Ishveen and Kirat – Udaipur, Rajasthan
Ishveen, a London-based Sports Consultant tied the knot with New York-based Kirat, a Fashion designer at a grand three-day celebration held across four of Udaipur's luxury hotels- Trident, Chunda Palace, Fateh Garh and Jagmandir.
Ishveen, a London-based Sports Consultant tied the knot with New York-based Kirat, a Fashion designer at a grand three-day celebration held across four of Udaipur’s luxury hotels- Trident, Chunda Palace, Fateh Garh and Jagmandir.
An Oxford graduate, Ishveen was a Management Consultant and has worked as part of the IPL and ICC tournaments in South Africa, India and England. She now runs a sports consultancy firm, Auxus Strategic Solutions. Kirat was an investment banker before he pursued fashion. His designer label, KAS New York, retails at top stores in the US. The couple loves India, where a large part of their family resides. So Ishveen and Kirat had decided to tour and experience the different cities to fix a destination that would be accessible, had great food and pleasant weather. Udaipur was the first stop on their list- and the last. The beauty and calm of the hills and lakes, heritage, vibrancy and colour made Udaipur very special. “It was a natural choice for us, given that it’s the Venice of the East,” says Ishveen.
Wedding Venues
Ishveen and Kirat wanted to offer their guests an authentic taste of Udaipur. So a lot of careful thought went into the choice of venues and food. They figured that Chunda Palace specialized in Rajasthani cuisine whereas the Punjabi vegetarian food at Fateh Garh was the best, while the Trident was best known for its Continental and Chinese cuisine.
The couple decided not to spread the wedding celebration over more than three days to make it convenient for their global mix of friends. At the same time, they took care not to jam too much activity in one day as people could get exhausted. So there was a lot of debate over the number of functions, the timing and the venue. They also considered the d�cor they had visualized for each function, and how it would translate into the spaces available.
The Mehndi and the Sangeet functions were planned at the same hotel to make it easier for guests who had checked-in for the day- as they had reserved rooms at both the Chunda Palace and the neighbouring Trident. They chose the Jagmandir for the Reception as it was one of the few venues large enough to accommodate a sit-down dinner for all their guests.
Without a Planner!
The hardest decision was whether or not to involve a wedding planner. The groom and his mother Sabby were a resource of ideas while the bride, with her experience in sport event management, had the ability to execute ideas. So, eventually, the only help they ‘outsourced’ was with the last-minute local purchases. The couple loved being hands-on with the nitty-gritty of their wedding festivities and enable an enjoyable experience for everyone. “When people told us how much they loved the wedding, we all felt a thousand per cent proud as it was our ideas and hard work that made it possible, “Ishveen recalls. However, if they had hired a planner, she concedes, “We might have been on time to our functions and had more juice in our phones!”
Gopi from Udaipur, the puppeteer at their Sangeet function was one of the most useful local resources, and he introduced the couple to his local friends, who catered to all their Rajasthani entertainment needs. “So, Gopi was more my go-to man than anyone else- which was highly amusing to my English friends!” exclaims Ishveen.
The Celebrations
The festivities commenced with an evening Tikka ceremony at the Trident. It was a small family function that became a much larger event as many guests had flown in a day earlier. The Mehndi and sangeet function was held next day at Chunda Palace on the terrace of the lower floor and the adjacent billiards room so guests could relax indoors at intervals. In keeping with the authentic Rajasthani theme, there were puppeteers, potters, bangle makers and dancers for entertainment, and local street food was served with fun cocktails. The Sangeet was held at the rooftop of Chunda Palace that evening. Dhols, fire blowers, Rajasthani dancers and a deejay brought alive the magic. The best entertainment of the evening though, was the friends and family dance performance. At the end of the night, each guest released a wish lantern into the night sky.
The Wedding ceremony was conducted as per Sikh traditions at the picturesque Fateh Garh. The venue offered a breathtaking view of the surrounding hills. DJ Bharat set the mood for the bride’s guests while the couple’s favourite DJ Chico played to the arrival of the wedding procession with the groom in a silver chariot. The Reception was hosted that evening at Jagmandir. The boat ride to the venue offered a surreal view as it ferried the guests across for a memorable evening. The experience of dancing under the starry skies on an island was an enchanting experience. The couple and their close family thanked the guests at the elegant sit-down dinner. On the last day, they hosted a lovely pool-side brunch at the Trident. The gardens were just perfect for everyone to exchange stories of the previous night and mingle with the new friends they had made.
Recommendations
Ishveen believes in working closely with General Managers of hotels for best results. She mentions that Dhiraj of Trident, Yaduraj of Chunda Palace, Anil of Fateh Garh, Abhimanyu of Udai Vilas and Rathore of Jagmandir, were thoroughly professional and friendly too. For services like photography, videography, make up and hair, she suggests its best to choose professionals from a major city. Ishveen chose her team from Delhi.
Wedding Details:
Photography: Vinayak Das and Snigdha Sheel, Photo Tantra, Delhi Hair and Make Up: Kaajee Rai and Karan Rai, Delhi Videography: Raj (Cameraworx, Delhi) Sound: Siddharth (Megasound, Udaipur) Entertainment Resource Guide: Gopi, Udaipur
Photographs Courtesy
http://www.phototantra.com/
