5 years in the making, our rom-com-worthy love story transformed into the beautiful traditional wedding ceremony. On the magical New Year’s Eve of 2018, our love story began amidst the twinkling lights of a sports bar in Bournemouth. Joe Goldsmith and my first date at an Italian restaurant quickly set the tone for the days ahead when Joe fixed our wobbly table. When I returned back to India after my graduation with no set plans to return to the UK, ‘dating through the screen’ as we like to call it became our only option. Countless hours of conversations and a few too many flights later, Joe visited India for the first time to meet my parents. We all celebrated Diwali together, bonded over food and soon after this, Joe popped the question with the intention to put an end to the distance.
It took almost a year to plan the wedding. My only wish was to have a traditional Maharashtrian wedding ceremony by the sea in Mumbai. The planning started with an intensive search for the perfect venue, which took the longest time. Having an intimate guest list added to the difficulty but ultimately resulted in the most beautiful sundowner setting. We finalised Kino Cottage, a unique beachfront wedding venue in Versova, Mumbai. We chose the rooftop area for the ceremony in April. For the pre-wedding functions, we went with the event spaces at Goregaon Sports Club. At this property, we also hosted our friends and family who made it to the wedding from across India and the UK.
I chose UOurs Decorators—a female-duo led company who went the extra mile to accommodate the vision for the decor. My partner wanted our Indian wedding ceremony to be full of colour, quite the contrast to the trendy pastels. We incorporated his request with vibrant décor and a colourful wedding wardrobe. Along with traditional events of haldi and mehndi ceremony, we also hosted a cocktail night and wedding reception paired with delicious food and lots of dancing adding fun to the week-long celebrations.
The Vision
Along with the pre-wedding events of haldi, mehndi and shreeman pujan; we added the trendy touch of a cocktail night to welcome all our guests. We saw both our families and friends mingle during these events. Keeping our guest list limited to our near and dear ones helped us fully enjoy each event without the worries of hospitality.
The Pre-Wedding Celebrations
The shreeman pujan was an auspicious start to our union. And the celebrations began with a colourful daytime mehndi ceremony. We got henna artists for all guests. Joe’s family members, some who were attending a traditional Indian wedding for the first time, were particularly excited. There was lots of music, dancing, and of course, chaats for everyone to relish.
The haldi was another vibrant ceremony, where our loved ones put turmeric paste on us.
The Cocktail Night
Among the traditional functions in India, we also wanted to host a glamorous party to welcome friends and family. It was the perfect opening event for everyone to get to know each other over good food and cocktails. Everyone came dressed in their best evening wear. When it came to food, we wanted different cuisine for each event. For this night, we had delicious Chinese and India catering.
The Maharashtrian Wedding
My dream for a beautiful sundowner wedding came true on my big day. We followed all the rituals and customs for our Maharashtrian ceremony. One of the most memorable moments for me was walking down the aisle decorated with rangoli to make it to the mandap, where Joe was waiting for me with a big smile on his face.
It was a day full of love, joy and unforgettable moments shared with loved ones.
The Wedding Wardrobe
My wedding wardrobe featured several beautiful outfits. I chose a gorgeous dress by Onaya for the cocktail party and Joe wore a sheer black shirt with trousers. The sequin dress has just the right amount of sparkle for the night. For the mehndi, I wore a shimmering orange lehenga by Silky Bindra along with jewellery by Swabhimann. Joe went with a pastel floral kurta set and a dupatta from Kalpraag.
My favourites were the heirloom-worthy saris by Warp n’ Weft for the big day, which I paired with custom-made jewellery. For the main ceremony, I wore a rani pink Benarasi sari that which was draped in a traditional Maharastrian Nauvari style along with a purple one that was put as a dupatta on my right shoulder. Joe twinned with me in a purple kurta with golden dhoti pants and a safa.
The Details
For us, it was all about the details for us. We wanted to embrace every aspect of a traditional Indian wedding from having a baraat with a horse and a band to wearing mundavlyas (head adornments) handmade by my mum.
For my wedding jewellery, I opted for age-old designs like bor maal, bugadi and Kolhapuri saaj. My mangal sutra was a special piece—I got it customised with Joe’s initial. The last event was the reception night, held at the banqueting venue in Goregaon Sports Club.
Words of Advice
Planning a multi-cultural wedding can be tough so take some time to understand the importance of rituals before the wedding. You and your partner will be able to fully enjoy the events when you actually understand what is happening. And while trends are a good inspiration point, personalise your events by doing what suits you best.
The Bride’s Checklist
The Venues: Goregaon Sports Club and Kino Cottage
Wedding Decor: UOurs Decorators
Photography & Videography: Hiraaya By Aayushi
Bride’s Outfits: Warp n’ Weft, Onaya and Silky Bindra
Groom’s Outfits: Warp n’ Weft and Kalpraag
Hair & Makeup: R.C Makeup & Nail Studio and Ritika Gothi
