Business Maharajas only think ‘It can’t get better than this’
Dec 13, 2011 Celebrity Wedding Pictures, Destination Weddings
Some super-rich industrialists would like their child’s wedding to be extravaganza of excess—like what Pinky and Sanjay Reddy organized in Hyderabad. While some would like it be a fairy-tale wedding, with an intimate feel and the scale just perfect—like the one Sangita and Sajjan Jindal hosted in Florence. Whatever be the scale, what matters most is ‘It can’t get better than this’.
Mallika, Pinky and Sanjay Reddy’s daughter wed Sidharth Indukuri in Hyderabad.
Tanvi, Sangita and Sajjan Jindal’s daughter wed Krishna Shete in Florence
Invitations with Personalized gifts
The cards seldom go out alone. Nowadays, it’s with personalized gifts like an exquisite photo frame with the guests name and photograph. Other popular accompaniments include candle stands from Ravissant, designer watches, rare wines and Belgian chocolates.
‘Is it the Crystal Room or Ballroom tonight’?
In the wedding season it’s not uncommon to hear ”Is it the Crystal or Ballroom tonight?” the two majestic rooms at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. The venue has, is and will always be the most elegant location for the most High Profile Engagements and Power Weddings.
Signature Wedding—at the Taj Falaknuma Palace or Four Seasons, Langkawi
Taj Falaknuma Palace offers the perfect setting for fairytale weddings. What was once the sole preserve of visiting royalty- KingGeorge V and the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II is now a dream wedding destination. Four Seasons Resort in Langkawi, is the ultimate romanticsetting for the most incredible beach wedding. The resort is located on the island’s North-East shore overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the region.
The Wedding Film by Mili and Sid
The Chicago-based wedding photographers & cinematographers are well-known for their Bollywood Chic-style wedding albums and films. India’s Platinum Club now fly down the couple to capture the enigmatic moments of the bride and groom and all the fun, exciting moments of the spectacular wedding! Few families can afford to hire their services, after all the duo spend nearly 400 hours in the film-making exercise to give the bride, groom and their families the experience of film-making at a full production level!
Rockstars and Rappers
Some families want Bollywood super-stars, while some prefer cultural icons like Shubha Mudgal. And some like the Nandas of Delhi, Fabianis of Mumbai and Agarwals of United Kingdom want an international star for the grand finale—like singing sensations Shakira or Akon.
Akon performed at Kajal Fabiani and Gaurav Assomull’s Wedding in Monte Carlo.
Marriage of Cuisines
International chefs are flown in for the occasion, sometimes the menu is matched to the wedding theme and if it’s an overseas wedding, Masterchef Ritu Dalmia steps in as Food consultant. The menu at the wedding isn’t about the number of dishes, but the many cuisines, in all their authentic flavours.
Décor King Preston Bailley or Creative Genuis Tarun Tahiliani
Couturiers come on board not just to design the bride and the entire family’s ensembles but for décor design too. Today, creative Genuises like Abu-Sandeep, Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi and Rohit Bal reserve time to associate with one of the most high-profile weddings every year. And for those who want an International Guru to design the decor for a Delhi wedding extend an invitation to Preston Bailley.
No prizes for guessing what you’re most likely to hear immediately after the wedding—“It was the most mesmerizing event of the decade.”
Tags: Abu-Sandeep, Akon, Business Maharajas, florence, Mili and Sid, Pinky Reddy, Preston Bailley, ritu dalmia, Sajjan Jindal, Sangita Jindal, Sanjay Reddy, Shakira, wedding
Mumbai Celebs shine at Sangeet in Hyderabad
Jun 13, 2011 Celebrity Wedding Pictures
The glitterati tweeted that it was the grandest Indian wedding and best-organised private extravaganza, while fashionistas commented that they had never seen so many people in the most exquisite designer wear under one roof– Pinky and Sanjay Reddy organised a dream wedding for their daughter, and there was so much buzz about the wedding, not just in Hyderabad, but in Mumbai too.
Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Tina Ambani at the Sangeet
The wedding invite designed by Delhi’s famed Entertainment Design Company (EDC) was an exquisitely carved image of Lord Venkateswara with sweets in a specially designed box, and the special guests even received a ‘wow’ gift alongwith the invite- a Satya Paul or Sabyasachi saree! Here are some of pictures of the Celebs@ the Bollywood theme Sangeet and the Red and Gold theme wedding. The full Bachchan parivaar was there with their friends Tina Ambani and Sonali Bendre-Goldie Behl. Society regulars mother-daughter duo Sharmilla and Shaan Khanna, Mitali and Prahlad Kakkar, Pooja Bedi, Timmy Narang- Esha Koppikar, Poonam Dhillon, Suchitra Pillai, Feroze Gujral and Kaykasshan Patel. Pinky Reddy, a darling patron of some A-list designers, invited many of her designer and fashion editor friends- Rohit Bal, Neeta and Nishka Lulla, Pria Kataria Puri, Laila Motwane, Farah Khan, Anand Kabra, Krishna Mehta, Shalini Sharma and Sujata Assomull. Abu-Sandeep who conceptualised the decor for all the wedding functions, were of course there.
Priyanka Chopra
From left to right, Poonam Dhillon, Shriya Saran, Pria Kataria Puri,
Kaykasshan Patel
We’re looking forward to seeing pictures of the bride and groom, and would love to know who designed their wedding ensembles. We heard Abu-Sandeep, Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal and Shantanu-Nikhil designed their creations for different functions, while the family members picked traditional creations from Hyderabad-based designers Anand Kabra and Shravan Kumar.
Bhagyashree, Neeta and Nishka Lulla
Pooja Bedi, Sunanda and Shashi Tharoor
Tags: Abu-Sandeep, EDC, Grandest Indian Wedding, GVK, Invitation Card, Photographs, Pinky Reddy, Sangeet, Sanjay Reddy, wedding
The Big Fab Mittal Wedding
May 6, 2011 Celebrity Wedding Pictures
Lakshmi Mittal may be the richest Indian in the world but he became a household name in India, only after his daughter Vanisha’s wedding in 2004 and now, the Mittal family is a ‘dream’ client for all top shaadi specialists. On 5th May his brother Pramod Mittal’s daughter Vartika got married at the luxurious Ciragan Palace in Istanbul. While the media in Turkey went ga-ga about the Steel King’s niece’s wedding, many other events hosted by the Mittal family have been much talked about, some being controversial too! We feature some of them and profile the biggest names in the fashion and shaadi business who make them happen.
Aditya Mittal’s Sangeet@ Victoria Memorial
Five years before Vanisha wed in France, Lakshmi Mittal’s son Aditya wed Megha Patodia in Mittal’s home-town Kolkata. Mallika Sarabhai and Mamta Shankar performed at the sangeet at Victoria Memorial and the wedding venue was the palatial residence of the Jains (of the Times of India group). Some of Calcutta’s citizens reacted with shock at Victoria Memorial’s trustee’s decision to rent out the sacrosanct monument for a ‘shaadi’. “Shameless money power has asserted over good sense” they screamed. “Next, Mittals will want to hire the Taj Mahal”. Mittal paid Rs 9 lakh as rent to Victoria Memorial, and back then, this was a jaw-dropping figure, but Calcutta’s business community quipped that Victoria Memorial trustees were no match for the Mittals and that he got a great deal for a steal!
Bollywood Glamour in Paris
Top notch international performer Kylie Minogue was present at Vanisha Mittal’s wedding, but it was Bollywood glamour that dazzled the guests. The script was penned by Javed Akhtar, music composed by Shankar Mahadevan and dance moves choreographed by Farah Khan. Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla played Aditya and Megha, while Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee brought alive Vanisha and Amit’s romance. Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai with their high-energy numbers and the inimitable Javed Jaffery drew the loudest applause.
Morani brothers orchestrate Big Birthday bash in London
Pramod Mittal 50th birthday was celebrated in Central London and as part of the grand celebration, there was a big bollywood show, Sajid Khan hosted the event, SRK played James Bond, and Bipasha Basu, Celina Jaitley and Dia Mirza were the sexy sirens. The event was orchestrated by the Moranis, Mittal’s favourite event managers who also managed Vartika-Utsav’s wedding in Istanbul.
Trousseau Treasures by Abu-Sandeep
Abu-Sandeep, Tarun Tahiliani and Suneet Varma worked on Vanisha trousseau and bridal wear—the biggest contract was awarded to Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla who design occassion wear for the Mittal family. The Mumbai-based duo designed Vanisha’s wedding outfit and 15 other outfits for her Trousseau. Tarun Tahiliani, designed the lehenga for the doli night, while Suneet Varma made the ensembles for the Sangeet, Bollywood night and the Mehendi.
Munnabhai’s Magic
Caterer turned restauranteur Munna Maharaj is a favourite of high profile industrialists seeking the ultimate vegetarian spread. The Kolkata-based chef’s first big break was in 1988, when he whipped up delicacies for Kumaramangalam Birla’s wedding in Mumbai, but he became known as India’s catering king, when he cast a spell with his epicurean delights at Vanisha’s wedding. Munna flew to Paris with his team of 38 chefs to prepare all the vegetarian meals at the six-day wedding affair, and his signature items Jodhpuri chakki ki subzi, the nine course badam mithai and Lakshmi Mittal’s favourite sweets—misthti doi and rosogulla.
Mittal-Saraf alliance in Mumbai
When Natasha Mittal (Lakshmi Mittal’s brother Vinod’s daughter) got engaged to Varun Saraf (son of construction magnate and Grand Hyatt owner Arun Saraf), Mumbai was looking forward to the Power Wedding of 2010. The wedding was out of the bound for the press, and hence not much is known about the ‘wow’ elements of this wedding, except that it was the classiest and most elegant affair@ Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.
Tags: Abu-Sandeep, Aditya Mittal, Istanbul, Lakshmi Mittal, Megha, Morani, Munna Maharaj, Pramod Mittal, Vanisha, Vartika, Victoria Memorial, wedding, Weddings
‘Abu-Sandeep and A.Jaffe’: Jewellery King Mehul Choksi’s daughter Priyanka Choksi on wedding picks
Aug 26, 2010 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for, Fashion & Bridal Wear
A few weeks ago, Mehul Choksi, Chairman of Gitanjali Group in an interview to WeddingSutra had announced his daughter Priyanka’s marriage to Antwerp-based Akash Mehta. His to-be-wed daughter is in the news again, she has just launched her own entrepreneurial venture. Priyanka, has brought to India A.Jaffe, New York’s most sought-after luxury bridal brand and one of America’s oldest bridal jewellery manufacturers. A.Jaffe’s flagship store on Hughes Road, Mumbai will retail Engagement, Wedding and Anniversary rings.
Priyanka herself wears an A.Jaffe engagement ring. What else is the privileged princess picking for her trousseau? “All my wedding wear will be designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. For jewellery shopping I’m planning to visit Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hyderabad.” She adds: “I’m an accessory freak too—Malaga clutches are my favorite, and the other accessory brands I usually pick when travelling abroad are Chloe, Chanel, Fendi and Jimmy Choo.” And where does she plan to take her fiance for his wedding shopping? “His wear for the different functions may be a mix from different designers– Abu-Sandeep, Raghuvendra Rathore and Krishna Mehta”, she says.
Priyanka and Akash’s wedding is in Jodhpur in December this year.
Tags: A.Jaffe, Abu Jani, Abu-Sandeep, Akash Mehta, Anniversary Rings, Chanel, Chloe, Engagement Rings, Fendi, Gitanjali Group, Hughes Road, Jimmy Choo, Krishna Mehta, Malaga, Mehul Choksi, Raghuvendra Rathore, Sandeep Khosla, Wedding Rings
Arzoo Govitrikar’s Post-wedding Party at Tote
Mar 23, 2010 Celebrity Wedding Pictures
Arzoo Govitrikar and Siddharth Sabharwal’s post wedding party at Tote, Race Course was held on Thursday, 18th March, 2010. Arzoo looked stunning in an Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla creation: a dull gold net saree with gota work. Siddharth looked dapper in a Kenzo Suit. Arzoo’s good friends Mugdha Godse and Samita Bangargi, sister Aditi Govitrikar and her little daughter all wore beautiful white creations.
Click here to read about Arzoo’s traditional Maharashtrian wedding:
http://weddingsutra.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/16/aditi-govitrikar-sister/
http://weddingsutra.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/16/arzoo-govitrikar-weds-businessman-siddharth-sabharwal/
Pictures Courtesy: Bhushan Agarwal (M: +91 09930040712), Body Language Photography, Mumbai.
Tags: Abu Jani, Abu-Sandeep, Aditi Govitrikar, Arzoo Govitrikar, Mugdha Godse, Samita Bangargi, Sandeep Khosla, Tote
Ten Favorite Bridal Designers of the Decade
Mar 20, 2010 Fashion & Bridal Wear
This was truly a decade that changed the face of Indian fashion. From Chandni Chowk to High couture – the bridal fashion has come a long way. And leading the charge were some designers who made traditional trendy. Here are our Ten favorite Bridal Designers of the Decade.
Ritu Kumar
The undisputed queen of bridal couture, Ritu Kumar reinvented the bridal market in the noughties with innumerous brides clamouring to to own a Ritu Kumar original creation. She has a unique style of her own which includes beautiful fabrics, stunning colors and intricate zardozi, bandhani and chikan work – very traditional silhouettes but very classy and contemporary feel. It helped that many celebrity brides and Miss India contestants flaunted her lehengas in public eye.
Tarun Tahiliani
Tahiliani believes a bride’s dream is, “Opulent, grand and majestic – and yet contemporary”. He’s dressed every major celebrity bride – from Elizabeth Hurley to Shilpa Shetty. Style, craftsmanship, quality and refinement are the defining symbols of Tarun’s garments. No wonder his lehengas and sarees are heirlooms and wearing a Tarun Tahiliani outfit is a defining moment for most brides.
Manish Malhotra
His name is synonymous with Bollywood fashion and his starry clients include the Kapoor sisters, Kajol, Aishwarya, Preity and Urmila. Think of those gorgeous brides in Karan Johar movies and you know who dressed them – Manish Malhotra, tinseltown’s favourite designer. Very popular with the NRI set, his bridal outfits are all about breathtaking colors, rich fabrics, detailed textures and delicate embellishments.
Sabyasachi
The poster boy of Indian fashion industry understands Indian clothing, culture and mindset like no other designer. And his designs are far too eclectic to be understood by everyone but that’s where lies his appeal. A Sabyasachi is an absolute must-have for the well-heeled, from the socialites to Bollywood’s biggest stars and his bridal collections are usually sold out within says of launching. But what we love most is his sense of color – his palette consists mostly of earthy shades of olives, rusts, golds and rich browns. His clothes have a certain nostalgia about them – as if they belonged to beautiful women of an era gone by.
Valaya
No one does opulence better than Valaya – without losing style and edge. His love for all things imperial translate into most gorgeous lehengas in silk brocade embellished with beadwork, embroidery, and crystals. Fit for a princess. Even more impressive is the fact that he has influenced men to drop their Armani suits and dress Indian to compliment their brides.
Neeta Lulla
If you remember the exquisite and extravagant costumes of Jodhaa Akbar, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Devdas, you know what to expect from Neeta Lulla – the queen of bollywood costumes. From Bollywood biggies to business families – Neeta Lulla’s clientele swear by her signature flowing, diaphanous lehengas and saris. She has had her share of misses but then who doesn’t.
Rohit Bal
A favorite of the social set, his clothes please and tease at the same time. He is celebrated for reinventing and resurrecting age old techniques like gold leaf printing. His bridal ensembles have a sexy edge and yet an incredible attention to detail and construction. His lehengas will make any bride feel graceful, stylish, elegant and sensuous.
Abu-Sandeep
The designers are hailed for reviving chikankari and making it oh so desirable. Voluptuous fabrics, the most intricate embroidery and embellishment and the finest finishes—that’s their trademark. Known to be the favourites of the Bachchan family and having had their designs being worn on the Oscar red carpet by none other than Dame Judi Dench, Jani and Khosla are also a favourite amongst the sophisticated in the wedding market. Their chikan and zardozi lehenga and sarees are work of art – you just have to have them.
Pallavi Jaikishen
The grand dame of Bridals, Pallavi Jaikishan launched her label in 1972. Since then, she has enjoyed tremendous success and her ensembles have become heirlooms of sorts – passed on down the generations. Her clothes are unapologetically ethnic with rich embroideries, bold colors and motifs. Although, she likes to keep a low profile, her clients include women from top industrialist families, movie stars as well as wives of international heads of states.
Ankur Batra
“Ankur Batra is the hottest pick for super-rich Delhi brides. My bridal clients are picking atleast one if not many outfits from him”, says Vipul Bhagat, a makeup artist to brides from business magnate families. If you haven’t heard about him, it’s because he is very secretive about his designs. He doesn’t show at fashion events, doesn’t retail from stores and only meets clients by appointment if he’s sure you can afford him. And the clients’ love that clothes that they order are really exclusive and no one else owns anything like that.
Tags: Abu-Sandeep, Ankur Batra, Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Pallavi Jaikishen, Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, Valaya
