Guess who just got married? (Alright, I will give you some hints). She is an actor, influencer, Youtuber, beauty content creator and recently won the title of best beauty blogger of 2019 by Cosmopolitan & Elle Beauty. Yes! It’s none other than our all-time favvvvv gurl - Malvika Sitlani Aryan! While we LOVE watching her beauty vlogs that are super entertaining and useful for the brides who are getting married soon. What surprised us that during the coronavirus outbreak she got married to her long-time boyfriend & fiancé who are together for the last 11 years and on 17th March 2020 they got hitched which also marks their anniversary date. 

From a romantic proposal planned by Akhil Aryan (our groom) at Greece to the fun-filled engagement brunch party where Malvika looked drop-dead-gorgeous in floral dress paired with voluminous curls by Makeup & Hair By Simran Shah. And finally, to their simple & sweet court marriage, #AkhilGotSomeMal was nothing less than a celebration! 

Meet Malvika & Akhil 

Aww, doesn't #AkiKa look stunning, together? When we spoke to our bride Malvika she said that "We met through my brother Jay since Akhil was his college friend, the first time I was acquainted with Akhil was all because of my brother, as they were best friends and would do all the things you would expect 18-year-old boys to do, from playing video games to partying. I vividly remember that I was about 17 years old around this time, and I found him cute within the first few times that I saw him! He ticked off everything that I probably had in my mind, about what I am looking for right from his attire, to this attitude and personality."  

We couldn't agree more that they are made for each other. right? Starting their love story from high-school and sharing all their highs & lows and ups and downs they ensured that every step they take for their wedding celebrations had a meaningful story behind it with the presence of their loved ones, always. She further added that "the underlying element across all of them was that we wanted each celebration and event to be unique, and away from traditional norms".  

Ensuring to include cute customised candies with their initials written on it to beautiful engagement favors as scented candles #AkhilGotSomeMal was a celebration of true love that will last forever...

A Dream Proposal Where She Said A...? 💍

After years of dating each other Akhil planned a dream proposal for her girlfriend and girl, it was so magical & beautiful. "The proposal was tediously, and discreetly planned by Akhil for months, and took place at Santorini, Greece when we decided to take one of our trips together there," said Malvika.

Known for its splendid sunsets and the everlasting white hues across the cities their wedding proposal was something that left us all in happy-tears! Furthermore, she adds that "We wanted to carry forward the same elements to Mumbai, where we decided to celebrate the engagement and the proposal in November, at Escobar, Bandra." 

An Unconventional Engagement Brunch Party That Was Whoopee! 🥳

Well, after the dream proposal where she said a YES it was the time for some party! Malvika Sitlani's engagement dress that was made from scratch turned out to be FAB & we are still swooning over her outfit. Akhil, Malvika and their families planned an engagement party with over 100-120 guests, which was a whole new experience for the fam-jam. In fact, for the #AkiKa engagement party, they decided to keep the dress code as white and ensured that their decor was of the same genre. Adding to it, she said that "we thought to keep it as persoanlised as it could be, we touched upon elements from Greece and a piece of us across the party." 

OMG! Now, that's what we call a party with 'good vibes only' where everyone danced their hearts out and enjoyed to the fullest! "Right from the bar menu that had drinks & beverages of different moments, and memories between me and him, to the party favors, we got it all covered and it came together as one whole celebration with our loved ones! I was and still am grateful to a bunch of organizations, and brands that came forward and helped me making our first celebration of #Akika, a lot more memorable for us, and the guests, said Malvika."

And, guess what? Just when we thought that they had a sweet & simple engagement we were proved WRONG. "Our engagement party wasn’t the conventional one with the exchange of the rings, and meeting the couple on a stage, but just an intimate yet big celebration of this big new step in our relationship, with elements such as cigars, dancing, and speeches by our family members!" states the bride. 

Customised Elements With Cute Engagement Favors As #AkiKa Candies 🍬

Thanking their loved ones for their unconditional love & support Malvika & Akhil got customised A + M strawberry candies by Papa Bubble India and beautiful scented candles by Lighthaus Candle that were served to the guests as engagement party favors. Oh! Did I forget to tell you that they also had their wedding hashtag LED wedding signage board that was LIT! 

Also Read: Due To Coronavirus #TheRCBGirl Ditched Her Thailand Wedding & Married At Her Nani's House!

Bachelorette Party In Goa With Mother & Mother-In-Law 🏖️

After all the fun & booze it was the time for some rejuvenation with the #bridalsquad in the city of beaches, Goa! Talking about her bachelorette party Malvika said, "Entering the second phase, the bachelorette party, exceeded all my expectations! We selected goa as the destination, keeping in mind all my bridesmaid’s work schedules, and availabilities, and let me tell you, it was everything but the mainstream goa experience."

Living her bachelorette to the fullest in Goa she added that "Put 9 girls into a villa, including your mother and mother in law, and you will be surprised about the memories you are going to make, and the conversations you are going to have. I love being in control of situations, but I also crave the occasional not worrying about everything and just having fun, and all my girls gave me just that. The weekend was just brimming with bachelorette surprises, and things we have never done before, and several meaningful conversations that all of us carry with us even today, making my first ever bachelorette the unforgettable memory we all still talk about when we meet." 

When it boiled down to her bachelorette, Mals wanted to adhere to the norm of 'What happens at a bachelorette, stays there'. Having a strong relationship bond with her #bridetribe she concluded that "while we stuck to that most truly, I feel grateful that it was all in the presence and comfort of my mother and mother-in-law!" 

Court Marriage Where She Became 'Wifey For Lifey' 👰🏻🤵🏻

And, the wedding day arrived! After all their ups & downs it was finally the time for Malvika & Akhil to get hitched for the rest of their lives. With rosy cheeks and a coy smile, Malvika said that "the primary reason was the fact that Akhil & I were so eager to start this new chapter of our life together, by moving in, and experience that for the first time, and the best way for us to do enter our new home, was as husband and wife, and thus we decided to commence our court marriage preparations. We wanted it to be special, and the date signified just that." 

Well, when good things come in small packages it turned out to be a bit different for the couple. And, thanks to the coronavirus outbreak in the world. "The most recent event, my court marriage registration, happened in the middle of a pandemic. 17th March 2009 marks the time Akhil and I began seeing each other, and the value of the day only increased with each passing year, right to our 11th year of being together with a ring on our fingers. We thought, and this year we would celebrate by being married, at least legally. The appointment was taken a month ago, around 17th February 2020, when the virus was far away from India."

Besides, she also added that "I still remember Akhil and me contemplating 2-3 days before the marriage if we are still doing it, and confirming the time and date with the court officials several times. When I knew that it was still going to happen, I could not contain my butterflies or the nerves! I was a jumpy, excited Malvika who kept saying “I am getting married tomorrow” to myself and my girls every hour. Cut to 17th March, we walked out of the car with our families and found our closest group of friends and family present at 10 am, to celebrate with us, and that feeling only got me more excited. However, my life has an interesting way of unfolding, because nothing ever goes as planned. Right when we reached and met the officials, we were told that the servers were down and that it would take hours for them to retrieve it. We all waited together, ate together and finally signed the documents at 3 pm, instead of 10:30 am, but when the deed was done, all the waiting, the impatience of hours faded into insignificance." ❤️

Lastly, I think having our court marriage done during a pandemic and still have the chance to celebrate it with everyone I wanted to, was the most special element, right from waiting with us, to welcoming us as husband and wife, I could not have asked for more. 

Bride & Groom Views & Tips on COVID-19 For Couples Who Are Planning Their Wedding Soon

We know that most couples have postponed and cancelled their wedding. But, we spotted brides like Deepika Ghose & Tarini who got hitched during the pandemic. Similarly, when the outbreak was not too much in the country #AkhilGotSomeMal has few tips to tell from their learnings. 👇🏻✔️

Q. Any special elements you made during this pandemic for your wedding celebrations? 

• The fact that 17th March 2020, which marks 11 years of us being together, is now also the date we got officially married serves as the most special element for all my celebrations so far. An underlying element across all my celebrations so far has been how none of our plans and expectations have been fulfilled, but what has happened instead of it, is a lot more enjoyable & memorable. Right from my engagement party where I stood with the tailor & my team at 1 am fixing the outfit, to Goa where I thought I would plan everything but my girls surprised me throughout to my court marriage amid global chaos! Every moment has taken an unexpected but special turn. 
• We intended to do our court registration on 17th March at the beginning of 2020 itself, when nobody predicted the virus translating into a pandemic as time passes and while we somehow figured a plan around the pandemic to celebrate with our close ones, the servers being down in the court for several hours was not a part of our plan, but the wait only made the moment happier, and a lot more special. 

Q. Difficulties or any challenges you faced during the Coronavirus outbreak? 

There were no major obstacles that we faced, however, I wanted to explore more options with my outfit but owing to the pandemic, visiting stores or even working with labels for this was not possible! We initially wanted to host a celebratory lunch after the signing, however, our plans were shifted indoors, we did not let that tame the happiness in any way. 🦠

Q. Did you cancel any plans? 

We really wanted to fly out of Mumbai the evening of us being married, and spend 2-3 days together as a celebration, and just letting the feeling of being husband and wife sink in, in each other’s company, however owing to the pandemic, we had to cancel our plans, and our family gifted us a 2-day staycation at a hotel in Mumbai. 

Q. Malvika, any tips or advice you would want to give out to the brides who are getting married in 2020-2021?  

I am also a bride getting married this year, just like a lot of the other women, and thus this is a new and learning experience for me and Akhil as well. However, my only advice would be that whatever you do, make sure you and your fiancé/husband are happy, be it the scale of the wedding, or the ceremonies, or where you do it. It’s your special day, and it won’t come back, make the most of it making memories with your fiancé, and your closest family and friends! Adding that she said to follow these 3 precautions for the time being: 

• Don’t book anything yet. I also want to celebrate my wedding this year but we have to be careful where we do it and hold off on all the bookings till the virus goes away completely and we’re in the clear. 
• Don’t rush anything, let’s just take it by the day. 
• Rather have a healthy and happy wedding than a quick and a fearful one.

Final Words From The Bride

Ah! Thought #AkiKa's wedding celebrations are over? Nah! Stayed tuned cos we will get you all the pictures and videos from her October 2020 wedding celebrations soon. "We are still in the process of finalising our final vision of the wedding, and the basic details of it. However, it would be a destination wedding and we both are keen on getting married in the lap of nature, where the hills or mountains are our biggest backdrop and decoration!" concluded by the bride. 

WEDDING VENDORS 

Photographer: Maxos Kapetanakis (Proposal); Lightbucket Production (Engagement Party) | Videographer: Kapetanakis Studios; Fotis Kapetanakis | Venue: El Viento Santorini (Proposal); Vista Rooms (Bachelorette) | Bridal Outfits: Customised dress made by The Mannequin Magiic  (Engagement Party); H&M x Joanna Ortiz Collection (Court Marriage) | Makeup Artist: Malvika Sitlani | Hairstylist: Makeup & Hair By Simran Shah | Wedding Decorators: Flower Lab India | Wedding Favors: Papa Bubble India (Candies);  Lighthaus Candle (Scented candles) 

Looks like we can't control our excitement for her upcoming wedding bells. What about you? 

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