This wedding is known for one thing and one thing only - the bride's Instagram-breaking blouse by Sakina Ahmed. The palki-zardosi and jhumka-filled blouse was reposted a lot on social media and we had to see not just the outfit but the whole shebang as well. So when we looked into this wedding, we realised that there are other things than the blouse that also impressed us - from the fun sundowner with tents by the sea to the picturesque welcome brunch and Mehendi party full of greens. We also think that the bride's outfits were so different and she wearing her mom's kanjeevaram is a beautiful thing! The venue, The Leela, Goa provided geuinine backdrops while photography by Shades Photography★ 4.3 kept it effortless and snazzy!
Meet Palak & Dhruv
"I met Dhruv close to three years ago in Hyderabad. I went to college there to study at The Indian School of Business and two months into the program, I meet the very charming and chivalrous Mr. Dhruv Reddy through a common friend. From the night of the party I met him, Dhruv didn’t leave campus for the next week and that was slightly alarming for me. He didn’t take too much time and within a week asked the big question. It’s been 3 years since, he asked the question on the 4th of July, 2015 and to this day we’re celebrating that day every month (or at least try to) because there’s been no looking back since then," says Palak.
Welcome Lunch & Mehendi
The Sangeet
The Sundowner
The Haldi
The Wedding
From The Bride:
My outfits have their own stories. For the Welcome lunch I’ve always wanted to wear something of my mom’s at my wedding, so this was her Benarasi saree from her wedding that I got stitched into a lehenga.
For the Engagement & Sangeet Soirée, purple has been one of my favourite colours and when I saw the purple-blue lehnga at Sabyasachi, I decided this was it. I was looking to a long night of dancing so I needed something that was light to carry but still had the heavy look.
The Mehendi Brunch outfit was a winner. Yellow was my go-to choice for my Mehendi. It’s bright, vibrant and fun which was the theme for the brunch. I went around all the designers multiple times but just couldn’t find the yellow outfit that I was looking for. In the end, I came across this beautiful yellow colour that Mahima Mahajan works with and got it custom made. It was a beautiful yellow outfit with pearls and very modern.
For the Haldi - Chooda, I wore a simple elegant yellow outfit with floral jewellery, I wanted to keep it comfy.
For the Sundowner, I wore a very elegant and flowy Peach gown. The idea was to have a very simple subdued look for a laid-back beach party.
My Wedding saree and blouse was custom-made by Sakina Ahmed too. We designed the blouse over an hour that I spent with her. She did a fabulous job and what a gorgeous outfit it turned out to be.
For the Reception, I saw the perfect outfit at Manish Malhotra. The theme was Enchanted forest so we needed an outfit that was elegant and flamboyant enough and this was the perfect outfit for the occasion. We had a black tie affair of sorts so I wore a very flamboyant princess kind of gown and Dhruv complimented me with his tuxedo.
When I was planning the wedding, I always thought of having 3-day long party and hence it was Goa, for my destination. I had certain designers in mind that I wanted to wear and then I decided on my looks.
With our Photographers Shades Photography, we had an excellent experience with Jhalak and Ashwin.
Decor by Atisuto was amazing. Sabah has very fresh ideas that she brings to the table, new themes and an enthusiasm to experiment. We first picked all the event themes for the wedding and then based on that chose the invites, the stationery, the giveaways, outfits etc.
Leela Goa was one of the most beautiful properties in India. Guests woke up to views of the lagoon with lotuses. Food was brilliant, service was outstanding and the venues were beautiful. A special call-out to this riverfront restaurant which is according to me was one of the most beautiful places in India. Yash Mehendi did my mehendi for me. He did do some outstanding work that I’ve never seen in a very long time.
My Makeup by Amrit Kaur was a dream come true. She made every look very different from the other and she’s very hard working and focused on perfection. I was also her first South Indian bride so she was quite excited to work with me.