"Love has nothing to do with what you're expecting to get- only with what you're expecting to give- and that's everything."- Katherine Hepburn.

Just like every on-screen romance, every normal love story deserves credit where it's due. Whether it's a modern-day Romeo Juliet or something more mundane and subtle, yet endearing- every wedding tale we come across has given us hope. Hope that there is someone for everyone, despite how we feel sometimes. One such wedding story that we're going to talk about today is of Jyotsana and Apoorv. With a typical 'opposite attracts' trope in its background, the couple is surely an example of the fact that you can find love in the most unlikely circumstances. 

Scroll down below to read all about the duo's gorgeous wedding in Panchkula in the backdrop of the Himachal hills!

Introducing Jyotsana & Apoorv's Wedding

Every time Jyotsana would go out with her friends for a coffee, her mind would wander off into a distance, thinking about where her future lover must be wasting his time on a date that would never lead him to his soulmate. Little did she know that her soon-to-be husband, Apoorv, was in another part of the country watching beautiful sunsets on Marine drive wondering the same!

"My family is from Bareilly, while I am a dentist teaching college in Solan," says Jyotsana, "And Apoorv is a Mumbai based marketer and photographer. So, you can tell that it was very odd that we even crossed paths!"

Food, travel and adventure- these were the things that sparked a connection between these two and soon love made sure that this bond remained forever. Though true opposites of each other in terms of personalities, the eternally vibrant Jyotsana and the soft-spoken and shy Apoorv were a delight for people around them to watch. In fact, many considered it a blessing to witness such a beautiful friendship blossom into an endearing love story.

"I remember I was packing to visit my sister in Delhi when I got a call from Apoorv, who declared that he was in Solan to spend Valentine's weekend with me!" recalled Jyostsana, "I think it was that surprise valentine trip in the hills of Shimla, followed by some unpredictable snow gazing that made me fall in love with him."

All set to exchange rings in April, the couple had planned on a grand engagement ceremony in Bareilly. However, the global pandemic and the lockdown caused them to cancel the engagement. The entire duration of the lockdown proved to a roller coaster ride for the couple.  But, the two and their families strove through nonetheless. Apoorv and his parents achieved the feat of travelling from Mumbai to Chandigarh by road during the nationwide lockdown to prepare for their November wedding!

From planning a full-on Band Baja Masti wedding to considering to pheras in the drawing-room due to covid-19, these two and their families have been through it all. They binged on street food from the first moment of their first date and shared video call meal chats endlessly when virtual reality was all they had in the lockdown, "He is the cherry on my cake, the cheese to my cracker, the pepper to my salt," adds the bride, "And I am the voice to his dreams, the laughter to his lame jokes. In all the chaos, the fear, the falls and lows, we found each other to rise together."

A photogenic dentist and an ever-smiling photographer and their coming together in this hurricane of a year was indeed fate. A year later in November, which seemed like forever, through days filled with fear, sanitisers and a home full of masks and social distancing at its peak, nothing stopped these two from coming together! 

Godh Bharai & Tilak

The wedding week began with the bride's godh bharai ceremony and the groom's tilak function. Taking place at Panchkula's KC Cross Road Hotel, both the bride's and groom's sides gathered at the rooftop deck of the venue, laden with gold, yellow and white. For this function, Jyotsana wore a stunning cream coloured saree with red floral embroidery paired with minimal gold jewellery and a handmade mask. Apoorv, on the other hand, dressed up in a deep gold and maroon kurta, paired with a maroon dhoti pant. Marking the beginning of the much fun celebration, both the families kicked off the event with lots of music and dance. 

Blingy Engagement

Following the first function, both the sides came together in the evening for the bride and groom's engagement. For the engagement, Jyotsana dressed up in a custom made red sequin gown with a matching cape and minimal diamond jewellery along with minimal glowy makeup. Contrarily, Apoorv chose a blue tuxedo which was paired with a red bow tie- an element which he made sure to match with his bride-to-be's attire. From socialising on both sides, to musical shenanigans, while the night began with the couple's exchanging their rings in the most adorable way possible, it ended late with the everyone tapping their feet to Punjabi music and old but gold retro numbers!

Sun-Kissed Mehendi

The mehendi was a close-knit affair took place at the venue where the bride's brigade was taking residence- Hotel Sky5 in Panchkula. It was a bright sunny affair, dotted with pink and white floral decor. For the mehendi function, Jyotsana wore a wonderfully self-designed purple lehenga with multi-coloured prints on the skirt and a mirror work dupatta along with minimal floral choker neckpiece. She paired this ensemble with a mirror work face mask which was custom made by her younger sister. Another part of her wardrobe were her custom made Kolapuris which had the intials of the bride and groom (A&J) on them, made by Talking Toe. 

Talking about her mehendi function and the unique favours the bride and her tribe came up with, Jyotsana added, "I wanted to make this mehendi function as fun as possible and add a personal touch to it. So with my sister and her best friend, we three worked all night to create mehendi favours for all my friends and family, which consisted of a studded colourful facemask and a floral ring- with each package marked with our personal hashtag #AppyKiJoey."

Adding a touching effect to the celebration from his end, the groom also got his hands covered in designs of mehendi, where he made sure to get the tag, 'AppyKiJoey' written.

Sangeet & Cocktail Night

The evening after the sunny mehendi function was the sangeet and cocktail party- a night of music, madness and drunk dancing! With the venue drenched in off-white fairy lights, the sangeet was an intimate and laid back affair with the decor resembling far away twinkling stars. For this, Jyotsana chose a dusty rose coloured attire with specks of gold embroidery, while Apoorv chose to dress himself in a blue and white formal suit. 

Unlike conventional sangeets, where generally both sides of the family get together and put forth dance performances, the couple chose to go with a more cocktail party vibe. After mingling with each other for a while, the couple and their friends and family hit the stage, dancing endlessly for the night. 

Haldi Ceremony

The morning of the wedding was marked by the haldi celebration. Gathering at the venue's terrace, under a slightly cloudy sky, the bride's family held the haldi function. Keeping it simple, the bride chose a golden yellow sharara as her outfit along with red and yellow floral jewellery. From the bride's mother and her aunt's gracing the occasion with their amazing dance moves, to the bride's cousins and friends entertaining everyone with their whimsical shenanigans, this was a heartwarming celebration. Not only was the haldi carried out like a traditional ceremony, but was an exciting affair full of laughter, tears of joy and the bride's amazing latke- jhatkes!

The Wedding

The night of the wedding was a frenzied bliss. As the bride recalls, "I remember walking towards the stage with my parents by my side, all nervous. But once we exchanged jaimalas, everything else became a blur."

The wedding venue was Hotel KC Cross Road in Punchkula, which was decorated in peach and white fineries, along with pastel flowers and a few greens to add a dash of colour. While the rest of the guests looked stunning in pastel colours, the bride walked down the aisle in a beautiful rani pink banarasi lehenga with golden work in the form of floral and elephant motifs from Chandni Chowk. She paired this with a contrasting dupatta in green and kundan and emerald jewellery and a stunning low floral bun. Another endearing factor to her bridal look was her makeup, which was done by her sister along with a few finishing touches by herself, "I always knew that my sister would do my wedding makeup. There was no one else I thought of because, for me, she does exactly the kind of minimal makeup that I like."

The groom, on the other hand, was dressed in a dapper off-white sherwani with golden work and a deep pink stole and safa to match his bride's rain pink lehenga. Walking into the venue in full confidence and swag, the groom graced the stage waiting for his bride, while also whispering funny things to her to keep both their nervousness at bay. 

The gouache affair was truly something to witness, with both sides cheering the couple on as they tied the knot. 

WEDDING VENDORS

Wedding Photographer: Weddings By Studio Natraj | Wedding Venue(s): Hotel KC Cross Road, Panchkula; Hotel Sky5, Panchkula, Hotel Cove, Panchkula | Bride's Outfits: Sooha Saha, Bareilly (Godh Bharai); Chandni Chowk (Engagement, Wedding); Atelier, Greater Kailash 1, Delhi (Sangeet); Ambraee (Haldi) | Groom's Outfits: Park Avenue (Enagegment); Raymond (Sangeet); Ghar Shagna Da (Wedding) | Bride's Hairstylist: Moi Orner (Engagement & Wedding)  | Bride's Jewellery: Harsahaimal Shiamlal Jewellers; Tanishq; Pipa Bella; Joker & Witch; Zaveri Pearls | Bride's Footwear: The Quirky Naari, Jutti By Pastels & Mint, Talking Toe | Wedding Decor & Catering: Hotel KC Cross Road, Panchkula

 

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