#FalgunKiJan! A Royal Celebration in Jaisalmer!

We wanted an intimate royal wedding with our close friends and loves ones. So, we had three-day wedding celebration at the Indana Palace Jodhpur. It was a sheer celebration of the love we share!

Our wedding had a mix of traditional and unconventional events, which struck a good balance.A lot of thought was put behind the decor element. We wanted the wedding to be subtle yet have an elegant vibe. We had a wardrobe planner, which the guests loved! I had a unique entry for each of the functions – planned so beautifully – from an open rickshaw entry for the Mehendi to walking by the carnival girls, followed by a dreamy couple’s dance just before the ring ceremony.

To begin with, we had the family rituals event(Chunari ceremony/Ganesh Sthapna) for which I wore a yellow Benarasi lehenga and a crop top with a beautiful back. Falgun wore a contrasting green Kurta with a long jacket.

Post that, we had a Rajasthani themed Mehendi mela. We wanted the guests to get a feel of Rajasthan, as this was our first function in full strength. Handicraft furniture, mixed sitting, colorful patchwork, and the entire gazebo with mullahji cut out with colorful hues made it look like a complete traditional mela set up.

We entered in an open-rickshaw to the tunes of Rajasthani folk singers and dancers doing full justice and bringing in the cultural touch, after which the family performances kicked in. There was a set-up of games and a couple of live stalls to entertain the guests. I was in a colorful Vasansi Lehenga with pink hand-painted meenakari jewelry. To add up to the look, I wore a beautiful passa. Falgun was in total sync in a teal blue kurta with an embroidered jacket from Telon, Mumbai.

Following that, we had a masquerade-themed night, and the guests were suited up in tuxedos and gowns. The night began with our couple ball, followed by an exchange of rings.

Famed singer, Rakesh Maini performed some of Falgun and my favorites songs and the party felt like a music festival in an exotic locale. The palace’s extensive pillar-less banquet was the perfect place to host the night. The venue had its bling on and the rest was taken care of by the decor – Russian artists playing 10ft high doll, a stage with masks on either side, black shimmer and ambiance lighting.

Our friends and families truly had an exhilarating time. The vibe was amazing, chilled, and as the night progressed, we had more and more people on the dance floor. It was a different high seeing our near and dear ones celebrate with us in such style. It was a glamorous carnival & I loved it. I wore a dress by Annu’s Creation, which made me look like a princess while Falgun was in a blue tuxedo by Kora.

The next day, we began with a fun-filled Haldi ceremony with the concept of Phoolon ki Holi with sunrise and kulhad chai in the chilled winter morning. We were thrilled to see all our friends & family having the time of their lives, showering petals on us. We had our guests in yellow and we chose to be in white outfits with a touch of yellow in it. The celebration was full of fun and picturesque as well!

Then came the fun-filled event, the pool party. We entered with our bridesmaids and groomsmen, all of them in coordinated outfits and with a dance performance with colorful smoke bombs in the air. We had a rain dance set-up, and almost everyone was in the pool, dancing to the tunes of the DJ. It was the most entertaining event, which also included games balloon shooting, ring throw, live caricature artist, and massage boys. All in all, it had a Hawaiian feel to it.

It was the best weekend of our lives and all the guests enjoyed it to the fullest. Falgun and I always wanted a wedding that evoked timeless elegance and royalness. So we went for the traditional hues in the wedding outfits. It looked like a dream, like a glimpse of how heavens might celebrate love. The courtyard was completely lit, and the entire set-up was in golden & red, be it the main mandap, or the seating with golden chandeliers as the centerpiece. We had placed a hanging backdrop with our hashtag #FalgunKiJan. It was like a perfect prelude to the rest of our lives. As we wanted to go by the books, there was a team singing the Vedic slokas that echoed in the courtyard and made the atmosphere so pure and rich.

I wore a veil with long trail entering with the girls performing Bharatnatyam with Ganga aarti with manglashtak slokas echoing in the palace. I was pretty clear with what I wanted for my wedding outfit, and I customized it with zardozi work on kanjeevaram silk with real silver and gold thread weaving. Falgun wore a beautiful handwork Shervani with Swaroski Diamonds and pearls on it by Telon, Mumbai.

We had a very emotional and intimate two days with our friends and families. The presence and blessings of our friends and relatives gave us goosebumps speeches; they even have surprise performances dedicated to us. Falgun and I even wrote our own seven promises (saptapadi) and recited them while holding hands and taking a step forward in the wedding mandap.

Post-wedding we had a grand reception at Madhuban Resort Anand, where everyone in our family was in coordinated outfits. I wore a beautiful gown by Amrin Khan while Falgun was in a velvet Tuxedo by Kora.

We wanted something that was relatively intimate, filled with the people we truly love. Our wedding was more than perfect and everything I could have ever asked for. It was the constant support and blessings of both the families, the way we took this up, researched and finalized every small detail. There wasn’t a day where we did not discuss how to make it happen. We wanted to make the wedding as elegant and royal as it could be, yet have a unique theme to

each of the festivities. From talking long hours on a daily basis, to actually selecting the vendors, I was involved in every step of the planning process. Not something that many brides do, and I am proud of it.

The best part about this team was their energy and commitment to the work. It was a real pleasure to have them photograph us. What both families liked was their attitude. They didn’t have any demands and were there from the crack of dawn all the way to the wee hours. Words don’t do justice to all the beauty that their work represents. Those who could not attend the wedding told us they felt like they witnessed it all in person just by looking at the

photographs.

Jay and his team at New Click Events did a great job. The execution was on point, and everything turned out to be exactly the way I’d imagined. Each setting felt like a dream, and it just kept getting better.

It was Anuj and his team at Velvet events who ensured the smooth coordination for all the events. We had a few couple of events locally, and his part was always on point. They were extremely patient in the whole process and worked really hard to make it a smooth run.

Indana Palace, Jodhpur

In my opinion, food and hospitality are two of the most important factors that contribute to a successful wedding, and this property extended the best of both. It worked perfectly for us with the number of rooms we wanted. Saurabh and Amit were available round the clock for us.

Have a solid team you can rely on. You need to relax as you approach the big day. Don’t stress, and do not forget that once the madness is over, it is just the two of you at the end of it all. This is once in a lifetime event, so make the most of it. Enjoy it thoroughly!

To pick a favorite moment from this entire celebration is honestly too difficult. However, if I had to, it was during the pheras that Falgun had planned a surprise. He decided to light up the entire courtyard with cold pyros. Approximately 200 pyros were used at the same time. The moment I took the first step for the Pheras the whole palace was lit, there were Vedic slokas echoing, and our friends and families were showering blessings and love and I felt like I am the luckiest and prettiest bride. Thank you Falgun for this beautiful surprise!