BT Real Weddings: Cinched and Sunk at First Sight

Event Planner: Mpire Events

Wedding Photographer: Cupcake Productions

Brides Today: A piece of advice you would like to share with brides-to-be? 

Saniya: "As a makeup artist who has worked with hundreds of brides, I know how stressful it is to deal with so many issues, events, people and preparations during the most special day of your life! I want to advice all brides-to-be to just enjoy the occasion, drop everything else and not get frustrated or flustered. After all, it is your day! I personally ensured I had everything organised well in advance and left other details to event planners and relatives, so that I could truly feel the joy and excitement of the celebrations."

Brides Today: Any special moments you would like to share?

Saniya: "We both wanted to take some photographs with a horse since we were at Gallops at the racecourse for our Sangeet. When it came down to standing next to one, Pankaj got so scared, he wanted to run away! I had to grab him to manage to take a few good photos, and I kept telling him ‘Pankaj, hold your horses!’. We shared a great laugh after it was done."

Brides Today: Was there a particular theme for the wedding? 

Saniya: "We didn’t keep any theme in particular, since we wanted our guests to feel comfortable and unrestricted. Our wedding ceremony was a day function, and we wanted to keep it minimalistic, hence we opted for light colours. I always believe that less is more."

Brides Today: Tell us about your wedding outfits? 

Pankaj: "Our wedding ceremony was conducted at Dhan Pothohar Gurudwara in Mumbai. We opted for pastels as it was a day function. Saniya went wore an intricately embroidered outfit in a pinkish-peach hue, and I decided on an off-white sherwani."

Saniya: "My wedding outfits were made by my dad's bridal retail company, Glamour Embroiders. As a kid, I grew up watching him design outfits for numourous brides, and I always cherished a wish that when I become one, he would make me a truly special outfit filled with meaning."

Brides Today: Did the pandemic change your wedding plans?

Pankaj: "Our wedding was scheduled for March 2020, but due to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, we kept pushing the dates. After a while, we couldn’t wait any longer and planned an intimate ceremony, keeping in mind the convenience and safety of our guests. 2020 was a year that we wanted to forget as it brought the world to a standstill. We felt like starting 2021 on a happy and cheerful note, and got married in January this year."

Brides Today: Tell us about the proposal?

Pankaj: "Saniya told me she had always wanted a fancy proposal and somehow, I wasn’t able to give that to her. I hope she doesn’t give me too much grief about it in the future (winks). I decided to give her the engagement ring and do a fun proposal after a solo dance performance at our Sangeet, in front of everyone who attended our function! The song I danced to was Kehdo Na Kehdo Na You Are My Sonia. I gave her the ring, went down on my knees and asked her: Kehdo Na Kehdo Na You Are My Saniya!"

Brides Today: When did you know she was the one? 

Pankaj: "We didn’t talk for three days after we met for the first time. Little did I know that  Saniya had read up about my journey (in the game and my life story) once she returned to Bombay, and she wanted to get to know me even more! I was extremely comfortable with her as I felt our family values, way of living, culture and most importantly our spiritual paths were the same. I travelled to Mumbai soon after for a tournament. I was there for two weeks and that’s when we bonded and decided to take the next step— our engagement! In July 2019, we got engaged in a private ceremony in Mumbai."

Brides Today: How did the two of you meet?

Pankaj: "We met through our mothers. It almost seems serendipitous. They were talking to each other and wondering how to make it happen when all of a sudden, Saniya got a call from Taapsee (Pannu) to travel to Bangalore for a promotional event. Since I happened to be in Bangalore, we met up after her event and ended up chatting for hours!"