Mehal Kejriwal and Jophy Joseph, Suryagarh, Jaisalmer
Taking a cue from the surrounding landscape and fusing two different cultures together seamlessly, this couple’s fusion destination wedding was packed with elegance and fun!
Entrepreneurs Mehal Kejriwal, the founder of Happy Milk, and Jophy Joseph, who runs Green Pro’s destination wedding in Jaisalmer was a stunning mix of Christian, Marwari, and Punjabi cultures. Sporting a multitude of colors interspersed with exciting themes and adorable moments, their union sought inspiration from Bollywood, Indian traditions and their own life experiences.
How They Met
Mehal recollects, “Jophy and I met in school about 9 years ago. A school festival got us together as we used to coordinate with each other being on the prefectorial board. Since then, there has been no looking back as we made our way from being in a long-distance relationship for seven years to getting hitched for life!”
The Proposal
Mehal shares, “The proposal was a magical one as it took place amongst the dunes of Jaisalmer. Jophy took me on a vintage car drive from the wedding venue and we were greeted by a romantic cabana setup that included delicious food, lanterns and a Rajasthani flute player who serenaded us under the moonlight. We had our dinner under the stars, danced to our favorite song and then suddenly, a ‘marry me’ sign lit up right before me!”
Wedding Venue
Wedding Planning
For their February wedding in Rajasthan, the couple was keen on going grand for which they picked Suryagarh. Mehal elaborates, “The hotel exuded a sense of understated luxury from the minute we stepped inside it. Besides, the food was delicious!” Spanning three days, the celebrations were unique and customized to the couple’s preferences. Mehal shares, “The wedding hashtag was #JoHalDilKa. Hence, we made a ‘Jo Hal Dil Ka’ hook step and danced to the very song at all our events with the guests. It was so much fun as everyone participated in it!”
Weddings Functions
Haldi
Mehal shares, “We started our wedding ceremonies with a flower shower, Haldi and Bhaat. The décor consisted of earthy brown hues accentuated with earthen Rajasthani pots. Adding to this, local produce also adorned the venue which was beautifully curated by the decor team.”
Cocktail
Sharing the Cocktail night theme, Mehal says, “We went for a tinge of Met gala and dark glam forest theme. For this, the venue was bedecked with exotic dark flowers and velvets! However, the highlight was Jophy drumming live and me dancing to his drum beats, a performance that showed our chemistry by merging both our talents! Also, my parents very sweetly dressed up as Jophy and me by wearing our school uniforms and performing our love story in a cute skit.”
Christian Wedding
Hosted outdoors under the sunny sky at the palace hotel’s courtyard, this event was a serene one. Mehal shares, “The guests were seated and equipped with flower boxes while a live choir set the tone of the wedding. Our dad’s speech however, stole the show as everyone hung on to every word he said. Later on, we cut a cake and performed with our bridesmaids and groomsmen!”
Hindu Wedding
“Inspired by the movie ‘Padmavat’, Jophy and I wore the same outfits that were worn in the movie by Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor. While I entered on a Doli to a romantic song from the same movie, the entire venue was lit up with oil lanterns. The songs during the phere caught everyone’s attention. So much so, that people weren’t ready to leave as they were overcome with emotions.”
Post-wedding Party/Malwari
“This was a celebration to mark the beginning of two families hailing from different cultures becoming one! Our couple entry took the off-beat path as we performed the popular scene from the movie Jodha Akbar where Jophy had to find me amongst veiled women wearing the same veils as me. But guess what, he found me without cheating!”, says Mehal.
Sufi Night
“We bid a soulful goodbye to the celebrations with a show-stopping Sufi night! Lanterns and mirrors populated the venue and my sister and I took to the stage to show off our best moves. As an ode to my husband and dad, I performed to the popular song ‘Ghoomar’ from Padmavat which involved me maneuvering fire.”
Advice For Couples
The couple shares, “Make sure you have everything written down and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Take chances and don’t assume the worst. Also, start your wedding shopping earlier on as you never know where you may experience hiccups.”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: Suryagarh, Jaisalmer
Wedding Planner: Enjay Events and Weddings
Décor: Altair Decor
Groom’s Outfits: Rimzim Dadu (Haldi), Qbik (Cocktail), Giorgio Armani (Christian Wedding), Rimple and Harpreet Narula (Hindu Wedding), Abhinav Mishra (Malwari), Manish Malhotra (Sufi Night)
Bride’s Outfits: ITRH (Haldi), Lena Berisha (Cocktail), Milla Nova (Christian Wedding), Rimple and Harpreet Narula (Hindu Wedding), Astha Narang (Malwari), Payal Keyal (Sufi Night)
Makeup: Manu Dheeraj Makeup Artist
Hairstyling: Sunny Ali Hair Artist
Varmala & Phoolon Ki Chadar: Altair Decor
Entertainment: Benny Dayal (Cocktail), Javed Ali (Sufi Night)
DJ: DJ Lemon
Emcee: Vishaal Rasquinha
Choreography and Sangeet Designer: Happy Dancing Feet
Wedding Invitations: Pragmatic Art
Social Media: Mush Me Too
Photography: Claude Loren
Videography: Ombre by Harsheen Jammu
