Couples spend an unprecedented amount of time and energy into selecting the ideal time for their wedding. And this meticulous wedding planning is, of course, followed by the selection of the right venue, the right destination, the decor and much, much more. Especially when it comes to a destination wedding, where couples pour their heart and soul into planning their wedding day. However, with the global COVID-19 outbreak, going abroad for a destination wedding has fallen into the 'no option' zone.

And this was exactly the obstacle that our newlywed couple, Tarini And Nikhil, came face to face with thanks to this global pandemic. However, the rising virus outbreak did not deter their determination to hold their wedding. The couple moved their wedding to Delhi, instead of Thailand and decided to hold an intimate ceremony with friends and family. 

Meet Tarini & Nikhil

The year was 2006 when a man and woman had a chance to counter in the fun and vibrant setting of a summer camp in Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh. Surrounded by the hills of Himachal, the couple initially did not hit it off well. As Tarini recalls, "We didn’t get along during the camp."

But, fate had something entirely different in store for the two.

"We met at its reunion a few months later where Nikhil managed to get my number from a friend - and the rest is history!" reveals the bride. 

The Proposal

History was indeed kind to the couple. After a novel romance that went on for a few years, the couple decided to tie the knot in a grandiose destination wedding in Thailand. Both Tarini and Nikhil travelled back to the place where it all started for them in the Tirthan Valley. There, at the very campsite they had first met, Nikhil went down on one knee and proposed to the love of his life most nostalgically and epically possible. 

The Engagement Ceremony

After the dreamy proposal, Tarini and Nikhil had an intimate Engagement ceremony in Delhi, where friends and family gathered to celebrate the couple's beginning of togetherness. For her Roka, Tarini dressed up in a gorgeous baby pink mirror work lehenga by Abhinav Mishra. The #tandonetara was a lighthearted get together, where everyone rejoiced. 

The Wedding That Was Meant To Be

They had poured their heart and soul into planning their wedding on the beaches of Thailand, only to be left stuck at the very last moment due to the Coronavirus taking effect on South-East Asian countries in the early days of the outbreak. The bride, Tarini recalled how they were left feeling confused because of the situation. Having flown back and forth between India and Thailand over the last year, they had done it all. From taking trips to multiple properties, to meeting their Thailand based decorators and planners, and even food and cocktail tasting for the final menu, the couple did it all. They had their perfect beach wedding all planned and ready to be executed. 

"However, the world had a different plan for not just us, but everyone, as the coronavirus started spreading rapidly in China and then in so many other countries," reveals the bride, "All our guests had confirmed tickets, but many felt apprehensive about flying, and rightly so, as the situation was so unprecedented."

However, as Plan A collapsed, Plan B was put into action.

Since travel restrictions had been placed by many countries, travelling overseas with her wedding entourage was out of the option. The couple quickly accepted the situation at hand, even though they were both disappointed and sad. And then relocated their wedding to New Delhi.

With just 10 days left for their actual wedding date, they quickly booked their venues and contacted all the required vendors to get their wedding gears going. 

The Bridal Shower

Tarini's friends and sisters threw her a wonderful bridal shower, just a week before the wedding. The bridal shower took place at Tarini's home in Jor Bagh. And the theme of the shower was shades of pink. The bridal shower thrown by the bride's tribe was a blast, with grand music and lots of booze!

Groom's Haldi

Nikhil's Haldi ceremony took place at his family home. With friends and family gathered, everyone had the time of their lives. And the groom was surely painted in not just Haldi, but also doused in water, beer and much more. 

The Musical Cocktail Party

In the evening, after the groom's Haldi, the entire wedding brigade moved to MorBagh Farms in Chattarpur for a festive cocktail party. For their cocktail party, Tarini donned a gorgeous pink lehenga by Anita Dongre while Nikhil was dressed up in a bandhgala suit designed by his mother.  The cocktail went on till late evening, marked by much celebration and musical numbers. The family and friends of the bride and groom surprised everyone with their carefully choreographed dance performances which added stars to the night!

The Sundowner Mehendi

The next day, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the wedding entourage gathered for the Mehendi ceremony at SNG Farms in Chhattarpur. For her Mehendi, Tarini wore a gorgeous yellow lehenga with a floral choli from Yashodhara paired with Gota jewelry from Fooljhadi. Nikhil, the groom, however, looked dapper in a light kurta pajama by Rahul Mishra.

Bride's Haldi & Chooda Ceremony

On the wedding morning, the bride's Haldi and Chooda ceremony took place at her home where her friends and family gathered for a quaint ceremony. After a small pooja, Tarini wore Chooda and Kaleeras which were from the brand Prune. This was followed by a merry Haldi celebration. 

The Wedding Ceremony

“Miraculously, and with a lot of help and support from our families, we pulled off a wedding on the same date, in the same way, that far exceeded our expectations of the best wedding we thought we’d host in Thailand," recalls Tarini. She was amazed at how Nikhil and she managed to make it all work on such short notice, " I cannot begin to explain how elated we were to pull something so grand at the last-minute! We also decided to give our wedding a new hashtag – #6dinshaadiin. It was all possible because we were surrounded by the warmth and love of our friends and family who made the celebrations even better.”

The afternoon after the bride's Haldi, everybody gathered at MorBagh Farms at Chhattarpur for the Jaimala and Pheras. Before the bride entered, the groom graced the occasion with a melodious excerpt from the song 'Tune Kaha" much to everyone's delight.

Here's a glimpse at the bride's glorious entry under the beautiful 'phoolon ki chadar' and the couple's Jaimala. 

For her wedding, Tarini donned a gorgeous pastel green lehenga by Sabyasachi. Whereas Nikhil dressed up in a gorgeous sherwani designed by her mother. The couple finally took their pheras on sunset, surrounded by loved ones. With the pheras done, the wedding celebration came full circle. 

Final Words From The Bride & Groom

"Nikhil and I were planning to have a March wedding because we wanted it to be one of the last ones of the season (all our friends are getting married so we wanted a good break between theirs and ours)," remarks Tarini, "Little did we know that it would be the last wedding for a long time because of the Coronavirus outbreak! So basically, we ended up planing 2 weddings, one in Thailand over a year and the other in Delhi over just 10 days! Our families came together to support us in this decision in a manner none of us thought was possible - it was truly a force of nature! Our resolve to getting married on the decided date was so great that we didn’t care about the lack of time for the wedding in Delhi! We all had moments of despair, frustration, and disappointment but the result was so gratifying that it was all worth it! The wedding exceeded all our expectations - we were surrounded by the people we love and there was so much warmth omnipresent throughout the celebrations!"

Tarini and Nikhil also shared a few encouraging words for all the future brides and grooms out there, "For everyone whose plans are getting dampened by Mother Earth, don’t worry, everything happens for a reason and it will make perfect sense when the actual celebrations take place! All’s well that ends well - but for me and Nikhil, it’s just the beginning of the rest of our lives!"

Experience With Vendors

Photographer: Hitched and Clicked

"They remained constant when our wedding was in Thailand and in Delhi, truly the best decision ever made!"

Makeup Artist: Paveena Rathour

"She did makeup for me, my mom and sister! Our looks on all three days were exactly like we wanted them to be - natural and easy! Along with that, she managed to make us look spectacular for each occasion!! She was very helpful, punctual and understanding of our needs during the hectic wedding weekend!"

Wedding Planner: Nishchay Gandhi

"We had local planners in Thailand and had spent so many months planning each detail of the destination intricately. However, to get the wedding planned in 10 days in Delhi, we got Nishchay Gandhi as the wedding planner. The team set things in motion and were ready with all lists and options for vendors as soon as we told them we needed something! They helped us out immensely and the result was fantastic!"

Wedding Decorators: Eventfully Yours by Jasneet & Eka Weddings and Events 

"We had local decorators in Thailand - so, many Skype calls and physical visits later, I had my mood board ready which was very special to me. When we shifted destinations, I knew I wanted the same mood board because I’d spent months searching and shortlisting each element! Our wedding decorators in Delhi - Eventfully Yours Design for the cocktail and wedding and Eka Weddings for the Mehendi took the mood board to another level! They managed to keep everything I wanted and added aspects to tie it all together that I hadn’t even thought of it! The professionalism and speed with which they acted were very impressive!"

Wedding Invites: Samreen Chawla Design

"Our wedding invitations and destination collaterals were designed by Samreen Chawla Design - and hands down was one of the best experiences I had! Personalising stuff and making it unique to our wedding was something very close to my heart! Initially, everything had a beachy theme from the save the date to the wedding itinerary. However, when the wedding shifted to Delhi, Samreen was so proactive in coming up with a Delhi itinerary that was even more fun than the destination designs! She kept all the elements I wanted intact and adapted them to the wedding here. She also designed a horde of other things like confetti cones, tent cards, giveaway tags.  She was on point with all her designs and super prompt execution, also she was super understanding with the extremely tight deadlines when the venue got shifted as well."

WEDDING VENDORS

Photographer: Hitched and Clicked | Bride's Outfits: Anita Dongre(Cocktail), Yashodhara (Mehendi), Sabyasachi (Wedding) | Groom's Outfits: Rahul Misra (Mehendi), Bespoke (Wedding), Bespoke(Cocktail) | Venue: MorBagh Farms Chhattarpur,  SNG Farms, Chattarpur | Makeup & Hairstyle: Paveena Rathour | Decorators: Eventfully Yours by Jasneet & Eka Weddings and Events | Wedding Planner: Nishchay Gandhi | Wedding Invites: Samreen Chawla Design | Bridal Jewellery: Fooljhadi (Mehendi), Prune (Kaleeras) | Caterers: Varun Tuli (Mehendi), Morbagh Farms (Cocktail & Wedding)

What do you think of this couple's wedding and their decision? Leave down your thoughts in the comments!

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