Inside a royal three-day adventure in Udaipur

What happens when a wedding is planned across three continents in just three months? For Chandini Jain, founder and CEO of Auquan, and Ben Duffield, founder of Lumaril, the answer was not a rushed celebration, but a three-day royal adventure through Udaipur. Bringing together family and friends from India, the UK and the US, the couple transformed some of the city’s most iconic palaces into a wedding experience that felt as much like a journey as it did a series of ceremonies.

From royal-scroll welcome letters and playful quests that led guests through different parts of the celebration to grand palace settings, every detail was designed to make the weekend feel immersive, personal and distinctly theirs.

A wedding in three acts

The Hindu wedding at Jagmandir Island Palace unfolded almost theatrically, divided into three acts. The first was the varmala, followed by a reception procession where live music took centre stage instead of the more traditional stage-and-photography format. The final act was the pheras, made even more personal by seven friends from each side reciting the couple’s wedding vows.

And then there was the baraat, with a twist. Chandini joined in on the celebration herself, riding in her own baraat, dressed in a dramatic red Falguni Shane Peacock lehenga weighing approximately 10kg. It was a fittingly spirited detail for a bride who clearly had no intention of simply watching the festivities unfold.

The celebrations continued at Taj Fateh Prakash Palace with a sangeet inspired by the Filmfare Awards. Instead of simply celebrating the couple, the evening celebrated the people who had played a role in bringing them together, with custom trophies presented to friends and family who had shaped their relationship. The result was a sangeet that felt less like a performance and more like a tribute to their community.

A Holi-inspired haldi brought colour, energy and playfulness to the weekend, before the festivities took a more intimate turn.

From palace grandeur to an intimate “I do”

The wedding weekend concluded at Taj Lake Palace with a white wedding, offering a quieter and more romantic counterpoint to the show-bizz of the Hindu ceremony. And because no three-day royal adventure would be complete without one final celebration, the evening ended with a mass karaoke after-party, bringing guests together one last time.

With planning by The Wedding Trunk, wedding design by Elusive Dreams by Pooja Doshi and decor production by Mokshiva Wedding & Events, the celebrations moved seamlessly between spectacle and sentiment. Photography was captured by Stories by Joseph Radhika, with cinematography by The Wedding Conteurs, while Delraaz Bunshah, Team One Dance and DJ Shaan Gidwani brought the soundtrack and choreography to life.

The couple’s wedding wardrobe spanned designers including Manish Malhotra, Gazal Gupta, Falguni Shane Peacock, Tarun Tahiliani, Jayesh & Kaajal Shah, Seema Gujral, Pronovias and Hive and Colony.

Ultimately, Chandini and Ben’s Udaipur wedding was less about following a familiar wedding template and more about creating an experience their guests could live through with them. Across palaces, processions, performances and parties, tradition met theatre, and grandeur made room for genuine connection. The result was exactly what the couple set out to create: not simply a wedding, but a royal adventure shared with the people who mattered most. 

Image credits: Stories by Joseph Radhika

Also read: Nupur Sanon’s makes her bridal entry to a song composed by herself

Also read: Nupur Sanon and Stebin Ben’s reception look was equal parts chic and timeless