Neha and Sharan, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Neha and Sharan celebrated their wedding events with a wonderful balance of playfulness and pomp.
An adorable love story and gorgeous wedding in Mumbai, led to with a focus on elegant tradition and a big dose of glamour. Here, the spirited bride Neha shares some highlights of the couple’s history and their grand celebrations.
How we met
“I work as a celebrity fashion and costume stylist. Sharan is a sport enthusiast working at Sony Picture Networks. We met 6 years ago at what was a first professional stint for both of us. I was the new girl and he was the guy-next-door at a talent agency in Mumbai. He had the best smile! About 3 months into working in the same office, one Sunday afternoon, over wine and a margherita pizza, we realized something was different.
Our relationship evolved quickly after that – we went from colleagues to friends and back to strangers a few times in between. Now we are husband and wife and it has been a very fulfilling journey of love, banter, distance, break ups and make ups, lots and lots of travel, humor and some great decisions.”
Proposal
“Half of the 6 years of our courtship has been spent shuttling between Mumbai and Bangalore. Sharan was working at PUMA in Bangalore for a while, so we’d visit one another every alternate weekend. Talk about the perils of long distance relationships – I could write a book on it! Last year, we both realized it was time for bigger things, and although it was a mutual decision to finally take that leap forward, a formal proposal was a mandatory exercise! I always said to him, “When the day comes, I better be blown away!”
Much to my surprise, he took me out to a spectacular dinner at a Thai restaurant and charmed my socks off when he went down on a knee, ring in hand, and asked me to marry him! I said yes even before he could complete his question. Meanwhile, a server from the restaurant was spotted hiding in the bushes trying to capture the golden moment. He failed miserably! No brownie points scored.”
Wedding Planning
“Sharan calls me a control freak! In the grander scheme of things, believe me, that’s a GOOD thing! It’s what brought my vision and dreams to life. Planning any event of this scale is a lengthy and time-consuming affair. If it’s your own wedding, the intensity multiplies ten-fold. It requires attention to infinitesimal details that perhaps, no bride or groom is ever prepared for. I remember writing down my first to-do list for the wedding on a single sheet of paper this time last year – little did I know, that I’d require 2 full books and a holiday for recovery!”
Wedding Functions
Mehndi
“We kickstarted the events with an intimate mehndi ceremony at my residence. The décor was all about bright florals and colorful props. For this function, I wore a sleeveless Banarasi silk kurta in mustard with hand-embroidered highlights and wide-legged cropped palazzos. I designed this myself. Sharan wore a mint green raw silk kurta with an ivory Lucknowi chikan bandi and ivory silk churidaar.”
Sangeet
“For the Sangeet, my lehenga was by Anushree Reddy with an ivory base and champagne gold hand-embroidery. I wore a 3-string diamond necklace and long diamond earrings, along with fresh flower jewellery in shades of pink from Floral Art by Shrishti. My hair was beautifully set in a crown fish tail braid accessorized with baby’s breath/ gypsy flowers and soft waves.”
Gurudwara Wedding
“The next morning we had a small Gurudwara wedding for which I wore a pale pink blouse, an icy mint lehenga with gota embroidery, 3D gota highlights and two pale pink gota embroidered dupattas – designed by Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor. The outfit was apt for an intimate morning temple wedding.”
Pheras
“The Pheras were the highlight of the ceremonies. I always dreamed of an English garden theme for my wedding in a unique and informal setting. So we designed the décor to include drapes and garden roses in soft pastel combinations of lavender, pale pink, white and peach against a rustic green wall. The tables had overlays and centerpieces with candles and florals in a similar palette, as did the packaging of our favors and other collaterals like itineraries and snack hampers that were placed in guest rooms. We decided to introduce bright colors with the safas – turquoise safas for the baraatis and coral safas for the ladkiwale. While I wore a red Sabyasachi creation, Sharan looked handsome in a nude pink raw silk sherwani.”
Reception
“We had an unconventional reception with cake, champagne and speeches, followed by a celebratory family dinner at a 20-seater table facing our mandap. The lovely cake we cut, all the blessings and wishes that poured in from old friends and family, the warmest embrace from our parents – every moment was a favorite and is eternally etched in our hearts!”
Advice for couples
“As a bride, never compromise on two things – your photographer/film maker and your hair and makeup artists. They are the two crucial elements that make sure you look your best on your big day! Book your venues and vendors well in advance. Pamper yourselves before the big day. Make sure you are well rested and definitely not hungover! And lastly, remember to enjoy your own wedding. You may be the host, but first, you’re the bride.”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Event Manager and Hospitality: Flying Frog (Harsh Khanna)
Décor: Gurleen Puri
Catering: Muthuswami, Copper Chimney, JW Marriott
Brides Outfit: Sabyasachi (Pheras and Reception), Anushree Reddy (Sangeet), Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor (Gurudwara Wedding)
Grooms Outfit: Tarun Tahiliani (Gurudwara Wedding), Anup Bhargava (Mehndi)
Floral Jewellery: Floral Art by Shrishti
Wedding Jewellery: Notandas and Sunil Jewellers
Make up Artist: Pakkhi Pahuja
Hair: Ritika Kadam
E-Invites and Design: Vintage Notes Papery
Mehndi: Veena Nagda and team
Photography and Videography: Saurabh Rungta
