Yusra and Shuja at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai
He crossed oceans to meet her and when she injured her foot and couldn’t walk, he came to her home for a cup of tea to begin a relationship that would culminate in a beautiful wedding at the ITC Grand Chola.
Our series, ‘Featured Weddings’ brings you wonderful moments from weddings held at the finest venues across different cities. Here, bride Yusra tells us all about how she met her soul mate and their wedding celebrations in Chennai.
How we met
We’d been speaking for six months already when I met my husband in Chennai for the first time. By the third month we were already very comfortable with each other. We love food, we love music, we look at life the same way, have the same needs and we sort of realized we were falling in love with each other. He was known as the guy who wouldn’t want to marry someone outside the USA, so when he came all the way over to India to meet me, it had everyone guessing.
I’d met with a minor accident and ruptured the ligaments around my left foot so I wasn’t allowed to walk for a few weeks which coincided with his visit. So he came over for tea and there was an instant spark! We spoke for hours and hours. He’d never seen me walk and it would be time for him to leave before he did. But he went back to the US and sent me a letter proposing to me. It had two boxes, “check yes or no”. I ticked ‘yes’!
I’ve moved to the US now. Life is different and Shuja hasn’t left me alone for even a minute. I don’t know what it is about me that he loves so much but he’s always trying to make me happy and it feels great! He anticipates my needs, he’s a gem of a person and I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world!
Wedding Venue and Functions
Mehndi and Sangeet
We hosted the Mehndi and Sangeet ceremony at the ITC Grand Chola, Chennai, a 7 star luxury hotel, third largest in India. We moved into the hotel with immediate and extended family a day before the Sangeet.
I think my lehenga was truly mesmerizing. It was designed by my best friend Haania Manzar. Ambika from Vurve Signature Salon did my make-up.
Princess look in place, it was time to focus on the décor by Prabha Talwar. We had a blend of traditional and modern ideas – an opulence of orange and yellow marigold garlands and drapes.
We set up a gorgeous “Mehndi Corner” exclusively made for the ladies who were also presented with colourful bangles as giveaways.
The menu at the sangeet had an ‘Around the World’ theme as we had an ethnic mix of Indian and international guests. There were also some fun dance performances by the bride’s cousins and friends as they danced their hearts out to DJ Ashish.
Wedding
Held at the ITC Grand Chola, we had Prabha Talwar come in again to execute the Royal Finesse concept for the wedding. She used pink, white and gold as the main colour scheme and created clean lines and modern chic which beautifully offset our looks for the day.
I wanted a regal look and feel to the wedding and I chose Saroj Jalan, an expert known for her ethnic patterns and royal designs that take inspiration from our glorious cultural heritage. My wedding attire was proof of her incredible skill.
Shuja complemented me perfectly in a gold sherwani designed by Nasir
All in all, it was a grand, royal affair that brought two souls together for a lifetime.
The Wedding Makers
Photography: Rohan Mishra Photography
Venue: ITC Grand Chola, Chennai
Decorator: Prabha Talwar
Bride’s Sangeet outfit: Haania Manzar
Makeup artist for Mehndi ceremony- Ambika from Vurve Signature Salon
Makeup artist for Wedding ceremony- Samantha from Vurve Signature Salon
DJ: DJ Ashish
Bride’s Wedding outfit: Saroj Jalan
Groom’s Sherwani: Nasir
Photos Courtesy- Rohan Mishra Photography
