Sahithi and Rudra, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort Hotel

Sahithi and Rudra’s wedding was a realization of their collective dreams. From finding the perfect life partner in each other to choosing the ideal wedding location, the couple’s touching love story was reflected in the warmth and vibrancy of their stunning beach wedding in Goa.

How They Met
Sahithi recalls their budding romance in college, saying, “Rudra and I met during our second year of under-graduation. He tried to get in touch with me through a mutual friend of ours and it kind of worked. He asked me out to dinner, took me on a long drive and talked his heart out. Later, he finally proclaimed his love for me on Christmas Eve, over a phone call.”

Wedding Venue
Having always wanted a beach ceremony, Sahithi and Rudra picked Goa for their destination wedding. After exploring multiple beachside options, the couple finalized the swanky Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort Hotel as their venue. The wedding was a gorgeous and intimate affair, just as the bride had always envisioned.

Wedding Planning
Sahithi was extremely involved in the entire wedding planning process. She shares, “Our team of wedding planners from Myshaadiwale (Bangalore) and I decided on the themes for each event. It took us a couple of months to finalize the themes and they had to put up with me coming up with new ideas and changes in the décor every second day! I had a blast planning the wedding, especially seeing the ideas executed exactly the way I had imagined.”

Pre-Wedding Photoshoot
Goa’s stunning shoreline was incorporated into the couple’s pre-wedding photoshoot, with exquisite dawn and dusk shots. Talking about the experience, the bride says, “Vijay Eesam and his team shot our entire pre-wedding photoshoot and our wedding. We wanted the pre-wedding shoot to blend in well with the overall theme so we decided to do it right at the beach. Vijay and his team meticulously planned the day and we got some beautiful sunrise and sunset shots. They helped us prepare for the shoot, pick a color palette for our outfits and, most importantly, they made sure we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. They were extremely patient and made sure we were both at ease during all the events. And it wasn’t just us. They also made our families feel extremely comfortable throughout and this is clearly visible in the beautiful pictures.”

Haldi
For the first pre-wedding ceremony, which was the haldi, the couple decided on simple and elegant décor with a floral focus, including a chandelier of blooms in bright colors. Having most of the guests dressed in shades of yellow made it a bright and beautiful sight. The bride’s floral jewellery, complete with a mathapatti and big jhumkas, accentuated her understated and classy haldi attire.

Mehndi
For the Mehndi ceremony, the couple drew inspiration from multiple themes. Elaborating on their ideas, Sahithi says, “We decided to go with a fusion theme. We wanted it to be a blend of Greek and Bohemian, along with a Rajasthani touch. So, the entire color palette featured blue and with pops of bright orange. There was a fun child-friendly games section and trampolines. For the adults, there were entertaining games such as Beer Pong, Twister, Jenga and Tug of War. Apart from the games, the guests had a lot of fun at the rain dance.”

As the evening approached, the beautiful bride was captured in a series of magical shots against the backdrop of coconut palms and the golden light of the setting sun.

Sangeet
The sangeet ceremony had an enchanted forest theme, with foliage arches, fairy lights and quaint chandeliers decorating the dancefloor. The bride and groom put on a dreamy performance as the guests lovingly cheered them on. Soon after, the guests joined the couple on the dancefloor and partied the night away.

Gala Dinner
A gala dinner was hosted a night before the traditional wedding ceremony. White was the chosen color for the décor and the dress code. White cabanas, flowers and flowy drapes added to the laid back, beachy ambiance.

Wedding
The wedding day turned out to be just as the bride had imagined. The happy newlywed spoke about the monumental day, saying, “For the big day, I wanted a South Indian Telugu-style mandap which was lotus-themed. I chose a very simple mandap with an open top as the wedding was on the beach and I didn’t want to miss out on the beautiful sky view. We had the entire wedding venue filled with diyas (small lamps) and Ganesh idols. The chairs were covered with jasmine flowers. The color palette was matte gold and red which looked completely stunning during the ceremony.”

Reception
The reception was hosted at Fort Grand in Hyderabad with over 2000 guests in attendance. The bride looked stunning in a Gaurav Gupta gown. The couple wore complementing outfits in shades of burgundy. The evening was filled with food, laughter, merriment and, most of all, love.

Advice For Couples
Here’s the bride’s advice to all the soon-to-be-married couples: “Planning and organizing is the key to a smooth and stress-free wedding. Just keep everything organized, even if it seems super silly, pen down each and every element. Also, do not rush into planning your honeymoon immediately after the wedding. Take a nice 20 to 30 day break. You’ll be tired after the wedding and won’t be able to enjoy your honeymoon, so plan wisely.”

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort Hotel(Wedding), Fort Grand, Hyderabad (Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Banjara Hills, Hyderabad (Wedding)
Bride’s Outfits: Prakash Silks, Kanchipuram (Wedding)
Makeup: Soh Tough Makeup Artistry (Haldi, Mehndi, Sangeet, Gala Dinner, Wedding)
Hair Stylist: Ruby (Haldi, Mehndi, Sangeet, Gala Dinner, Wedding), Edward and Zing, Hyderabad (Reception)

Photography: Vijayeesam Photography

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