This Couple Spent 17 Hours on the Phone Before He Popped the Question

I’m my best and happiest self when I’m with him,” smiles Mansha Kaur, when talking about husband Gautam Raj Anand.

Photographs by PhotozAapki

Photographs by PhotozAapki

The two met when founder and CEO of Hubhopper, Gautam was looking for bloggers for his website and chanced upon Mansha’s blog. He reached out to her, and the two spent the next 17 hours just talking to each other. “Here I was, telling this stranger stories that I had never shared with anyone before. This went on for two weeks and then he asked me out to lunch.” Even though their love story started somewhat unromantically, the proposal was anything but that. Gautam threw a large party when he turned 25, but whisked Mansha away to a quiet spot at midnight, and got down on one knee.

Photographs by PhotozAapki

The wedding celebrations that followed, were all equally unique. With eight different functions, the couple found it difficult to pick a favourite. A dholki, a mehendi, a sangeet, a bridal shower, a choora ceremony, the wedding, a reception, and an after-party—this celebration had everything a bride could dream of. Mansha planned every bit of the wedding herself, and made sure everything was just the way she wanted it.

Photographs by PhotozAapki

Growing up all over the world, she had seen too many white weddings to not want one herself. Considering both she and Gautam were Punjabis, she knew that wasn’t an option, nevertheless, she twisted things around. Instead of a phoolon ki chaadar and kaleeras, Mansha walked in next to her father, with a white bouquet and Budapest by George Ezra playing in the background, and her bridesmaids leading the way.

Photographs by PhotozAapki

Photographs by PhotozAapki

After the pheras, the bride and groom cut a cake with an ‘Always’ sign, as an ode to their love for Harry Potter, and even had a father-daughter dance to You Raise Me Up and Mamma Mia!

Photographs by PhotozAapki

THE FINAL CHECKLIST

Here’s the wedding breakdown.

Bride’s sangeet outfit: Anita Dongre

Bride’s wedding outfit: Sabyasachi

Bride’s reception outfit: Ritu Kumar

Bride’s makeup: Chandni Singh and Sakshi Sood

Photographs by PhotozAapki.