The Journey
Please share a few lines on what you do, where you’re from, your profession etc.
Anshil grew up in Mumbai and attended Cathedral for his primary schooling. He always loved math and sciences, and this carried over into his college education at UIUC, where he studied computer engineering and chose the career path of becoming a software engineer. He now works at Robinhood, the online trading platform that has revolutionised trading accessibility.
Riya grew up in New York City and attended Trinity School for her primary schooling. Her parents fostered her creativity throughout her childhood, and having had such a strong affinity for the arts, she went on to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. There, she majored in industrial design with a minor in nature, culture, and sustainability studies. Creating products that are beautiful while being mindful of the world in which we live is a deep passion of hers. She now works at Luxury Optical Holdings as Creative Director of two heritage brands, Morgenthal Frederics and Robert Marc NYC, designing and doing creative work for some of the finest eyewear in the world.
Tell us about your journey as a couple.
Anshil’s family and my family go a long way back. From grandparents to cousins to aunts and uncles, our families were familiar with each other, but the two of us had never met. Anshil’s mom had become friendly with my mom’s sister since they both live in Dubai and asked if we both would be interested in meeting each other for a coffee while both in Mumbai in 2019. We talked and talked and then went on to start dating in New York right before the pandemic began. It was a very dark time for the whole world, but for us, we got the opportunity to spend one month talking without meeting, and then meeting only each other without others for months at a stretch. We got to know each other so well in this vacuum of time, and it was pretty clear to us within the first few months that we were who each other was looking for.
Over this period of years now, we’ve become best friends, each other’s reality checks, as well as little kids at times, but at our relationship’s core, we have always been clear on our values. Family, work, and our friends are extremely important to us, and being that neither of us have joined our family businesses, we are excited to build our careers together. We have gone from our young 20s to our late 20s, and we have definitely grown together. Seeing loss side by side, seeing new members join our families, health issues, successes at work, failures that seem gut-wrenching—it’s been all that you think life will throw at you and more. Now we are living together in South Street Seaport with a big terrace, where we tend to our small garden together, growing tomatoes and a number of vegetables and herbs, and living our routines together. The most exciting part is that we have forever to go together, and the path is not set.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it too.
During the first month of COVID, Anshil was staying in Westchester, and I was staying in the city. I would drive out there and pick him up around the corner from his uncle’s home (we were keeping things a secret), and we would go to this little park no one seemed to know about. We had picnics there, read, and had lots of good times, and it felt like our place.
Fast forward to November 2021—Anshil planned the best day I could have ever dreamed of! One tricky thing was that I do not like getting my nails done at all. I said no to two friends, and then finally my cousin Aastha called, saying my 6-year-old niece Sanaaya wanted to have a girly day with me and get my nails done together, to which I of course said yes! My cousin picked me up, and we did our nails in Westchester. Mind you, I have always gotten classic colours done, but that day I decided to get ICY BLUE done for fun—what were the odds?
Aastha asked if we could go burn off some of Sanaaya’s energy at a park, and shortly after we arrived at the park—our park. I was a little confused as I’d never seen a playground here, but I tried to FaceTime Anshil, and he declined my call. Ha! So we walk in, and I think to myself, ‘Where is it?’ and turning the corner, I see the big MARRY ME, with Anshil in front and both our families smiling and exuding so much happiness and love. There was a violinist playing some of our favourite classics, and I was just so stunned. I was so unsuspecting that I literally wore a corduroy overall dress and combat boots for this day. It was wonderful, and shortly after he proposed, our families left us for a beautiful picnic, just the two of us. After our proposal, we went back to the city, where, to my surprise, we arrived at dinner to be met with all of our closest friends, who had decorated the area with banners and ring pops to celebrate this day. My takeaways: 1. Anshil is the best; 2. Men can plan and be thoughtful when they put their hearts to it!
The Planning Process
Tell us how you went about planning the wedding.
The expression – ‘it takes a village,’ is not one I would ever discount after what I saw go into making our special days happen. Firstly, our parents gave their 150%. Our extended families too, especially my two cousins Riddhi and Natasha, who tag teamed to really execute each small detail as I wanted it. Vision-wise, I was very clear in my head about some of the themes and the aesthetic that I like, being that I am creative myself, and my dad always said to dream big. So I dreamt really big. I had looked at Suryagarh many times and was thrilled when our parents agreed to have the wedding there. My one big wish was that I wanted to have each detail and aspect of the wedding reflect Anshil and myself, and that decisions shouldn’t be arbitrary because this is our celebration! So myself, my parents, Anshil’s parents, and my cousins worked with Ekta’s team to make it all happen.
Who was your wedding planner?
Ekta Saigal Lulla, Weddings by ESL
The Wedding
February 20, 2023
The Dunes – Our first event took place in the dunes of Jaisalmer. Our guests were taken by car, then by open jeeps through the sand dunes to our location. It was remote, beautiful, and totally peaceful. Anshil and I entered holding camels, guided by dancers in Egyptian garb. There was some light entertainment, fire eaters, dancers, and mehendi for our guests around the set-up. Waitresses with most of their faces covered in chain mail walked around, serving wine from long-spouted antique decanters. Diyas lit the dunes around us for a truly magical feeling. Anshil and I set off a paper lantern, surrounded by our family and friends, wishing us all the love in the world. Then, as the evening went on, DJ Aman picked up the music, and having spoken with him, he got the vibe completely right, playing Scorpios meets Ibiza artistic house music.
February 21, 2023
The Mala – The Mala was set in the Suryagarh courtyard, and it was just a splash of colour mixed with tradition. Cross-stitched panels playing into the technique of our clothes surrounded us, and bright-coloured fabrics were cast along the length of the courtyard, shading us in a glowing red and pink light.
The Bazaar – We continued from the Mala to our other guest hotel, the Marriott. Here, the whole courtyard was set up with stalls around the perimeter and food stands. Our guests did block printing, made perfume, chose bangles, and selected pickled mango to take home with them. In the centre of the water body, we created a stage on which our moms performed garba with their friends. Our little nieces and nephews followed and performed songs as well.
The Pool Party – Anshil had our friends join him at the Marriott pool to cool off and play some games in the afternoon.
The Sangeet – Back at Suryagarh, the Sangeet was set up behind the grand staircase. At the top, a hidden style entry was created, “The Backroom”. We wanted to evoke the same sense of entering a speakeasy that you get—the thrill of the unknown. Once our guests passed the first entry, they were taken through a winding maze with surrealist decor like horse-headed mannequins and oversized chandeliers. After that, the grand staircase took you down to our dining setup and then finally to the main stage, where we would have our dances and later our afterparty. During the sangeet, there were details we wanted to incorporate to transport our guests. An artist painted our entire Sangeet setup onto a woman’s dress, which was so unique! There were magicians going around doing small card tricks and contortionists behind the bar atop platforms. Waitresses circled with lampshades on their heads. Espresso martinis were served in teacups, as the real backroom still serves their cocktails like that.
Anshil and I entered our sangeet from behind the stage. Guided by flapper-style dancers, we surprised our guests by being right there on stage instead of entering from the grand staircase. This quickly led to our family performances, which I opened with my childhood Kathak friends. At the end, we invited all the family and friends who participated to join us on stage. After dinner, Rahul Vaidya took the stage for an incredible live performance that lasted into the late hours of the night. DJ Aman took over, and we danced till the early hours of the morning!
February 22, 2023
The Wedding Day
I woke up with little sleep, full energy, and ready to go get my sisters and bhabhis, who escorted me to my mother-in-law’s room to do my Chundari Ordavanu. After this, Anshil and I both had our haldi ceremonies in the privacy of our suites with the ladies of our respective families.
The Baraat – The baraat was three and a half hours of dancing and fun with our friends and family. Anshil sat in a vintage convertible that would end up getting filled by all his nephews and nieces while he danced his way to our Varmala.
The Pate Beswanu – For this part of the ceremony, we used the Bawri of Suryagarh for my side. In this amphitheatre-style venue, I entered with my kaka and kaki and walked down the stairs, through the waterbody that circles the centre platform. The waterbody had been covered with orange petals, and the surrounding area was lit with diyas. Here, my mama and mami helped me wear my scarlet kadas and lifted me to begin the journey towards the wedding.
The Varmala – I had a very clear picture in my mind of this first moment when we would see each other. That’s when it truly felt like we were getting married today. After my family received Anshil’s, I was guided by Kathak dancers to the small stage. We met each other’s eyes, and slowly I came right in front of him, and then our brothers lifted us both to exchange the garlands. Our brothers left the stage, and while just us two remained, fireworks cascaded from the sky behind us.
The Wedding – After the varmala, Anshil and my parents went on to begin the wedding rituals. After some time, I joined him, led by my mama-mami, to the stage. For each phera, I asked my cousin brothers to each come up because all my brothers have protected me and guided me through my life, and it felt right to have them all be a part of it. During our last phera, I beat Anshil to sit, and we all had a good laugh (When the couple makes their last round together, they rush back to their seats, racing to sit down first. As part of the tradition, it is said that whoever takes their seat first will be the ruler of the household.) Once the ceremony was complete, fireworks were set off behind Suryagarh, and it was truly a sight to behold. Once we met all our family, we continued to the rooms for some family rituals and then got ready for our wedding celebration dinner.
The Wedding Celebration – Taking place in the same venue as the Sangeet, Anshil and I entered from the grand staircase to One Empire singing us a song. As we reached the dance floor, my dad took my hand, and we did our father-daughter dance to a live version of ‘My Girl.’ It was so memorable. Anshil then stepped in, and we danced to ‘You’re the One’ by the Vogues, and then all our cousins and family joined in. This was followed by the cake cutting, and then dinner. One Empire sang us into the late hours of the night with unforgettable throwbacks and some of our classic favourites. It was beautiful and so surreal to be surrounded by all our loved ones in our dream place, and we couldn’t be more thankful for a wedding we’ll never forget.
The location: What were the venues?
The Dunes of Suryagarh, The Marriott Courtyard, and Suryagarh.
The various functions: What were the different functions / ceremonies?
Dunes, Mala, Bazaar, Pool Party, Sangeet, Wedding, Wedding Celebration
The theme and decor.
I’ve mentioned the themes below, but my cousin Riddhi worked very hard to achieve the vision I had in mind and achieved each vision flawlessly. My in-laws liked our vision as well, so with their support and my parents’ support, it all came to life.
There needed to be artfulness all around because my dad’s side is very creative, and me being me, I wanted to immerse all our loved ones in a world of our creation. The dunes, getting transported to a remote location in an open jeep, and spending the night dancing barefoot in the sand was just such a blast.
The Backroom Sangeet was one Riddhi thought of after I told her some of our favourite spots in NYC, and I fell in love immediately. Old world glamour, with all its grandeur, but done in quirky and unexpected ways.
Growing up, I learned Kathak rigorously, and I felt it really shaped me into who I am today. We wanted to celebrate Suryagarh’s beauty and not take away from the elegance, so we chose to do the decor around the concept of Taal. There was a monochromatic tangerine that complimented the sandstone and limestone of the grand venue. Small ghungroos were strung throughout, as were diyas, illuminating the property.
Details on the invitation cards, entertainment, favours etc.
Our invitations were created by White Mirage Invites. We worked closely together to capture the essence of the decor and themes visually and chose the lyrical version of ‘Ghoomar,’ which felt fitting in the Rajasthani setting. We had many assets to create, so having a strong, consistent visual language was really important to articulate early on. I wanted it to feel like Rajasthan and represent Jaisalmer, so we used watercolour tones and a hand-painted aesthetic to achieve this dreamy look.
The entertainers were Rahul Vaidya and One Empire, with DJ Aman each evening as well. Each room received a basket of food, which held a mix of quick, easy bites, classic Indian snacks, and some of Anshil’s favourite childhood snacks.
The food: share details on the menu – food and beverages.
Each event had a variety of cuisines created by our caterer, Diva, and the hotels. Many people would agree that at an Indian wedding, the food is the most important thing there is. For this serious responsibility, my elder cousin Natasha took charge. She, being a great cook and foodie herself, managed, with our family and Anshil’s extended family, to bring a culinary experience to our wedding events. To say it was a home run would be an understatement.
Since no one really loves to hold a large, heavy plate for extended periods at a time, we had lots of small pass-around foods. Soup dumplings in small mugs, hot chocolate, and s’mores (a special request by Anshil and me) were some of what we had for the Dunes. We had coffee bars, churro stations, burrata stations, gyoza stations, a cheese boutique, avocado every possible way it could be prepared, and the list goes on. There was Latin American, Italian, Vietnamese, Gujarati, Japanese, South Indian, Mexican—everything one could imagine. It was delicious, and each flavour Diva prepared let the natural ingredients speak for themselves. After I had been told all this, I still asked if there would be kulcha and kali daal. Natasha responded with a quick “Oh no, you are going to be a bridezilla!” Haha. We spoke to all tastes, spicy and not, understated and extra, and even visually, the preparation and plating were so beautiful. And there was a heavy mix of Jain-prepared food as well! And of course we cannot forget about the late-night food: Maggie, wai wai, kathi rolls, kebab stations, bao bars, and a full-on slider station. I am hungry just thinking about it!
Binny was our bartender, and he and his team made sure that everyone had a great time. From remembering our guests’ drinks of choice to making sure Anshil and I had at least one espresso martini (our favourite drink) a night and really keeping the joy and party going through the night, it was a blast to have them through our events with us. They have the skill of reading the room and making sure all ages are attended to and involved in the celebration.
Any other interesting details or highlights you’d like to share? Any anecdotes, cool details or personal stories would be great.
I feel I do mention it in the breakdown of the events, but overall, I wanted to make sure Anshil and I were represented in small and big ways through each event. From the Sangeet being themed “The Backroom” to the wedding being themed “Taal”, each guest who came, even if they didn’t know us well already, got to know us a little better through this.
Our photography team, Raabta, was truly wonderful to work with. We never considered we would end up making a good friend by the end of our wedding journey, but Shrey has become a great one to us! From our pre-wedding shoot in NYC in 2022, to seeing us through many calls and inspiration boards, to finally our wedding, it has been wonderful to collaborate with such a kind and artistic person. I didn’t want images that would just get shut away in an album. I saw his art and style and the whole mood he is able to capture in a still. And he really went above and beyond to get the shot, showing his dedication to his art and making sure each moment of this once-in-a lifetime occasion for us would be captured.
Before the Sangeet, Anshil had his cousins and friends join him for some relaxed time once they were all ready. They enjoyed some music and drinks while the little nephews ran around and had a great groomsman-like time together.
There was music all around. From the flute player in the morning with peacocks walking around to the veiled singer in the afternoons, Suryagarh was so peaceful at all times. We heard birds chirping and no city sounds.
Our families are just so wonderful, and I think planning such a momentous event would not be possible without the support of so many people looking to make your moment their moment as well. To have parents who really heard what we wanted is lucky in itself. Being that Anshil and I are the youngest in our families, we’re the last to get married, and all our older cousins, aunts, and uncles, and of course our parents took such good care of us, attending to each need and small detail to make it the most fun, non-stressful time of our lives. It’s rare to have moments in life where all your loved ones from near and far are in one place, and that was probably the thing that hit us the hardest as we said goodbye on our last day. The warmth and love of friends and family are unparalleled by any feeling, and we will cherish these memories forever.
The Looks
What did you both wear for each function? Do give detailed insights about the designers, outfit details etc.
Dunes
Anshil – Rohit Bal
Riya – Anamika Khanna
Theme – Egyptian
Taking note of a traditional Egyptian aesthetic, we chose the dress code of black, white, and gold for our guests. Anshil wore an all-white jacket and pant set with gold cupid detailing, and I wore an all-black jacket and pant set with gold detailing, so we would complement and contrast each other.
Mala
Anshil – Krishna Mehta
Riya – Krishna Mehta
For our Mala, my kaki made us custom Krishna Mehta pieces, with cross stitch work throughout. My lehenga had cross-stitched motifs of horses, elephants, and camels, designed by kaki to represent my love of wildlife. She added ghungroos along the trim of the lehenga, so with each step I took, a chiming sound came. It was a dream to wear and was made with so much love and thoughtfulness. Anshil wore a bandhgala with complimentary colours and cross-stitch work in bright colours that picked up the animal motifs from my lehenga.
Sangeet
Anshil – Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla
Riya – Manish Malhotra
Theme – The Backroom
Taking inspiration from one of our favourite lounges in NYC and one of our very early date spots, we decided on a speakeasy theme based on The Backroom Bar in NYC. I wanted to evoke a sense of old-world glamour. I wore a corset-style blouse with a sheer tulle embroidered long sleeve piece on top and a sparkling sequin lehenga in dusty rose. I had always wanted to do my hair like my mom did during her wedding—a 1920’s finger wave that led into loose curls, and this tied the whole look together. Anshil wore Abu, a black bandhgala with red accents that featured a ruffled collar and some old-world style embellishments.
Wedding
Anshil – Tarun Tahiliani
Riya – Sabyasachi
Wedding Celebration
Anshil – Bespoke Suit
Riya – Thom Browne
Theme – Taal
I always wanted a very traditional, royal-like wedding, and luckily Anshil agreed easily. Because of this, there is no one I would have wanted to wear more than Sabyasachi. I am a huge fan of his work and craftsmanship, and I felt like a princess in every way wearing my red lehenga on this most memorable day. Anshil wore Tarun and looked like my prince charming! He wore a light pistachio-coloured sherwani, and it was truly majestic.
Anshil and I both changed later in the night, but for once, I was just as comfortable and mobile as he was. He wore a classic black suit, and I wore a charcoal and navy plaid Thom Browne suit.
Tell us about the hair and make-up artists.
Bianca Louzado was my makeup artist. She and her team were incredible and achieved each look with care and detail. Bianca is able to create a calm and caring atmosphere, so much so that you feel like you’re getting ready with your girlfriends. We collaborated on looks for me, and the sangeet look was the most explorative for her. We did a 1920’s-style finger wave that led into open hair. This was nerve-wracking because I would be dancing not only at the party but also performing during the sangeet. They pinned me up so well that not a hair was out of place. For the wedding, I wanted to do a very classic bun and wear a polki matha patti, which they did flawlessly. I also wanted to do ‘pir,’ as my mother had done during her wedding. This was a first for them, but they did it very well and got the look I wanted.
Share details about the jewellery, from heirloom pieces to bespoke creations.
For the Dunes, I wanted to keep the jewellery more oriented towards vintage styling. For this, I used my mom’s and my masi’s actual wedding jewellery since, during their time, it was all gold. I wore two pieces in my hair, as well as earrings, a necklace, and a kada.
For the Mala, I wore a bespoke polki set my in-laws gifted me, as well as a polki belt across my waist. My kaki gave me her tikka to wear for this occasion. I also wore sahers in my hair, going from my ears into my fishtail messy braid, to give a unique accent to this traditional look.
For the Sangeet, I wore a bespoke diamond set my in-laws gifted me. I sparkled from head to toe! I also wore the watch my dad gifted me, an heirloom that I will pass on for generations to come.
For the wedding, I wore my cousin’s hath phool which was so nice to have a little something that was borrowed on such a momentous day, and a bespoke polki set my parents made for me from Jaipur Gems. It was definitely the set of my dreams. I also wore a polki matha pati. I felt like a true princess.
Any interesting anecdotes you’d like to share additionally around the wardrobe?
When all the guests were first arriving, I wore a patola lehenga. I love our Gujarati culture, and patolas are, of course, something so unique as a textile. It was green, and during this, I had no makeup, all natural hair, and just felt like me.
My outfit for the mala, visualised by my kaki, is one that I will cherish for a lifetime. The work that went into each stitch on the lehenga, capturing my essence through her eyes, is a true work of art. The ghungroos added such a delightful sound, and she made sure everyone knew the bride was here.
The choice to wear Sabyasachi was, by this time, a very obvious one for me. Two years prior, I was in and out of many bridal stores while in Mumbai and saw that there was literally no eyewear. Being an eyewear designer myself, it has always bothered me that we wear the most brilliant couture with so much work that goes into it, but our eyewear goes unconsidered. I reached out to Sabyasachi then, and we will be releasing a collaboration eyewear collection this October, Sabyasachi X Morgenthal Frederics! So naturally I would never wear anyone but him for my big day. His brand is the embodiment of Indian craft, heritage, and timeless style, and I have admired it for a very long time.
I secretly wore Gucci platform sneakers during each event and only changed into the Hermes sandals my in-laws gifted me for the fourth phera to break the coconut after the wedding—the only time anyone could see my feet! I highly recommend doing this for any and all brides. Anshil wore a mix of Hermes sandals and loafers through each event.
