Runjhun and Aditya
Bollywood glitz reigned supreme at the ‘premiere’ of Runjhun and Aditya’s California wedding
How they met
Aditya and Runjhun connected on Match.com after trying to meet their soulmates the traditional way didn’t work out for these busy professionals. Aditya worked in a finance company in San Francisco, while Runjhun was a physician in Las Vegas. He flew there to meet her and see if they had the same chemistry in real life like they did online and on the phone, and all it took was just one meeting to seal the deal for both of them.
Wedding Venue
Runjhun shares, “We got married at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Marina Del Rey in California. We wanted to be as close to the water as possible, and this venue had the best of everything we wanted. The baraat area ran parallel to the marina, so Aditya’s guests came in dancing on the pier over the ocean that was lined with yachts. The ceremony site also had a balcony overlooking the mandap, which was vital for our dance sequence in the middle of our ceremony!” The couple not only wanted a stylish hotel, but also one that was conveniently located near an international airport as they had guests flying in from all across the world.
Wedding Functions
There were four functions in total – the Haldi-cum-Mehndi ceremony for Runjhun, Sangeet, Wedding and Reception. Runjhun and Aditya are big fans of all things Bollywood. The programme brochure, designed by the bride, stating the times and venues of events was inspired by the Indian movie magazine Filmfare. The reception was styled like a movie premier! Guests had to walk on a red carpet to enter the venue which was ablaze under a lighted marquee with the name of the movie A Bollywood Affair, the ‘actors’– Aditya and Runjhun Parikh, and the ‘premiere’(read wedding) date. “Our guests had fun posing like movie stars and their short video interviews were turned into our guest book,” recollects Aditya.
At the reception, A Bollywood Affair was screened, depicting the couple’s love story, which was written and directed by Runjhun. This was followed by a 15-minute dance medley that included performances to songs spanning the last 30 years of Bollywood. Family members joined in at the end, dancing to the beats of the famous track ‘Bole Chudiyaan’.
The décor for all the ceremonies was reminiscent of Bollywood, akin to the lavish sets of movies like Devdas and Jodha Akbar. Runjhun adds, “We wanted everything to reflect the opulence, glitter and the glamour of old Bollywood.”
Wedding Shopping
The couple did their wedding shopping in India, in places such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Jhansi and Lucknow. Their outfits were finalised in Mumbai after a lot of shopping around. “We wanted to make sure they fit seamlessly with the overlook look of the events,” says Runjhun. Her look for the ceremony was very traditional and included a red-and-gold lehnga paired with traditional gold and kundan jewellery, similar to that worn by Aishwarya Rai in Jodha Akbar and Devdas.
Challenges of organizing an Indian wedding in the US
The couple did not face any challenges while organizing an Indian wedding in the US. Runjhun shares, “Thanks to the number of Indian weddings that take place in the country, especially in Los Angeles, the vendors were more than adequately equipped to supply all the necessities required for Indian weddings such as ours.”
The Wedding Makers
Event Design/Floral Design: Shawna Yamamoto event design
DJ Lighting/Lighting: Special Occasions Dj & lighting
Catering: Manohar Delhi Palace
Makeup + Hair: Nida Gazi
Planning: Planning Elegance
Venue: Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey
Photos Courtesy: Lin and Jirsa Photography
