Jiten and I first met each other in primary school, but it’s safe to say we were not fond of each other. Despite attending a small school and being forced to interact frequently, there was a lot of teasing and fighting between us.
We went our separate ways through high school and university and actively avoided each other at social events.However, fate seemed to have other plans for us. Several years later, I performed a Bollywood dance item at Wits East Lawns, and Jiten happened to be in attendance.
It was a chance encounter that sparked a connection between us which caught alight.
Our first ‘official’ date took place on a weekday afternoon shortly after our chance encounter. However, it got off to a rocky start when I called to inform Jiten that I had been in a curbside accident.
Funny way for my parents to officially meet Jiten. It’s safe to say that we met by accident!
Since then, we’ve been together for 9 years through many ups and downs, including relocating three times in just 1.5 years. As a pandemic couple, we tried multiple times to secure a wedding date. We were largely unsuccessful and had lots of reservations from everyone.
Jiten and I pulled the plug on having a big wedding a month before 8th of May 2021 for everyone’s safety and decided to have our court marriage instead. We did this because we didn’t want to wait any longer, and secondly it is the day we started dating. In November of 2022, we were fortunate to celebrate our traditional wedding with our dearest family and friends.
Planning our wedding was a huge challenge for Jiten and I at first. Jiten proposed in January 2020, right before the pandemic hit, due to that we faced many uncertainties in planning our wedding.
We initially envisioned a big wedding with all our family and friends, but with the limitations, we were unsure of how to proceed.
However, we both knew that we wanted to get married, so we decided to have an intimate wedding where we did a small puja and signed our papers.
Eventually, when things began to settle, we started planning our official Indian wedding, which turned out to be an absolute blast.
We made sure to prioritize having a calm but enjoyable presence around us in our wedding week.
By the third time we started planning, we had a clear vision of what we wanted and kept everything as simple as possible to avoid stressing anyone out. I wanted to have all my pre-wedding functions at home, so I started coming up with ideas and sourced items locally and from India.
I did a lot of DIY decor because I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for.
Despite the challenges we faced, prioritizing our planning ensured that we both had fun without me turning into a bridezilla! Some things are really out of your control but somehow everything finds a way of working itself out. It turned out to the be the wedding we didn’t know we needed.
Our first dance is a special memory for us. Despite being at opposite ends of the spectrum, with me being a dancer and Jiten not as much, it was a deeply meaningful experience for us both. Since we started dating, I had dreamt of this moment, and Jiten went out of his way to make it happen.
As we danced, we were overwhelmed with feelings of love and heartwarming happiness emanating from every person present. In that moment, everything felt so extraordinary and special.
One of my favourite quotes from my favourite movie (Yeh Jawani hai Deewani) that captured how we took our wedding day in “Life mein jitna bhi try karo, kuch na kuch toh chootega hi. Isliye yahin, isi pal ka mazza lete hain” which translates to : “As much as you try in life, something or the other will leave. That’s why let’s enjoy this moment right here.”
Tips for brides and grooms to be:
- Plan ahead: Start planning your wedding as early as possible to give yourself enough time to make important decisions and handle any unexpected surprises that may come up.
- Budget wisely: Weddings can be expensive, so make sure to set a realistic budget and stick to it. Prioritize what’s most important to you and allocate your funds accordingly.
- Focus on the marriage, not just the wedding: While your wedding day is certainly a special occasion, remember that it’s just the beginning of your marriage. Keep your focus on building a strong, loving partnership that will last a lifetime.
- Communicate openly with your partner: Make sure to communicate openly and honestly with your partner throughout the wedding planning process. Listen to each other’s concerns and work together to find solutions that work for both of you.
- Don’t forget to take care of yourself: Planning a wedding can be stressful, so make sure to take time for self-care. Get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat well to keep yourself healthy and energized.
- Be flexible: While it’s important to have a plan, be prepared for things to not always go as planned. Stay flexible and open to making changes as needed to ensure that your day is still special and memorable.
- Enjoy the moment: Your wedding day will go by quickly, so take the time to enjoy each and every moment. Don’t get too caught up in the details or stress – focus on the love and joy that surrounds you.
Service providers:
Court Wedding:
- Venue: Beechwood gardens
- Priest: Mahendrabhai Bhoola
- Décor: DIY
- Catering: New Delhi Dharbar
- Cake: Sweet Serenade cupcakes
- Photography: Urvesh Rama Photography
- Wedding rings : VK Jewellery
- Dress: Yaga (it was such short notice I did not have time to design an outfit)
Traditional wedding:
- Catering: Manjhubhen and Co, Nilesh Parekh from Laudium for our Mendhi
- Sound and lighting: Fresh Flava
- Priest: Mahendrabhai Bhoola
- Singer at Mendhi: Bushan Dass
- Photography and Videography:
- Urvesh Rama Photography
- Pre- wedding functions: Kunaal Mithal,Akhil Bhimjee and Darshan Makan
- Hair and Makeup: Chermel’s world
- Décor: Azaria’s décor for the wedding
- Mendhi: Passion for DesignWedding
- Choreography: Yashika Makan-Valab
- Mangalsutra: VK Jewellery
- Bridal gowns: Himal Devchand (embroidery)
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