Shreya and Swapnil, Mar Vista Beach House, Goa

Shreya and Swapnil’s wedding brought together around 300 guests for celebrations that were personal, relaxed and full of energy. Across the mehendi baithak, sports day, haldi, sangeet and wedding, family and friends were not just guests but an integral part of every function. WeddingSutra Favorite – WhatKnot photographed the celebrations, capturing the candid interactions and unfiltered moments that reflected the spirit of the wedding.

How They Met
Shreya and Swapnil had been in the same school since KG and had even been in the same class a few times. It was only in Class 11 that they started speaking. Swapnil chose to continue at their school instead of moving to an outside college and, a month later, a seat opened up in their class. He then joined the same accounts tuition as Shreya, where the two became friends. What started as a friendship eventually grew into a decade-long relationship.

The Proposal
Shreya had always known that she wanted to propose to Swapnil and had already decided on the setting: a turf. She planned a treasure hunt that took them through the people and places that had been part of their relationship over the previous ten years. It unfolded over an entire day, with the final clue arriving at around 10 pm.

“I always knew I wanted to propose to him and it would be at a turf,” says Shreya. Swapnil was tired by then, but still curious about where the day was headed. He had no idea that the final stop would be a turf, where their closest friends were waiting to be part of the surprise. “He wasn’t expecting to be proposed to at a turf, with our closest friends being a part of experiencing it and helping with it!” While planning the proposal, Shreya crossed paths with WhatKnot, who documented the day and the surprise as it unfolded. “They just so beautifully captured every moment,” she says.

Wedding Planning
Having worked in the wedding industry and experienced celebrations ranging from intimate gatherings to large-scale weddings, Shreya knew exactly what she wanted for her own. The couple welcomed around 300 guests but were determined that the scale would not come at the expense of intimacy. Rather than worrying about whether a large wedding could feel personal, Shreya focused on planning carefully, giving her family and friends responsibilities and allowing everyone to be part of the experience.

“I just planned to the T, assigned roles to family and friends for wedding day duties and let it flow from there,” she says. WhatKnot documented the celebrations with a candid, people-focused approach, capturing the small interactions and spontaneous moments alongside the larger festivities.

The couple also made each function distinct. The mehendi took the form of a baithak where everyone sang together, while the sports day brought out a more playful side of the guests. Family members hosted the sangeet, friends took over the haldi, and the wedding brought everyone together for a shared celebration.

Shreya shares, “I’ve attended and worked in the wedding industry a fair bit- small weddings, the grandest of ones; I’ve done it all. But nothing, I’ll say, there’s been nothing like the one I experienced at my own. Well, you sure can enjoy your own wedding, and so can your families. Ours was just that: personal, fun, just so pure.”

Wedding Functions
Haldi
The haldi was a relaxed, lively affair led by Shreya’s friends. Keeping the atmosphere informal allowed the celebration to unfold naturally, with friends taking an active role in the festivities. The décor complemented the easygoing mood of the function, while the focus remained on the people, laughter and interactions that defined the celebration.

Wedding
The wedding brought together the couple’s families and friends in an atmosphere that was warm and celebratory. The décor maintained an elegant wedding aesthetic while allowing the ceremony and the people around it to remain the focus. With everyone immersed in the music and proceedings, the celebration felt less like a formal event and more like a shared family occasion.

Sangeet
The sangeet was intentionally scheduled as the final function, giving everyone the freedom to stay up and celebrate without worrying about another event the following morning. “Our sangeet was on the last day so everyone could be partying all night, and that’s what happened,” says Shreya. The evening brought together family and friends for performances, music and plenty of dancing. Despite three packed days of celebrations, the party continued until 8 am the next morning.

Shreya adds, “That morning was also sports day, so running in the sun, but still, we were all up until 8 am the next day. The energy from everyone was unreal.” The sangeet became a fitting finale to a wedding where participation, rather than formality, was at the heart of every celebration.

Advice For Couples
Shreya’s biggest advice to couples is simple: enjoy your own wedding. “The couple sets the vibe of the wedding. If you’re genuinely having fun, everyone else will too. Treat it like your own big celebration, not a formal event to ‘manage.’”

She recommends avoiding endless guest photo line-ups and setting expectations with family and photographers so moments feel more natural. Personal touches such as Polaroid stations, handwritten notes and memory walls can make guests feel more involved, especially when friends are given responsibility for managing them. Thoughtful entrances and small roles for family and friends, from speeches and games to storytelling, can also make each function more personal. On the practical side, she suggests having separate WhatsApp groups for friends, family and key coordinators, staying on schedule and assigning a family member to anchor each function.

And when things inevitably go off plan, her advice is to simply enjoy the moment. She adds, “At the end of the day, it’s okay if things aren’t going as per plan. Think of it as: how do I make this moment the most fun for me?”

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Mar Vista Beach House, Goa (Wedding); Fairfield by Marriott Goa Benaulim (Haldi, Sangeet)
Photography: WhatKnot

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