Shailja and Yati, Hotel Allahabad Regency, Allahabad

Shailja and Yati wanted an intimate wedding in her hometown of Allahabad, so the enterprising bride planned all aspects of her nuptials held at the charming Hotel Allahabad Regency in Uttar Pradesh. Here, she shares highlights of her wedding to Yati and her inspirations behind the events.

How We Met
“Yati and I met in 2011 when we were working together in Bangalore. We had a lot of mutual friends and used to party quite often at my place. He came across as an impeccably well-dressed man with a really good sense of humor – and those are the exact qualities in a man that floor me. We grew closer to each other over the course of a year and started dating in 2012. We moved to Bombay together and finally decided to tie the knot in 2017.”

Proposal
“My best friends who are literally settled all over the world planned a surprise dream proposal. They had been planning it for three months and finally flew down to give me that perfect day. It started off with Yati taking me out for a romantic brunch, followed by a walk along the Marine Drive where my friends were waiting for us with a big banner that said, ‘Will you marry me?’. They also had the ring! After that I was taken to the Boardwalk by a speedboat and rest of the day is a blur of happy memories.”

Wedding Venue
“I always wanted to get married in my hometown of Allahabad, and the best option was a beautiful heritage hotel called Hotel Allahabad Regency. We decided on a pool side mehndi and ‘haldi’ (turmeric application) function, followed by the sangeet and ‘sagai’ (engagement) in the banquet hall at night. We planned the wedding outdoors in the daytime on the sprawling lawns of the venue.”

Wedding Planning
“As we are both designers by profession, we decided to plan our own wedding from the start. Right from designing my wedding cards, to the menu choices and even making welcome goodie bags for the guests, I had my hands in every pie. Considering the limitations in Allahabad, I planned the decor in a way which was achievable. We sourced a lot of stuff from places like Jaipur and Bombay.

Wedding Functions

Cocktail Night
“We kick started our wedding celebrations with a cocktail night by the poolside at Hotel Grand Continental, a day before the mehndi. It was an intimate affair which wrapped up with everybody getting drunk and inside the pool by the end of it.”

Mehndi
“The mehndi was held by the pool, and the decor was vibrant with hues of fuchsia and yellow. There were small design details such as wind wheels and marigold flowers extravagantly hung to accentuate the colors of the ceremony. There were also coconut water stalls to beat the heat, and guests got colorful bangles and pom-pom earrings as favors. I wore a beautiful yellow lehenga by Mrunalini Rao and accessorized it with bespoke gota jewellery, and Yati wore a bright green kurta from Millionaire which he paired it with a beige waistcoat.”

Sangeet
“The sangeet was a very intimate affair. We had a Rajasthani entrance to the hall and beautiful stage with a marigold backdrop. I wore another vibrant red creation by Mrunalini Rao and paired it with ‘chandbaalis’ (crescent-shaped earrings) and a ‘maang tikka’ (forehead ornament). Yati looked dapper in an outfit from Zara.”

Wedding
“I have always been very particular about the way I dress and present myself so being a conventional bride was the last thing on my mind. I opted for a stunning blue gota patti lehenga by Anita Dongre with a slight hint of sage green and emerald polki accessories. Though it was a bold choice, the ensemble worked just fine for me. Yati opted for a beautiful off-white Jacquard Nawabi sherwani and customized the dupatta to match with my lehenga. He accessorized it with an emerald set which complemented well with my outfit. Our loved ones followed the dress code and donned beautiful shades of sage green, off-white and aqua. The key elements I wanted in my wedding decor were off-white and green accents to match our outfits, so right from my ‘phoolon ki chadar’ (floral canopy the bride walks under) , the stage and the ‘varmaala’ (garland ceremony), everything incorporated these shades. The pheras took place at midnight and was attended by close family and friends.”

Advice For Couples
“Couples should have fun and enjoy every moment of their wedding. It’s an experience you both will cherish for a lifetime.”

The Wedding Makers
Location: Hotel Allahabad Regency, Allahabad
Bride’s Outfits: Mrunalini Rao (Mehndi & Sangeet), Anita Dongre (Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Millionaire (Mehndi), Zara (Sangeet), Hi Street Juhu (Wedding)
Gota Jewellery:Floral Art by Srishti

Photography: Soulmate Films

Related Articles: