Photographers

We decided to go ahead with Recall Pictures for our special day, as we had heard great reviews from friends and sure as hell, they did not disappoint!! Roanak and his team more than lived up to their reputation. We were really happy with quality of work wherein the team managed to capture all our special and candid moments during the ceremony, as well as family portraits that will be remembered for years to come. Lastly, given COVID, we were especially happy with the level of care and precaution taken by the team – they were careful to maintain a safe distance at all time and had donned face mask, face shields and gloves! I would highly recommend the team at Recall Pictures.

Venues

The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai - We all concluded that Taj Mahal Palace, Colaba was the best place and safest under the circumstances to host it. Additionally, given that we were originally planning to host our big fat Indian wedding at the Taj, we felt most comfortable with this venue. A special mention to Chef Surendra Khambra (Executive Sous Chef), who helped curate a personalised menu for sit down dinner and Chef Prashant Sabne (Executive Pastry Chef) who created a custom-made heavenly two tier chocolate wedding cake coated with white frosting and pastel coloured flowers. Ms. Muriel Fernandes (Catering Sales Executive, Taj Mahal Palace) made arrangements, emails went back and forth, she organized conference calls with chefs, zoom / digital service representatives, front desk room bookings and also giving us one person contact (Mr. Mohit Vichare )for all our needs. They went out of their way to meet all the requirements for our special day and ensured we enjoyed Taj’s legendary hospitality even during these times! We are glad that we decided to have our special day at the Taj!

Decorators

Ms. Rachna (@Vivaahweddingdecor) - Despite being faced with what could possibly be every decorator's nightmare - unavailability of flowers due to COVID, lack of staff and inability to work overnight given strict restrictions at the venue; Rachna managed to not just get the brief right in just an hour of conversation but also managed to deliver on time!! She was an absolute gem and delight to work with.

Bridal Makeup

It was an absolute pleasure to work with Shradha. I absolutely loved that she was extremely professional; she said she would arrive at the venue at 9.45 am and there she was sharp at 9.45am! I booked Shradha just 2 days before my wedding day and in that time frame she was extremely responsive and involved in discussing my look for the day, brainstorming ideas around what would look good, pre-care before the day of the wedding. Most importantly, Shradha just was able to understand my vibe and at no point did I feel that her views were forced. In fact it was a really collaborative process. I had also expressed that I did not want anything that looked over the top and I wanted to look classy and elegant and man she hit the nail in the head!! My makeup was absolutely flawless on the day and I absolutely loved how it came together. She and her assistant also did my mother’s makeup and hair respectively and again, just as for me; they crafted the perfect look for her. Post the wedding; I had quite a few friends compliment not just my look but also my mother’s. I would highly recommend Shradha to other brides.

Invitations

I had worked with Sanjana Chatlani of Bombay lettering Company before for a personal assignment, know her since childhood and loved her work at Bombay Lettering company. She had also worked on wedding cards of some of my closest friends and so it was a no brainer to go ahead to get her to design it for us. Her design style was very sophisticated and clean and Aditi and I both liked it very much. We looked at a few options, spoke about a few details, and within a week lo and behold the cards were we-fasted to my place. You may wonder why we needed cards if it was just a family of 9 people. A few reasons were: It is a legal requirement to register your marriage, we wanted the cards and Whatsapp announcements to share the good news with family and friends all across the world (before and after the wedding ceremony) and we wanted to print some physical cards for good luck/religious reasons and as souvenirs for remembrance.

Groom Wear

Wedding Sherwani and Haldi kurta: I got my sherwani made from Bellani bespoke as I had worked with them before, new they would deliver quality and most important of all knew they would deliver (since we had an impossible timeline of 1 week!). On visiting their store I found all health and safety precautions were up to mark. I was lucky to find something from their collection which was off the rack and once they altered it to my size and also made my kurta as per my specifications it fit like a glove. They were very cooperative as well as professional and the work was very good and as per my expectation. We were also able to do a trial and had time for button alterations too as a last minute request from my side

Bridal Wear

I was extremely happy with my shopping experience at Ekaya. A special mention to Aarti, Store Manager and Danish (Sr. Sales executive), who helped my mother and me select the perfect outfits for the wedding and haldi respectively. The level of personal attention that we received is what made it an especially memorable experience. Aarti, in fact helped curate my haldi look, suggesting a bold pink contrasting blouse to go along with my yellow saree. Additionally, the team’s quick turnaround in getting our outfits ready was a lifesaver. We placed our order on Monday evening and they were done by Friday (just a day before my Haldi). Lastly, the icing on the cake was the matching masks for my husband and me, which went perfectly with our wedding day outfits. I believe every brand should strive to offer this level of customer experience, and for me, personally, is what makes me want to come back and even look forward to my next shopping experience at Ekaya. I love the collection at Ekaya and it offers the perfect blend of traditional and modern for the millennial bride. I would highly recommend it!!!

Bridal Wear

I was really impressed by the team's turnaround time including - two outfit fittings and changes I requested in the outfit. I came to the store on Saturday, 25th July, finalised the outfit the following Monday and got my first fitting on Wednesday, 29th July with final delivery on 1st August, Saturday (just two days before D-day). I would also like to highlight that the staff helping me in store had a keen eye and they were quickly able to understand my taste i.e. which colours, styles I would prefer or would look good on me. This also helped me take my decision quickly. Lastly, the in-store experience of Falguni Shane Peacock is unparalleled to any designer store I have been to in Mumbai - right from the store's appealing entrance which promises an opulent experience to the spacious dressing rooms, I truly enjoyed it!