Anisha and Aviral, Renaissance Lucknow Hotel, Lucknow
With a wedding ceremony that was complete with a colorful sangeet and a glamorous cocktail party.
Aviral and Anisha’s sweet love story began a new chapter at their grand wedding in Lucknow. The bride shares with us the highlights of their wedding and pictures clicked by WeddingSutra Favorite Shutterdown.
How we met
“Aviral has known a cousin of mine for years. In 2011, when she was visiting, she and Aviral were on a Skype call and she asked me to say ‘hello’ to him. That’s where it all began. We added each other on Facebook and slowly our chats become more frequent, and eventually, we started speaking on Skype too.
In 2013, he came to Mumbai on a work trip and we decided to catch up in person. Since this was the first time we were actually going to meet in real life, I was a little worried that it would be awkward, but thankfully it was fine. There were no sparks flying between us at that time. It seemed more like two friends reuniting,” says Anisha.
“By the end of 2014 we had spoken a lot more and things took a turn the following year,” the bride adds, “In 2015 the same cousin was getting married and Aviral had flown down for the functions. One day, he told me he had been hiding his feelings for me for too long. He shared that he really liked me and that we should start dating. I wasn’t expecting this at all and was rather skeptical about how dating would work since ours would be a long-distance relationship. But I did like him too and decided to give it a shot anyway. Eventually, our feelings for each other grew stronger. After a while into the relationship, his parents came over to visit and suggested to my mother that the two of us get married. Again, I had not seen this coming. However, both of us loved each other and so that served as the official seal to our new beginning.”
Wedding Proposal
“Aviral came to Mumbai a week before our ‘roka’ ceremony. He had planned a dinner for two at Casa Blanca, a private dining room for couples at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai. The evening unfolded beautifully! We were seated at one of the finest dining rooms in the city, with a stunning view of the Arabian Sea and the iconic Gateway of India. We relished our delicious meal and sipped on chilled champagne. Just then, he went down on one knee and proposed to me. Everything about his proposal was perfect!”
Wedding Venue
“We decided to get married in Lucknow on the 3rd of December at Renaissance Lucknow Hotel as our wedding was a gathering of almost 1300 people on the final day and this property was the only one with the capacity for so many people.”
Wedding Functions
Tilak
Anisha shares, “Our tilak was a peachy affair and it was one of the traditional functions of the wedding.”
Cocktail Party
The color scheme for the cocktail party was black and gold based on the 1920’s Gatsby theme. It was a glamorous party. Anisha wore a burgundy gown paired with statement earrings while Aviral looked dapper in his classic black tuxedo. The décor included rich drapes and warm lighting with plays of light and sparkles thrown in. A stage built especially for the evening hosted a series of performers and the night was a grand success.
Sangeet
Anisha shares, “The sangeet for us was super colorful with all our near and dear ones dancing their hearts out. The best part was dancing to ‘Kajra re’ with my father-in-law and Aviral.” There was a lot of color and the venue was decorated using fresh flowers creating a beautiful atmosphere.” While the bride looked gorgeous in a blue Anita Dongre outfit, Aviral complemented her in a JJ Valaya creation.
Wedding
“The main wedding was a big event of course and every single detail was minutely monitored and looked over. It was really magical for Aviral and me”, shares Anisha. The traditional Hindu wedding ceremony was conducted in blissful serenity and friends and family gathered around to bless Aviral and Anisha. The nuptials were performed on a mandap decorated with fresh flowers. Anisha looked graceful in a JJ Valaya lehenga, with a custom-designed bridal jewellery set. Avital wore a Sherwani by JJ Valaya again.
Advice for Couples
“My biggest tip for everyone would be to simply enjoy all the drama and on the main day take it easy and be present in the moment.”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: Renaissance Lucknow Hotel
Décor: Shruti Mullik Décor
Brides Outfit’s: Anita Dongre (Sangeet), JJ Valaya (Wedding)
Grooms Outfit’s: Philocaly (Tilak), JJ Valaya (Sangeet and Wedding)
Photography: Shutterdown
