Couples invariably envision a wedding itinerary that mirrors their personality type and Pinterest boards, a celebration that embraces their prerequisites and preferences. For Akshay Broota, a senior product technology manager at Google and Dr. Aishwarya Ghonge, who is pursuing an internal medicine residency at Eisenhower Medical Center, the vision was very different yet refreshingly clear. The couple desired a low-key gathering focused on their nearest and dearest, which would feel less like an event and more like a heartfelt, meaningful getaway. “Our idea from the outset was to have a wedding that felt like a mini vacation with our nearest and dearest,” they shared.
“Intimate was our cue.” And intimate it was! Their big day unfolded as an unforgettable three-day celebration in Jaipur that honoured not only their 14-year journey together but also the families and friends who had witnessed it from the very beginning.
The Love Story That Began in Kindergarten
Akshay and Aishwarya’s love story reads like a screenplay of juvenile serendipity and enduring devotion. They’ve known each other since kindergarten, growing up in Mumbai and attending the same school. But their paths didn’t cross until 9th grade. Their first real interaction? A fight. “He, or someone near him, as he still insists, knocked a glass of water onto my watercolour painting.” What could have been their last exchange became the beginning of something solid. A few months later, Akshay asked her out on Orkut in 2010 and they’ve been together ever since. “We were each other’s firsts—first loves, first relationships, first everything.”
Their story carried them from teenage classrooms to continents apart. When Akshay moved to the U.S. in 2018 to pursue his master’s degree, the couple spent nearly five years in a long-distance relationship, including two years without seeing each other during the pandemic. Yet distance only strengthened their bond. When they finally reunited at the airport after two years, Aishwarya recalls being in disbelief: “I kept touching his face, almost to check that he was real.”
The Proposal & Symbolic Rings
After 12 years together, a traditional proposal would have felt almost redundant. “It was always implicit. We’d been planning our wedding since day one of our relationship,” Akshay explains. So, in 2022 when the two reunited, they whisked their parents away to the Swiss Alps and got engaged at The Farmhouse in Morzine.
Aishwarya designed their engagement rings, each emblematic of their story. Hers was inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “Do You Still Remember Falling Stars?” reflecting their first overnight trip to watch a meteor shower. “The ring features an oval-cut pink sapphire symbolising our melded hearts, with a tiny blue diamond, made from my parents’ hair, followed by a trail of graduated white diamonds to represent a meteor on the rim of the centre stone. Inside, on the palm, is his pet name for me, Buboo, woven in his handwriting in gold wire.” Akshay’s ring echoed a wormhole inspired by his favourite film, Interstellar, which symbolised the collapse of physical distance between two distant hearts.
Planning A Mini Vacation
Two and a half years later, the duo approached wedding planning true to their vision as architects of experience rather than event managers. They orchestrated everything themselves from San Francisco, navigating a 12-hour time difference while working full-time jobs. “I already had detailed mood boards, vendor shortlists and endless notes. I was excited to exercise my creative side, so I took the lead on design and ideas with input from our decor design team, Elysian by Fuhaar, while Akshay handled the logistics,” Aishwarya shares.
Their shared thought-process shaped a destination-style experience spread across three stunning venues in Jaipur, each representing a facet of their story. The couple never visited the venues or tasted the food before their wedding. “It all came together as a surprise for us in real time, as we experienced it with our guests,” she says.
3 Perfect Venues, 3 Unique Experiences
The couple’s celebration was held across three distinct but equally meaningful venues that complemented their vacation-inspired wedding. Their welcome party was held at Dera Amer, an ethical elephant sanctuary. The choice was symbolic: a sustainable nod to their 14th anniversary, traditionally marked by ivory. “We wanted to interpret that meaning without harm,” says Aishwarya. The evening under the stars was surrounded by elephants, fire torches and laughter.
The wedding took place at Ramgarh Lodge, a heritage property with Wes Anderson-esque charm nestled in Jaipur, offering accessibility and an ambiance of understated elegance with a pale pink rose garden vibe. “We loved that it had the elegance of a European villa but was still deeply rooted in Indian heritage,” he adds.
For their reception, the couple selected Mohan Mahal at The Leela Palace Jaipur, a breathtaking space modelled after a traditional Sheesh Mahal with mirrored ceilings that mimicked starlit sky. “It echoed our shared love for stargazing. It felt like we were dining among constellations,” Aishwarya says.
The Welcome Party
The celebrations began on February 19, with a ‘Get Twogether’ welcome party. The evening was infused with the couple’s early moon inspiration from their stay at the JW Marriott Masai Mara. The setting came alive with handwoven Kutchi shawls draped over chairs, clay animal figurines, seed-paper menus, ajrakh napkins and twinkling firefly-shaped lights. “We used minimal electricity to honour the spirit of the sanctuary. Mashaals lit up the surroundings and hundreds of oil lamps cast a golden glow.”
For the occasion, Akshay donned a black bandhgala by Rohit Bal, embroidered with wild animal motifs, while Aishwarya wore a black and red cord-embroidered skirt set by Anita Dongre with firefly motifs as a nod to the safari theme. “Both our outfits featured animal or jungle-inspired motifs to complement the theme of the evening,” she says. The menu, too, followed suit with a rustic, farm-to-table Rajasthani fare including laal maas, gatte ka saag and dal kalbelia.
There were emotional toasts, Akshay’s father serenading the crowd with Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rang Hain, and spontaneous dancing to the tunes of a Rajasthani folk musician turning the event into an impromptu sangeet.
The Wedding
Day Two began quietly, with an intimate in-room haldi ceremony. Despite the groom-to-be feeling unwell, the ceremony was radiant with a romantic Y2K twist. The décor was inspired by a pale pink rose garden and cherished memories. Custom linens featuring daffodils, their shared birth flower along with their personal secret logo adorned the chairs. A highlight was the Jaipur-inspired lassi bar, crowned with an installation of gota patti cranes inspired by the Japanese senbazuru tradition. Smallest of details carried playful nods to their teenage years, from the slam-book-style guestbooks to nostalgic viewfinders with childhood photos.
The ceremony was conducted by Dr. Manisha Shete, a proponent of marriage equality who modified archaic patriarchal rituals and explained each step. “She began with a moving reading from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,” Aishwarya reveals.
Perhaps the most meaningful moments came through thoughtfully reimagined rituals. Instead of Kanyadaan, they chose Aapatyadan which is a ritual where both sets of parents bless the union. They also forwent a traditional mangalsutra for a sacred thread exchange (Kankan Bandhane), tying yellow threads on each other’s wrists symbolising oneness. During the Saptapadi, elders of both families stood to recite holy blessings, which was “a novelty unseen before in Indian weddings.”
The Antarpat featured their secret teenage symbol, embroidered and unveiled to reveal their future together. “Our favourite moment was when the antarpaat was lowered and the chaos around us bled into nothingness, until only we remained, seeing in each other all the versions we had so loved and cherished in our time together. It was something of an out-of-body experience.”
For the big occasion, Akshay donned a soft pink and ivory raw silk sherwani by Anushree Reddy featuring rose motifs, while Aishwarya wore a custom ice-pink raw silk lehenga from Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor with delicate shisha, zardosi and resham work.
The Reception
The night concluded at Mohan Mahal, where ikebana-style tulip arrangements and clusters of candles complemented the mirrored walls. Guests discovered hidden messages on their menus, revealed only through 3D decoder glasses as a whimsical end to the celebrations. Aishwarya wore a buttery yellow Tarun Tahiliani sari and Akshay chose an ivory kurta by Ankit Kapoor. “After a long day, we just wanted comfort without losing elegance,” she says. The intimacy of their 50-person wedding allowed them to be fully present.
The Bride’s Checklist
The Bride: Dr. Aishwarya Ghonge
The Groom: Akshay Broota
The Venues: Dera Amer, Ramgarh Lodge, The Leela Palace Jaipur
Photography: Stas Moiseev and Sarvasva by Manthan
Videography: Paramonova Movies
Wedding Décor: Elysian by Fuhaar
Bride’s Outfits: Anita Dongre, Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor and Tarun Tahiliani
Bridal Jewellery: Tyaani
Groom’s Outfits: Rohit Bal, Anushree Reddy and Ankit V Kapoor
Mehndi Artist: Jyoti Chheda
Makeup & Hair: Monika Dey and Reena Dutta
Invitation: Lettering by GRG
Reception Stationery: Paul Pape
Priestess: Dr. Manisha Shete
