Once upon a time, in the city of Udaipur, a wedding was set to take place. While it was the groom who chose to run far, far away from their hometown in Bombay, it was the bride who was enchanted by the majestic history, palaces and lakes of Udaipur. They made a plan to whisk [...]

‘Twas then the night before the wedding celebrations commenced. The bride and groom decided, before getting their beauty rest, a party was in order to celebrate another event – the wedding anniversary of their parents dearest! And so to Chunda Palace the family went, to raise a toast and cut a cake, and enjoy the [...]

On a crisp October morning, the guests to the Sheraton Palace began to arrive. They were greeted by a Rajasthani dancer, accompanied by her very own Ektaara. And so to the tunes of this music, many of the guests began to sway, with some even deciding to start dancing right away! But little did they [...]

And on the white palace terraces, as the sun began to set, the mehndiwalas from Ahmedabad began to cast their spell. To the song of Rajasthani folk singers, they decorated the bride, with garlands and dolis and elephants, and set the groom a test – to find his name (written in Japanese, would you believe) [...]

Then when night fell, to the Ballroom they went, for a show was set to take place. The groom’s gang swung to ‘Dhinka Chika’ and the bride’s brigade sashayed to ‘Ainvayi’ as they entered in a procession. The dances took place, with ‘Chamak Challo’ setting the pace, till the bride and groom finally took centrestage…. [...]

The next day the wedding party rose late, and to the brunch they went straight. They all came dressed in their sunrise-coloured best… the Paraguayans played the harp by the pool and the ice cream bar helped them stay cool.

And then it was time! The bride & groom had to look fine, so they spent many an hour (well, the bride spent a few more for sure) to make sure they looked like a real prince and princess. A Neeta Lulla design for the bride, with a Rajasthani touch. The groom’s turban was especially [...]

The turbans were a field of colour, the band started off with a bang, the groom set off on foot, with his very own guard of twelve Rajasthani men. The dhols rang out, the groom’s gang danced, and then the boys blocked the way – until the bride’s sister gave them water, on the ground [...]

Then as the sun was setting, the bride came to meet her groom. High above Udaipur, on the terraces of Fatehgarh Fort, with four rounds of the Holy Book they finally tied the knot. The bride’s sister then (with much difficulty) stole the groom’s shoes. And as the garlands were being exchanged, the bride’s brothers [...]

And then the deed was done, but there was still more partying to come! Back at the palace, an afterparty was underway…..the guests shod their wedding finery for beach dresses and flipflops, they raised a toast, smoked hookahs with the hosts and many a smoke ring they blew. The mood that night was relaxed and [...]