The latest addition to the Bollywood’s bandwagon of newlyweds includes the handsome hunk Varun Dhawan who wed the love of his life Natasha Dalal. Although due to the pandemic the couple had to abandon their dream of getting married in a destination wedding in Thailand, their ceremony in The Mansion House, Alibaug, was no less beautiful and well-prepared.
In this blog, Bridal Episode will recapitulate intricately one of Bollywood’s big celebrity weddings of the year 2021.
Wedding Venue and Planning
The Wedding ceremony was held in The Mansion House which is a 25 room palace near Mandwa Jetty and belongs to the Ghai’s. The location was selected to be luxurious yet small, and thus suitable for compliance with the guidelines of Covid-19. Being an influential personality of the society and a close friend to the family of Natasha, Ravi Ghai, the Chairman of the hotel, with his daughter, Sumita Ghai, paid special attention to simplicity and the glamorous fairy tale like appearance.
Organizers of the wedding were Shaadi Squad and they provided security at the venue making the fortress like environment to avoid any looser around making any form of intrusion into the event. The event was orchestrated with great precision and the photography was done by Stories by Joseph Radhik.
Mehendi Ceremony
The celebrations began with a lovely Mehendi under the sunny afternoon. The dress code was ‘Indian festive’ and there was even a function floor spread with food there. The menu included an open-air barbeque with live grills and Italian cooking station offering freshly made pizzas and pasta, burrata bar, a cold counter with salads, and a mezze bar. The venue also produced local Alibaug coastal food, including only seafood with locally sourced cuisine and traditional dishes. Natasha was at her best with off-white lehenga that perfectly matched the bridegroom off-white Kurta Churidar by Kunal Rawal. This was even obvious on Natasha’s hands, where mehendi was intricately designed, integrating to her bridal glow.
The decor of mehendi was a romantic bridal bouquet of cabanas, floral table cloths, and sun umbrellas in shades of delicate pink to match the bride’s outfit, strewn with flowers flown in from all over the world. “A Mediterranean brunch in an English Rose Garden.”
Sangeet Ceremony
The theme of the Sangeet ceremony was ‘fabulous and formal’. Natasha looked stunning in the silver lehenga having mirror work on it suggesting her vivacious personality and Varun complemented her in black sherwani with carefully carved embroidery. The Sangeet served Asian appetizers before a formal Indian and Asian themed dinner that catered to the guests’ taste buds by preparing different dishes. The night was packed to the rafters with sparks of dancing, moving speeches, and happy festivities.
Haldi Ceremony
The Haldi ceremony, delayed due to the previous night’s revelries, was accompanied by a Mexican fiesta lunch. There was Mexican cooking along with Middle Eastern food variety which included Mezze and shawarma; and Indian food which the elders preferred included Daal Fry, Biryani and Chapati. Natasha wore a light-colored saree and look striking in yellow while Varun wore simple whites with pyjama for the traditional look. This relaxed feel enabled the bride and groom’s best friends and family to play along and put an aromatic paste made of turmeric on the couple as it represents purity and blessing.
The decor of haldi was a riot of yellow and orange. A playful jhoola (swing) against a floral curtain of marigolds and resplendent giant heliconias lent a whimsical touch to the traditional anointing of the groom.
The Wedding Ceremony
The wedding ceremony had been arranged and done in the most elegant manner. The décor done by Sumita Ghai, was a magnificent mandap of white marble and carving, which had flowers dropping from the center and candles around. Instead of the traditional ghodi the groom arrived on a quad bike and the enjoyment element of the event was replicated by dancing on the number “Aaj Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai” “Tenu Ghodi Kisna Chaadaya”.
Natasha wore an ivory dress while Varun wore a white outfit that blended well with Natasha during the pheras. Natasha chose a simple traditional lehenga with gold and silver embroidery work on it, and went for the simple jewelry look that made her look like an angel. For the function, Varun dressed up in an ivory sherwani designed by Manish Malhotra with a powder blue tint and to match Natasha’s dress impeccably. This particular scene sent bursts of love and joy, knowing that the couple’s vow was shared in the presence of their selected entourage.
Despite being a hush-hush affair, the wedding saw the many Bollywood elites, including Deepika Padukone, Sophie Choudhury, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Shashank Khaitan, and Zoa Morani, amongst others.
The couple’s decision to keep the celebrations private, with a no-photo policy until the official release, added to the exclusivity and charm of the event.
Post-Wedding Celebrations
After the wedding ceremony the pair stood for the media team and thanked the photographers who have been waiting for a long time to cover their wedding. Everyone liked the gesture that the couple made of arranging dinner for photographers.
The last day offered a fabulous dinner with a special selection, the appetizing regional dishes and meals of participants from different countries. The feast comprised a live Singapore-style hawker plaza station, Ramzan special keema kaleji, lamb chops tawa station, gucchi pulao, nalli nihari. Other sweets included winter carrot halwa with pistachio and rose caviar, baked rose-petal filled stuffed gulab jamuns, tiramisu, and Eton mess. They capped the night with the party that went on till the break of dawn.
Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal’s wedding was a perfect blend of intimacy and grandeur, showcasing how love and tradition can be celebrated even in challenging times. Their wedding not only set trends for future Bollywood weddings but also highlighted the importance of adapting to circumstances while cherishing the essence of togetherness and joy.
To have a dreamy wedding like this don’t forget to use the Services of Bridal Episode which will definitely make your ‘Bridal Episode,’ a big hit!
The Wedding Makers:
Venue: The Mansion House, Alibaug
Wedding Planner: Shaadi Squad
Décor: Eventshoppe by Sumita Ghai
Caterers: Intercontinental Mumbai and The Mansion House
Groom’s Outfits: Manish Malhotra
Bride’s Outfits: Natasha Dalal
Makeup Artist: Nishaa Guptaa (Mehendi), Namrata Soni (Wedding)
Mehndi Artist: Veena Nagda
DJ: DJ Bosco
Photography: Stories by Joseph Radhik
