Sonia and Rohit at ISKCON and St. Anne’s Church, Mumbai
Sonia and Rohit's wedding ceremonies at ISKCON and St Anne's Church in Mumbai were a classy celebration of two cultures
Our series, ‘Featured Weddings’ brings you wonderful moments from weddings held at the finest venues across different cities. Here, Rohit tell us how he met Sonia, and all about their classy and close-knit wedding celebrations in Mumbai.
How we met
Rohit is a pilot and Sonia owns and runs the quaint Villa Vandre café in Bandra, Mumbai, with her brother and sister. Rohit shares, “We were set up by common friends. Incidentally, our sisters are very close friends and former colleagues in the hospitality industry as well.”
Wedding Functions
The couple had two wedding ceremonies. The Arya Samaj ceremony was held at the ISKCON centre in Juhu, and the other at St Anne’s Church in Bandra, which is Sonia’s family church. “The ceremony was conducted by her uncle Father Matthew who came down from Jerusalem to be with us,” recalls Rohit, adding, “We wanted to keep the ceremonies small and intimate, with only our nearest and dearest with us. We are both fond of simple pleasures and don’t like anything loud or ostentatious. We wanted something classy and tasteful for our wedding, and prefer quality over quantity.”
Rohit and Sonia eschewed the standard buffet for their reception and chose to host the event at the beautifully designed Jyran restaurant at the Sofitel hotel in Bandra-Kurla Complex. “We wanted a place with character, like a well designed restaurant with great lighting. That’s exactly what we got at Jyran. We hadn’t even considered it until we popped in to have a look as we were already at the hotel to see another venue. Jyran blew us away,” shares Rohit, adding, “Since Sonia is a restaurateur, she was very particular about the cuisine quality. It had to be nothing short of spectacular and Jyran delivered in style. The spread was unique and had something for everyone, from the live chaat and grill counters to kheema kaleji pav and biryani as I’m from Hyderabad- to the lavish dessert spread.”
Wedding Wear
The couple adapted their personal styles to their wedding ensembles instead of opting for the typical blinged-up wedding outfits. “My light cream kurta with red stole for the wedding was very understated – and many people did not realise I was the groom till I reached the mandap,” recollects Rohit. Sonia wore a pink-and-green lehenga from the Namah label by Priyanka Duggal which she got specially made according to her taste for her big day. Her blouse with floral prints and net dupatta paired well with her long braid adorned with a floral garland. Her maang tikka provided the perfect traditional touch. A beaming Rohit says that his bride Sonia looked radiant and carried off her ensemble very well.
For the church wedding, Sonia and Rohit opted for the traditional ‘white wedding’ look. She wore an elegant one-shoulder white gown with pretty floral accents on the shoulder and cuffs of her sleeves. She went for a classy updo and elegant bun for her hairstyle which she adorned with pretty silver clips which matched her earrings. Rohit looked like a dapper groom in his charcoal grey two-piece suit, white shirt and pink tie that matched Sonia’s pretty bouquet.
The Wedding Makers
Make-up Artist- Sonali Manghnani
Bride’s Outfits- Namah by Priyanka Duggal
Wedding Invitations- Devika Choudhary
Photography- The Cheesecake Project
