Stageless Delhi Wedding Planned Entirely By The Couple Long Distance!
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When you're a couple trying to plan your wedding in India, it's challenging enough to do it without a planner. But when the bride and the groom are in two separate countries themselves, then imagine how hard it can be! Kudos to Shivani and Mayank for planning their Delhi wedding themselves, and we love how personalised it was! The couple put in so much thought and effort into the wedding, small little things that made it so much more enjoyable for everyone! Take a look at this Baniya Punjabi wedding, which had a very modern vibe!
Meet Shivani and Mayank
"We met in school class 8th (2009) and have been competing for exam marks since then. We became very good friends. Then we were also in the same bachelors university but different streams of engineering. We always kept the relationship low key because we were very different personalities and didn't know where life would take us. And since 2018, we have been in long distance. It was a Baniya Punjabi wedding so we had our fair share of ups and downs but everything went super well and dreamy at the end", the bride tells us.
Haldi
Engagement
Wedding
From The Bride
Our wedding took place on February 18, 2024. Both me and Mayank are perfectionists, I assumed that I might be the one who is more into the wedding planning process but Mayank was also all in. We paid attention to the smallest details and it was a bit of struggle as we were in different countries. Our families in Delhi, me in Germany and Mayank in Belgium, so deciding and finalising on video call can be a bit time consuming (Ahahha). Our families approved of us in June 2023. And after that the wedding planning process started. After going at a couple of venues, also researching some destinations, we decided we wanted to get married in Delhi- both of us love Delhi, the food, etc and specially being away from home for ~5-6 years we wanted even more to be in Delhi.
I always wanted a close and intimate wedding, but our parents wanted to invite a lot of guests, so after a lot of brainstorming, we decided with 3pm Baraat entry and then varmala and pheras, and be done by 6pm (this part would be intimate) and for all the other guests we gave time as 6-6:30pm, kind off like reception dinner. We took the idea of couple entry from Kudmayi song, where are friends welcomed us holding lanterns and diyas in their hands and we danced to Saiyaan Medley, sung live by Twin Strings.
I can go on and on with these small details, these were the things that made our day and that time special. Also, coming from different backgrounds it was a bit challenging to handle both customs Baniya and Punjabi together but we tried to incorporate them as much as possible. We had 2 pandits on our wedding so customs of both sides could be done. Some of our foreigner friends were also coming- so we had to plan for that too. So we created a guide for them for places to try in Delhi and nearby and w.r.t wedding a guide from where they could buy outfits, what the different events mean, etc
Here are some learnings from my wedding:
1. Chandani Chowk is a gem for so many things- bride groom badges, kaleere, chooda, etc. Though I have been born and brought up in Delhi, I haven't explored Chandani Chowk this much as I did during the wedding planning.
2. Deciding the songs for Sangeet took some time as well, as we wanted them to be very personal. I chose Dekha Tenu even before it became viral by Radhika Merchant.
3. Adding some form of stationary eleviates the experience by a lot, its the small details that matters. We added cocktail cards on the dinner tables for Sangeet. For wedding we had some bells, and flower cones during pheras and a card explaining what the seven pheras mean- also because we had foreigners coming for the wedding. And for the dinner tables at night we had table top tent cards with Mayank and my pictures from the pre wedding shoot.
4. Virtual wedding card: We had our digital card display our story from school to long distance very subtly in the card.
5. Entertainment: During the pheras we opted for classical instrumental music, it created the perfect vibe for us. And for the evening dinner (reception) entertainment we chose Twin Strings- everyone appreciated it and loved it. And they were kind enough to take into account our song choices as well.
6. Create a moodboard for decor ideas so that you can share with the decor vendors. We created an excel sheet with the event plans per day and shared with close family members so we could follow the schedule.
About The WedMeGood App
Yes! It was the most used app and instagram page throughout the wedding planning and I still follow it. I loved the wedding planning checklist and the articles that WMG has. This info is not easily available at any other place, its like a one stop solution so reduces the need to go on exploring for days, you can just use the WMG app. Using the WedMeGood app and insta page was a game-changer for my wedding planning. The vendor suggestions for choreography, photography, decor and so on were spot on, and the reviews from actual users provided invaluable insights. The checklist and packing list for the Bridal Emergency Kit were lifesavers, keeping me organized and prepared. I also found amazing outfit ideas and learned about trends like Amama jewelry for Haldi. Most importantly, I was inspired to have my pheras in the afternoon after seeing beautiful photos on the app. The inspiration gallery (Real Weddings, Ideas, Stories, etc) was a treasure trove of ideas for every aspect of my wedding. Overall, WedMeGood was indispensable during my wedding planning journey.
Vendor Reviews
Venue: Wedding: Amaara Farms, Haldi: Crowne Plaza poolside, Sagan Sangeet: Sanskriti Greens
We did Sanskriti Greens for its glasshouse, as we wanted a full party vibe during our sangeet. One issue there is the manager Kirti is very unprofessional. Venue is amazing but the manager should be changed. The generators went off in middle of the event and a lot of our dance performances occurred in the dark. And Kirti was unapologetic about the same and did not arrange a substitute generator. It got fixed in 30-40 mins.
For Crowne Plaza, it was all good, the poolside venue is very nice perfect for the haldi vibe and the food is also good.
Amaara Farms: This was our wedding venue, it was a fairytale. I confirmed the wedding venue on video call but the pictures and reviews on WMG helped me. I wanted a farm house for the wedding and Amaara was the perfect choice. The tree was the highlight as I had never seen any pheras under a tree (although it would be common for the Delhi crowd), it was my first time as I was in Europe for the past few years.
Decor: Wedding Lights Events
We created a huge moodboard for us so we shared with decor vendors, and Kashish from WLE clicked the most to us. He helped us to select the decor and customize it according to our tastes. He was kind enough to suggest new ideas and add unique elements, such as blinking hanging lights on top of dining area on sangeet.
Makeup Artist: Gurleen Kaur
I chose Gurleen Kaur for my makeup after a friend's recommendation, and she did an amazing job for my sagan, haldi, and wedding. She really understood my vision and incorporated my style, creating distinct looks for each event. If I had to choose a favorite, it would definitely be the bridal look.
Photography: Joint Production
Shitij led the photography for our wedding, and his attention to detail is unmatched, which is evident in all the photos he provided. He delivered a fantastic reel within a day of the wedding, and I couldn't find a single clip I would change. The individual bridal portrait shots are particularly stunning. I spent hours looking through the raw photos, just admiring the incredible quality and artistry in each shot. Shitij truly captured the essence and beauty of the day, making our memories even more special. He went out of the way to figure out ideas for the shoots.
Bartender: Deli Cocktail House
Mohit is also from the same school as Mayank and I. He is very friendly and professional, highly recommend DCH. The bartenders are also quite talented and they provided a custom cocktail menu for us.
Caterer: Jain Caterer
Hands down the best caterer for vegetarian food and they offer the most variety.
Vendor: Venue: Wedding: Amaara Farms, Haldi: Crowne Plaza Gurgaon, Sagan Sangeet: Sanskriti Greens | Makeup Artist: Makeup by Gurleen Kaur Bedi | Photography: Joint Production | Bartender: Deli Cocktail House | Caterer: Jain Caterer and Foodlink Banquets & Catering (Sangeet) | Decor: Wedding Lights Events | Choreography: Nishtha Rahi Choreography | Shisha: Xklusive Sheesha