Srushti and Bhushan, ITC Maratha, Mumbai

Indian weddings are so beautiful, they pave the way for couples’ happily ever after, and they sometimes even mark beautiful beginnings in the lives of the ones not taking the vows.

One such start was for Srushti and Bhushan who recently entered into a blissful marriage at the ITC Maratha, Mumbai. WeddingSutra Favorite – Dreamcatchers Photography tastefully captured the happiest and most cherished moments of the couple from their wedding.

How We Met
Srushti shared, “We first met at a T20 match in Pune where we were introduced to one another by my close friend, who was also Bhushan’s friend from college. Over time, we casually exchanged birthday greetings on social media. Two years later, Bhushan and I bumped into each other at Nasik, at the same friend’s wedding. We, along with other acquaintances, spent a wonderful time celebrating all the pre-wedding functions”.

Bhushan added, “I grew fond of her and offered to drive her back to Pune after the wedding ceremonies were over. This would give me a chance to get to know her better. On that day, she mistakenly locked us out of the car. Cutting the long story short, we had to stay back for the reception that day”. Srushti blushed, “He offered me his blazer to keep warm, and it was a super Kjo Bollywood moment. We talked about life till dawn and then drove off to Pune the next day. The 6-hour journey from Nasik to Pune, also marked the beginning of the journey of our life.”

The Proposal
Bhushan shared, “Srushti didn’t like the idea of Valentines’ Day, but I couldn’t wait anymore to ask her out. I knew I wanted her to be a part of my life, so I landed outside her office at around 10 pm, which is when she generally gets done. Unfortunately, her team was working on a crazy timeline that day, and she, being the junior most and also very hardworking, stayed back till late. Finally, around midnight, my pretty lawyer walked towards me. ‘Long day?’ I asked, and she just sighed with her typical eye-rolling. We sat in the car, and I asked if we could grab dinner. She looked at me as if getting dinner was the highlight of her day. We reached my place, and she was astounded as she walked into a candle-lit house with the dining table set up for a four-course Italian meal that I had made for her. As she turned around to look at me quizzically with a ‘what’s happening’ expression on her face, I pleasantly surprised her by presenting her with a sparkling Swarovski promise ring in my hand. That moment, I asked her to be with me forever, and I didn’t put any tag on what I wanted her to be in my life. I just wanted her to be mine. She laughed and pretended to think, and ultimately she said ‘Yes’ with her typical eye-rolling.”

Wedding Venue
Bhushan shared, “Our wedding date was only five months away from our Roka and having such a limited time on hand, to our dismay, most venues of our choice were sold out. We reviewed a minimum of three to four places over the weekends. Our families insisted on a conveniently placed and easily accessible location for the wedding venue considering that we had a lot of guests, families and friends flying in from across the country and abroad. We checked out the places near the airport itself. Our first choice was ITC Maratha as I used to tease Srushti about getting married there, each time we drove past during her airport pick-ups and drops to and from her work trips. Srushti and I both fell in love with their ballroom, so we reserved it for our wedding and reception. Being a luxury collection hotel, it offered elegance and grace with the warmth of great hospitality.

Wedding Planning
Srushti shared, “We planned our wedding with the help of our families and friends. Working with Dreamcatchers Photography was the best decision that we made for our wedding. We wanted our photos to candidly capture those raw, emotional and happy moments. National Decorators did an exceptional job with our wedding and reception decor.

Previously, the whole country had been in awe of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s wedding, when their pictures splashed all across social media their jaimalas caught our attention. Bhushan arranged for similar jaimalas from a local vendor called Rajnigandha Florist. Bhushan is a Maratha from Konkan, and I am a mix of Gujarati and Rajasthani. We wanted to make sure to pay respect to all the three cultures we hailed from, and consciously included various age-old traditions belonging to both the families. I had artists from Richa Thakkar’s studio do my hair and makeup for the Sangeet, and they did a fantastic job in giving me a dewy and contemporary look.”

Sangeet
For the sangeet, since the event was held on the rooftop, they chose the theme ‘Dancing under the Stars’. Their sangeet was followed by a DJ night since they both had friends and family who loved their music and dance. There were cute performances, heartwarming emotional toasts and one also saw the men of their families inventing some fab dance moves.

Lastly, the lovebirds danced to their favorite song ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran. Srushti went for a more glamorous look and picked a navy-blue ensemble by N&S Aesthetics. While Bhushan looked dapper in a box-check blazer, tailor-made from Raymond which he paired with a sleek pair of tan shoes.

Haldi
For the haldi, the couple had a prevalent theme of mustard yellow. They opted for very earthy and traditional decoration of yellow and orange marigolds with strings of mango tree leaves. They had a total of five haldis, also known as pithi in Gujarat. The fifth one was a combined haldi. The bride’s mother visited five major Devi’s temples across the country to obtain symbolic haldi for the ceremony. The bride wore a multi-colored lehenga from Seasons and she paired it elegantly with temple jewelry from PN Gadgil. The groom took the traditional route as he picked a classic kurta-pyjama set from Mehbaz.

Wedding
The duo wanted simple yet regal; something that would enhance the beauty of the ballroom and compliment their attire. As the mandap is the center of attraction at any wedding, they opted for a fancy chandelier because they wanted the ambience to look very grand. They had a backdrop of pearl-white drapes and strings of crystals. The pillars and the roof of the mandap were covered with roses in eclectic shades of white, off-white, peach, pink and maroon; they were accompanied by some pretty greens here and there. The wedding ceremonies involved both Marathi and Gujarati rituals.

The happy bride shared, “My favorite moment from our wedding was the one right before Bhushan left for his baarat. Our eyes met and that’s when it hit us that it was finally happening. Emotional, I started to tear up, and at that very moment, we knew in our hearts, that our commitment to each other meant everything. He then left for his Baarat while I waited patiently with my girlfriends.”

For the pheras, Srushti went for a gorgeous wine-colored lehenga from Roopkala which had intricate zardozi work all over. She got her overhead dupatta designed from Rita & Khushi Label and the jewelry was from Tanishq. Bhushan looked dashing in a sherwani with a shawl and headgear that was styled and designed by Nero Couture & Bespoke respectively.

Reception
The theme for the reception reflected that of the wedding, with chandeliers and floral decorations that complimented the couple’s pastel outfits. They replaced the bright-colored roses with classic shades of white and green with ample soft amber light flooding the venue. Srushti’s outfit was a gorgeous flared gown from Roopkala that she complimented beautifully with her diamonds from Orra, and Bhushan looked charming in a tailor-made tuxedo from Raymond.

Advice for Couples
“Soak in all the love, warmth, and affection that you will be showered with and let go of everything else to enjoy the priceless moments. Take a minute or two to be alone with your partner to help all the excitement sink in. Make sure to bask in that surreal moment together. We recommend getting a wedding film as it will be a precious keepsake for those moments in time to look back at, and smile. Be completely involved in your wedding preparations but do outsource the important services if you can so as to enjoy the final days to the countdown without any hassles or stress. Nobody likes the idea of running around in a frenzy last-minute while putting things together. Most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff.”

The Wedding Makers
Venue: ITC Maratha, Mumbai
Décor: National Decorators
Florist: Rajnigandha Florist
Groom’s Outfits: Raymond (Sangeet, Reception), Mehbaz (Haldi), Nero Couture & Bespoke (Wedding)
Bride’s Outfits: NS Aesthetics (Sangeet), Seasons India (Haldi), Roop Kala (Wedding, Reception), Rita & Khushi Label (Wedding Dupatta)
Jewelry: P.N. Gadgil (Haldi), Tanishq (Wedding),Orra (Reception)
Makeup: Richa Thakkar (Sangeet), Amrita Bokey (Wedding, Reception)
Hairstylist:Richa Thakkar
Photography and Videography: Dreamcatchers Photography

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