Wedding Diaries

This Indo-Pak couple set sail on a yacht with a Dil Dhadakne Do-inspired baraat for their wedding

Rhea Shah and Ashwin Nagpal tied the knot at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski in a three-day celebration

Pictures by House On The Clouds

They say cupid strikes when you’re least expecting it. That’s exactly how it was for Mumbai-born fashion designer Rhea Shah and Karachi-born chartered accountant and finance professional Ashwin Nagpal, who first met while studying at Warwick University in the UK. The duo crossed paths on campus, chatted for hours initially, and ended up meeting several times after, as love slowly blossomed over date nights while amid exam season.

After being in a long-distance relationship for over four years, the couple recently tied the knot in a celebration that transcended borders in Istanbul, Türkiye, set against the backdrop of the Bosphorus. “We probably knew right off the bat that we’d end up together,” says Shah, adding that getting over the barrier of being in a long-distance relationship was just a step towards their happily ever after. “Ashwin knew my obsession with ethical fashion and surprised me with a lab-grown diamond engagement ring,” she adds, referring to the proposal that took place in Dubai when the families first met.

After recceing several destinations around the world, from Milan, Italy to Gstaad Switzerland and finally Istanbul, the couple decided that the architecturally beautiful city straddling both Asia and Europe would be the perfect destination for their dream nuptials—and a nod to their respective cultures. The grandiose Ciragan Palace Kempinski served as the setting for their three-day wedding celebrations as well as the Esma Sultan Palace, with 100-odd close friends and family making up the guest list. “Our pet dog Truffle was a key focus while selecting our wedding venues. We were sure that our wedding had to take place in a pet-friendly hotel and I couldn’t have imagined it being orchestrated in any other way,” Shah offers.

The couple enlisted the help of Mumbai-based YOLO Entertainment and Weddings as their planners, who curated their highly personalised nuptials—be it the fresh floral bangles flown in from India, choosing artists from their home countries for performances, hampers filled with goodies sourced from India, Turkey and Pakistan, the pop art-themed stationery and invitations, or the special Murano charms designed in Italy—each element of the wedding was thoughtfully put together to ensure it represented both their Sindhi and Gujarati cultures.

“We wanted to offer a truly immersive experience for our guests, so we tried making things as interactive as possible,” the couple shares. “We had a bazaar where guests could make their own goodie bags featuring Turkish delight, tea, spices, etc. We also used food displays as larger-than-life installations at the welcome dinner—for instance, a 10-feet long antipasti and cheese board station was something our guests really enjoyed. We personalised the after-party pizza boxes for guests to relish on-the-go as well,” they share. Puneet Sickand’s The Kitchen Art Company catered to the celebrations with its signature molecular gastronomy-inspired fare.

The festivities kickstarted with a Greek-themed welcome lunch combining the haldi and mehendi ceremonies. This was followed by a welcome dinner at the Binbirdirek Cistern, an iconic heritage property. The couple decided to forgo wearing traditional yellow hues for the haldi, and donned hot pink ensembles instead—both designed by Shah’s mother who has her own fashion label, Julie by Julie Shah. For the mehendi, Shah donned a subtle lilac-hued ensemble featuring traditional embroidery, designed by the groom’s sister, while for the dinner she opted for a metallic-hued Amit Aggarwal gown.

The next day unfolded with a vibrant Mexican fiesta at the hotel’s terrace, featuring street food staples and a spirited cricket match between the two sides. The sangeet celebration later that night was an ‘astro-beat’ themed affair featuring elements of air, fire, earth and water. This extended across the decor to the food, be it the water drummers and aerial performers to sufi dancers, dishes served in earthen clay pots, steamed and air fried nibbles, flambéed food, etc.

The bride donned a bespoke Falguni Shane Peacock lehenga in pastel hues with delicate embellishments while Nagpal complemented her look in an ivory sherwani for the sangeet night. Shah, who runs her own fashion and wedding clothing brand called Pocket Stories designed her own ensembles for the sangeet and wedding after parties, one of which included a chic white suit.

Moving away from the norm, the families set sail on a luxury yacht for the baraat, with a ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ themed party, complete with flash mob dancers, dhol and other entertainment as the wedding party made its way to the Esma Sultan Palace for the nuptials.

It was a magical setting as the couple exchanged garlands against the backdrop of a larger-than-life hot air balloon. Julie Shah designed her daughter’s wedding lehenga—a breezy, effortless bright red ensemble, incorporating elements of the couple’s love story, from their favourite hot air balloons to other details inspired by their travels. “One of the kalis had the Van Cleef-inspired lovers bridge, to honour our long-distance relationship,” the bride shares. “Ashwin designed me a bracelet mangalsutra with both our initials as he knows my love for a chic bracelet stack,” Shah adds. The groom wore a navy blue sherwani with tonal embroidery as a contrasting look.

Shah kept her look minimal with custom kaliras featuring hot air balloons as well. “Ashwin’s mom gave me her family bangles to wear and my mom gifted me custom red and white bangles,” says Shah. For the jewellery, she donned a contemporary set by RENU Zaveri with a statement neckpiece and earrings. She also chose to reuse some of her grandmother’s own diamonds. The makeup was soft and minimal as well, with celebrity makeup artist Puneet Saini doing her wedding glam. The revelry then continued into the night with an after-wedding party.