This Punjabi-Marathi couple’s wedding in Jaipur was officiated by a priestess

Everything about Akshay Broota and Aishwarya Ghonge’s wedding was reminiscent of the early 2000s—harking back to when they first met and began dating. The couple, who have practically known each other since kindergarten, only hit it off sometime in high school. “It all began in ninth grade when I happened to accidentally spill some water on Aishwarya’s freshly painted canvas for an art competition,” Broota explains. “She promptly ticked me off, reprimanding me for being careless,” he adds, describing how their relationship evolved from that tiny squabble to becoming partners for life, when one year later, he decided to ask her out on social networking platform, Orkut.

Over the next fourteen years, the couple crossed several milestones in their relationship, which included a long-distance courtship for five years. A holiday to Europe in 2022 sealed the deal when they decided to make things official one evening in the charming ski resort commune of Morzine, tucked away in the French Alps. “Akshay surprised me with a Studio Ghibli-style video, one of my favourite animation houses,” the bride shares. “The video captured so many memories over the years. It even featured a character called Belphy—a blend of our spirit animals—bee and elephant,” she adds, saying that her gift to him was a series of essays that she had bound into a keepsake book.

The couple decided to take it upon themselves to bring their dream wedding to life, choosing to not burden their parents with the cost of the wedding. Jaipur served as an apt choice for their two-day intimate celebration with 50 close friends and family in attendance. Ramgarh Lodge, Jaipur – IHCL SeleQtions, with its rustic beauty, pale pink facade and lush gardens, set the backdrop for a serene wedding ceremony, coupled with Mohan Mahal, a shimmering mirror mosaic-inspired restaurant at The Leela Palace Jaipur for the reception, and Dera Amer, an ethical elephant sanctuary, for the welcome party. “We had just completed fourteen years together, and the traditional anniversary gift for that milestone is ivory. It just seemed rightly symbolic,” she adds.

The bride leaned heavily towards classic colour palettes for the decor, envisioning a setting that was effortless and centred around rose gardens. “The soft pink walls of Ramgarh Lodge reminded me of pink roses, and they became the inspiration not only for our wedding outfits but also for our mandap, which took the form of a deconstructed rose topiary hedge, open to the sky and overlooking the Aravallis,” she reveals. With the aim of recreating the nostalgia of the 2000s, they crafted several elements that served as a portal to the noughts. “My mood board was filled with pictures from the 2000s, including games we used to play in school, the way we used to dress, paparazzi shots of celebrities from that era; all of which inspired the Y2K detailing,” she adds.