Shweta and Karan, The St. Regis, Mumbai

About a decade ago, in the film Jab We Met, Kareena Kapoor said, “Bachpan se hi na, mujhe shaadi karne ka bahut craze hai, by God.” Ten years later we’re sure that we have found the girl who was the inspiration behind this line!

In her interview, Shweta told us that getting married had been her on her bucket list since she was a little girl. The sheer joy on her face in the pictures by Shades makes it evident that her wedding with Karan was truly a dream come true for her.

She shares her most cherished memories from some of the happiest days of her life, how Memorabilis helped her put together a wedding that her guests will never forget and the way in which Vivaah brought the event to life with their beautiful decor.

How We Met
“Karan was best friends with the boyfriend of one of my closest friends so the four of us would meet quite often. Nothing happened then and a while later, he moved to Indonesia. He came back a few months later to complete his studies and this time round, we clicked instantly and started dating.

“Of course, once he got his degree, he moved back to Indonesia and that was the start of a 6-year long-distance relationship. It wasn’t the easiest time for us. We’d only meet once a year for about a month, but I guess when you know this is it, you make it work, no matter what.”

Proposal
“Yes, there was a proposal but a rather atypical one.

“I was planning to start my own fashion label at the beginning of this year. The only slight setback was that I’m no expert when it comes to running a business, but Karan is. So I thought it would be great to work on this together.

“When he flew back to Mumbai, I introduced him to my parents and after he left, my dad said I ought to get married to him. He asked me if we loved each other and when I said yes, he said the only way he’d let us work together is if we were married. With marriage having been ‘proposed to us’ both of us had to say yes!”

Wedding Venue
“I’d wanted a destination wedding but my grandfather can’t travel outside Mumbai and there was no way I would not have him be there at my wedding. We saw a few hotels and The St. Regis was the best fit for all our requirements.”

Wedding Planning
“We decided in March to get married in June. Most people plan a honeymoon based on the wedding but my dad had other priorities. He wanted to send Karan and I on a cruise so we finalized our wedding dates to accommodate the cruise dates. Without the luxury of time, I finalized all my outfits in a week!

“With that out of the way, we began our hunt for the most efficient, understanding wedding planners. We were lucky to find Memorabilis who were a delight to work with. There are so many little things that make a successful wedding and the team was with us at every step. Be it managing invites or taking care of guests, they made everything so much easier. In fact, they were the ones who had suggested our wedding photographer and videographers to us.

“Based on Roma’s recommendation we checked out Shades’ work and I fell in love with their photography style. Their vibrant frames work well for Indian weddings since bright colors are one of the key features there. I was extremely happy with the way they have captured my nuptials. The pictures are so natural and they managed to catch all the right moments!

“Our decor was taken care of by Vivaah, who did a fabulous job with our wedding sets. Sets, set the mood, and when you walk into a grand ballroom that is done beautifully, you know that the festivities have truly arrived and that’s just what they helped us achieve.”

Wedding Functions

Mehndi
“We had two mehndi functions. The first one was at my home where henna was applied on my hands and the other was for everybody else at The St. Regis, Mumbai. The home event was an extremely intimate affair for which I wore a Raw Mango saree. The house was decorated with yellow genda and mogra flowers and I sat on a swing as mehndi artist Harin Dalal piped interesting patterns. He is best known for his human figure designs so I had two couples incorporated in my mehndi both of which had a backstory. One was of a groom putting sindoor on the bride. This was something that my family insisted Harin do, because when I was very young I had a strange obsession with the song “Maang meri bharo”. There was no way that my family was letting this opportunity to pull my leg slip away. The other image was of a guy giving a rose to a girl because Karan would always bring me a rose every time he was running late.

“On the main mehndi day, I wore a yellow Anita Dongre lehenga and the venue was done up in pink and turquoise. I surprised Karan with two dance performances that were dedicated to him, however, the highlight of this event was what my sister, cousins and best friend had planned with Shades. They made a video that portrayed me before and after I met Karan and also include a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai style makeover in it. Everyone loved the video because it was entertaining but I was especially touched because I found out they’d come up with the idea while I was getting my mehndi done. Then they thought it through and shot the entire sequence so it would be ready to play in only two days!”

Sangeet
“I’ve always loved fairytales so we created a backdrop that looked taken out of a story. Inspired by a picture of the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen, we spruced up the church arches with ferns and installed a large clock in homage to the Cinderella story. The entire thing was then illuminated with chandeliers and the décor was such a hit with our guests. The rest of the venue had funny quotes about us and #Shwaran on display.

“I wore a Varun Bahl gown while my 18 bridesmaids were in pale pink. Krishna was the one who choreographed all our songs.”

Haldi
“The haldi was a very intimate gathering to which I wore a bright pink and yellow dress from Ekaya. There was a point where all my friends lifted me up which was a very happy moment then and is now a cherished memory.”

Wedding
“We didn’t have a destination wedding but I wanted the vibe of the City of Lakes and so the muse for this event was Udaipur. White and gold were the colors of the evening and the area was dotted with pretty shamianas. In the mandap area, we had floor length drapes. I went with tradition and wore a red lehenga by Sabyasachi.”

Reception
“The reception followed the wedding. We’d invited a santoor artist who played live through the event, which was just as well, because Karan and I were late by three hours! To be honest, after the wedding, we headed for a photoshoot inside the hotel. I was so happy that day, I honestly just wanted to spend time with Karan and pose for the camera with him by my side!”

Advice For Couples
“Focus on enjoying yourself instead of fussing over what others tell you to do. In the end, everyone will forget everything that happened but you will always remember the days of your wedding. Also, be happy because it shows when you are.”

Wedding Makers
Venue: The St. Regis, Mumbai
Wedding Planner: Memorabilis (Mumbai)
Decor: Vivaah
Bride’s Outfits: Raw Mango for Mehndi – Home, Anita Dongre (Mehndi), Ekaya (Haldi), Varun Bahl (Sangeet), Sabyasachi (Wedding and Reception)
Make-up and Hair Styling: Reema Patil (Mumbai)
Mehndi Artist: Harin Dalal (Mumbai)
Choreographer: Krishna
Photography: Shades
Videography: Paper Tiger Films

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