VOGUE AUSTRALIA
Sanya Anand and Shiv Abrol headed to a luxury resort in Mexico for a three-day wedding extravaganza filled with colour and culture.
Sanya Anand and Shiv Abrol's love story unfolded over several chapters in their favourite city (and now home town) New York. Both lived in Greenwich Village, studied at New York University (NYU) and only crossed paths in their last month of college. While the couple hit it off almost instantly, Sanya happened to nonchalantly mention to Shiv that she was moving west. Little did he know she meant west of Fifth Avenue and not the other side of the country. But as luck would have it, the duo reconnected months later at a friend's birthday. Seven years on, Shiv proposed to Sanya in Central Park's picturesque conservatory gardens.
Shiv, who is a tech investor and Sanya, an internal medicine physician, both knew they wanted to pick a destination for their wedding that was chic, yet laid-back and afforded their guests an experience to remember.
"We chose Mexico because it echoed our personalities: colourful, playful and a little spicy," Sanya shares. Spread over three days, the wedding celebrations were held at the Rosewood Mayakoba, surrounded by emerald jungles, lazy lagoons and the pristine beaches of Riviera Maya.
As guests arrived for the wedding weekend, the festivities kicked off with a Tulum-inspired white party with bohemian decor and plenty of tacos and tequila. The sangeet and mehndi [Indian wedding functions] were combined as a tropical affair at the resort's beachside palapa, mixing rattan furniture with tonal flowers and lots of votives. "Many of our guests had not attended an Indian wedding before, so to make the experience authentic, we curated a variety of accessories from colourful purses and clutches to bangles and bindis, all sourced from local markets in Jaipur. We included henna artists, hookah and North Indian cuisine," the couple say.
The bride opted for a custom Rahul Mishra lehenga and, along with her stylist, worked with the designer's team to create a one-of-a-kind cape to complement the ensemble. She kept the look minimal with a pearl choker set with turquoise stones from Raabta by Rahul as her jewels for the evening. Her groom wore an ivory Rahul Mishra sherwani, paired with bespoke shoes from Artimen.
As the wedding day arrived, the resort's lagoon lawns were converted into an enchanting setting, complete with a large stone pergola and soft florals that ranged from pinks and corals to berry and mauve hues. "We really wanted to create a floral paradise that was reminiscent of the conservatory gardens where Shiv proposed to me," Sanya says, adding that her groom arrived to the baraat [groom's procession] by boat, while she walked to the mandap escorted by her bridesmaids to the instrumental version of "Can't Help Falling in Love'.
The bride decided on a peach-hued floral silk lebenga from Sabyasachi while Purab Paschim by Ankit Khullar curated her wedding jewels. Her make-up was pared down with nude lips, kohl-lined eyes and a slicked-back bun.
Guests enjoyed servings of chai, churros and tropical- flavoured ice-creams as the evening led to the reception, held in the resort's herb garden. The bride changed into a sari by Rimzim Dadu, paired with dazzling diamond earrings and bracelet. Bold red lips and shimmery lids completed her look.
