Sonali Vij

Sonali, a travel enthusiast, lifestyle blogger and sports and events manager, got married at The Palms Town and Country Club, Gurgaon. She discovered her love for the whole wedding planning process, and wants to build a career in the industry as a bridal stylist and wedding planner. Check out her gorgeous ensembles and diverse looks as she shares details from her wedding here.

Wedding Planning
Sonali shares, “I just had a broad vision for my looks, but I went with an open mind when I went shopping, and that helped. I am glad I wasn’t stuck to one particular designer or color because looking around and absorbing the trends broadened my thought process. Glancing through the WeddingSutra app and looking at real weddings always gives you lots of ideas. My mother was my anchor and support throughout my nuptials. She helped me put my looks together patiently. My mother-in-law always checked with me on my looks and shared her suggestions as she too wanted me to pick a unique and beautiful lehenga for my wedding. I picked Aakriti Kochar and Prasenjit Biswas for my makeup after doing my homework. They were thorough professionals who heard me out and then did their magic.”

Wedding Functions

Bridal Shower
“My bridal shower was hosted at my residence, and planned by my sister. The theme for the party was ‘Be the Diva,’ and for that I wore a white gown by Nitya Bajaj. I loved the twist the gown had with the straps. Since I wasn’t going to wear white for any of the main functions, I loved flaunting this color for my bridal shower. It was classy yet fun, and that’s the look I wanted to go with. The rest of the look was clean with just a choker and studs as accessories. I flaunted soft curls and pink lipstick that looked great with my outfit!”

Cocktail
“For the cocktail function at Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi, themed ‘Glitz and Glam’, I wore a cherry colored gown with a belt by Shantanu & Nikhil. It truly made me feel like a princess. I wanted the look to be modern and royal with not much bling. Balancing the jewellery element for a function is always a gamble, but I went ahead and took the risk. Eventually, everyone loved my look and so did I. I teamed it up with Outhouse Jewellery, and later on, wore earrings gifted by my in-laws. I carried a clutch with my initials embroidered on it from Love to Bag, and also wore a Pipa Bella bracelet which had our initials’ as alphabetic trinkets. Aakriti Kochar gave me a glam makeup look and added a lot of texture to my hair to create a beautiful and thick ponytail.”

Mehndi
“I wanted my mehndi look to be simple, colorful and fun! I picked a Masaba Gupta creation which had playful nuances. I moved and danced around in it with such ease. I teamed it up with a belt purse from Papa Don’t Preach by Shubhika, and accessorised my look with stunning jewellery from Adirag. I insisted on a little twist to the make-up by adding a little pop of pink on my lips. The quirkiness of my mehndi look was further enhanced with my green shades and floral jewellery.”

Wedding
“Full credit goes to my mother as she went to quite a few stores to pick the ideal lehenga for me. She first spotted the one I finally wore. Once I tried it on, I just fell in love with it. I felt so beautiful wearing it. The colour was soft and unique and went beautifully with my jewellery. Ishan wore a stole and headgear in the same color to match my lehenga from Christina WT in Shahpur Jat. The owner was so patient and listened to my requests with a smile. She made my wedding ensemble special by embroidering our names and wedding date on my dupatta. I wanted my makeup to be simple yet delicate and tied my hair into a floral bun. The wedding ceremonies were held at The Palms Town & Country Club, Gurgaon, with a ‘Garden of Love’ theme, and all our loved ones were dressed in pastel hues.”

Reception
“For my reception held at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, I wore a gorgeous red sari which my mother-in-law got from Banaras. I got a beautiful blouse done from Avnni Kapur in Shahpur Jat, and kept my makeup glam with smokey eyes, nude lips and a bun. My mother, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law too looked dazzling in Banarasi sarees at the reception. I got so many compliments for my outfit. My mother-in-law picked both the outfit and jewellery with so much love.”

Advice for Brides-to-be
“I would like to tell brides-to-be to enjoy every bit of it all – the shopping, pampering sessions, going for trials, and so on. Your wedding really is a once in a lifetime experience, so make the most of it. Stress comes and goes but don’t let it get the better of you. Plan well in advance, make notes, research well and try and do the running around with loved ones as it also lets you spend some good time with them. Don’t forget to involve your partner in all the planning as you’re doing something special for each other.”

The Wedding Makers

Venues: Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi (Cocktail), Defence Colony (WA) Club (Mehndi), The Palms Town and Country Club, Gurgaon (Wedding), Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (Reception)
Bride’s Outfits: Nitya Bajaj (Bridal Shower), Shantanu & Nikhil (Cocktail), Masaba Gupta (Mehndi), Christina WT, Shahpur Jat (Wedding), Saree from Banaras (Reception)
Makeup: Aakriti Kochar (Cocktail, Wedding), Prasenjit Biswas (Reception)

Photography: The Wedding Files and Soumya Prasad Photography (Reception)

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