Ayushi Chaplot and Ashish Ranka, Jagmandir, Udaipur

Courtesy By – Wedding Sutra

Be it an extravagant carnival, a starry pre-wedding reception or the regal wedding – this couple’s destination wedding in Udaipur aced in every aspect.

Ayushi Chaplot, a lawyer and Ashish Ranka, a businessman’s destination wedding in Udaipur redefined grandeur with its extravagance. Spanning four days over three destinations, this union aced in all aspects with its stunning decor, spectacular venues and luxurious hospitality.

How They Met
Ayushi shares, “Ashish and I have known each other for the past two decades as I’m his sister’s bestie. Both of us have always shared a platonic friendship but things changed once my Dad started looking for a groom for me and found a suitable one in Ashish. Once we were introduced formally, there was no going back and we were swiftly engaged!”

Wedding Planning
Ayushi and Ashish’s wedding was a family affair where everyone in the family pitched in to plan a union that would paint the town red. As a hands-on member of the bridal squad who looked into the smallest details, the sister of the bride, Avisha Chaplot shares, “Both my parents hail from Rajasthan and are very rooted which led us to choose Rajasthan as the destination. Gulabpura, Ajmer and Udaipur were the chosen spots. We’d always envisioned a big Marwari wedding for Ayushi and were focused on ensuring that not a single detail was missed. So just after the roka, the wedding venues were booked! Later on, we decided to scout for vendors who were handpicked by my Dad.
For each event, we wanted to keep a different theme and gave the guests a dress code accordingly. And, as everyone followed the dress code, the pictures came out really well as there is a sense of uniformity in each shot. Additionally, we were also keen on pairing fun events with ritual-based events, hence, as we were planning the itinerary the fun events were hosted after the ritual-based ones on a day-to-day basis. We’d especially like to thank all our family and friends who were so invested in the planning process. They radiated happiness at every step of the way and even threw various pre-wedding parties once the wedding was finalized. My Dad’s friends came together as a team to help us at every event.”

Each time the couple entered the events, they inspired awe with seamlessly choreographed entries. Spearheading the choreography of these entrances was WeddingSutra Favorite – Laadi Sangeetmaker who used their creativity to the fullest.

Weddings Functions
Mehndi
Sunkissed and swathed in hues of pink and lavender, the mehndi was a dreamy event where the couple had a gala time dancing to the beats of the dhol. With their henna-patterned hands hoisted up, the guests enjoyed themselves to the fullest. On the other hand, the couple look blissful as they joined in looking gorgeous in their complementary pink outfits.

Pre-Wedding Reception
Featuring a resounding performance by iconic Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, the couple’s pre-wedding reception gave the 3000 guests a flavor of what was to follow with the other events. Swathed in blue and silver, the pre-wedding reception had everyone grooving to soulful tunes.

Myra and Sagai
The Mama or the maternal uncles of the bride plays an important role in the wedding. At Myra event, the custom is for the Mama to bestow lavish gifts on the bride. A couple of days prior to the wedding, the mother of the bride goes to her brother’s house to invite him to myra, and gives him a formal invitation to the wedding. All the guests were welcomed inside the home with a teeka on their forehead by the bride’s mother. For the Sagai, rings were exchanged between the bride and groom as their loved ones cheered them on.

Bandori
With everyone wearing yellow hues and minimalistic decor around the venue, the bandori was a traditional event hosted by her family. Everyone gathered around the bride and blessed her after which the family shared many laughs. Avisha shares, “For the Bandori, the family, friends and relatives of the bride conduct a procession through the hometown to indicate to all the neighbors and villagers that the wedding has officially begun. Usually, the bandori isn’t quite as grand as the one we did. We walked the extra mile and made it regal with a procession that included a band, camels, horses and an elephant.”

Bollywood Sufi Night
After the traditional Bandori celebration the duo’s loved ones were treated to glitzy Bollywood Sufi Night. As everyone enjoyed the delicious spread and the music of Shadab Faridi, they also were in awe of the decor that took a cue from the Mughal designs. Zardozi work, carved arches, dimly lit niches, satin tassels, heavy drapes and Moroccan lamp accents were placed strategically across the venue to convey the theme.

Holi
The holi event was specially crafted for the bride and groom who enjoy the festival. With the dress code being white, by the end of the event everyone looked colorful as they’d been drenched in a multitude of hues.

Sangeet
For the sangeet, a dash of Bollywood glamour was added to the event with Mika Singh’s live performance that had everyone dancing late into the evening. A colossal stage dominated the decor while the couple made a sleek entry on a vintage car bedecked with flowers. As the evening progressed, everyone took the stage by storm as they danced to their favorite tunes under the starry sky.

Carnival
For the English-themed carnival, no stone was left unturned as the family orchestrated a luxurious celebration. With a guest list of 750 people one of the biggest wedding tambola games was executed where winners won jaw-dropping prizes like laptops, iPhones, iPads, gold chains, scooter & and a car Plus, the fusion decor made everything look picture-perfect!

Wedding
Regal and traditional, the wedding resembled a fairytale with its soft gold tones that were intermingled with scarlet roses. With their varmala being heralded with fireworks and rose petals, the couple were all smiles throughout the wedding ceremony as they celebrated their love.

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Manak Chowk, Udaipur; The Lalit Laxmi Vilas Palace; Trident Hotel Udaipur (Carnival); Radisson Udaipur; Jagmandir, Udaipur (Wedding)
Wedding Planner: Momentum Experiences & Events LLP (Carnival, Bandori, Bollywood Sufi Night)
Décor Designer: Shraddha Bihani (Carnival, Bandori, Bollywood Sufi Night)
Decor Production: Bhagwati Weddings (Mehendi, Pre-wedding Reception, Sagai, Sufi night)
Groom’s Outfits: Ajay Arvindbhai Khatri, Telon
Bride’s Outfits: Jayanti Reddy (Pre-Wedding Reception), Sahil Kochhar (Carnival), Marwar Couture (Bandoli, Bollywood Sufi Night), Rekha & Karan (Myra and Sagai), Shantanu Nikhil (Sangeet), Rimple and Harpreet (Wedding), Ghazal Gupta (Mehndi)
Bride’s Shoes: Chal Jooti (Sangeet), Fizzy Goblet
Makeup: Varsha Gidwani (Carnival, Sangeet), Nikki Shah Makeovers (Bandori, Bollywood Sufi Night, Mehndi)
Hairstyling: Anitashil Hairstylist (Carnival, Sangeet), Saba Patel (Mehndi)
Bride’s Stylist: Simran Kabra (Carnival, Bandori, Bollywood Sufi Night, Sangeet)
Entertainment: Katalyst Entertainment, Sonu Nigam (Pre-Wedding Reception),
Shadaab Faridi (Bollywood Sufi Night), Mika Singh (Sangeet), Rupali Jagga, Maanya Arora, DanceSmith, Titli, Raj Raninga
Ambience Artists: Eventsyug Worldwide Pvt. Ltd.
Emcee: Suman Chellani (Carnival), AK Rahman (Carnival), Hussain Kuwajerwala (Sangeet), Deepti Sadhwani, Shweta Thukral
Choreography: Laadi Sangeet Maker (Carnival, Bandori, Bollywood Sufi Night, Mehndi, Sagai)
Cake: Bake-a-Boo Bakery
Photography: Shoot At Site, The Lalit Photography