Wedding · Taj Lands End, Bandra · Reception at The St. Regis Mumbai
Jushti and Shanav were nineteen when they got together in 2019. Theirs isn’t a love-at-first-sight story. It grew slowly, over aimless drives and long talks about music and the futures they wanted, through a stretch apart, until they chose each other again.
Their wedding had that same unhurried feel. The ceremony was at Taj Lands End in Bandra, on the lower lawns by the pool, with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in view. Their planners took care of everything, which meant the two of them actually got to enjoy their own wedding.
We photographed every function, from a quiet Lagan Lakhwanu to a reception that looked like it was set somewhere in outer space. Here’s how it went.
Lagan Lakhwanu
First came the Lagan Lakhwanu, the ritual where the wedding is formally written into the lagan patrika. The décor was kept light, just marigolds, so the trays could do the talking: folded pagdis in saffron and red, silver coins, and the invitation itself with a small peacock on the cover.
Griha Pravesh
The Griha Pravesh moved indoors and slowed everything down, with yellow and white blooms and lots of greenery. Our favourite frame from it is also the simplest: a strip of white cloth with a line of red footprints walking across it and rose petals all around.
Mehendi
For her mehendi, Jushti wore an ivory lehenga covered in pastel embroidery. Once she started twirling under the trees, she didn’t stop, and we have three frames in a row of the skirt flaring out. Up close, it was all about her hands: fresh mehendi, stacked bangles and a lot of colour.
The wedding: a red mandap and a sunset varmala
Jushti got ready in a room with the Sea Link framed in the window. Her lehenga was a deep red, worn with an emerald-and-gold necklace, and Shanav wore an ivory sherwani.
The mandap was red from top to bottom: a ceiling of red flowers, brass bells hanging in rows, and baby’s breath to soften it all. It stood on the lawn with palm trees around it and the sea just beyond.
Jushti walked onto the lawn under a canopy of flowers. The couple’s entry came with low fog rolling over the grass, and the varmala happened at sunset, with the light behind them turning warm and gold. One of our favourite frames from the day is Shanav after the garlands, both arms in the air.
Reception: a celestial night at The St. Regis
The reception moved to The St. Regis Mumbai and changed the mood completely. The theme was celestial: deep purples, galaxy prints and a huge moon behind the stage. Jushti switched to a silver lehenga and Shanav to a black jacket. Once the music started, the dance floor filled up, and we slowed our shutter right down to show it the way it felt: streaks of light and a lot of people who weren’t going home early.
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See every photo from the day in Jushti & Shanav’s full gallery.
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