Kajol Bafna and Utsav Veera, Turf Club, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai
A Mumbai wedding that was one for the ages, featuring iconic tunes of Falguni Pathak, a Punjabi village fair and a Suryagarh-inspired mandap!
Brimming with grand themed decor setups, a plethora of customs and traditions, boisterous family revelries and memorable celebrity performances, Kajol Bafna and Utsav Veera celebrated the very definition of The Big Fat Indian Wedding! Orchestrated by several WeddingSutra Favorites such as Fireflies and Mokshiva Entertainment wedding decorators and Movie’ing Moments wedding photographers, their festivities were definitely one-of-a-kind.
How They Met
Studying in the same college, the couple first crossed paths when they were introduced by the bride’s cousin in 2012. While there certainly was chemistry between them from the moment they met, they only acknowledged their feelings for each other and started dating in 2015. Their relationship soon effortlessly evolved into love, so when the question of forever came up, the decision was an easy one. With no grand gesture to mark the occasion, the couple announced their commitment to each other before their God at their temple in Girnar.
Wedding Planning
The couple hosted most of their pre-wedding ceremonies with intimate festivities, and chose the lush expanse and versatility of the iconic Turf Club in Mahalaxmi Racecourse to orchestrate their Mehndi and Wedding functions. All the celebrations were planned by WedWorks and most of it was executed by Mehta Decorators.
The striking Mehndi function was beautifully conceptualized as per the bride’s vision by FireFlies while their cocktail was orchestrated in Karjat in the lap of nature by Mokshiva Entertainment, and their special moments were captured by the team of Movie’ing Moments. Shedding light on their experience with the two teams, they share, “All our vendors had our backs throughout and made the whole process so effortless and fun. Aditi of Fireflies was the sweetest, and took all my ideas for the Mehndi function into account, bringing my vision to life to the very last detail. Vaibhav, and his team of Movie’ing Moments made me feel truly special and captured every moment perfectly. They made me feel like I was the most beautiful bride!!”
Cocktail
Brimming with Punjabi flair, the festivities started on a high note with a rousing Cocktail soiree at The Forest Club Resort in Karjat. The sundowner occasion was themed around a village fair with chaat counters, ferris wheel, desi drink-walas and more, while the decor was kept rustic yet vibrant with huts of hay, traditional lanterns, charpaai and bright tassels. Highway milestones and truck-inspired paraphernalia including a DJ corner shaped like a truck’s facade added to the Punjabi theme of the day. As the evening progressed, neon lights enveloped the space in its groovy magic as the couple and their loved ones rocked the dance floor.
Poojan
The Poojan ceremony witnessed a spectacular confluence of ornate decor, installations, rituals and enactments that celebrated the birth of their ancestral god. Elaborately crafted decor of flowers, lamps, chandeliers and vases set the tone of tradition, while numerous scenes from the enactments were created with great detail. The couple and their family members donned customary ensembles for the rituals.
Haldi
Replete with celebrity performances, Krishna-Leela, Rangon-ki-holi, rustic decor elements and an abundance of marigolds, the Haldi ceremony was an opulent festival! The couple opted for a quirky contrast of blue outfits as compared to the traditional citrus hues. This exuberant celebration had rousing musical performances that set the mood for their loved ones to douse them in turmeric. The highlight however was the performance by the Garba Queen, Falguni Pathak herself, who had every last person up on the dance floor.
Mehndi
Set against the lush expanse of the Turf Club in Mahalaxmi Racecourse, the Mehndi function was a riot of colors. An abundance of exotic floral arrangements with colorful palms, peppy sunflowers, pampas grass and more, filled the venue along with accents of green, wooden teepees and pastel drapes amongst other elements for an eclectic, fun-filled evening of music and dancing.
Paath Muhurat
The auspicious ceremony saw warm, delicate decor of white and yellow blooms with accents of green that lit up a backdrop of flowing white drapes and fairy lights. Dressed in a gorgeous purple lehenga, the bride struck a pretty pose with her loved ones on a beautifully decked floral swing for the rituals.
Wedding
Inspired by the palatial architecture and splendor of Suryagarh Jaisalmer, the Wedding decor comprised of all shades royal! A canopy of mogras and roses suspended over a plush marigold backdrop of concentric hues, the mandap was also created as an island structure nestled in a stadium staircase akin to the property of Suryagarh, while an abundance of flowers, candles and diyas decked every surface. Resplendent in quintessential reds, Kajol radiated the bridal glow as she tied the knot with the love of her life.
Advice for couples
“Be sure of what you want, and do be a part of the planning process. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you don’t want to miss out on any of it. But while you are executing your dream plan, do make sure you have backup ideas for everything. Things don’t always pan out as you wish they would, and this way you would be covered in all scenarios.
The Wedding Makers
Venues: Turf Club, Mahalaxmi Racecourse; The Forest Club Resort, Karjat (Cocktail)
Wedding Planner: WedWorks
Decor: Mehta Decorators, Fireflies (Mehndi), Mokshiva Entertainment (Cocktail)
Grooms Outfits: Rechannel Fashions
Bride’s Outfits: Anita Dongre (Paath Muhurat), Papa Don’t Preach by Shubhika (Cocktail), Mishru (Mehndi), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding)
Makeup: Recinda Martis (Wedding), Meraki by Ritika Bhatia (Mehndi)
Photography and Videography: Movie’ing Moments
