Four Wedding Celebrations for Akansha & Aayush
Akansha and Aayush met when they were 18-year-olds beginning college. It was their freshman year and they met at a social event early on in the year. The night they met, they talked for hours, not realizing how long they were talking to each other until the event had ended and their friends were looking for them. Soon, they were meeting for lunch and study dates, and before long, the friendship blossomed into something more.
“Dating, getting engaged and now marrying my best friend is something I never imagined in my life, says Akansha. “From growing up and watching many Bollywood movies, I never thought that I would have my Bollywood moment, but now I can say I am living my own Bollywood story.”
To celebrate their Bollywood romance, Akansha and Aayush hosted six wedding celebrations over four days. A festive backyard mehendi party, traditional red and black sangeet, two respective haldi ceremonies and a luxurious reception made up this couple’s festivities. Leaning into the tradition of extravagant Indian weddings, these four separate celebration events were nothing short of spectacular.
Mehndi
Kicking off the couple’s series of celebrations was a jungle-themed Mehndi (henna) ceremony hosted at the bride’s home. Henna, a body art form originating in India, serves both aesthetic and symbolic purposes. The designs are undeniably beautiful and intricate, often incorporating symbols of luck, joy, and love.
Akansha sat atop a swing bench and under a tropical floral arch in her backyard as henna artists worked intricate designs on her hands, forearms and feet. Perfectly on-theme, Akansha wore a fun Payal Singhal lenga featuring illustrations of tigers, monkeys and palm trees.
As the design dried on her skin, friends and family joined her for an afternoon of dancing, music and food. Guests also got their own henna designs. Overall, the environment was the perfect festive yet relaxing way to kick off the wedding weekend.
VENDORS
VIDEOGRAPHY Ali in the Air
VENUE Private Residence
DECOR Raymond Decor
BRIDE’S HENNA Henna by Tulsi (Tulsi Parekh)
GUEST HENNA SharmeenDoesHenna
BRIDE’S ATTIRE Payal Singhal
BRIDE’S HEADPIECE Outhouse Jewellery
MAKEUP Richa Patel
DHOL Dholjazzy
Sangeet
Vendors
PHOTOGRAPHY Sumeet & Ishaan
VIDEOGRAPHY Ali in the Air
VENUE The Westin Chicago Lombard
PLANNER Sabrina Hans Events
DECOR Yanni Design Studio
BRIDE’S ATTIRE Seema Gujral
GROOM’S ATTIRE The Imperial India Company
HAIR & MAKEUP Chicago Bridal Artists
CATERING Shree Restaurant & Caterers
ENTERTAINMENT MX Entertainment
Haldi Ceremonies
On day three of Akansha and Aayush’s wedding weekend, they had separate Haldi ceremonies. A haldi ceremony helps the bride and groom glow and blesses them with positivity as they embark on this next chapter together. Traditionally, these ceremonies are done separately, so the bride’s ceremony took place at her home and the groom’s at his.
Vendors
PHOTOGRAPHY Sumeet & Ishaan
VIDEOGRAPHY Ali in the Air
VENUE Private Residence
BRIDE’S ATTIRE Mallika Mathur
BRIDE’S HEADPIECE Preeti Mohan
FLOWER JEWELRY Vivek Flowers
GROOM’S ATTIRE Kora By Nilesh Mitesh
CATERING Shree Restaurant & Caterers
Wedding & Reception
And finally, the main event!
Keeping with traditions, Akansha and Aayush did not want to see each other until they walked down the aisle to each other. But to add a special touch to their morning, they wrote each other heartfelt notes and gifts to open.
Alongside her mother and sisters-in-law, the bride got dressed in a Sunaina Khera bridal lehenga, accented by family heirloom jewelry pieces. Once dressed, she had a heartwarming first look with her father and brothers. While being cheered on by her bridal party, her uncle blessed her wedding as he gifted her beautiful bangles, signifying the start of her life as a married woman
Meanwhile, the groom was getting ready with the help of his sister, grandmother and parents in an Imperial India Company sherwani and family heirlooms. His groomsmen joyfully hyped him up as he prepared for his baraat, a ride atop a Corvette to the wedding altar.
During the ceremony, the couple invited their guests to participate in the excitement with a traditional game of stealing the groom’s shoes, which also extended to stealing the bride’s shoes. There was an indescribable warmth with the room decorated in crystals and candles that illuminated the candlelight in the entire room. All guests felt they were at an intimate affair that made them feel a part of the bride and groom’s love story, regardless of the guest count.
This warmth carried over into the reception, where the night unfolded with Bridgerton-inspired thematics. The couple began the evening with a romantic first dance, whisking each other across the floor, showing off a new lengha on Akansha and a custom tuxedo by Nicholas Joseph on Aayush. The ballroom was aglow with candles, fragrant with decadent flowers and lively with a checkered dance floor. The evening was spent with their loved ones saying kind and loving words about the couple and ending the night with dancing the floor away, which concluded the four-day, six event affair.
Vendors
PHOTOGRAPHY Sumeet & Ishaan
VIDEOGRAPHY Ali in the Air
VENUE The Westin Chicago Lombard
PLANNER Sabrina Hans Events
DECOR Yanni Design Studio
HAIR & MAKEUP Chicago Bridal Artists
HENNA Henna by Tulsi (Tulsi Parekh)
BRIDE’S ATTIRE Sunaina Khera
GROOM’S CEREMONY ATTIRE The Imperial India Company
GROOM’S RECEPTION ATTIRE Nicholas Joseph Custom Suits
JAIMALA FLOWERS Rami’s Mandap
CATERING Shree Restaurant & Caterers
CAKE The Baking Institute
ENTERTAINMENT Dj Mixu with MX Entertainment
PHOTOBOOTH InstaGlam My Selfie
