Meha Patel and Ankit Pahuja met in New York through a mutual friend back in August 2019. In the summer of 2022, the couple planned a trip to go hiking in Banff, Canada; it was raining heavily when they arrived, which made Ankit (who wanted to propose on a perfect day with clear views) a little nervous. He got his moment, though. “Ankit had organized a picnic with a beautiful backdrop and had also arranged a talented violinist who managed to learn the chords of a song from the hit film Mohabbatein,” Meha says. “It was very special.” Shortly after they became engaged, the couple planned a destination wedding in Jaipur, India, for 500 guests that spanned from December 28 to December 31, 2022.
Meha and Ankit hosted six total events across four days, including a mehndi, a welcome party, a haldi, and a sangeet, all of which unfolded before their ceremony and reception. Most of these celebrations were held at Fairmont Jaipur due to the grandeur of the venue and the ease of accommodations for their attendees. “The aspects we loved most were the architecture of the hotel, the entire staff’s amazing attention to detail, and how the hotel’s expansiveness allowed for different experiences throughout the weekend,” Meha says.
The couple invited guests to the Jaigarh Fort for their welcome party to experience a real heritage property, and for their reception, they chose The Gulmohar; it gave them an opportunity to customize the atrium-style space and blend modern touches with a historic background. The couple planned their wedding in about six months—when you see the photos, you’ll understand why this seems nearly impossible—relying onTamarind Global Weddings for the logistics and Birch Event Design for the design details, which included hundreds of thousands of flowers (absolutely no detail was missed!). See for yourself in these epic photos by Amrit Photography—they just might be some of the most incredible you’ll see this year.
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On the morning of December 28, as guests began to arrive and check into the hotel, the couple kicked off their wedding festivities with a mehndi. The property’s reflecting pool was adorned with water lilies, flowers, and greenery to create a pond effect, and a gazebo—where Meha had her henna done—was designed to look like a living room. As this part of the day unfolded, the couple’s parents’ welcomed guests with horses, flower petals, and drums.
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That evening, Meha and Ankit invited all of their guests to a welcome party at the historic Jaigarh Fort, set atop the mountains with views of the city. Meha wore an ensemble by Anamika Khanna with an open-front ivory skirt that could be detached to reveal embroidered pants for easier movement for dancing. Ankit chose a black velvet bandhgala by Rajesh Pratap Singh. “The evening was designed to give guests a full taste of Rajasthan,” Meha says. They brought in over 15,000 candles and 75 torches—and hired fire dancers and a band for a spirited start to the festivities. Mature trees were adorned with yards upon yards of strung florals.
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The next morning, the couple hosted a haldi ceremony, where Birch Event Design transformed the Fairmont Jaipur into a vibrant oasis. A floating floral motif was created in the hotel’s reflecting pool; vibrant yellow flowers were made to look as though they were climbing the gazebo. The team used four patterns manipulated in different colors and scales throughout the day’s design, bringing together elements like the stage, floor, and pillows in a riot of color.
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For the haldi ceremony, Meha wore an ivory ruffled sari by Mishru; Ankit opted for a matching diamond pleated kurta by Rajesh Pratap Singhh. Leading up to the wedding, the couple worked with Tanya Vohra, the founder of CLAD, to choose their attire for each event. “She truly made the selection process very easy!” Meha says.
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A few hours after the haldi concluded, Meha and Ankit invited their guests to an epic sangeet. Meha’s crushed metallic lehenga by Sabyasachi paired perfectly with a diamond and emerald choker by Birdhichand; Ankit dressed in a deep green sherwani by Kunal Rawal, matching the green in Meha’s jewelry just right.
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Meha and Ankit wanted the sangeet’s décor landscape to be a departure from the pastel colors of the haldi that morning. They went with deep jewel tones and added custom decking, bars, lounges, and dance platforms.
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At the end of the night, they brought out a surprise celebrity guest: Indian pop icon and Bollywood sensation Badshah took the stage and kept everyone locked on the dance floor all night.
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On December 31, the couple’s wedding day had finally arrived; they hosted their ceremony in front of the Fairmont Jaipur, where guests were welcomed upon arrival. Meha knew she wanted to wear a traditional red lehenga, so she worked with Aanmika Khanna to customize her zardozi dress with colorful embroidery and gold detailing. Jewelry from Birdhichand and borrowed bangles from her mom completed her ensemble.
She intentionally selected different hair and makeup looks for each event, and worked with her stylist Susmita Patel on a simple bun for the ceremony and Old-Hollywood inspired curls for the reception. Ankit wore a custom Kunal Rawal x Ekaya sherwani in shades of ivory and gold. He accessorized with a three row pearl necklace from Purab Paschim by Ankit Khullar and a safa, his headpiece. “It had about 10 feet of fabric, so it certainly took some time,” he says. When the couple took photos before the ceremony and Ankit saw Meha in her wedding sari for the first time, he was speechless. “We wanted to have a moment just the two of us before the whirlwind of a day began!” they said of their first look.
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The couple wanted an all-white ceremony so Meha’s red lehenga could pop. Platforms and custom canopies were set up throughout the motor court for guests to be seated comfortably; a platform aisle was placed in the center. Hydrangeas, roses in several varieties, and thousands of orchids were used to create a stunning mandap and line the aisle and seating areas. “We set out to entirely transform this space,” Meha says. “The idea here was to create something that felt light and delicate but lush in execution.”
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Ankit made his grand entrance to the ceremony on horseback before Meha’s brother walked her down the aisle. “This was incredibly important to me, as my brother and I are very close and he was instrumental in helping us plan the wedding, as well,” she says. “It was a very special moment for us.”
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Meha and Ankit had a “mostly traditional” Hindu ceremony, they say, which involved exchanging garlands to symbolize their acceptance of one another as husband and wife. After they were officially married, a traditional band playing classic Indian beats helped them celebrate back down the aisle. “We wanted to maintain an environment of tranquility and tradition,” Meha says. Following the ceremony, guests were invited to a luncheon before everyone returned to their rooms—the couple made their departure in a vintage Rolls Royce convertible—to prepare for the night’s festivities.
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Meha and Ankit joined guests for cocktails in the courtyard before dinner and dancing—which took place inside a custom-built conservatory—began. Meha wore a one-shoulder silver gown by Faraz Manan with a dramatic cape and flowing train paired with diamond earrings from Begani Jewellers. Ankit chose a custom classic white tuxedo inspired by The Great Gatsby.
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“With the final event, we wanted to tie it back a bit to New York and the fact that it was New Year’s Eve,” says the team at Birch Event Design. The interior of the glass conservatory was constructed over the course of three weeks and featured multiple levels. A 20-foot clover-shaped bar was the focal point of the space. Hydrangea hedges were strategically placed to conceal pyrotechnics; globe-shaped lighting hung from the ceilings to evoke a party atmosphere.
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After Meha and Ankit’s grand entrance, they shared their first dance to a remix of “Jab Koi Bhat” on a custom dance floor with florals encased in glass. The first dance ended up being one of Meha’s favorite memories from the entire wedding weekend.
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Both Meha and Ankit are self-proclaimed foodies—and crafted 13 menus that spanned across their six events. “These included breakfasts and snacks from all parts of India and the globe, which both reflect our roots and passion for travel,” they say. “We planned the menus in a way that aligned with each event, so our guests could enjoy a multitude of unique culinary experiences throughout our wedding. Although we didn’t get to dine on our menu selections as much as we would have liked, some of the highlights noted by our guests were the Afghani whole roasted lamb at our welcome night, the gulab Jamun cheescake at our haldi, the Rajasthani and Gujrati thali lunch after the wedding ceremony, and of course our late-night after-party food.”
They also poured out a Champagne tower and focused on serving bubbly-centric cocktails at the reception. It was New Year’s Eve, after all!
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The couple spent the rest of the night partying with their closest friends and family—DJ AJ made sure of that. When thinking about their favorite memories from their wedding, ringing in the new year with their guests stands out. The duo later went on a minimoon to the Maldives right after the wedding and headed to the South of France ini 2023. “Both were needed breaks and in particular, we’ll remember our two weeks traipsing across the French coast and countryside for the rest of our lives!” says the bride.
To couples planning their own wedding, Meha has this advice: “Enjoy the process as much as you can and make sure to include details that will make the weekend feel personal to who you are.”
Ceremony Venue and Accommodations Fairmont Jaipur
Welcome Party Venue Jaigarh Fort
Reception Venue The Gulmohar
Wedding Planning Tamarind Global Weddings
Event Design and Flowers Birch Event Design
Bride’s Welcome Party Attire Anamika Khanna
Groom’s Welcome Party and Haldi Attire Rajesh Pratap Singh
Bride’s Haldi Ceremony Attire Mishru
Bride’s Sangeet Attire Sabyasachi,Birdhichand
Groom’s Sangeet Attire Kunal Rawal
Bride’s Ceremony Attire Aanmika Khanna
Bride’s Reception Attire Faraz Manan, Begani Jewellers
Bride’s Shoes Jimmy Choo
Bride’s Hair and Makeup Styled by Susmita
Invitations The Entertainment Design Co.
Celebrity Musical Guest Badshah
Catering Indus Culinary
Music DJ AJ
MC Neil M. Shah
Bartenders The Wedding Bartenders
Videography Derek Chan Films
Photography Amrit Photography
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