Tishani Patel and Karan Chopra, The Ritz Carlton, Qatar

Framed against Doha’s luxurious cityscape, Tishani and Karan’s wedding in Qatar saw a dazzling blend of high-octane festivities and charming family moments, wrapped up in what can only be defined as modern decadence. Witness their love come alive!

How they met
Karan and Tishani first met back in 2018 when they were introduced by a good friend. However, their initial interactions soon fizzled out due to their busy schedules. It wasn’t until later that year that Tishani saw Karan at a bar. Having not met in person before, she was unsure whether it was even him, so after leaving she dropped him a message, and there was no looking back!

Their first date at The Aviary in London was for rooftop drinks, where their conversation flowed and they discovered they had lots in common. Soon their bar dates turned into dinner dates, and before long they were in a relationship. Everything was going smooth sailing for them until Karan told Tishani he’d been offered a job in Zurich. By then, they knew they had something special, and continued their relationship long distance, spanning two countries, 2.5 years, and a global pandemic. There were lots of Facetime, flights, weekend trips, and virtual dates. But the whole experience made them realize they were in it for the long haul.

The Proposal
In January of 2022, Karan realized he was ready for the next step, and since he and Tishani were already planning a trip to Sicily for their friend’s wedding and 3rd anniversary, he decided to pop the question on the trip. After months of coordinating and planning, Karan proposed to Tishani on a beautiful terrace in Taormina overlooking the Ionian Sea in May 2022. She, of course, said yes!

Wedding Venue
The couple zeroed in upon The Ritz-Carlton, Doha, Qatar as their wedding venue. “We always wanted a destination wedding to get all of our closest friends and family together in the same place on a holiday. We have always been in love with the Middle East, and have visited many times. We chose Doha as it was a place not many of our loved ones had been to before, had good weather, good hotels, amazing service, and incredible food. We chose The Ritz-Carlton, Doha for its stunning location and warm hospitality. They were so accommodating from the beginning and made us feel like anything was possible.”

Wedding Planning
The couple entrusted the team of Mimosa Events to plan the wedding, with the team of The Sponsor designing and orchestrating the decor. The talented and celebrated team of The Wedding Files was brought on board to capture every moment with breathtaking beauty.

Wedding Functions
Mehndi and Sangeet
The magic of “Arabian Nights meets Bollywood” took over the night, as the festivities kickstarted with the couple’s Mehndi and Sangeet. It was a night of dancing, neon lights, cocktails, mehndi, and more. Hanging lounge and neon lights on the trees, a black-and-white checkered dance floor, lounge seating for guests, festoon lights, and hanging flowers and lights on the pergola and fountain all added to the ambiance. The bride sported an earthy orange lehenga and the groom donned a shimmering navy sherwani for the occasion and danced the night away with their loved ones.

Hindu Wedding
The traditional Hindu Wedding was a picturesque affair, hosted at the hotel’s private beach with divine white decor. Dressed in a stunning white lehenga, the bride walked down a wavy white aisle lined with flowers and exchanged her vows with the groom under a clear mandap with white florals. The tables were also set up in the same wavy manner, and decked with flowers and candles. It was pure magic!

Civil Ceremony
The celebration was followed by an outdoor Civil ceremony that took place by a large fountain. Modern and minimalist, the ceremony took place at sunset where the couple read out their vows in front of all of their close family and friends, while the dazzling Doha skyline towered behind. Dressed in ivory, the bride and groom painted a picture of serenity, while the copper tone of the bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmens’ accessories matched the hues of the sunset sky. It was an occasion full of tender, emotional moments.

Reception
Held in the grand Al Wosail Ballroom, the Reception saw a merry evening of eating, drinking, and dancing. The bride dazzled in a chic black couture gown by Shantanu and Nikhil, while the groom looked just as glamorous in a Dior Tuxedo for the occasion. The function was imagined with elaborate gold decor which included gold mirror top tables with purple and pink florals and a round gold mirror dance floor with a hanging feature above. The highlight of the night was playing the couple’s same-day video edit on the large LED screens for all of their guests, making for some really special moments.

Advice for couples
“If you are planning a destination wedding, get yourself a wedding planner who has experience planning them, someone you can trust and communicate with. Also, spend time finding your photographers and videographers, as you spend a lot of time with them during the events and you want to make sure you feel comfortable around them.

Start planning well in advance to avoid last-minute stress – lists and Excel documents are very handy. Save images on Instagram for outfits, decor, etc as well, so that you have ideas you can share with your vendors in your discussions. And finally, as stressful as things might be, remember that planning a wedding should be fun and no matter what, the wedding is sure to be the best few days of your life, so enjoy every minute!”

The Wedding Makers
Venue: The Ritz Carlton, Doha – Qatar
Wedding Planner: Mimosa Events
Decor: The Sponsor
Sound: GrooveBox Events Entertainment
LED Robots: Candela Entertainment
Priest: Parth Joshi
Groom’s Outfits: Kora India (Mehndi and Sangeet), Seema Gujral (Wedding), Dior (Reception)
Bride’s Outfits: Tarun Tahiliani (Mehndi and Sangeet), Seema Gujral (Wedding), Shantanu and Nikhil (Reception)
Jewellery: Maalka Fine Jewellery
Make-up: Aiza Qureshi
Hair: Shama Mirza
Mehndi: Shahana – Qatar Henna Artist
DJ: DJ Viktoreus
Entertainment: Ana Laura Ades (Violinist)
Photography: The Wedding Files
Videography: Cineture

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