A Glam Kolkata Wedding Planned By The Couple Themselves!

Seldom do we come across weddings which are lavish, have multiple functions, but are planned down to the last detail by the couple themselves! Yep, Varnika was a bride on a mission as she went about planning her wedding in Kolkata, from the functions to her customised outfits- and we loved the end result! A gorgeous wedding which was shot beautifully by Shutterdown - Lakshya Chawla★ 5 . Plus, they have a super cute love story too. 

Meet Varnika and Shreyansh

We have lived less than 50 meters apart our entire lives but our paths never crossed. Then, 5 years ago, we were paired up for a dance at my sister's wedding. He a friend of my brother-in-law. Normally, he would have not agreed to dance at even his own sangeet, but somehow, as fate would have it, we met. Soon, we started talking all day and night. Neither of us could understand what was happening, because meeting someone you instantly connect with on so many different levels was something we had only heard of in fairytales. And that's how we found ours. 

Vintage Brunch

Cocktail

Haldi & Myra

Wedding

From The Bride:

Both of us pay a lot of attention to details. We planned most of our wedding step-by-step. We come from big families, so we decided to have our wedding in Kolkata itself. The three-day extravaganza started with a brunch at Royal Bengal Turf Club. With a view of the lovely race-course to gaze at, pouring cocktails and soulful live music, Day 1 was focused at letting our families get to know each other better. Following this, on the same day was a Bollywood themed mehendi function from the groom's side. Day 2 was filled with laughter and music. The wedding-party shifted to J.W Marriott, Kolkata. In the morning, there were two parallel functions- The Bride Side - Haldi & Myra (Bhaat) and The Groom Side Myra (Bhaat). In the evening, it was the Sangeet followed by a Cocktail & DJ Night. The party continued till sunrise and that's how we wrapped up. Day 3 started with a Pool-Side party at J.W Marriott which was about Zumba dances and Foot Spas, a way to relax and rejuvenate. This was followed by the Baraat, Wedding & Reception which took place in Lawns of Hyatt Regency, Kolkata. Our Jaimala took place with a view of the fountains behind us, lots of flowers and a grand shower of cold fire and cold smoke. From choosing to enter under floral arches to the song on which I wanted to do my bridal entry, each detail was planned to the 'T' by us.

With months and months of research & designing, the looks for every function turned out dreamier than I could have imagined. For the Brunch, I went with a princess style gown, which was designed and curated by my sister who by profession is a designer (Label : Skirt & Co). The Haldi & Myra outfit was designed by Fabiiaana (Jaipur) paired up with beautiful floral jewellery curated by Asha Designs in Kolkata. The custom designed quirky sneakers were handmade by Saree Sneakers. For the Sangeet and Wedding Day, I wore custom made outfits which were designed by my sister along with the Luxury Bridal Designer- 121 Couture. On the Sangeet day, I wore my Mom's elegant diamonds. For my Bridal Jewellery, we went back to our roots in Bikaner (Rajasthan) and selected a royal and gorgeous piece which completed my dream look. This is also where we bought my husband's kilangi (head jewellery worn on safa during wedding day). Fun fact: It is where we have been sourcing bridal jewellery for generations in our family.

My bridal song was a mix of 3 tracks. Started with a short 1 min solo on "Humsafar" by Alia Bhatt then "Dilbaro" with my sisters and ended with "Uff Teri Ada" with my friends. The groom dance was on "Sajan Ji Ghar Aaye" along with his girl-friends followed by "ShaVa ShaVa" where me and the boys joined them on stage. We ended with our dance on "Tere Bina" by Zaeden followed by our ring ceremony. 

My husband's taste is very subtle and elegant. He likes to wear smart but simple clothes so anything too gaudy or too blingy was an absolute NO for him. The brunch outfit was custom-made by Jenjum (Delhi) and was sourced by a flagship multi-designer store called Dapper in Kolkata. His beautiful white Achkan which he wore on the sangeet day was also made by the same designer. The Dhoti he wore on the sangeet day was made and designed by my husband himself. For the Mehendi, Myra and Wedding Days, my husband choose outfits from the amazing Kolkata based designer - Poonam Kasera. She pays great attention to detail and the quality of her work is un-imaginable. She designed everything from his safa to his shoes. 

Vendor Reviews

Photography: Shutterdown

We were both sure about one thing- that we wanted Shutterdown (Lakshya Chawla) as our wedding photographer and without a debate he & his team were on-boarded. They truly lived up to their name and captured the most memorable moments of our lives forever. They were professional, non-fussy and made us feel extremely comfortable.

Wedding Planning: MindSpinerz

For planning and executing our wedding, we on-boarded MindSpinerz who worked with us every detail we wanted and helped execute our dream wedding. They were extremely co-operative and never let us down on any front. 

Makeup Artist: Pink Tree Salon

My Make up Artist & Hair was done by the brilliant Livya Wu - Pink Tree Salon, Kolkata who kept my make up natural and bright - just as I wanted it. 

Vendors: Venues: Royal Bengal Turf Club (Brunch, Mehendi), J.W Marriott (Haldi, Myra, Cocktail & DJ Night, Pool Party), Hyatt Regency, Kolkata (Baraat, Wedding & Reception); Wedding Planning: Mindspinerz ; Makeup Artist: Pink Tree Salon, Kolkata; Photography and Videography: Shutterdown - Lakshya Chawla★ 5 ; Bridal Outfits: Skirt & Co (Brunch), Fabiiaana (Haldi & Myra), Luxury Bridal Designer- 121 Couture (Sangeet and Wedding); Bridal Sneakers: Saree Sneakers; Bridal Jewellery: Asha Designs (Haldi and Myra); Groom Outfits: Jenjum from Dapper, Kolkata (Brunch and Sangeet), Poonam Kasera (Myra and Wedding)