Garima Walia
Auckland based Garima puts together her wedding trousseau with a little help from family and online shopping
Wedding Functions
Our festivities kicked off with a Paath at Sunny’s place for which I wore an asymmetrical Anarkali which had panels of pink, orange and beige! I fell in love with it the moment I saw it, since it had all my favourite colors!
The following day, there was a pooja at my house. Since our festival Lohri fell on the same day we decided to celebrate this too with a bonfire. For this event, I wore a floor-length anarkali in beige with orange velvet and gold kundan work. The work on the neck and the back was done in a beautiful mesh. I didn’t want to take away from the work near the neck so I paired this outfit with a set of gold bangles and subtle make up with bright orange lipstick. This event was celebrated with close family and friends so I wanted to wear something simple yet elegant, and this anarkali fit the description perfectly. I got this designed from Neha Rakheja in New Delhi (Neha’s collections can be purchased on www.waliajones.com.
The next day, we had a celebration at one of our favourite Indian Restaurants. For this event, I wore a bright pink anarkali with a strip of antique gold beading and Swarovski crystals. What I loved most about this anarkali was the back, which was outlined with similar beading. Again, this was designed by Neha Rakheja. I had my makeup done by Bobbi Brown in New Market and hair by Tea and Dry also in New Market, Auckland.
The next day was the main wedding celebration. We got married in one of Aucklands most famous gurudwaras called Takanini Gurudwara. I wore a traditional lehenga that my mother-in-law had lovingly purchased for me from Chandigarh. I loved the colour and intricate work on this. My make-up was done by Minnie Basra, and I felt she did a great job! She also styled my hair very well, since it had to hold the dupatta that was almost 2kgs!
The ceremony was followed by lunch at the Hilton Auckland. We chose the Hilton for lunch since it is situated on Auckland Harbour and the views during the day are absolutely stunning. I changed into a simple red saree and gold blouse since the wedding outfit was so heavy. This red saree was also designed by Neha Rakheja.
Our last function, the Wedding Reception was held the following day at the Langham, Auckland. The Langham is very close to our heart‚ we have always celebrated our most memorable moments there. For this event, I wore a lehenga with dark maroon silk underlay with a black mesh overlay and a bandhgala top. The hand embroidery on the top was in antique gold and kundan. The embroidery was featured on the neck, sleeves and all along the lehenga with a heavier border on the bottom. Neha Rakheja and I worked together on this piece and we were very happy with the final outcome. It was exactly what I had envisaged. I was already wearing my new chura from the wedding and embroidery around the neck meant I didn’t need to wear a necklace so I teamed this up with heavy antique gold kundan earrings. I did my own make-up for this day, the happiness and natural glow meant all I needed to do was apply a bit of eyeliner and lipstick!
Advice/ Recommendations for brides-to-be
– Do a trial run for each event at least a month prior to the event! It makes it less stressful on the day.
– It is easy to liaise with one designer for all your wedding outfits. There are so many talented designers in India so I decided to open Walia Jones, a collaboration with my long-time friend Hanin Jones. Walia Jones has grown significantly since its inception and now serves as a platform for designers like Neha Rakheja to showcase their exceptional work to the Australasian Market. Check out the website www.waliajones.com
– Our wedding photographer for the entire event was Bhavnesh Soni from One by Infinity. He did an amazing job with the photography and cinematography and we couldn’t recommend anyone better (www.onebyinfinity.co.nz).
Photo courtesy– Bhavnesh Soni
