Stephanie and Sunil, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Sunil and Stephanie's nuptials incorporated their Christian and Hindu backgrounds with dual ceremonies and fun festivities.
Stephanie and Sunil’s charming cross-cultural wedding in Mumbai was a moving depiction of their diverse backgrounds and featured WeddingSutra Favorites – WhatKnot’s impressive photography, DreamzKrraft’s stunning decor and the immaculate venue of the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar hotel.
How They Met
She is a flight attendant, and he works as a Director of Application Services at a retail company. Busy professionals Sunil and Stephanie met via an online dating service in New York three years ago. They fell in love over time and wed in Mumbai.
The Proposal
Stephanie and Sunil took a romantic trip to Antigua on her birthday in February. They were surrounded by the lush nature, adventure and mesmerizing blue waters as far as eyes could see. This would have been the perfect opportunity to propose, but Sunil knew Stephanie was going to expect that, which is why he decided to mess with her during the vacation. He dropped hints and arranged for an exquisite private candlelight dinner with photographers and champagne. It had everything except a ring or an obvious proposal, even though Sunil knew Stephanie was his soulmate. And so, finally, on April Fool’s day, Sunil proposed to her but given the nature of the day, Stephanie assumed it to be another one of his pranks until she saw the ring.
Wedding Venue
Stephanie and Sunil chose the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar hotel as their wedding venue. The bride shares, “We hosted all our wedding functions at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. We had loved the photos of the hotel online and got Sunil’s parents and sister to see it in person. They gave us great feedback and it aligned with our auspicious dates. The hotel is so beautiful and new; it needed minimal decor for our functions.”
Wedding Planning
Stephanie and Sunil opted not to hire a wedding planner, and the bride worked directly with the hotel, decorator, and other vendors.
Dreamzkrraft was in-charge of the elegant decor and also assisted the couple in securing the baraat DJ, karaoke DJ, turban provider, palanquin and photo booth photographer. All the special moments were captured beautifully by team WhatKnot. Talking about the other arrangements, the bride shares, “For hair and makeup I had Preeti Jain from Makeup Missile while her team worked on my family’s hair and makeup. For the invites, we used TheWeddingCardsOnline. Nehal from Nakrize Mehendi was brought on board as the henna artist while Vijay Shah choreographed all our dance sequences for the wedding festivities.”
Wedding Functions
Kacchi Mishri
The groom belongs to a Sindhi family where ‘Kacchi Mishri’ (sugar-feeding ceremony) is organized to welcome a bride into her new family. For the ceremony, Stephanie sat on her sister-in-law’s lap and was fed sugar gems and other sweets, with Sunil’s family members giving her a warm welcome.
Mehndi
On the same day as the ‘Kachhi Mishri,’ was the bride’s mehndi ceremony as well. The bride wore an elegant blue lehenga with a pink choli, and the groom chose a yellow kurta and bandh gala jacket for the function.
Christian Wedding
The next morning saw the couple’s auspicious Christian wedding ceremony take place. The bride and groom looked like a match made in heaven as Stephanie wore an elegant white gown with a trail and a long veil, while Sunil opted for a classic black suit with a bowtie. It was an emotional moment for the couple as they read aloud the vows they’d written for each other in front of their loved ones.
Sangeet
The white wedding was followed by an exhilarating sangeet ceremony in the evening which saw participation from all of the couple’s family members and guests. The bride even surprised the groom with a special solo dance performance and group dances which they’d learned via video tutorials from the choreographer. Sunil was left stunned with Stephanie’s performances and then she did something incredibly sweet as her display of affection for him. She had arranged for a special cake which displayed his alma mater – The New York University. The evening ended on a cheerful note with the couple enjoying every moment of it.
Haldi
The wedding festivities continued with the haldi ceremony being the next one. The bright yellow outfits donned by the bride and groom reflected the happy glow on their faces. Stephanie accentuated her yellow saree with matching floral jewellery. The couple couldn’t stop smiling as their family members colored their faces with turmeric paste and showered them with rose petals.
Hindu Wedding
Stephanie and Sunil’s Hindu wedding ceremony was a vibrant celebration in itself. The bride made an entry in a palanquin, dressed in traditional Indian bridal attire. The groom, on the other hand, wore a beige and maroon sherwani and arrived on a horse. Right from the varmala ceremony to the pheras, every moment seemed like a chapter out of a dreamy fairytale. What made it all the more special was the fact that the ‘mangalsutra’ (necklace that is worn by married Hindu women) belonged to Sunil’s mom who passed it on to Stephanie as a token of Sunil’s late father’s blessings.
Reception
The bride, groom and all their guests wore their invisible party hats and took over the dance floor. Their happiness was unmissable as everyone broke into their favorite dance moves. The three-day festivities came to an end with loved ones cheering the newly married couple.
The Wedding Makers
Venue: JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Decor: DreamzKrraft
Groom’s Outfits: Hugo Boss (Christian Wedding, Reception), Manyavar (Haldi, Sangeet), Pagli (Hindu Wedding)
Bride’s Outfits: Friendship Sarees (Kacchi Mishri, Sangeet, Haldi, Reception), BHLDN (Christian Wedding), Pagli (Hindu Wedding)
Makeup and Hairstyling: Makeup Missile
Mehndi: Nakrize Mehendi
Choreography: Vijay Shah
Invitations: The Wedding Cards Online
Photography: WhatKnot
