
[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”][/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]
Chic, elegant decor that evokes the natural and historic beauty of each venue. For the Sangeet, we wanted bright colours – corals, deep indigo, bright pinks, and kelly green – bringing the Quinta Bellavista Caparica alive with vivid hues. For the Anand Karaj, to match Manita’s candy pink Sikh bridal salwar kameez, the flowers were soft pinks and whites. The symbolic ceremony at the Palacio Correio Mor was a burst of white and green baby’s breath and soft white roses. The theme carried over to the Cocktail hour, where we built a beautiful indoor bar with an olive tree in the middle of a 4-walled bar. For the Reception, I wanted millions of candles illuminating white roses, crystals, baby’s breath, and chandeliers.
[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]We were vacationing in Kauai, Hawaii, to celebrate my graduation from HBS. On the 2nd day of the trip, Vijay surprised Manita with a helicopter trip over the beautiful Napali Coast. The chopper landed near a set of private waterfalls – and as the sun broke over the clouds, Vijay proposed. Most surprising was that he was able to keep his plans completely hidden from Manita![/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]









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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]







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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]
Manita and her mother curated each outfit. For the Welcome event, I wanted to wear colors that would invoke the sunset over the ocean and chose a flowing pink to fiery red ombre strapless gown. I paired it with simple solitaires and a matching diamond necklace. For the Sangeet, I wanted to be glamorous but comfortable to move and dance freely with my bridesmaids for our dance performances. I chose a lavender Manish Malhotra sharara and wore my hair in a French braid to display my rose pink tikka and diamond solitaires. While the outfit was encrusted in pearls and sequins, the soft drape of the wide-legged pants and top kept me comfortable all night. For the Anand Karaj, I wanted to pay respects to my Sikh heritage and wear a traditional Punjabi suit. I chose a candy pink shade, and the dupatta was lined with kiran, or gold fringe, a traditional bridal texture. Earlier in the wedding weekend, my Uncles performed the Chura ceremony, helping me put on a set of magenta bridal bangles cleansed in milk. I completed the look with a traditional heirloom custom gold jewelry set with matching earrings, tikka, and bangles. For the Wedding Ceremony, I knew that I had to wear Sabyasachi. I am fascinated with old-world textures, colors, and prints,s and no one does it better than Sabyasachi. However, I knew I was not a “traditional bridal red” bride – I was looking for something unique that still incorporated royal colors and elements. I chose a salmon orange lehenga with intricate, heavy gold work and lined with a red velvet trim. The deep-V blouse had a modern cut to complement the traditional lehenga work, and I paired the outfit with a double dupatta and veil. I wore a beautiful gold and diamond set gifted to me by my parents from Tanishq Jewelers. For the Reception, I wanted a glamorous look that honored the history and architecture of the Palace, which was our reception venue. I wanted the look to err on the side of Baroque-era royalty, given the palatial backdrop that still incorporated a chic and elegant party vibe. I chose a Falguni Shane Peacock pale pink lehenga covered in intricate silver and gold gota work and kiran (gold fringe). I wore my hair in soft curls and accessorized with a ruby and diamond necklace and a tikka set.
[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Vijay (the groom) wore a custom suit for the Welcome, Anita Dhongre kurta set for the Haldi, Seema Gujral sherwani for the Sangeet, a sherwani for the Anand Karaj, Tarun Tahiliani sherwani for the ceremony, and a custom white tuxedo for the reception.[/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]


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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]















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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]


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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]
We served traditional Punjabi food served by Passage to India at the reception. The cocktail menu ranged from Negronis, Palomas, spicy margaritas, and Old Fashioneds.
[/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]
For the Welcome, we wanted to bring alive the Portuguese culture and invoke blues, turquoises, yellows, greens and whites, complemented by the sea and palm trees dotting the Forte da Cruz. For the Haldi, we complemented the traditional yellows and greens with bright paper flowers in a range of pinks that perfectly matched the architecture and lawns of Penha Longa. For the Sangeet, we wanted bright colours – corals, deep indigo, bright pinks, and kelly green – bringing the Quinta Bellavista Caparica alive with vivid hues. For the Anand Karaj, to match Manita’s candy pink Sikh bridal salwar kameez, the flowers were soft pinks and whites. The symbolic ceremony at the Palacio Correio Mor was a burst of white and green baby’s breath and soft white roses. The theme carried over to the Cocktail hour, where we built a beautiful indoor bar with an olive tree in the middle of a 4-walled bar. For the Reception, I wanted millions of candles illuminating white roses, crystals, baby’s breath, and chandeliers.
[/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”][/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]
To invoke our Indian-American backgrounds, and because Manita loves Bollywood, we performed our first dance to a mashup between Ed Sheeran’s Collide and Chaleya from Jawan. We attended an Ed Sheeran concert together for one of our first Valentine’s Day celebrations, so the choice of song was extra meaningful! I would be remiss to not mention the moment the party absolutely *exploded* – when our La Hora Loca dancers appeared, and shot off dozens of confetti canons simultaneously, the DJ cranked up the Punjabi music, and the crowd absolutely lost it. My favorite memory is Vijay and me dancing together, with my arms wrapped around my family, my bridesmaids’ arms wrapped around me, surrounded by confetti and color bombs.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]
Let your photographer’s work guide your decisions early. We came across Diane’s beautiful wedding photography on Instagram at the very start of our venue research, and her imagery was a major reason we chose Lisbon/Sintra for our destination wedding. Look for an aesthetic that truly aligns with what you’re hoping for, especially candid photos that bring out the very best of the subject matter, whether it’s the couple, their families, the venues, decor, stationery… When it’s the right fit, it’s breathtakingly beautiful, and it transports the viewer.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]
Remain authentic to what you really care about – there can be too many priorities to balance, and maintaining your vision as the north star is the best way to ensure your dreams come to life. For decor and aesthetic inspiration, I really leaned on the venues themselves to guide the way and help bring my visions to life – working with the infrastructure available and invoking the colors and textures already present in the venue really magnified the impact of our decor choices. Finally, put that phone on do not disturb and remain as present as you can. My husband and I wrote down our favorite memories from the weekend when we left for our mini-moon to crystallize the feelings at that moment in time – highly recommend this, as it’s a great way to preserve the joy and gratitude.
[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″][/field]
[/section]
[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]



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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]












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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]






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Photography: Diane Sotero Photography | Event Planning: The Wedding Wonderland | Reception Venue: Palacio do Correio Mor | Catering: Style Me Pretty | DJ: Jukebox | Beauty: Tom Perdigão | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Quinta da Bella Vista




















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































