Mohit and Tulika’s Khatri wedding is something out of Jodhaa Akbar. Seriously. With all the regal reds and bright blues, it is all about that royal look.
Tulika is pretty talented, she designed her dress herself! With a Masters in Fashion Design from Milan, she knew just how to experiment with silhouettes and fabric. How gorgeous are her personal wedding touches?!
From Chicago to India, this is a cross-Pacific affair. We chatted with Tulika about her lovely day:
What was the inspiration for your wedding?
Mohit and I decided early on that we wanted some regal with understated sophistication. We didn’t want anything over the top with the Punjabi pomp and show that is expected of a bif fat Indian wedding.
For the Sangeet, we went with vibrant peacock color tones. Blue is Mohit’s favorite color and the entire indoor/outdoor space was decorated with a stunning burst of sapphires, purples, and turquoise with the flowers and lighting.
The wedding was a grand affair in gold tones with scarlet accents.
We were inspired by a bygone era of regal simplicity, a time when understated elegance left the most beautiful impression.
What was the hardest part about wedding planning?
The time difference – It was very hard to coordinate meetings when I was in Chicago and Mohit was in DC while the vendors were in Delhi. There were times when we would be awake till 4am just talking about the Mandap design or the flowers that would be used or the rangoli design versus candle lit urlis.
What was your favorite part of the wedding?
It was all a blur with so much activity over 3 days but one of the most fun parts was the Mehendi Ceremony. We held it at the India Habitat Center and for four hours I was flanked by two mendhi artists on each side sitting with me on a golden sofa and another at my feet.
Many of Mohit’s American friends arrived from Washington DC. Their wives took the opportunity to have designs put on their hands along with the rest of my female family members. Later, Mohit’s friends sat down to have their wive’s names designed into the palms of their hands too.
Because my mobility was restricted, my dad initially fed me juice with a straw. Later, Mohit arrived and very sweetly fed me lunch while taking bites in between. Finally, my mom came around with the desert – my favorite, gajar ka halwa.
Overall – the day was a blast with great music, a lot of color, laughter, and fun!
What 3 words of advice do you have for future brides/grooms-to-be?
Smile through everything.
Anything else you would like to add?
I always thought I wanted a small, private wedding on the beach with less than 50 people. Our wedding was the extreme opposite of that at the Leela Palace. While the planning was stressful, in the end we all had a chance to see our whole extended family share in our happy day. It was not just memories that we will cherish forever but also a wonderful gift for our parents and relatives as well.
Thank you for telling us all the details, Tulika! Your wedding was regal in every way and I’m still drooling over your gorgeous dress.
Vendors:
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Jewelry: Bholla Jewelers for Bridal Jewelry; May Jewelers in Washington DC for wedding ring; Tanishq for family.
Makeup: Kabir Kumar
Hair: Monsoon
Attire: All were my own collection – I found the lenghas in various bridal stores around Delhi and then had them customized with my own ideas.
Stationary: Meneka Cards
Photographer: Prism Len$ Photography
