Anuja and Shyantanu, JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa

A cool wedding with lovely performances by family members and a talented groom – Anuja and Shyantanu’s nuptials were a memorable affair held in Ahmedabad and Jaipur, Planned by WeddingSutra Favorite – A New Knot. The bride, who looked flawless in her makeover by WeddingSutra Favorite – Vrinda Makhija, shares highlights of the big day.

How We Met
“A common friend set up a meeting between Shyantanu and me about a year ago. It was planned that we would meet at a coffee shop, but when he came there his first reaction was “Are you going to eat anything? If no, let’s go grab a drink!” We met at 9 pm and chatted till 1:30 am. This was followed by a meeting on Wednesday and another one on Friday, and it’s safe to say that by then we were almost dating.

We would go on long drives and would spend time just talking. We agreed on a lot of things on a fundamental level, and after around three months he realized that I was the one for him. As for me, I knew that I wanted to marry after about five days of knowing him!”

Proposal
“Shyantanu planned a dinner with six of his closest friends, sister, and niece at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. The minute I heard about the venue I decided I would back out of this. We stay in town, and I was in no mood of making a trip all the way to Andheri. His friends texted me saying that I must come because they have a very fancy meal planned with the Chef and when they thought that I just wouldn’t budge they finally got Shyantanu to speak to me. He practically and emotionally blackmailed me to go. We had an 8-10 course meal, and once the food got over, he suggested that we go out for a bit. He took me the Private Dining Area at the hotel that is surrounded by an aquarium on three sides. When I went there, I saw that the place was decorated and there were balloons and a cake. Over there he went down on one knee and gave a long speech, and in the end, a diver appeared in the water with a sign that read “Will you marry me?” This was especially special because I am a diver too. The whole affair could not have been more perfect.”

Wedding Venues
“We had a few places in mind when we began scouting for locations. Udaipur and Hyderabad were the places we considered but neither of them worked out, and we decided to go ahead with Jaipur. We wanted a venue that was big enough to fit, and the JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa filled that requirement perfectly. It was set in the most breathtaking location surrounded by hills, and the hotel’s architecture was wonderful. We fell in love with the property almost immediately.”

Wedding Planning
“Our wedding was planned by A New Knot Weddings & Celebrations. We only had about five months to put everything in order, and these guys were by our side from start to finish. Their logistics are brilliant, and their network of vendors is great. They were so supportive and eventually became just like family. Now, there are times we stop by their office to say a quick hello and have a cup of coffee – that’s how close we became.

PK Suri Worldwide Studio were the ones behind the cameras at our functions. They too are such an amazing team. They were all so sweet, and we got along with each one of them. Vrinda Makhija was the lady behind my makeup at each event, and I loved working with her. She was so calm and super quick. She has a knack of achieving just what you want.”

Wedding Functions

Haldi
“I hail from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, so we decided to have this function at our home with only our closest family in attendance. Our house has a courtyard and a tree growing inside. It has a sort of old-world charm to it, and my mother and I were very clear that we wanted to optimize its aesthetics. So we stuck with the very minimal decor. The flowers used were all Indian, be it jasmine, marigold or roses. We had lots of tassels made of blooms that were used all over the house. Once the ceremony was over, my brother-in-law and cousin found a bucket of chilled water and poured it on me! While I froze, they had a good laugh. I wore an orange saree by Gopi Vaid for this function.”

Mehndi
“The mehndi was our first function, and the entire setup was bursting with color. Bright tents, vibrant cushions, colorful flowers, a crowded bar and popular chaat counters – it was an affair buzzing with activity.

I wore a yellow lehenga from Matsya while Shyantanu opted for a pastel green kurta and bandi jacket by Govinda Mehta.”

Sangeet
“The mood for our sangeet was very romantic and the decor comprised of large glass panels, flickering tea lights and lots of fresh rose petals. The path that led to the function area was decorated with candles. We also made use of a lot of strategic lighting to enhance the decor.

The function began with ‘mudda-tikka’ which essentially is a ring ceremony. During the function, Shyantanu had a surprise planned for me. He sings very well, and when he crooned at his friend’s wedding, I told him that there was no way he was not singing for ours. He refused to sing, and I thought that he was not going to do it, but he did! He sang ‘Haareyaa’ by Arijit Singh. While I was touched by his gesture, I was a bit disappointed because he stole all my thunder – even people from my family were only talking about him and his performance! For the after party, we had a DJ and a percussionist. Our bartenders for the night were The Flaming Trio. They are deadly! They will chase you down and get you hammered. They ensured that everyone at the event was having a blast. For this function, I wore a blue outfit by Anju Modi and Shyantanu opted for a maroon sherwani by Tarun Tahiliani.”

Lunch
“The following morning we had a very relaxed lunch before the wedding ceremony began. We had a setup with lots of pinwheels and thankfully the day was quite breezy and all of them spinning together added a sweet touch. My aunt and uncle sang at this event. My mother is Gujarati, and so a few of my relatives from her side of the family broke into garba and even taught the Marwari clan a few steps. I chose a pink outfit by The Dolly J for this function and Shyantanu opted for a Govinda Mehta creation.”

Wedding
“The wedding venue was decorated with lots of white flowers and roses alongside gold lighting to make everything look ethereal. Shyantanu and his friends had the time of their lives at the baaraat. Since I am part Gujarati, the dress code for my family for this event was bandhani. My lehenga was designed by Anju Modi, and instead of matching my outfit with my husband, I twinned with my niece! Anju aunty even made a bandhani pocket square for my brother and father. Shyantanu wore a sherwani by Shantanu & Nikhil.”

After Party
“Once the wedding was over, all of us had a pajama party where Shyantanu and I wore customized nightsuits that had ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ embroidered on them. We had outfits customized for our near and dear ones as well.”

Advice For Couples
“Don’t stress too much over your wedding as it will all go by in a blink. Don’t micromanage everything and let your family help you out.”

The Wedding Makers
Venue: JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa
Wedding Planner: A New Knot
Bride’s Outfits: Gopi Vaid (Haldi), Matsya (Mehndi), Anju Modi (Sangeet and wedding), Dolly J (Lunch)
Groom’s Outfits: Govinda Mehta (Mehndi and Lunch), Tarun Tahiliani (Sangeet), Shantanu & Nikhil (Wedding)
Makeup Artist: Glam by Vrinda Makhija

Photography: PK Suri Worldwide Studios

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