Krushika Somaiya Samtani

Krushika tells us about her glorious wedding in Mumbai and shares some interesting tidbits on the selection of her different bridal looks in every function.

How we met
I went to a common friend’s farewell party in 2013. Kabir had got there earlier, before his friends and was sitting alone so I went ahead and introduced myself to him. We hit it off really well and talked through the evening. But except for trading Instagram account handles, we lost touch after that night.

A year later, I was unwell and Kabir messaged me. Without realizing it, our casual chats began to continue into the days and months. During one of these conversations, I mentioned to Kabir that my parents were looking for a prospective groom for me. It was all the impetus he needed to confess his love for me. The feeling of course was mutual and with the blessings of our parents, we decided to get married.

Wedding venues
It was going to be a monsoon wedding so we had to restrict our shortlist to indoor venues in Mumbai. We wanted a banquet hall that could accommodate our large guest list – about 1000 guests. Eventually, we decided on Sahara Star as its Sapphire Banquet is huge and can comfortably accommodate 1200 plus guests.

Wedding functions

Engagement/Cocktail
We combined our engagement and cocktail party. The dress code was indo-western. For the décor we went with a contemporary, sophisticated minimalist look – paper flowers with huge frames for the stage. It was just perfectly elegant.

Mehndi
We hosted the Mehndi at the Orchid Hotel, next to Sahara Star. It was a close-knit affair, very private. Mahesh Bhai, a Mumbai-based mehndi artist did my mehndi design. V P Singh created a splendid set up that catered absolutely to my taste for bright colors – pink, purple, orange, yellow and red. We even had colourful cloth umbrellas on each mehndi table.

Wedding/ reception
Our wedding was followed by our reception, on the same day and we hosted it in the grand Sahara Star Sapphire Banquet Hall. It was incredible! The hall is sprawled across 55,000 square feet and is pillar less giving the entire space a larger-than-life appeal. The décor was beautiful – white flowers, purple lights and a huge dome on stage where we were seated.

Wedding makeup and looks
My wedding makeup artist was Varsha Gidwani and Ritika Kadam was in charge of hair. I met both of them prior to the wedding to discuss the look for each function and they were friendly and easy to chat with. Everything was pre-decided so I was really relaxed in the lead up to the wedding and I think they did a mind blowing job.

Engagement/ Cocktail
I was going for glamour. Varsha gave me a bronzed look with smoky eyes and a subtle lip. I wanted to wear something that made me look royal and finally fell in love with a navy blue Manish Malhotra gown that fit like a glove and made me feel like an absolute princess!

Mehndi
For the Mehndi, Varsha kept my look very natural and brought out a subtle bridal glow. Ritika complemented this with a gorgeous hairstyle that she adorned with floral jewellery by Shristi Floral Art. I wore Sabyasachi Mukherjee – a deep purple velvet lehenga with gold embroidery and a mint green dupatta.

Wedding
I’m a typical Punjabi bride and had dreamed of wearing a beautiful Sabyasachi creation on my big day so I couldn’t resist a luscious red lehenga with rose flower zardosi embroidery. I wore this to the reception too. My look for the day was highlighted with gold tints on the eyes, red lips, all nods to our wonderful traditions.

Wedding photography:
After a lot of research we chose WeddingNama and I doubt anyone could have done a better job. We even had them take care of our pre-wedding shoot in Leh-Ladakh and it was a wonderful experience. We really appreciated the fact that they met us before hand to understand us, and our family background. They’re a dedicated team and despite the erratic weather, they never once complained and ended up shooting the most amazing pictures that we will cherish for a lifetime.

Any advice to the to-be brides
Please start planning as soon as your wedding is fixed! I had two years to plan my wedding. Make a list of everything you need for your trousseau and try and get everything done at least a month before the big day to avoid any last minute stress. Ask your family to help you and please pamper yourself during the process. Last, but not least, remember to enjoy your wedding!

The Wedding Makers

Outfits:
Engagement- Manish Malhotra
Mehndi, Reception, Wedding- Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Makeup Artist- Varsha Gidwani
Hairstylist- Ritika Kadam
Mehndi Artist- Mahesh Bhai
Decor- V P Singh

Photos Courtesy- WeddingNama

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