Real Wedding

Harbhajan Singh & Geeta Basra’s Grand Wedding

After an age-old whirlwind romance, Bollywood actress Geeta Basra and the popular spinner bowler finally tied the knot on October 29, 2015. One of the most lavish weddings ever organized, spanned five days near Jalandhar. The celebration kickstarted with the mehendi function on October 27 and culminated with the grand reception on November 1 in Delhi.

Designed by Entertainment Design Co., the wedding card looked ready to compete with any Queen Elizabeth’s invitation cards. Drawing inspiration from Bollywood, the card leaflets were in a bright red box with the names of the invitees embossed in gold.

Veteran designer Archana Kocchar designed the entire range of outfits for the duo. Not only were all of the couple’s outfits perfectly synced, but were also the epitome of style, tradition, and design. The pair looked absolutely stunning on their wedding day with Geeta in red and gold lehenga and Harbhajan in an ivory Raghavendra Rathore sherwani.

All pre-marriage rituals carried the traditional flavor with the most lavish feast served every occasion. Both national and international chefs were hired to present cuisines from various states as well as from the international front in one platter. It is stated that about 113 types of tobacco were served on the wedding day.

Not only were all wedding decorations lavish and stylish, but also all destinations sported ultra-tight security due to the A-class guest list. Ranging from business to Bollywood to politics, top personalities showed-up to bless the couple. Some hallmark attendees were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Neeta and Mukesh Ambani, among many others.

The grandeur and lavishness of the wedding festivities will be long remembered.

Anita Weds Chirag

Some of the best love stories are the tales of childhood sweethearts, like Anita and Chirag Patel. Friends since the 8th grade, the two saw each other grow up and were finally engaged after 10 years. Chirag planned his proposal for six months, between picking the perfect spot at the park and choosing a beautiful ring. Anita was nervous and didn’t know what Chirag was trying to ask, but was so excited to begin planning the wedding and share the rest of her life with him after she said “yes.”

The couple planned the entire event themselves in about eight months, choosing to have the wedding in Atlanta because it was close enough to their families in Alabama, but also offered a big city environment for their international guests. Their guests’ hotel was also conveniently located one mile from the wedding site. Between the planning and buying a new house at the same time, Anita and Chirag felt overwhelmed at times, but were relieved to have their friends, family and each other through the entire process.

For the Garba night, they chose a Moroccan theme with bright jewel toned tablecloths, cushions, and curtains. Their guests were entertained by several game stations, including corn hold, cards and Carom boards, and had the option of sitting at tables or standing at high boys.

The ceremony followed a more traditional theme, with a gold, red, and green indoor mandap and a large Ganesha table at the ballroom entrance. The aisle had rose petal adorned design, with columns along the side, large floral pieces and chandeliers. For the reception, the mandap was opened and the drapes and flowers were changed to match the new gold and blue color scheme. Lighting was installed along the perimeter of the room, and the couple included several unique touches, such as a large engagement photo near the entrance, a bird cage in the reception hall and puzzle pieces on the sign-in table instead of a traditional book. Food was set up in the foyer for their 600 guests, and the DJ booth was lit up as the dancing and entertainment began. Anita and Chirag’s families did a surprise dance and video depicting the couple’s decade-long relationship, and it was the highlight of the night. Anita as relieved that the entire event went off without a hitch, and even though it was just one day in the scope of her long and happy life with Chirag, it was the most important day they have ever shared.

Photos Courtesy:
Peter Nguyen Photography 678-428-2521 www.peternguyenphoto.com

Vendors

BANQUET HALLS
The Ballroom at the Carlos Center
404-892-2359
www.tnchcc.org

BEAUTICIANS/COSMETICIAN
Gunn Glamour
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sgunn.hair@gmail.com

DECORATOR
Utopian Events
678-570-4443
www.utopianevent.com

BOUTIQUES
Anokhi Ada
770-760-8565
anokhiada.sona@gmail.com

MEHNDI
Beauty U Deserve
404-663-5344
beautyudeserve@gmail.com

JEWELERS
Bhindi Jewelers Inc
404-325-8755
www.bhindijewellers.com

Zaveri Bazaar
404-254-1330
www.zaveribazaar.com

DISC JOCKEY
Indaglow Productions
404-734-6534
www.indaglowproductions.com

RENTAL SERVICES
A-1 Tent & Party Rentals
770-458-7740
www.aonerentals.com

PRIEST/WORSHIP SERVICES
Ambaji USA
404-993-1783
bharat23@hotmail.com

CAKE
Ratio Bakery
404-500-4456
www.ratiobakeshop.com

FLORIST
Utopian Events
678-570-4443
www.utopianevent.com

RESTAURANT/CATERING
Thali Indian Vegiterian Cuisine
678-705-1290
www.thaliatl.com

PHOTOGRAPHER
Peter Nguyen Photography
678-428-2521
www.peternguyenphoto.com

VIDEOGRAPHY
LEXORIA FILMS
727-550-6683
www.lexoriaweddingfilmstampa.com

Shahid Kapoor – Mira Rajput Wedding

Actor Shahid Kapoor and Delhi-based Mira Rajput tied the knot in a low-key ceremony in Delhi on July 7, 2015. The much awaited nuptials took place at industrialist Shivinder Singh’s farmhouse in Rajkori (Delhi) and were attended by only their close relatives and friends. The two exchanged their vows as per traditions of the Radha Soami sect, a philosophical organisation that combines the spiritual teachings of all religions. Both families are active followers of the group, and it is believed that Shahid first met Mira, a third year English (Hons) student at Lady Shri Ram college through a ‘satsang’ of the group.

For the Vivah, Shahid chose a white shervani designed by friend Kunal Rawal, while the blushing bride wore a rose tinted lehenga designed by Anamika Khanna. After the much-guarded wedding ceremony, Ragi Bhai Harjinder Singh Srinagar Wale performed a Kirtan, to ring in the good spirits. Later, a celebratory lunch was hosted by the couple for the attendees.

The Pre-wedding festivities, sangeet and haldi ceremonies, were held on July 6, 2015 at The Trident, Gurgaon during which Mira and Shahid tapped their feet to Shahid’s popular hits including “Mauja Hi Mauja,” “Saree Ke Fall Sa,” and many more. Following the wedding, a reception took place at The Oberoi Hotel in Gurgaon and was attended by over 500 guests. However, a grand glitterati wedding reception was organized at the Palladium Hotel in Lower Parel, Mumbai on July 12, 2015 to continue celebrations. It was attended by tinsel town’s A-listed celebs including Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Kangana Ranaut, Preity Zinta, and Alia Bhatt among others.
Sanjay Hindujaad Anu Mahtani’s Udaipur Wedding

The eldest of the next-gen Hinduja’s, Sanjay Hinduja got hitched to his long-time girlfriend Anusuya Mahtani in a threeday extravaganza, which commenced on February 10, 2015 in the City of Lakes, Udaipur. The wedding was a no-expense-spared lavish affair attended by the Bollywood stars as well as International celebrities.

The pre-wedding party was in itself an ostentatious affair, for which several Bollywood bigwigs, business honchos and politicians came all the way to Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace to jump-start celebrations. Madhuri Dixit, Boney Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, and Amar Singh were some of the luminaries who attended the lavish prewedding party. Nonetheless, the three-day long wedding celebrations in Udaipur remained the cynosure for all eyes in the world.

A slew of traditional festivities and pre-wedding festivities took place at different venues of the City Palace complex. A cocktail party was hosted at the stately Manek Chowk, followed by a poolside mehendi ceremony at the grandiose Shiv Niwas Palace and a Sangeet at the stunning Zenana Mahal. All that was left was the the much hyped fairy-tale wedding at the enchanting Jagmandir Island Palace.

Pop diva Jennifer Lopez and ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger set the stage ablaze with their high-octane performances at this big fat Indian wedding. Also, a number of glitzy celebrity shots by the guests at the wedding flooded social networking sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The fabulously ritzy wedding is still the talk of the town.

Pooja weds Rupesh

Pooja and Rupesh dated for a year and a half before Rupesh’s surprise proposal, but for the year leading up to their wedding, the relationship was a long-distance affair. Pooja, a structural engineer, was living in Orlando and Rupesh, a business analyst, was in Pittsburgh. Even months before the event, Pooja used to have nightmares that her wedding day had suddenly arrived and nothing was planned. But she would always wake up relieved knowing that they had plenty of time and help from their loved ones. It all started with the memorable proposal. The couple was visiting friends and family in California when Rupesh planned it, somehow without Pooja catching on. He arranged for everyone to secretly arrive at the picturesque Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where Rupesh surprised Pooja with the big question. As an added surprise, everyone took photos of the couple’s special moment. They chose to be wed in Orlando, and since Pooja’s family living there had recently planned two weddings, this was a familiar experience. They chose the grand Wyndham Hotel and Resort – classic ballrooms, beautiful gardens, and a general open feel was important to the couple when selecting their venue. Because they also planned to have many out-of-towners attending, the resort aspect of the Wyndham was ideal for these guests. Before the day of the ceremony, they held a joyful Garba and Raas night. A beautiful Radha Krishna murti surrounded by candles was the centerpiece of the night, as their 250 guests danced and celebrated Pooja and Rupesh. There was a large wooden swing and a backdrop of sapphire, brown and neon green on the stage and the entire space was draped in bright colors to maintain the festive mood. “Surprise” is a recurring theme in their relationship, because the bride and groom both surprised each other with choreographed dances, Pooja with her cousins and girlfriends, and Rupesh with his cousins. It was a charming personal touch to the Garba night.

Finally, the auspicious ceremony arrived, and Pooja was ready to let go of the hassles of wedding preparations and make a happy memory. Rupesh rode to the ballroom in the traditional way, with his baraat on a majestic horse. Pooja’s bridesmaids and cousins walked in to a graceful instrumental song, and finally, accompanied by her brother and mamas, the bride made her entrance.

The official setting of the ceremony, their gold and ivory draped mandap, sat on a stage with a raised aisle lined by candles and lavender rose petals. There were hues of purple throughout the ceremony, including in the floral arrangements, to represent Pooja’s favorite color. The ceremony programs kept to a traditional design, with red and gold text, folded in half to resemble a book. Pooja and Rupesh also included explanations of the complicated ceremony and a special note to their guests.

The reception again reflected Pooja’s favorite color, from the purple floral centerpieces and lighting to the purple linens and cake décor. The centerpieces were not only beautiful, but resourceful, because they were able to reuse pieces from the ceremony. The tables surrounded the diamond dance floor, and the happy couple sat at a sweetheart table on the stage. The reception, just like the other events, flowed smoothly.

Pooja and Rupesh had complete faith in their family and friends, who helped her to enjoy the celebration of their marriage in a worry-free way. Even though this do-it-yourself couple faced some challenges along the way, they created for themselves the beginning of a long and beautiful journey.