Saloni and Ankur, Umaid Bhavan Palace, Jodhpur

When they met as infants, little did Ankur and Saloni know that one day they would be man and wife. Years later, they exchanged vows at the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur in a grand wedding ceremony filled with color, fun, love and laughter.

The bride shares with us their tale.

How we Met
The first time we met hardly counts because I was an infant! When my mother came to Kochi, the first house she took me to was his. She still has the dress that I wore then. The next time we met was in the run up to his sister’s wedding and then at his brother’s wedding. He was my dance partner for the sangeet and my then burgeoning crush on him made all the practice sessions much more exciting.

The first time we had an actual conversation was on my 17th birthday. He picked me up from Korter, an ice-cream parlor in Kochi and we just drove around in his car. That probably was my best birthday by far!

Wedding Venue
On Father’s Day, my dad and father-in-law called us up from Jodhpur to tell us that they were confirming reservations at the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur. I was so happy! It was the best gift our dads could give us. We got married there and I felt like a princess on the day.

Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur is a marvel built by Maharaja Umaid Singh of Rathore Dynasty. The youngest palace in India, it was built only a few years before independence and this architectural marvel extends a truly royal experience. The heritage hotel is breathtaking and staying in the maharaja and maharani’s room was surely the best stay of our life.

Wedding Planning
We had The Wedding Line Studio, Delhi to plan the wedding while Pooja Studio, Dubai was in charge of photography. The first half of our pre-wedding shoot was done in Kerala and the rest in Jodhpur. We were lucky to have Pooja Studio, we had an amazing time shooting with the team; they are super friendly and great at their work.

My makeup artist was Seema Tabassum from Mumbai and I can’t thank her enough for making me look like the prettiest version of myself on one of the biggest days of my life. She too was super friendly and great at her work.

The Entertainment Designer Co. Kolkata was our wedding invitation designer.

Wedding Functions

Mehndi
The wedding celebrations commenced with our mehndi which at WelcomHotel, Jodhpur. We wanted fresh hues for the décor so yellow and green were the colors of the afternoon. A pretty floral wreath was the backdrop for my seat and I wore a lehenga from Pallavi Jaipur in the same palette. Ankur looked handsome in a blue kurta.

Fusion Night
Our second event was a fusion night that saw Rajasthani as well as Sufi performances. We invited Kalbeliya dancers for this function as well. The space was decorated in red and white and the decor looked gorgeous. I wore a white gown from Pallavi Jaipur and Ankur opted for a blue outfit again.

Youngsters’ Party
Our big night of partying took place at the WelcomHeritage Bal Samand Lake Palace. The venue was decorated to exude flamboyance and we invited performers for the night. We wanted a memento of the event so we created a space filled with Jenga blocks and asked our guests to sign them for us. Now we have a game that is personalized and will always remind us of our wedding!

Ankur wore a red tuxedo from Nine Styles and I opted for a white gown from Pallavi Jaipur.

Haldi
The following morning we had our haldi. The color scheme was all yellow; I sat under a yellow chaddar, against a backdrop of matching gendas, wearing an ensemble in the same hue. Ankur, on the other hand, opted for a teal kurta.

Some of our closest family members wore matching outfits. All the men dressed up in yellow bandis while the women wore yellow blouses with their pink lehengas, teamed with red bandhani dupattas.

Myra
We had a carnival themed myra at which fuchsia, orange and bright yellow were the dominant colors. Tassles decorated the walkway to the venue and a massive string art backdrop was set up on the lawn. Cute trucks and floral arrangements made for centerpieces and the place was vibrant and cheerful!

I wore a pink lehenga designed by my mother and was definitely closest to my heart. Ankur opted for a red dhoti kurta which he paired with a cream bandi.

Sangeet
Our sangeet was hosted at Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur and there was no particular theme – just elegant, chic décor. We had dozens and dozens of full-blown, red roses and soaked the venue in golden light. A huge LED screen made for the stage backdrop and our friends and family put up a series of lovely performances. The most memorable was when everyone wore masks with our faces printed on them. Shraddha Pandit was invited to sing at our sangeet.

My outfit for the event was by Shantanu and Nikhil and Ankur’s was by Rohit Bal.

Pheras
The pheras took place the following day against the imposing facade of the Taj Umaid Bhavan Palace, Jodhpur. Our mandap was formed by the convergence of four arches covered in green leaves and roses with a floral chandelier hanging from the center. I wore a pink and orange bandhani lehenga from Pallavi Jaipur and Ankur looked like a true prince in a white outfit by Shantanu and Nikhil.

Reception
Though this was the last function at our wedding, it was as grand as any other, especially with the Maharaja coming to see us. What a moment it was!

Ankur and I came to the venue together, in a vintage car. Our stage had a vintage vibe to it – large crystal chandeliers were suspended in the background along with strings of flowers and ferns. The rest of the setup was green with several white elements that enhanced its charm.

We both wore Sabyasachi.

Wedding Makers
Venues: WelcomHotel, Jodhpur (Fusion Night, Mehndi, Haldi, and Myra), WelcomHeritage Bal Samand Lake Palace (Youngsters’ Night), Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur (Sangeet, Pheras, and Reception)
Wedding Planner: The Wedding Line Studio, Delhi
Bride’s Outfits: Pallavi Jaipur (Mehndi, Fusion Night, Youngsters Party, Haldi, and Pheras), Shantanu and Nikhil (Sangeet), Sabyasachi (Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Nine Styles (Youngsters Party), Rohit Bal (Sangeet), Shantanu and Nikhil (Pheras), Sabyasachi (Reception)
Makeup Artist: Seema Tabassum, Mumbai
Wedding Invitations: The Entertainment Designer Co.

Photography and Videography: Pooja Studio Dubai

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