Sapna and Peeyush at Mohali, Punjab

Our series, Featured Weddings brings you wonderful moments from weddings held at the finest venues across different cities. Here, bride Sapna shares how she met her husband Peeyush and their wedding celebrations in Mohali.

How We Met
“Peeyush and I met in Bangalore in 2008 – we were in the same batch in college, but we didn’t start dating until we were doing our internship five years later. We were dating for about a year and half when I had to move back to Canada. We got engaged six months later when I went back to India, and the wedding was six months after that. Most of our relationship was spent on two different sides of the world, which was very difficult, but at the end of the day, we’re finally together.”

Wedding Venue
“Our wedding and all its functions took place at a popular stadium in Mohali. Ours was the first wedding to take place there, so it was memorable for everyone involved. Since the accommodation for our guests were also there, it was very convenient as many of them were from out of town and we didn’t have to worry about transportation. It also gave us a “shaadi ka ghar” (wedding in the house) feeling even though I was so far from home. The ‘shagun’ (engagement) ceremony took place in the hall, the mehndi and sangeet in the glass room, and the wedding in the garden.’

Wedding Functions
“We didn’t have many days for the wedding, so all of our events were held back to back.”

Shagun
The first day was our ‘shagun’ or engagement where both sides of our families had a chance to mingle and bond before the wedding. Since most my family is from Canada, they were meeting Peeyush and his family for the first time. One of my favorite moments from the function was the surprise performances by my cousins. Since my cousins were from all over the world they had to practice via Whatsapp! My cousins in India and Canada only had the morning of the function to practice together! Even then, they weren’t able to have a single practice with every single performer. That was very special for me, especially because I am the eldest out of all my cousins and have practically seen most of them grow up. Also one of my cousins promised he would buy our first child a car if I gave him a shout out during my speech – which I did, so I guess that’s one less thing to worry about in the future!”

Mehndi & Sangeet
“The next morning was my mehndi, which was then followed by my sangeet in the evening. Both events were very fun and laid back as they were small intimate events with only my closest family there. I, with the help of some bridesmaids, even ended up doing my own hair and makeup for both events!”

Wedding
“For my wedding, it was very special for me to able to capture a first look with my parents, as well as with my bridesmaids. I love and appreciate that Nitin and Sandeep captured those priceless images. Also, I spent the five years while I was in Bangalore convincing my parents to buy me an auto, and since they didn’t, I made sure I got one for my wedding, which was completely decorated with flowers.”

Wedding Looks
“For the ‘shagun’, I wore a teal and sea-foam green lehenga. I wanted to be dressed up without wearing anything too heavy. I had bought my ‘shagun’ outfit from New Delhi a few months prior, but bought the jewellery from Canada.”

“For my mehndi, I wore a light pink ‘kameez’ (tunic) with gold work and cropped pants so I didn’t have to worry about getting henna everywhere. I paired my ensemble with a ‘parandi’ (false braid with decorative tassels) and floral crown.”

“For the sangeet, I wore this sleeveless purple ‘kameez’ with a deep back and ‘gota pati’ and mirror work with a gold palazzo. The clothes for the mehndi and sangeet were made by a boutique in Chandigarh. I basically had to describe what I wanted over the phone and hoped for the best! I didn’t get those outfits until three weeks before the wedding.”

“My wedding outfit was ordered on the first day I reached New Delhi, six months before my wedding. I originally wanted a yellow lehenga because my mom’s wedding lehenga was yellow, with a green blouse, but my mom and aunt didn’t feel like it was bridal enough. So on a whim, I told them to make a red dupatta and had absolutely no clue how it would look. I didn’t actually see my wedding outfit until a month before and the blouse was stitched only two weeks prior to my wedding. My wedding jewellery meant so much to me since it was given to me by my late grandfather, which is something I have cherished. I never actually had the time to try on any of my outfits with my jewellery and accessories.”

Advice for couples-to-wed
“An emergency kit is so important, especially for destination weddings and it should include glue, scissors, a small sewing kit, among other items. In our case, we had let our boutique know that we might have some last minute alterations seeing as everyone had arrived in India a week before the wedding.”

“Make a brief itinerary for both sides! Not only does it keep everyone on track, but it can also be useful for your photographers and videographers so they know what to expect. If you have the time, try some DIY decorations – not only will you save money but it’s fun and adds a really nice personal touch!”

“Most important tip for all brides – please rest as much as you can before the wedding functions begin. I really didn’t have a choice but to run around and do almost everything by myself, with only my mom to help, and I was very sick the night before my wedding. So try and relax and designate tasks the best you can! I unfortunately didn’t have that luxury and had to leave many things to chance and just hope for the best!”

Wedding Makers
Location: Mohali, Punjab
Makeup Artist for Wedding: Amrit Kaur, Pune
Makeup & Hair for Shagun: Cleopatra Parlour, Mohali

Photos Courtesy: Shutterink Photography

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