Real Weddings: When I Said "I Do"

We were in a long-distance relationship, punctuated with many vacations.

Six months later we decided to live with each other. And after five years of living, travelling, eating good food, and indulging in things together, Varun proposed on our holiday in Hawaii.

It is only when the wedding planning started we learnt about our contrasting visions of how we wanted to get married.

I wanted a small barbecue on the beach with our closest friends while Varun wanted a big celebration with as many people as possible. We met in the middle by hosting an intimate Catholic ceremony in Goa and a large Punjabi bash in Delhi.

When we found Alila Diwa in Goa, we knew it would be the perfect venue to host our small gathering.

The impeccable verdant landscaping of the hotel is magical and transforms from day to night beautifully.

For the Christian ceremony, we choose a small chapel overlooking the sea.

We retained the church’s natural charm by adding few flowers to the entrance, the altar, and the benches.

The Hindu ceremony in Delhi was at our friend’s farmhouse.

It is a place where we have spent a lot of time in and have created fond memories. Therefore, having our ceremony there felt natural.

My advice 

Before making any decisions, think about what is meaningful to you and your partner, list down the non negotiables, and then cover them across different events.

The Details

The Bride’s wedding outfit: Poonam Bhagat.

The Groom’s wedding and reception outfit: Saint by Aaftab Mehra.

The Bride’s reception outfit wedding outfit: Carousel by Simran Arya.

The Venue: Our Lady of Piety Chapel, Goa.

The Wedding Planner: Weddings N Dreams by Lester Melo, Goa.

Entertainment: DJ Gaurav Malvai.

The Photographer: Artfoto Studios.