
Decor: Vivaah by Rachana Lucknowala
Bride’s Outfits: Neha Sharma (Holi Party), Manish Arora (Mehndi), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Vanshik
Makeup Artist: Ojas Rajani
DJ/Entertainment: Emcee Sid / Cyrus Dastur / DJ Sandy, DJ Samir & DJ KrazyKat
Photography: Signature Films by Megha Israni
