Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s love tale is straight out of a film, marked by a dreamy wedding in Italy, stunning decor worth sharing on Instagram, and bridal wear by Sabyasachi. This couple’s story is a modern fairy tale come to life.
It might be hard to draw up a power couples list without Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli in it. “We wanted to have a home-style wedding. There were only 42 people there, with all our friends and family present. I wanted it to be about Virat and me marrying each other, and not this big celebrity wedding. The energy at our wedding was blessed,” Sharma revealed in an interview, describing why privacy was paramount to the pair.
Bridal Episode is taking a trip down memory lane to December 11, 2017, to commemorate the love shared during their wedding in Italy. We’ll reminisce about the best moments from their special day and share some stunning pictures from their gorgeous wedding book. Get ready to relive the magic!
The Origin of VIRUSHKA
The two reportedly first met while shooting for a shampoo advertisement in 2013. “The first time I met her I was very nervous and that’s why I cracked a joke because I didn’t know what to do. I thought I was being funny, and I said something which wasn’t probably the right thing to say. My joke became such a weird moment for myself. She was so confident, she is on sets regularly,” Kohli once revealed in an interview. The cricketer eventually asked Sharma out. Two years into the relationship, the couple decided to get married, although Kohli revealed there was no formal proposal by him as the couple was sure since the get-go that they would get married eventually. “Marriage was a natural progression. I got married at 29, supposedly young for an actress. But I did it because I was in love. And I am in love,” the actor has said.
The Hush-Hush Story: Planning the Grand Affair
Tina Tharwani, co-founder of Mumbai-based Shaadi Squad, the name behind Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s wedding planning, says, “Virat and Anushka came to us almost four-five months ago in August 2017. The couple brainstormed over many locations with us when we were planning the wedding. The one thing they were absolutely sure about was that they didn’t want to get married in their hometowns. We considered many Indian locations as well as international destinations before finally picking Tuscany.”
The two decided on Borgo Finocchieto as the location. This 13th-century medieval town has been transformed into a boutique resort. Its 22 suites and 44-person capacity make it ideal for the intimate guest list of Sharma and Kohli’s marriage ceremony.
The couple went over and beyond to make sure that absolutely nothing about their special day would be disclosed. It was such a feat in and of itself to get that off. Sharma acknowledged that only her manager, Allia Al Rufai, her stylist, and her wedding planner were aware of the upcoming nuptials, aside from their close friends and family. Even the couple’s talks with wedding dress designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee were held behind closed doors. “We even used fake names while talking to the caterer; I think Virat’s was Rahul,” Sharma disclosed about how they got chef Ritu Dalmia onboard.
The Engaging Engagement and Sangeet
The power couple’s engagement ceremony served as the official commencement of their wedding festivities. In front of a décor inspired by nature, Sharma and Virat exchanged rings while Ed Sheeran’s love song “Thinking Out Loud” serenaded the audience. Everybody was enjoying a good time at the sangeet party that evening.
Anushka Sharma chose a sari by Sabyasachi. “For her engagement, Anushka wanted to wear a velvet saree. And we made it in our signature Gulkand Burgundy,” the designer said.The pallu of the drape included marori and zardozi embroidery in addition to hand embroidery adorned with tiny pearls. The same couture designer’s extravagant uncut jewellery was the bride’s finishing touch. The perfect finishing touches were applied to Sharma’s cocktail look by Puneet B. Saini, her makeup artist. Whereas, the blue-suited groom perfectly complimented her.
The Merry Mehandi
There was a colorful mehandi ceremony the next day. Sharma’s henna application was said to have taken four hours to complete. It had a simple yet detailed design that was replicated on both hands and enhanced with tiny flowers, paisleys, and leaves.
The bride wore a multicolored lehenga with a striped lehenga skirt and a floral-printed blouse made by craftsmen from The Sabyasachi Art Foundation, embracing the vibrant theme of the event. The bridegroom embellished an ivory kurta set with a fuchsia-textured Nehru jacket to match her outfit. The mehandi led the way into a karaoke-filled bonfire night.
The Wedding Ceremony
The primary wedding ceremony was held in front of a gorgeously disassembled mandap with hanging lamps that lit candles and a canopy of flowers. Emanating the spiritual essence of Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, anthologies of exquisite poetries of Rumi were given to each attendee.
As Sharma made her bridal march from the villa to the mandap, she walked through a path lined with pastel flowers. The procession, lasting less than a minute, was accompanied by the song “Din Shagna Da” from her film Phillauri, adding a touch of personal sentiment to the magical moment.
The show was stolen by Anushka Sharma’s blush pink Sabyasachi lehenga. This exquisite hand-embroidered lehenga took 32 days and 67 karigars to complete. It radiated grace and elegance, adorned with pink rhinestones and adorned with motifs of lotus blossoms, exotic birds, and butterflies in gold and silver tilla work. Anushka accessorised her pale pink lehenga with traditional jewellery to complete the look. She gave her bridal ensemble a dash of regal beauty with her mathapatti, layered necklaces, and jhumkas in jadau, pearls, and pink spinel. The bride wore delicate pink lips and soft, smokey eyelids, all in a beautiful color scheme. Virat Kohli, dressed by Mukherjee, opted for a classic ensemble. He wore an ivory sherwani paired with a lightly embroidered tussar stole and a pale pink chanderi safa that perfectly matched Anushka’s lehenga. His attire exuded sophistication and complemented Anushka’s bridal ensemble seamlessly.
Following the wedding, there was a sumptuous lunch that featured house specialties from Dalmia’s restaurant in Milan, Cittamani, including paneer kurchan, rabdi, and filled ravioli made with porcini mushrooms wrapped in Bikaneri roti.
The Royal Reception
The royal reception was held on December 21 in the Taj Diplomatic Enclave, formerly known as Taj Palace, in the Durbar Hall. Inspired by the Peeli Kothi in Benaras, Anushka looked stunning in a crimson Benarasi saree. She accessorized her look with jhumkas from the Sabyasachi Bridal Jewelry range and a heritage uncut diamond necklace, which gave her outfit an added sense of sophistication. Virat dressed tastefully and subtly to match his bride. He exuded refinement and charm as he wore a white silk kurta with handwoven brocade churidaar teamed with a black textured silk trademark Bandhgala.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced the occasion with his presence and offered the newlyweds his greetings. The splendor of the occasion was further enhanced by the presence of prominent cricketers like Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, and Shikhar Dhawan, along with family members of Virat and Anushka.
The Grand Mumbai Reception
At the Astor Ballroom, which occupies the ninth story of The St Regis Mumbai, the newlyweds threw yet another lavish wedding reception. Anushka looked stunning in a Sabyasachi lehenga embroidered with gold. Her gorgeous dupatta was tied around her waist with a Bengal tiger belt, giving her attire a distinctive and royal flair. She completed her ensemble with a necklace and earrings from the Sabyasachi fine jewelry collection, which were expertly made with rose cut diamonds, solitaires, and briolettes. Virat looked elegant and timeless in a traditional navy blue Raghavendra Rathore bandhgala. He accessorized the look with white Jodhpur Breeches, a pink pocket square, and brown leather shoes. To complete her glitzy look, Anushka styled her hair in classic curls that were side-swept and fastened on one side.
After nine o’clock at night, the celebration really got going as celebrities from Bollywood and sports history showed up to join the happy couple. The Bachchan family, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan, and Ranbir Kapoor were prominent B-town attendees, adding to the event’s glamor and splendor. Star daughters Sara Ali Khan and Shweta Bachchan wore Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, while actors Sridevi, Aishwarya Rai, and Katrina Kaif wore pieces by Manish Malhotra. With her Sabyasachi lehenga, Kangana Ranaut dazzled, and Madhuri Dixit and Lara Dutta’s ethereal Tarun Tahiliani creations elevated the party with their presence and flair.
The Wedding Makers:
Outfits: Sabyasachi
Hair & Makeup: Puneet B Saini, Georgiou Gabriel
Planner: The Shaadi Squad
Decor: Devika Narain
Photography: Joseph Radhik
