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Priya and Monil, Taj Bengal, Kolkata

Their wedding was a profusion of elegant luxury that her guests will never forget.

“Are you a Mitral Valve Prolapse? Because you made my heart skip a beat!”

We’ve all watched medical romances and swooned over Dr McDreamy and the like, but Priya and Monil lived that life! After falling in love while studying for their degrees, they flew back to Priya’s hometown, Kolkata and entrusted WeddingSutra Favourite Krafted Knots with the responsibility of giving them their dream wedding. The bride tells us all about it.

How We Met
We met in the autumn of 2008 – both freshers starting out at the Imperial College School of Medicine. It was a truly exciting time for us. We had unprecedented independence, all of Central London at our doorstep, limitless enthusiasm and lots of energy. We lived in adjoining halls of residence which meant we shared the same group of friends, attended all the same events and failed to attend most of our first-year medical school lectures! (Shhh…) Although six years of university did fly by, the shared, happy memories of that time will remain etched in our lives forever.

Proposal
Monil proposed over Christmas in 2016 in Brussels. The setting of Belgian Christmas markets, the crisp winter air and fabulous chocolates made it extremely romantic and we savored every precious moment of the occasion.

Wedding Venue
Having grown up in Kolkata, it was where I had always wanted to get married. The Taj Bengal Kolkata, the perfect choice due to its prime location, renowned hospitality and delectable food.

Wedding Planning
“Our wedding was meticulously planned by Ekta Sharma and her outstanding team at Krafted Knots,” says Priya. WeddingSutra Favourite Krafted Knots is a boutique wedding planning firm founded by best friends Shreya Dutta and Ekta Sharma. This young, talented team of wedding planners comes from diverse backgrounds and celebrates one common goal – breathtakingly beautiful weddings. With a collective team experience of hundreds of weddings and strategic partnerships across the globe, the planners at Krafted Knots are passionate about what they do, translating each wedding into something truly unique and unforgettable.

Wedding Functions

Wedding
We had a morning wedding in the Crystal Hall. It was a mix of traditional Bengali and Gujarati customs. The decor was done entirely by Romit’s team at Baisakhi’s. I didn’t want the venue to look unnecessarily busy but loved the idea of a floral chandelier made of tuberoses in the mandap.

As a Bengali bride, wearing Sabyasachi seemed most appropriate. I’m not a traditionalist so I opted for something different from red – a champagne lehenga. Monil wore a Sherwani in navy blue by ‘Shantanu & Nikhil’. The best part was we’d had his measurements taken over FaceTime as he was unable to come to Kolkata before the wedding and you could see the tangible relief on everyone’s faces when it turned out to be a perfect fit!

Cocktail Party
The Cocktail Party was at Aqua, The Park Hotel. We had two signature cocktails for the party. ‘Primonito’, a twist on the original mojito, with an infusion of Gondhoraj (traditionally Bengali) lemons, was a play on our names – Priya and Monil – with Mojito. The second was ‘Honey, I Do’ – honey, ginger, a splash of orange and gin.

My dad gave a speech as did Monil’s brother and one of our closest friends from university. This was followed by our first dance to ‘Can’t take my eyes off of you’ (We took four hours of private dance lessons with Georgina Caird from Start the Dance, London prior to this first public dance to try and overcome the potentially embarrassing issue of two left feet!) We also had a Belgian chocolate wedding cake with figurines of a surgeon in scrubs and a bride with a stethoscope as the cake toppers.

I wore Sabyasachi again; a beige evening gown. Monil wore a classic black tuxedo with a bowtie.

Reception
The wedding reception was held at the Crystal Hall the following evening. The theme was a Parisian Garden, and we had a floral backdrop with 18,000 flowers and beautiful lamps made by the team at Baisakhi’s.

We had a string quartet play western classical music for that European ambience. The hotel also provided us with a complimentary chocolate truffle wedding cake. For our reception I wore a pink Sabyasachi saree and Monil wore a suit in midnight blue by Burberry London.

Advice to Couples

Start planning early
Try and enjoy every moment (although this is easier said than done!)

Do background research on everything you want and on all the different vendors. Like everything else in life, making an informed decision is always the best way forward. I have to admit, that without the recommendations and advice of many of my Kolkata Loreto House school friends who had recently got married, I would have really struggled to find the right team players. Needless to say, none of this would have been possible without the tireless work of my incredible family.

Wedding Makers
Venues: Taj Bengal, Kolkata, The Park Hotel Kolkata
Wedding Planner: Krafted Knots
Decor: Baisakhi’s
Bride’s Outfits: Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding, Cocktail Party, and Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Shantanu and Nikhil (Wedding), Burberry London (Reception)
Makeup Artist: Abhijit Chanda (Wedding and Reception), Sujit Paul (Cocktail Party)
Wedding Invitations: EDC
Choreography: Georgina Caird from Start the Dance, London (First Dance)
Cake: Little Pleasures (Cocktail Party), Taj Bengal , Kolkata (Reception)

Photography: Malvika Periwal Photography

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