As is often the case with South Asian families, Krisha Kothari’s parents had spent years saving for her wedding that would welcome hundreds of loved ones. Instead, in December 2025, their daughter married Varil Shah in the presence of just eight people, all immediate blood relatives, on the terrace of his family home in Mumbai. “This was not a financial decision. Our parents had lovingly planned for a much larger wedding, but we felt strongly that meaning mattered more to us than magnitude,” Krisha explains. The one-hour ceremony had no larger-than-life mandap, no receiving line and no sprawling guest list to navigate. It was a conscious departure from the conventional big fat Indian wedding, allowing the couple to be fully present in the moment. “We could look around and see every single person clearly, notice our parents’ expressions, hear little comments and reactions, and actually absorb everything that was happening around us,” she says.
A swipe into love
Krisha, a Mumbai-based media consultant, and Varil, founder of the AI-led creative and design studio 1942 Studio, were both born and raised in Mumbai. They matched on Hinge in March 2023. “The conversation felt easy from the beginning, and what started as a dating-app introduction became serious quite naturally,” says Krisha. A roka followed in May 2024, and Varil proposed in July during a trip to Mallorca. “He chose a quiet setting by the sea and planned a small, intimate setup with just the two of us. It was private, thoughtful and very representative of us as a couple.”
The low-key vision
The couple had grown up attending grand celebrations and admired them, but knew the format was not theirs. “From the very beginning, we wanted the opposite of a big fat Indian wedding. We wanted to experience the wedding rather than spend it greeting hundreds of people and worrying about logistics.” While they were aligned, the harder conversation was with their parents. “We said our decision was not about wanting to do less. It was about wanting to experience more of the actual wedding.”
The guest list proved the biggest challenge. “Once you decide to have only eight people at an Indian wedding, every potential exception becomes difficult. We realised early that the only way to make the decision fair was to have a completely clear rule: immediate blood relatives only.” Working with planner The Wedding Trunk and decorators A Petal Story, the brief stayed simple, elegant, intimate and memorable. Calm came from editing. “We kept returning to one question: does this matter to us? If the answer was no, we were comfortable letting it go. We wanted the day to feel intimate, calm and deeply personal. We were not interested in scale for the sake of scale, or in having several events simply because that was what was traditionally expected.”
A family terrace replaced the ballroom
For the couple, choosing the venue was as much an emotional decision as an aesthetic one. The terrace of Varil’s family home offered an expansive view of the sea and Mumbai skyline. But it was the familiarity of the space that made it the right choice. Once they had settled on an eight-person guest list, a conventional wedding venue seemed unnecessary. “It already had an extraordinary view of the sea and the skyline, but what made it special was that it was home. It had an emotional connection that a hotel ballroom could never really replicate.”
Lilies, hydrangeas and greenery formed a low, lush floral bank, while candles lined the parapet and a deliberately minimal platform. “The décor was romantic, understated and timeless. Red rose petals were scattered across the floor, creating a subtle visual connection to my red sari.” Family members wore peach, blush, ivory and muted pink.
A timeless wedding wardrobe
Krisha wore a classic red Sabyasachi sari with gold embroidery with Mahesh Notandass jewellery in gold and coloured stones, stacked bangles and a sleek updo finished with white blooms. “Despite making several unconventional decisions about the wedding, I still wanted the experience of looking and feeling like a traditional Indian bride. The red felt culturally rooted and immediately bridal.”
Varil chose an ivory Manish Malhotra kurta with detailed gold embroidery, a Cartier watch and Nauvab shoes. “His outfit naturally complemented the red without trying to match it too literally. We finalised our looks only around two months before the wedding.”
The ceremony
The wedding took place on December 5, 2025, around sunset, with the ceremony lasting approximately an hour. Rather than create an elaborate mandap or a large-scale production, the couple allowed the existing architecture and views to set the scene. Lilies, hydrangeas and greenery formed a low, lush floral bank, while candles lined the parapet and a minimal platform. “The décor was romantic, understated and timeless. Red rose petals were scattered across the floor, creating a subtle visual connection to my red sari.” Family members wore peach, blush, ivory and muted pink.
For the couple, the drama was the timing. “We began against a soft Mumbai sunset, and by the end of the ceremony the entire skyline was illuminated behind us while the terrace glowed with candlelight,” says Krisha.
Champagne followed on the terrace, before all travelled to Masala Bay at Taj Lands End for dinner and drinks. “There was something almost surreal about finishing your wedding and then sitting around one table with your entire guest list. We could simply sit, eat, talk and process the fact that we had just got married,” she says.
The Bride’s Checklist
The Bride: Krisha Kothari
The Groom: Varil Shah
Wedding Venue: Family home, Mumbai
Photography & Videography: Shutterboxindia
Dinner Venue: Masala Bay, Taj Lands End, Mumbai
Wedding Planner: The Wedding Trunk
Wedding Décor: A Petal Story
Bride’s Outfit: Sabyasachi
Groom’s Outfit: Manish Malhotra
Bride’s Jewellery: Mahesh Notandass
Groom’s Accessories: Cartier and Nauvab
Mehndi Artist: Henna Art Is Jinall
Makeup: Shivani Jaiswal Make Up
Hair: Hair by Pratiksha
Cake: The Lil Whisk
