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2016’s Top Bollywood Weddings
Anything in Bollywood draws attention and more so if there’s a wedding involved. We take a look at some of the weddings that made headlines this year.
By Taniya TalukdarThe year 2016 hasn’t been the best for relationships in Bollywood, with many celebrity couples breaking up. On the other hand, there were quite a few weddings that saw couples finally walk down the aisle after years of courtship. Some of these kept people talking for days even after the main events. Here are some of the most talked about weddings of the Hindi film industry in 2016:
Asin and Rahul Sharma It came as a shock to many when Asin announced her engagement to Micromax CEO, Rahul Sharma. Not many were aware that these two were a couple. Asin was introduced to Rahul by his good friend, actor Akshay Kumar and found their soul mate in one another. This was the first grand wedding of the year and one of the year’s trending events. The couple had twin ceremonies in the capital, Delhi, where Rahul is from. The Christian church wedding was followed by a Hindu ceremony in the evening on January 19. The couple kept both ceremonies private and had only family and close friends in attendance including Akshay. Later, they hosted a reception in Mumbai that was attended by all Bollywood biggies.Pictures of the wedding were the talk of social media for a long time.
Kabir Bedi and Parveen Dusanj 
Veteran actor Kabir Bedi surprised guests invited over for his 70th birthday by tying the knot with his long time girlfriend 42-year-old, Parveen Dusanj. While his friends attending the event were happy for the couple, there was one person who wasn’t too impressed – Kabir’s estranged daughter, Pooja Bedi, as the two women never really got along. This is Kabir’s fourth marriage and was attended by close family and friends, but Pooja wasn’t on the guestlist. The actual wedding was held at a farm house on January 16, the couple sought blessings from a Gurdwara on January 14.
Preity Zinta and Gene Goodenough The month of February saw the alliance of the bubbly Bollywood actress and Kings XI Punjab IPL team owner, Preity Zinta, to the US based financial analyst, Gene Goodenough. Many had speculated her frequent visits to the US could be attributed it to this particular relationship that lasted for 18 months before culminating in marriage, but Preity was in denial mode. The couple tied the knot during a Hindu ceremony in Los Angeles attended by close family and friends. Preity’s good friends, Suzanne Khan and Surily Goel helped organize the arrangements. The couple later hosted a reception in Mumbai attended by well known Bollywood faces Urmila Matondkar and Mohsin Akhtar Mir 
This is one wedding that people took a long time to get over. On March 3, well known designer, Manish Malhotra, took to a social networking platform to announce the marriage of his good friend, Urmila to a much younger Mir. Not only was the sudden secret marriage a shock to her fans, but also the fact that Urmila chose to marry someone 10 years younger to her surprised many. The secret ceremony was attended only by Manish from the industry apart from her family. Mir, a model-turned-businessman, was introduced to Urmila at Manish’s niece, Rridhi’s, wedding and they have been in a relationship since then. The Hindu ceremony was held at Urmila’s residence 
Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover Bombshell Bipasha Basu, who broke up with long term boyfriend John Abraham after 10 years of courtship, finally found love in television superstar, Karan Singh Grover. The two acted together in the film, Alone and love bloomed. Though initially the couple denied their relationship, Bipasha announced the wedding date and details after both the families agreed to it. The wedding took place in Mumbai and was preceded by mehendi and sangeet ceremonies. The actual wedding was conducted as per Bengali rituals and was followed by a reception attended by the who’s-who of Bollywood. Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya 
This couple might not be a part of Bollywood, but their wedding sure overtook many of the Bollywood ones. TV actors Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya tied the knot recently and drove social media crazy with everyone talking about the wedding and posting pictures. While many say that it was a good PR at work, nonetheless the motive was achieved as they got people to talk and post about the wedding on all the social media channels. -
Julie weds Manreet Destination Wedding Photographed by Viridian Images Photography
A mutual love of traveling and adventure brought Julie and Manreet together when they met through common friends in Midtown Atlanta. As true adventurous spirits, they helped each discover new passions; Reet introduced Julie to mountain biking, and Julie taught him to snowboard. During their eight years of dating, they traveled all over the world, including Reet’s Indian homeland and many countries in Europe, Africa, and Central America.
The couple’s passions help start their life’s journey together, on the day of a bike race they will never forget. After dinner not far from the race, Julie, who is a huge animal lover, noticed a lonely dog sitting on the balcony of the bar where she first met Reet. Julie rushed to find the dog’s owner, but soon realized it was none other than Reet’s dog wearing a “Marry me?” tag. When she turned around to see Reet on one knee with a ring, Julie barely managed to stop laughing long enough to say “yes”. They celebrated with champagne at home, and started the wedding planning not long after. 
Reet’s family did most of the planning, and even went to India two months before the big day to finalize the details. Reet and Julie were still in the US during the planning, and his family sent them photos of venues until they decided on Pinjore Gardens in Haryana. Their guests were able sightsee before the wedding, such visit he Taj Mahal and Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary. The first event, Sangeet night, was held at a park in Chandigarh, two days before the ceremony. The ladies received mehndi outside underneath a beautiful tent. The couple chose to blend their eastern and western cultures through the music, with a fun “East VS West” dance competition. The night ended with the traditional Jaggo, when they paraded through the neighborhood streets to dance and share sweets with the neighbors.
After many hours of preparation, the ceremony was held at a gurdwara. They had the traditional baarat and milni, followed a traditional anand karaj ceremony. Julie was carried out during the dholi by her brothers and male friends on a beautiful carriage.
About an hour from the ceremony venue was the breathtaking garden, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. A horse-drawn carriage carrying the newlyweds arrived to the sound of beating drums. They entered the reception tent which was draped with purple and pink flowers to create an elegant and magical atmosphere that reflected the gorgeous natural setting. The night was full of dancing, heartfelt speeches, and of course, a beautiful cake. After cutting of the cake, the happy couple and their 400 guests were wowed by a grand fireworks display. Julie and Reet were thrilled that their adventurous destination wedding went off without a hitch, and that the celebrations reflected the happiness they felt as they continued their life journey together.
Photos Courtesy 
Julie weds Manreet
Viridian Images Photography
Destination Wedding
wedding planning
Taj Mahal
Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary
Sangeet night
mehndi
dance competition
gurdwara
dholi
horse-drawn carriage
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Richa weds Neal
Richa and Neal began as college sweethearts, after being lucky enough to end up at the same party one night. The two found they had much in common, and went on to date beyond college, for over six years, before Neal surprised Richa with a romantic proposal. Neal secretly invited their family and friends to Stone Mountain in Atlanta, where they watched him propose to Richa at a scenic spot overlooking a lake, and they all popped champagne with the happy couple.
Richa always knew she wanted a big hotel wedding, and ended up choosing the Marriott in Downtown Knoxville because of its proximity to her family. The couple immediately hired a wedding planner to handle all of the tedious details, like vendors, scheduling, and organization. They were grateful to have help because it prompted them to start planning early and avoid last-minute chaos.
The pre-wedding festivities began with a Ganesh Puja and Vivah Khel bhajan celebration at Richa’s Tennessee home. Richa transformed her basement into a cozy, yet elegant setting by draping colorful saris to form an umbrella design.
The following two days were just as colorful, including the Mehndi night with pink and green paisley decor, and the Moroccan-themed Garba night at a mandir in Lenoir City. Richa was also sure to add classic Indian touches to the Garba, such as rangoli and decorated clay pot centerpieces. The grand wedding of Richa’s dreams, with 550 guests, was held in the largest ballroom at the Marriott, with the Baraat procession scheduled early in the morning to give everyone a full day of celebration. It included the festive sounds of the dhol as Neal rode in a horse carriage and jumped into a Range Rover SUV just before entering the venue with Richa’s parents. The mood transitioned smoothly for the ceremony with all instrumental versions of Richa’s favorite songs.
The all-white mandap was accented with gold decor and pink lighting to complement the pink and white floral blanket draped on both sides of the mandap. This unique floral decoration was made of white hydrangeas, roses, and green berries, which were also used in the matching bouquets. Richa was keen on a vibrant spring color palette, avoiding using red to allow her red and gold dress to stand out. For the reception, a starlight drape matched the starlight dance floor, accented with teal and gold décor, crystal centerpieces, and rows of white tulips in vases along the estate tables. The elegant reception setting was exactly what Richa envisioned, and was her favorite aesthetic element of the entire wedding process. The reception included a mix of modern music and Indian classics, and was a fun might of dance performances and celebration. Richa and Neal reminisce fondly on their wedding, and because they had professional help and so many well-wishing guests, they were able to enjoy every moment celebrating their love story.
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Meera weds Nehal
Meera and Nehal’s consider their romance to be a “city girl meets country boy” kind of love story. The two met in 2014, and began a dating tradition of having spontaneous adventures across Florida, Meera’s home state. A mid-westerner, Nehal experienced places like Cocoa Beach, Universal Studios, and St. Augustine with Meera, and he chose to incorporate their tradition into his surprise proposal. They planned a trip to Friendship Fountain, a famous Florida landmark, and Nehal gave Meera the surprise of her life when he got down on one knee. The couple was excited to continue their journey together and prepare for an unforgettable wedding.
Meera hired a coordinator for the wedding day, but did most of the planning on her own. She was relieved to have a coordinator and a team to help with the last-minute details and typical wedding day chaos, because it helped her and her guests to enjoy the special day without any hassle. The couple chose a venue near Meera’s home, The Palmetto Club, because it offered not only a ballroom, but also a beautiful veranda and garden.
Before the big day, they held several pre-wedding events in Oklahoma, Nehal’s home state. The Vidhi/Pithi was followed by a family dinner, and a henna night at home.
The Sangeet was held in Florida on the night before the wedding. The ceremony began in the early morning, with lively bhangra music announcing the entrance of the Baraat, complete with a Hummer limousine. The music transitioned into traditional Hindi wedding songs, and Meera entered to a beautiful instrumental piece from the Bollywood movie Jodha Akbhar. The wedding venue was decorated in maroon, white, and gold, embellished with crystals, pearl columns around the mandap, and red and white rose centerpieces. Meera and Nehal chose to close off a section of the ballroom to accommodate a more intimate, theater-style seating arrangement for their guests.
Following the ceremony, the venue was transformed for the reception, with a new color scheme of teal, maroon, gold, and silver. The centerpieces were a pleasant surprise for the couple, because they allowed their designer to have free reign, and they were impressed with every detail of his finished work.
Each centerpiece features a gold candle vase draped in crystals and adorned with blue orchids and vases lit with LED lighting and glowing water. They were the perfect complement to the teal backdrop and gold drapes hung around the room, and set a lovely mood for the celebration.
Their DJ played a combination of Hindi, Pujabi, Bhnagra, and American music, to please all of their guests, and everyone danced throughout the night. The reception even included three choreographed dances by the bride’s friends and family, and also Nehal’s cousins who did a surprising and unique performance using jump ropes. Meera and Nehal’s wedding went off without a hitch, and the couple is so grateful for the support of not only their loving friends and family, but the designers and event coordinators who helped make their special day unforgettable.
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Narissa weds Nirmal
Narissa and Nirmal were friends for several years as University of Central Florida students, while Narissa was also working at a nearby bank. Nirmal cleverly came in to open an account one day, giving him a reason to see Narissa regularly and work up the courage to ask her on a date. Narissa’s “yes” turned into a beautiful romance that led up to Nirmal’s surprise proposal in the Bahamas. While vacationing there with friends, the couple discovered a lovely spot on the beach where they could climb out onto the rocks.
Nirmal suddenly pretended to fall on the rocks, but he was disguising his attempt to get down on one knee to ask Narissa the big question.Through the surprised and excited tears, she managed to say “yes”, and they were able to celebrate the occasion with their friends during the rest of the cruise. Their engagement party kicked off the wedding planning, which was going to be a big endeavor because they planned to have 250 guests. Narissa and Nirmal used the help of a wedding planner to secure vendors, and also relied on decorators and caterers on the wedding day.
The couple knew they wanted to be married in their temple in Orlando, because it had personal meaning, and could also accommodate their guest count. The reception venue, a hotel near Narissa’s workplace in Lake Mary, was suggested by their wedding planner, and it even included a talented chef who catered the event. Most of their friends and family were locals, but many came from New York, Canada, Trinidad, and Guyana for the big day. Prior to the ceremony, they held a Mehendi night for the bride, and a Haldi night for both bride and groom. For the ceremony, the mandap was draped in blue, white, and silver, and the aisle was lined with white elephants that complimented the floral arrangements of blue orchids and white carnations. The same color scheme carried over to the cocktail hour and reception décor, with jeweled vases, blue stones, and intricate silver tablecloths.
As a car enthusiast, Nirmal drove a rare Nissan R34 to the ceremony, while the bridal party arrived at the temple in a limousine. Once inside, Narissa walked down the aisle with her parents to a beautiful song from Jodha Akbar. After the ceremony, the reception kicked off with Narissa and Nirmal’s favorite dance music, including Soca, Chutney, Tassa drums, and Bollywood songs. The bridal party performed a choreographed routine, and Nirmal’s niece and nephew also presented a touching poem about the newlyweds that brought a tear to everyone’s eyes. The reception was a lovely mix of celebration and sentimentality, and Narissa and Nirmal have only fond memories of their special day that went off without a hitch.
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Narissa weds Nirmal
