Aashni Jhaveri and Sheel Shah, Grand Hyatt Goa

Aashni Jhaveri and Sheel Shah began a new chapter in their eight-year bond with a stunning destination wedding on the shores of Goa. Planning their wedding was WeddingSutra Favorite – Zesst Events and Weddings. And, photographing the couple as they took the plunge was WeddingSutra Favourite – Seventy by Two.

Wedding Planning
Aakash Doshi from Zesst Events and Weddings shares, “Our couple wanted a bit of both – minimalism and extravagance. They also wanted to add an element of personalisation to each event. We collaborated with the designer and ensured that everything was highly detailed. The couple places a lot of faith in the ‘evil eye symbol’ and taking a cue from this, we had a huge ‘evil eye’ tree made where guests could write their wishes on small notes, on one side with evil eye print on the behind which they could later tie with ribbons on the tree. The branches also had Polaroid pictures of the couple hanging in from there. We welcomed the guests with fresh coconut water with personalized logo stamps of the couple on the coconut. We welcomed the family in a very elegant way, just as they arrived at Goa airport. A team reached the airport to receive the main families in an Audi and BMW, greeted them with a bouquet of flowers to welcome them for their own wedding in Goa, and had champagne popped along with two chocolate almond cakes being cut to mark the beginning of the celebrations at the airport. While the room check-in was to take a little time, just as it is in all five-star properties, we entertained the guests by giving them hampers along with personalized wedding stationery and collateral. We had the welcome letter, key card jacket, and itinerary all personalized. The interactive Photo Booth kept the guests entertained at all times. Keeping in mind that food plays a key part in everyone’s heart at every wedding, we even had an outside caterer on board that specialized in Gujarati and Marwadi food like hot jalebi, fafda and gathiya in all functions. We also made sure to include local delicacies in the menu. Being in the season of Raas – puri, dhokla and undhiyu added a Gujarati flavour to the reception.
The main element in any wedding is how comfortable we make the guests feel as soon as they come. We went an extra mile here as we tailor-made and executed their dream wedding into reality, from guest welcome to the last phera!”
Capturing the couple at their stylish and candid best were Seventy by Two who were at their creative best. Right from photographing the family letting their hair down to the couple sharing adorable moments during the festivities, team Seventy by Two left nothing to chance as they documented the couple’s big day.

Wedding Functions
Mehndi
Aakash shares, “The ‘Opa’ themed mehndi was designed in such a way that it would be an ice breaker for all the guests and keep them entertained so they don’t have to worry about their room check-ins that took place in the meanwhile. The mehndi artists crafted mehndi designs while a live singer kept everyone entertained.
Just as they entered the function we had multiple giveaways for the guests like brooches for the men along with tiaras and floral bracelets for the women. These were outside the banquet and at the event, we had dupattas as giveaways.”

Sangeet
Aakash shares, “The family executed a flash mob for the couple and the couple later entered on an ATV bike for the ‘Royal Soiree’ themed sangeet. Fun family performances and a ton of confetti and SFX lifted the vibe. The décor also had dream catchers and giveaways were hats for both men and women. We also had fun cocktail bars set up along with cabanas at every corner. Huge bubbles that could fit an individual were the highlight of the event and inspired awe.”

Carnival
Aakash shares, “The morning started brimming with energy as the Coachella theme came to life! From unicorns to rainbows, we had all the elements for an out-of-this-world experience. We had funky mats and Photo Booths with quirky caption props. The guests had literally dressed up as they had come to attend the Coachella festival! This was the most loved function for all the guests as they truly danced their hearts out at this one.
Interactive stalls were set up on the periphery of the lawn with live glitter painting on the face, and life-size games like jenga, snake and ladder. Plus, a boat filled with desi popsicles or ‘chuskis’ as we called it in our childhood in ice, kept the guests cool!”

Wedding
The following evening made way for the wedding ceremony where everything just had to be perfect! Aakash shares, “We had fused a DJ van and dhol for the baraat. The groom’s friends wore customized t-shirts and popsicles added to the fun! The guests donned pastel-coloured safas which made the pictures look very aesthetically pleasing. Sheel entered in a vintage car while Aashni’s bridal entry during the varmala witnessed a grand flash mob by the family and a solo performance by Aashni.”

Describing the wedding mandap Aakash shares, “The breathtaking mandap with the sea as a backdrop was a sight to behold. The acrylic mirror aisle, the cold pyros and 4 stands of spiral pyros, CO2 jets and petal showers highlighted the varmala. For the baraat Swagat we had the huge Jodha Akbar rings for the women and moti malas for the men.”

The Wedding Makers
Venue: Grand Hyatt Goa
Wedding Planner: Zesst Events and Weddings
Décor: Crosscraft
Makeup: Krishna Dalal
Entertainment: Noel Clinton (Mehndi), Achraj Singh, Swapnil Mistry (Wedding)
DJ: DJ Nitin
Emcee: Jay Karmani
Choreography: 2 to Tango
Wedding Stationery: Dhruvi Doshi Designs
Photography: Seventy by Two

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