Tanya and Neev, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Struck down with love at first sight, Neev already knew that Tanya was the one for him the very moment he set his eyes on her. Tanya, on the other hand, found their first encounter unremarkable. But time and endless conversations finally played their magic and they realized just how much they were in love. The duo got hitched in a series of luxurious celebrations captured in several stunning frames by WeddingSutra Favorite – Naman Verma Photography which gave one a glimpse of the whirlwind of emotions that Tanya and Neev went through in this journey of a lifetime. Their venue was the opulent Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai with its sprawling lawns and scenic views. Adding a dash of musical energy to their nuptials was WeddingSutra Favorite – DJ AJ who had everyone on their feet the whole time.

How They Met
Tanya and Neev first met in 2017. All it took was one look at her, and Neev was floored. It was at his aunt and uncle’s anniversary dinner when Tanya walked in and Neev realized that she’s the one for him. However, in an attempt to not mess things up, he didn’t speak to her at all! But all wasn’t lost for him as he somehow managed to convince Tanya and her cousin to crash a wedding he was attending. And once the duo started conversing, something instantly felt right and clicked.

The Proposal
After a year of dating, they knew that they wanted to be together. But the journey towards marriage took three years which included the duo’s families formally catching up. Even though both of them were counting down to the much-awaited marriage, they still didn’t skip any of their milestones. A surprise proposal lay in store for Tanya as she stopped by one day to meet Neev at his home for what she believed to be a normal catch up. As Neev cooked her dinner in the kitchen, he placed before her a handwritten love letter that made her eyes well up which signed off with ‘So Tanya….’. With her curiosity piqued, she went into the kitchen to look for Neev, where ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ by Frankie Valli was playing in the background, and just then, he romantically held out a ring.

Wedding Venue:
For their big day, the pair chose The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, an iconic property with its palatial architecture and fantastic views of the Arabian Sea that serves as a luxurious backdrop for elegant weddings. The ‘roka’ was an intimate affair held at Tanya’s place while the engagement was a glamorous affair held at the Trident Hotel, Nariman Point, Mumbai. The Anand Karaj, a solemn Punjabi ceremony was also a close-knit occasion held at the Gurudwara.

Wedding Planning
With just about six-months to plan the wedding, picking a venue was quite a challenge for the duo. While Neev favored the idea of an intimate beach wedding as most of his relatives and friends are based in Singapore and the UK, Tanya had always envisioned a big wedding in Mumbai. And like everything else in their relationship, she got her way around and they finally decided to celebrate all their functions in Mumbai. The decor for their big day was managed by Afreen Wedding Services from design to production. A mix of close-knit and grand affairs, the couple struck the balance between intimacy and luxury perfectly. Keeping the spirits high were appearances by Bollywood’s favorite Sukhbir and DJ AJ who enthralled the audience with their dance numbers. The couple picked Naman Verma Photography to seize all the moments of their big day with his artistic skills in timeless frames.

Wedding Functions

Roka and Engagement
The Roka ceremony held at Tanya’s home, was a close-knit affair while the engagement bash at Trident Hotel had everyone grooving. Replete with marigolds and twinkling fairy lights, the roka saw Tanya don a pistachio hued Sabyasachi sharara while Neev wore a peachy pink kurta.

Anand Karaj
With an ever-expanding guest list, the duo decided to keep the Anand Karaj ceremony simple and frill-free. Tanya looked stunning in a nude-toned chikankari anarkali with a tulle veil which she accessorized with ruby and diamond earrings and a maang tikka. Neev complemented his bride in a pastel pink chikankari kurta and churidar. A solemn affair, the Anand Karaj ceremony was full of emotions as Tanya shed a few tears and hugged her family to start a new chapter in her life.

Mehndi
Held at Tanya’s residence, the Mehndi ceremony kicked off with the Punjabi dholki, post which, her aunts and grandmother sang traditional wedding songs. As she posed with her girl squad, Tanya looked radiant in her spearmint colored outfit which was creatively transformed from a brocade sari into a lehenga by designer Kshitij Jalori. Adding a pop of color to the outfit was a zari dupatta in an old rose color. The groom decided to twin with his bride as he chose a kurta of the same hue.

While the pair were a picture of understated elegance, the decor contrasted beautifully with its shimmery backdrop and multicolored flowers. Seated under a canopy of fairy lights with the silver sequin acting as the backdrop, Tanya was all smiles as she got pampered by her gal pals while getting henna patterns on her palms.

Sangeet
The sangeet was a groovy and glamorous ceremony that saw the duo show off their best moves on the geometric patterned dance floor. As Sukhbir entered with five dholwalas in tow, the entire crowd in the hall lit up with excitement while he created an electric atmosphere. Keeping the spirits high till the wee hours of the night was DJ AJ who made the party even more epic.

Tanya glowed as bright as the lights surrounding her in a blush pink geometric waterfall embellished lehenga which gave her ample freedom to join Neev as he wowed everyone with his bhangra moves. Much like the bride, he also picked out something edgy and zeroed in on a deconstructed midnight blue sherwani with dimensional threadwork.

Wedding
The big day was held at The Taj Mahal Palace’s alfresco area. Overlooking the Gateway of India, Tanya and Neev’s wedding witnessed a glorious sunset. The couple saw their vision of a modern mandap come to life in a mirrored dome structure which was covered by beautiful pastel blooms like peonies, ranunculus, hydrangeas and bouvardias that came all the way from Europe.

Keeping in sync with the decor, Tanya chose an Anamika Khanna creation in a pastel pink hue with delicate french knots embroidered on it and intricate zardozi adorning the garment. Neev looked classy in a Rajesh Pratap Singh sherwani made of handloom linen silk with fine gold zari embroidery all over.

Concluding the celebration was an after-party at the Crystal Room in the same venue that had tearful and heartfelt speeches from the couple’s family and closest friends.

The Wedding Makers
Venues: The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai (Wedding), Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai (Engagement)
Wedding Planner:
Décor: Afreen Wedding Services (Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Rajesh Pratap Singh (Anand Karaj, Wedding), Kunal Rawal (Mehndi, Sangeet)
Bride’s Outfits: Sabyasachi (Engagement), Kshitij Jalori (Mehndi), Gaurav Gupta (Sangeet), Anamika Khanna (Wedding)
Jewellery: Roopa Vohra (Mehndi), Begani Jewels (Sangeet), Raj Mahtani Couture Jewels (Wedding), Sabyasachi (Roka)
Makeup: Deepa Verma
Entertainment: Sukhbir, Mansheel Gujaral
DJ: DJ AJ

Photography: Naman Verma Photography

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