Mansha and Divesh, Dubai

When Dubai is home, you don’t have to look very far for a spectacular wedding venue. Mansha and Divesh made a statement when they hosted their pheras at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and organized a pre-wedding shoot at the Madinat Jumeirah Resort. The bride tells us about their love story and lets us in on the details of her functions, the stationery for which was taken care of by WeddingSutra Favorite Design Tuk Tuk.

How We Met
Introduced by common friends during our freshman year at university, as we got to know each other better, we felt a beautiful connection, and eventually realized we are meant to be!

Proposal
Last year, Divesh at an intimate dinner at the most beautiful beach resort in Dubai, Anantara The Palm, Divesh went to great lengths to put together a personalized menu with my favorite dishes and even organized a private butler. A 2-piece band played our favorite tunes in the background whilst we enjoyed our meal. As dinner came to an end, Divesh went down on one knee and asked me to marry him!

Wedding Venue
Since both our families live in Dubai and knowing there is no better place to host a big, fat, Sindhi wedding, we decided to celebrate here. It’s a super-connected city and there are multiple flight options for guests coming in from all over the world.

Or pheras took place at one of the most iconic hotels on the planet – Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. The property has become a symbol of modern Dubai and is world renowned as one of the most luxurious properties in the world. With their beautiful interiors and impeccable hospitality, this property made for a fitting venue for our wedding.

Amongst the many locations of our pre-wedding photoshoot, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah was one. We also posed for our pictures at the Madinat Jumeirah Resort. The expansive property has no dearth of beautiful backdrops to shoot against. The man-made waterways at the property provide an especially picturesque opportunity for one to click photographs.

Wedding Function Ardas
We began our celebrations in the sanctity of the Gurunanak Darbar Sikh Temple in Jebel Ali. The temple was decorated with fresh flowers, and the staircases were draped in shades of red and orange. The prayer ceremony was followed by a delicious langar. My outfit of choice for this function was a creation by Neeta Lulla.

Bridal Mehndi
After the Ardas, my bridesmaids, friends, and cousins joined me at home while I got my bridal mehndi done. To keep it fun and informal, the dress code for the night was PJs and I got my clothes from Tina G.

The entire process took 6 hours, but the girls kept me company playing games, writing messages in my wedding scrapbook, and of course, feeding me. It was a special moment when the groom himself decided to stop by to give us a surprise visit.

We also organized molecular gastronomy canapés, bite-sized desserts, and party favors to complete the night!

Engagement & Mehndi
The inspiration for the decor for this function was peacocks! They symbolize new beginnings and eternal life. Since it was at the Ritz-Carlton, the color palette was a wonderful classy-kitsch – bursts of yellow, royal blue, and fuchsia pink with a nice Punjabi vibe.

We organized a surprise performance by Indeep Bakshi of ‘Saturday, Saturday’ fame, followed by a Battle of the DJs between DJ Manoj and DJ Nitesh. One of the features at our sangeet we think our guests enjoyed the most was a surprise delivery from McDonald’s at 2 AM – they just couldn’t get enough of it!

I wore a lehenga by Neeta Lulla and Divesh opted for an outfit by Manish Malhotra.

Pheras
Our wedding was held at the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah’s Al Falak Ballroom –a two-level ballroom designed in the style of an 18th-century Viennese opera house with the mandap set in the center of the hall. The primary color palette was red and purple as we decided to stick to traditional hues for the event.

The ceremony began with my brother picking up Divesh post the ghari pooja and chaperoning him to the entrance of the venue, where Divesh’s baraat commenced. He came in on a royal horse carriage!

We entered the venue together and our phoolon ki chaadar entry was extra special as our bridesmaids and groomsmen were all in coordinated outfits. I steered away from the conventional bridal colors at a Hindu wedding and opted for a champagne Sabyasachi lehenga. He too wore a creation by the same designer in the same color as my outfit.

Reception
For our wedding reception, we borrowed inspiration from French Château weddings with high and low flower arrangements, crystal candelabra holding taper candles, and sparkling, sequinned table linen.

Our videographers prepared a 10-minute wedding highlight reel to play on the LED. Then the screen split at the center and we walked in to perform our first dance.

We had an extensive lineup of international performers for this event – from water drummers to aerial dancers, and even a bubble harpist! We’d also hired two emcees who really helped with holding the crowd’s attention and taking them through the skit.

For the final function, I chose a lehenga by one of Bollywood’s most popular designers – Manish Malhotra. Divesh wore a classic black tuxedo by Tom Ford.

Advice For Couples
1. Hire a wedding planning team that makes you feel comfortable – you will see them more than you see your friends and family. 2. Shop for all your outfits four to six months before the wedding, and with each other, if possible. 3. Have a friendly rapport with your hair and makeup artists as they are the last people you see before you leave for your event. 4. Stay calm when things are not going your way – it’s almost never worth losing your temper in such situations. 5. A few weeks before the wedding, get as much rest as possible. Make sure to take good care of your health, skin and diet. 6. Hire a professional photographer and brief them in advance on what you expect from them. 7. Finally, don’t forget to have a blast at your wedding! These days will never come back!

Wedding Makers
Venue: Gurunanak Darbar Sikh Temple, Jebel Ali (Ardas), The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai (Engagement & Mehndi and Reception), Burj Al Arab Jumeirah (Pheras)
Pre-wedding photoshoot Venues: The Palace Downtown Dubai, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Madinat Jumeirah Resort, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai
Wedding Planner: L’atitude Events
Bride’s Outfits: Neeta Lulla (Ardas and Engagement & Mehndi), Tina G (Bridal Mehndi), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Pheras), Manish Malhotra (Reception)
Groom’s outfits: Manish Malhotra (Engagement & Mehndi), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Pheras), Tom Ford (Reception)
Jewellery: L. Sunderdas Zaveri, New Gold Souk, Dubai
Makeup Artist: Pakkhi Pahuja (Mumbai), Angelique Turner (Dubai)
Hairstylist: Ritikahairstylist (Mumbai), Angelique Turner (Dubai)
Henna Artist: Mira’s Bridal Styling (Dubai)
Entertainment: Indeep Bakshi (Engagement & Mehndi), Shobhna (Phera)
Emcees: PriyaJethani (Dubai), PunitLalwani (Dubai)
DJs: DJ Manoj (Dubai), DJ Nitesh (Dubai), DJ Tushar (Dubai)
Choreographer: Transformers Dance Studio (TDS), Dubai
Invitation: Chocovana (Dubai) for the bride, Friends Cards (Jaipur) for the groom
Mixologists: The Wedding Bartenders (Mumbai)
Wedding stationery: Design Tuk Tuk

Wedding Photography: Hyku D Photography (Dubai), Imprint Studios (Dubai), Pooja Studio (Dubai)
Pre-Wedding Photography: Pooja Studio (Dubai)

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