Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’s three-day destination wedding is what dreams are made of.
With connections so A-list, Priyanka Chopra was bound to have a wedding that doubled as one of the year’s biggest social events. “But we wanted to keep it super intimate with just family,” the multi-hyphenate said to Ellen DeGeneres during an interview about her nuptials with American musician Nick Jonas in December 2018 at the Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, that welcomed about 200 family members and close friends. Ahead, Bridal Episode is throwing it back to the fateful walk down the aisle, as we relive our favourite moments from their ‘I dos’ in Rajasthan, and share rare glimpses of their gorgeous Hindu and Christian ceremonies.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s Themed Bridal Shower
To start: a bridal shower at the new Tiffany & Co. Blue Box Café, where the bride-to-be donned her first of what promises to be many stunning bridal looks. Chopra arrived to Tiffany & Co. on New York’s Fifth Avenue in a Marchesa midi-length strapless column gown with a feather-embroidered skirt, Christian Louboutin pumps and (what else?) Tiffany & Co. jewels. The actress, who worked with stylist Mimi Cuttrell on the look, opted for easy, polished hair and natural makeup for a look that infused a bit of glam into a silhouette that felt, dare we say, like a modern day Audrey.
The Bachelorette
The actress took Amsterdam by storm with her girl gang. The pictures from her Dutch bachelorette gateway showed the actress painting the town red with her group of friends including cousin Parineeti Chopra, sister-in-law Sophie Turner, Tamanna Dutt, Mamta Anand, Isha Ambani, Srishti Behl Arya, Chanchal Dsouza, Dana Supnick-Guidoni and Elizabeth Chambers Hammer.
Pre-Wedding Puja
The couple kicked off their Indian festivities with a small puja at the Chopra’s residence in Juhu, Mumbai. While Priyanka Chopra opted for a powder blue kurta set by couturier Manish Malhotra, the groom-to-be complemented her in a light pink kurta and pyjama, also by Malhotra. Considering it was a small puja at home, the ceremony was attended only by Chopra and Jonas’ family members, including the bride’s cousin Parineeti Chopra, Nick’s brother Joe Jonas who attended with fiancée Sophie Turner, along with other close friends.
The Haldi
The first event that the power couple celebrated was the grand haldi event. Notable instances included the bride’s cousin Parineeti Chopra and the famous Indian-Canadian comedian and celebrated TV host Lilly Singh, who was not shy to rub turmeric paste on the groom. For the daytime event, Priyanka Chopra wore a white anarkali outfit designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla with red piping to highlight the look. She completed her look with a maang tikka, earrings set, statement necklace set by Golecha Jewels, which she wore during the rituals; she also wore pink bandhini dupatta during the rituals. Nick Jonas looked great in a modest kurta set that perfectly complemented her look.
The Mehendi
Another crucial ceremony in an Indian wedding is the Mehendi where the part of the girl is crucial. “Once again we made it our own and it was an afternoon that kicked off the celebrations in the way we both dreamed,” Priyanka Chopra said on her Instagram page. The theme for the event was an ode to the host city, Jodhpur, and had a sea of blue, yellow and white palette running across the poolside. Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, the designers for the bride and the groom also had orchestrated the theme for the mehandi ceremony. The event was then turned into a fun side with a cricket match between the two teams of the bride and the groom.
The Sangeet
“The Chopra family decided to depict Mimi didi and Nick’s love story though songs, scenes and skit—full Bollywood style! The whole family rehearsed for days and days. And were ready to beat the Jonas side hollow! But when the ladka wallas came on stage, they stumped us. They had been rehearsing for a long time. They sang and danced LIVE, including lip syncing hindi songs,” Parineeti Chopra revealed, giving a glimpse of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ movie-worthy sangeet night. “It all began as a fierce song and dance competition between the families but ended, as always, as a huge celebration of love,” Priyanka Chopra added on her Instagram later. The #NickYanka sangeet had all the trappings of a blockbuster—the groom’s solo performance, Chopra and mother Madhu Chopra’s mother-daughter dance, a performance by Nick’s brother Joe Jonas and his wife Sohpie Turner, all dressed in traditional Indian fineries. Ditching predictable lehengas, the evening had the bride relying on a glamorous metallic sequinned sari by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and a strappy blouse. The groom picked a blue bandhgala by the same designers.
The Pheras
Honouring Priyanka Chopra’s Hindu roots, the couple first wed with conventional pheras on December 1, 2018. The bride chose a stunning red Sabyasachi lehenga for the special occasion, which took 110 embroiderers from Kolkata a total of 3,720 hours to custom create the piece. The lehenga was topped off with delicate hand-cut organza flowers, French knots in silk floss and layers of threadwork. “An Indian getting married to an American, Priyanka wanted her wedding outfit to represent both their cultures. We took the route of creating Indian bridal wear with elements of European couture. Priyanka was very clear that she wanted to wear red. Her outfit had all the markers of an Indian bride—bindi, sindoor, nath, maang tikka, traditional jewellery and kalira. She wanted to preserve her memories and emotions in everything. So we got Priyanka and Nick’s names inscribed on her waistband along with her parents’ names,” the designer told us in an exclusive chat. She finished her look with a long veil and a generous dripping of diamonds (think 90+ carats of uncut diamonds, emeralds and Japanese cultured pearls set in 22 carat gold by Sabyasachi Jewelry). Jonas wore a gold, hand-quilted silk sherwani with a chikankari dupatta and a chanderi safa.
The White Wedding
In keeping with Nick Jonas’ background, the two also wed in a Christian ceremony that was officiated by his father, Paul Kevin Jonas. For the bride, that walk towards the altar was an unforgettable one. “I was definitely nervous and scared,” Priyanka Chopra revealed to us in an interview. “I’ve spoken in front of heads of state, I’ve been on some of the most prolific stages in the world, but I was most afraid on this day! I think the most special moment was when the curtains opened and I saw him [Jonas] for the first time right at the altar and I was going to walk out… everything felt right. I think that for me was the most overwhelming moment, I was just like ‘Life’s great, nothing to worry about’.” One of the sweetest videos from the special day shows Nick Jonas wiping away a tear as he watches Priyanka Chopra make her way towards him. The bride was given away by her mother Madhu Chopra.
Chopra, who made her first public appearance with Jonas at the MET Gala 2017 dressed in a floor-sweeping trench by Ralph Lauren, relied on the American designer for her bridal outfit. Although not a common choice for bridal wear, but certainly a serendipitous and an iconic one for the star. In the last 50 years, Ralph Lauren has only dressed three brides, his daughter, his daughter-in-law and niece, making Chopra’s gown one for the books. Her bespoke creation exemplified the highest levels of exquisite, meticulous handwork. According to Lauren, 15 artisans in Mumbai hand-embroidered the coat with a variety of complex techniques, from fine cording to tulle appliqués and pastiche threadwork inspired by Chantilly lace, for a total of 1,826 hours. The gown bore two million pearlescent sequins, 5,600 seed beads, and 11,632 Swarovski crystals. Chopra’s bridal gown wasn’t just about the fanfare; it had a number of sentimental tributes, too. At the bride’s behest, the wedding gown was incorporated with eight special words and phrases, including Hindu mantra, “Om Namaha Shivay,” “December 1, 2018,” the date of the ceremony, the groom’s name as well as the names of her parents. A piece of lace from the dress Nick’s mother wore at her own wedding was also sewn into the pattern.
Reception
The power couple hosted an extravagant wedding reception at the Taj Palace in Delhi to kick off their post-wedding festivities, mirroring the B-town custom. Nick looked stunning in a black tux with a bow tie, perfectly complementing Priyanka’s stunning champagne gold lehenga, which kept her loyal to her desi girl attitude.
B-Town Reception
Further getting Bridal Episode flattered with their Delhi reception looks, the couple left us baffled and of course wanting for more. The couple were all set for jazzed up reception and they’ve left us spellbound with their looks just like every time. The flamboyant aura of the couple was simply unmatched. Period. While Priyanka looked effortlessly radiant in an embroidered and sequins and crystals encrusted skirt and top ensemble, Nick donned a smart black tux.
