Vijjiisha Seth and Shubham Puri, Radisson Blu Resort Dharamshala
Vibrant and flavored by Kashmiri cuisine - this couple’s hill station wedding was a grand one!
A four-day wedding packed with love, laughter and feasts – Vijjiisha Seth and Shubham Puri’s wedding aced in all aspects. As guests from all over the world flew in to wish the couple, everything had to be flawless. Planned by WeddingSutra Favorite – Wedding Darzi, the union was a seamless one with top-notch hospitality and vibrant themes that left everyone awestruck.
Wedding Planning
Praney Dawar and Sonam Singhal from Wedding Darzi share, “Shubham and Vijjisha hailing from Jammu and Amritsar respectively, had plans to get married in Srinagar but due to some unforeseen circumstances the plans didn’t materialize and we had to brainstorm a more unique destination closer to their cities. The entire property was booked for all the events. Nearby properties were also booked for the guests. Likewise, smaller properties were booked for all the vendors for their smooth execution of the events.”
They go on to add, “A wedding of 200 guests turned out to be witnessed by 300 guests. We booked three other hotels nearby to accommodate the same with another one being booked for the drivers. A plethora of emotions were involved during the entire planning of the wedding over 6 months. The planning of the event at Radisson Blu, Dharamshala was pretty challenging considering the terrain and that the place hasn’t been tapped by many. Sometimes, we could see four seasons in a day – sunny weather of 32 degrees Celsius transformed into a hailstorm blowing away all our efforts in the blink of an eye!
The décor was thus done keeping in mind the weather, the venue and the tastes of our couple. The turnover time for following events was a challenge too since we had very limited outdoor space and thus the entire décor had to be prudently planned.”
Wedding Functions
Engagement
The festivities kicked off with an engagement event in Amritsar, a week prior to the wedding. With a guestlist featuring 1500 people, it was a grand celebration filled with dance, music and heartfelt moments.
Welcome Dinner
Praney shares, “The Welcome Dinner was hosted for all close family members. It was a close-knit occasion where the loved ones raised a toast. Everyone had a gala time with some lip-smacking liquor and wholesome food.”
The Mehendi
Sonam shares, “All the other guests arrived at Kangra Airport where hassle-free arrangements were made for their pick up from the airport to the hotel. It was a day function with a Himachali touch as there were regional artists and dancers performing for the guests along with a Himachali live folk band.
The bar was a molecular one where fresh cocktails and mocktails were served. Another interesting part of the event was that the bartenders were dressed up according to the theme of the event. The lunch spread was also plush with a variety of different cuisines to choose from. The event ended with a hi-tea and the décor was a mix of colourful and traditional elements.”
Sangeet
Praney recollects, “The sangeet was an evening affair with stunning live performances. Friends and families performed for the bride and groom as well. The buffet spread had mouth-watering dishes along with drinks and special sheesha for the guests. The event took place in the center porch area of the resort. To convert that space into an arena for a function was a challenge but we persevered and gave it a glam look with a dash of enchanted forest decor and rustic furnishings.
Family performances and a DJ-based band kept the party going until the neon after-party was moved into the ballroom.”
Haldi
Sonam shares, “The shades of yellow and pink dominated the haldi decor palette. It was an open-air banquet followed by lunch and drinks. The ombre décor was modern yet added to the traditional Haldi function. The Haldi which started as two separate functions ended up being one big party with flowers, water, aerated drinks, and ketchup being used to marinate the bride and the groom!”
Wedding
Praney shares, “Vedi setup was done on the infinity pool overlooking the mountains. The bride’s entry was a fairy tale one, where all the lights went dim and the family members were holding up light sticks that looked like fireflies. The wedding was an easy one to plan as the couple was keen on red flowers and a chandelier theme by the poolside. However, we did face a few hiccups when a storm struck us right before the baraat and the entire varmala stage was in the pool! We then bucked up and requested the client to pull off the baraat a little longer than expected to buy us some time. Within an hour we were back up with the entire décor as if nothing had happened and realized the baraat was not even halfway through! Also, the wedding saw an addition of 100 odd guests and thus we decorated the poolside and the upper deck so that the entire space looked as one.”
Reception
Sonam shares, “The reception was hosted in Jammu and guests from all over were invited including government officials and the Ex-Chief Justice of India. A live band entertained the guests and a large spread of scrumptious dinner had everyone reaching for second helpings. The Kashmiri multi-course meal ‘Wazwan’ was something that the guests enjoyed a lot.”
The Wedding Makers
Venues: Radisson Blu Resort Dharamshala (Welcome Dinner, Mehndi, Sangeet, Haldi, Wedding); Four A Lords Resort, Jammu (Reception)
Wedding Planner and Décor: Wedding Darzi
Caterers: Chef Jajo (Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Rohit Bal (Engagement), Masaba Gupta (Welcome Dinner), Anita Dongre (Mehndi), Diwan Saheb (Wedding), Gaurav Gupta (Reception)
Bride’s Outfits: Anita Dongre (Engagement), Aman Takyar (Welcome Dinner), Anju Modi (Mehndi), Torani (Sangeet), Ruchi & Taniya (Haldi), Mrunalini Rao (Wedding), Gaurav Gupta (Reception)
Entertainment: The Storytellers Band (Engagement), Funky Boys with Mani Aujla (Sangeet), Himanshu Sharma (Wedding), Swaraag (Reception)
Photography: Photo Paparazzo
