Amrit and Rachel, Italy
Rachel and Amrit's lavish wedding celebrations in Florence and Tuscany resulted in magical moments that fused Italian history, European elegance and Indian traditions.
Amrit and Rachel’s wedding was planned to perfection and designed to impress. Take a peek into how the couple pulled off dual wedding ceremonies and other events in breathtaking locations in Italy. Here, bride Rachel shares some moments of her special day.
How We Met
Amrit and Rachel both hail from Jakarta, Indonesia, but were living in the USA. Amrit studied in Chicago, and worked after he finished his schooling. Rachel, on the other hand, was in New York for her studies. They were hardly aware of each other’s presence, despite being in the same community. Rachel was doing her last year of schooling when Amrit stopped by in New York to meet some mutual friends. Rachel shares, “We happened to be invited for the same meetup. I was reluctant to attend at first because I hadn’t spoken to Amrit in many years, but I decided to just go. We ended up having a great time and became the best of friends. We started dating in 2014, and the rest, as you know, is history”.
Wedding Planning
“Amrit and I were pretty much multitasking, and dividing our tasks when it came to planning our wedding. Amrit was in charge of the food, transportation, and entertainers, while I was in charge of the guest list, reservations and decor,” shares Rachel.
Wedding Functions
Ghari, Welcome Dinner and After Party
Amrit’s side of the family kick-started the celebrations with the ‘ghari’ (Sindhi wedding ritual to highlight prosperity in a bride and groom’s homes) ceremony at the rooftop of The Westin Excelsior in Florence that overlooked the stunning urban landscape of the city. The ceremony commenced during sunset and was lit with the golden rays falling on the terrace. After the puja, the guests walked across the road towards the St. Regis Hotel for the welcome dinner. Cocktails were served at the hotel’s breathtaking Winter Garden Restaurant by Caino. The couple made a grand entrance for this event. Rachel wore a dramatic royal blue swirling gown with layered ruffles designed by Gaurav Gupta and Amrit donned a Shantanu and Nikhil suit. After the dinner, an after party preceded at the YAB club, where DJ Nitesh from Dubai kept the crowd grooving through the night.
Christian Wedding Ceremony
Rachel wore a white embroidered gown with a head veil by Zuhair Murad for the Christian wedding ceremony. She walked to the altar in the midst of the courtyard of the iconic Palazzo Corsini to meet Amrit, who wore a Tom Ford tuxedo. They narrated their vows in the historical 17th-century building. Dinner was served at the Salone Room, and guests relished the choice of four cuisines that were offered. The wedding started at the courtyard with the ceremony and then moved to the main hall for the cake cutting, speeches, first dance and more. The mother of the groom officiated the dinner reception by delivering a touching welcome speech. An after party followed at The Salone Don Bartolommeo, which is also at the Palazzo Corsini. The Paris House Addict band was also the most unforgettable as the saxophone player and the violinist accompanied the disc jockey. Since the theme for this Christian wedding was ‘Love and Lemons’, little Limoncello bottles were handed out to all the guests with AR Logo printed chocolates in it.
Indian Wedding Ceremony
The bride and groom walked to their uniquely designed mandap made of just four pillars covered with flowers at the Villa Le Corti at San Casciano, Tuscany. The sunset wedding was lit by dazzling fireworks that lit up the evening sky. “This was a surprise to us all, as it turned the whole mandap into a glowing stage,” share the couple. Rachel looked like a royal princess in a deep red Manish Malhotra bridal ensemble with floral motifs in gold and silver thread work. Amrit also wore a pastel Manish Malhotra outfit for this spectacular event. This gorgeous wedding ceremony was followed by performances by Salim Suleiman along with Jonita Gandhi.
Wedding Photography
DotDusk is pure talent! From their execution to their video sound mixing, their overall vision was just what every couple dreams of. Loved working with them and seeing the most special day come to life.
The Wedding Makers
Locations: The Westin Excelsior (Ghari), St. Regis Hotel (Welcome Dinner), Palazzo Corsini, Florence (Christian Wedding Ceremony), Villa Le Corti at San Casciano, Tuscany (Indian Wedding Ceremony)
Makeup artist: Natasha Moor
Hairstylist: Herman
Bridal Outfits: Zuhair Murad (Christian Wedding), Gaurav Gupta (Welcome Dinner), Manish Malhotra (Indian Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Shantanu & Nikhil (Christian Wedding),Tom Ford (Welcome Dinner), Manish Malhotra (Indian Wedding)
Photographer: DotDusk Studios
