Monika and Karan, Courtyard by Marriott Agra

Monika and Karan’s romance blossomed via Skype and through exciting days spent together in Dubai. Their wedding was also a beautiful reflection of their journey together and included interesting themes. Here, bride Monika shares details about her wedding which she and Karan planned jointly even while he was away on another continent.

How We Met
“I am an electrical engineer by profession, and Karan is GM of Hilton Hotels. I was not really ready to get married, but my mother was after me to get married. She showed me many photos of prospective grooms and also made me meet many guys… I always refused all of them. I was in Dubai where I was busy working when my father visited me in November 2015. He got all emotional and told me that he did not know how long he would survive, and that he wanted to see me settled. So I agreed to talk to this new guy (Karan) they were telling me about. My mother had already got our horoscopes matched. Since our star signs were a good match, it was seen as a favorable sign and Karan and I started communicating with each other. Since he was in Canada and I was in Dubai, Skype was our savior!”

Wedding Proposal
“I had a rollover accident on December 25 at a Desert Safari ride in Dubai. Karan had also had his accident on the same date a year ago, so it was like a super connection. He was the only one I could connect to and share what happened. He flew down to Dubai to see me after that and we had a lot of fun over four days. We visited many sheesha places as I am crazy about sheeshas! Having Karan around was like having a best friend by my side. On his last day in Dubai, at 4 am in the morning, Karan kind of proposed to me by asking me what I thought of spending the rest of my life with him. I accepted his sort-of proposal as I felt I had met the love of my life.”

Wedding Venue
“Although we were like miles apart while planning the wedding, it didn’t seem so as we shared every bit with each other. I hail from Agra, and my father insisted we have the wedding in the City of the Taj itself as my grandfather desired it. So we shortlisted hotels as we wanted a destination wedding vibe and finally zeroed down on Courtyard by Marriott Agra. We loved the ancient ‘jharokha’ (windows) and arches of the hotel which were a perfect backdrop for our wedding.”

Wedding Functions

Pool Party
“Our wedding festivities commenced with a pool party where everyone enjoyed with music, food and drinks. I wore a floral pink skirt from Kalki Fashions and styled my hair in waves, while Karan wore a pink Burberry blazer.”

Mehndi
“We held our mehndi function at the Anise Restaurant in the hotel. The function had a Punjabi theme and a rustic village setting with a photobooth, marigold flowers and colorful umbrellas. We had a troupe of sardar dancers who entertained everyone with their bhangra performances. The food served was spicy Punjabi cuisine, and in the evening, we lit ‘mashaals’ (flame torches) in the restaurant. I wore a sea green floral dress from Anushree, and Karan wore a kurta from Telon in Mumbai for our photoshoot. This function was very memorable as Karan surprised me by proposing to me in front of everyone. The track that played in the background was “Will you marry me”, and when he gave me the ring, and the song changed to the Bollywood number, “Tu tu meri main tera hone laga.”

Sangeet
“The sangeet set up was completely draped with a red and black theme like awards function set, with the director’s box saying “Action”. The entrance had my photos alongside Ranbir Kapoor’s images ( as he is my only favorite) on long boards. The big stage and super sounding acoustics was perfect for a crazy time with lots of music and dancing! I chose to a wear a digital print tail skirt with a sequined blouse designed by Archana Kochhar, and Karan wore an ensemble from Telon.”

Wedding
“My wedding mandap was pink and orange in color and looked beautiful against the traditional background of the hotel. It was beautifully lit up and the sunset added a further magic as we proceeded with the pheras. I wanted a wedding lehenga that depicted wedding motifs, and wore a gorgeous creation by Archana Kochhar which had charming ‘dolis’ all over. I also wore a five-strand ‘maang tikka’(forehead ornament) and a kundan necklace from LDJ. Makeup artist Tanu Singh made me so beautiful with her skills that I could not believe it for a while! I loved the moments when I was interviewed for my wedding video in that look.”

Reception
“My reception was like a page out of a fairytale! There was a Cinderella carriage with wonderful dancers welcoming is. I felt like a princess when Karan – my Prince Charming – came to escort me. My long, pink off-shoulder tail gown by Yoshita Couture and Karan’s black tuxedo from Kora Men’s Fashion with a pink pocket square complemented each other perfectly.”

Cocktail Party
“My wedding celebrations concluded with a cocktail party where I wore a blue gown by Kalki Fashions and long diamond earrings. We had a rocking time with famous percussionist Darpan Dua and his DJ. The finale was a lantern photoshoot by Glax Graces.”

Advice for couples planning their wedding
“Enjoy every moment of your wedding, and don’t forget to get a personalized photoshoot in your bridal lehenga, both solo and with your husband. Couples tend to get busy with various ceremonies and forget to get captured in their wedding ensembles. This is important as bride will never wear that bridal outfit again so it should be captured for posterity.”

Wedding Vendors
Venue: Courtyard by Marriott Agra
Wedding Planners: Mokavip Weddings
Bridal Trousseau: Archana Kochhar (Sangeet & Wedding), Kalki Fashions (Pool Party & Cocktail), Yoshita Couture (Reception)
Make up Artist: Tanu Singh (New Delhi), Vanity on Wheels
Jewellery: LDJ Jewellers & Silver Palace
Videographers: Kashyap Dhwani Films

Photos Courtesy: Scarlet Weddings

Related Articles: