Apr 19, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
An Indian wedding is making big news in Florence. Aradhana, the daughter of Aloke Lohia of Thailand based Indorama Ventures is marrying Kuala Lumpur/ London based Kevin Sharma, and since last week hectic preparations have been going on in the city. According to a local newspaper, the city is excited about the wedding, but has been a little inconvenienced too thanks to the outdoor set-ups and elaborate arrangements. Over 500 guests from all the world are attending the celebrations which commenced on Thursday night and go on till Sunday. While most of the guests are staying at St Regis and Westin Excelsior, the different celebrations take place at four different venues- the Teatro della Pergola, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Corsini and Ville Le Corti in San Casciano.
While some of the biggest names in decor and florals from France and Italy are involved with the wedding, a number of artists and wedding specialists have flown in from India. Actress Anushka Sharma arrives with her 5 member contingent to perform at the Sangeet, musical duo Vishal-Shekhar also perform at the Sangeet while noted devotional & playback singer Richa Sharma will sing at the main Wedding function. Ace Wedding Photographer Prakash Tilokani from Delhi is capturing the special moments while Mumbai’s Makeup Maestro Ojas Rajani will dress the bride who will be wearing stunning ensembles by ace couturiers Abu-Sandeep and Tarun Tahiliani.
Aloke Lohia, ranked by Forbes as the richest Indian in Thailand and eight richest man there, hosted Aradhana and Kevin’s grand engagement in Bangkok last year. This is the second time an Indian business baron’s daughter is getting married in Florence. In 2010, Sajjan and Sangita Jindal hosted their daughters marriage there. The Jindals who are close friends of the Lohias are back in Florence, but this time as wedding guests.
Actress Anushka Sharma
It is expected to be the most magnificent Shaadi of the year. The bride-to-be Aradhana is the daughter of Aloke Lohia, the richest Indian and six richest man in Thailand. Aradhana is marrying Kevin Sharma from Kuala Lumpur and expected at the three day celebrations are business tycoons from India, the couple’s family and friends from Thailand and Malaysia and close business associates of Aloke Lohia who is the Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Indorama Ventures PCL. The mega event is being orchestrated by the bride’s mother Suchitra Lohia in association with a prominent Wedding Planner from Delhi. Several other vendors from India including Entertainers and Makeup & Mehendi Artists are excitedly preparing for Destination Florence. The venues for the three day celebrations are the landmark St Regis and Westin Excelsior Hotels and the spectacular estate owned by Italy’s famed Corsini Family. The Lohias have roped in some of the most respected names in the food and floral business from Europe. The Catering is by a famed restaurant from Sorrento and the floral designer is a well-known name from France. With a mix of wedding specialists from India, Italy and France working behind the scenes, this is expected to be an all-new experience for all the wedding professionals.
Landmark hotels St Regis and Westin Excelsior, the venues for the Lohia wedding in Florence.
The last big Indian wedding to take place in Florence was in June 2010 when Industrialist Sajjan Jindal hosted his daughter’s marriage there. Since then a number of Florence based Wedding Planners and venues were looking forward to hosting big and colorful Indian weddings. On that account Florence may have been disappointed, because this is only the second big Indian wedding to take place there.
Villa Le Rose and the spectacular lawns of the Four Seasons, the venues for the Jindal Wedding which took place in 2010
Suchitra and Aloke Lohia have three children. Aradhana graduated from Babson College and was working as a Strategy and Planning Analyst in the family business in Thailand. Their younger son Yash recently joined the family business and youngest son Anuj is studying. Aradhana and Kevin’s engagement was an elegant river side soiree in Bangkok last year.
Mar 11, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Rishi and Neetu Kapoor’s daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni may not get to plan her brother actor Ranbir’s shaadi very soon. But in a few months from now she will be busy with her brother-in-law’s wedding. Akshay Sahni, who is her husband Bharat’s younger brother is engaged to one of Pune’s most eligible singles- Aditi Kirloskar, the daughter of industrialists Atul and Aarti Kirloskar. The engagement was a low-key affair at the Kirloskar residence in Ganeshkhind Road, Pune last month. While the families have not announced the date yet we hear its most likely at a Palace Hotel in Rajasthan in November this year.
Riddhima and Bharat with Ranbir Kapoor
Akshay, like his brother Bharat is an alumnus of Modern School, Vasant Vihar after which he went on to pursue his higher studies at the University of Southern California. He now works in the family business of textiles. Aditi, a graduate from Northeastern University is known to be extremely media shy and a private person with a passion for creative endeavors- she is involved in the family business and dabbles in exquisite home design and decor.
Riddhima Kapoor and Bharat Sahni at their wedding reception. Bride-to-be Aditi Kirloskar
Feb 26, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Three years after one of India’s richest business tycoons hosted his daughter’s wedding in Florence, the city with centuries of history and tradition is set to host a grand Indian wedding again. In April end,
over 400 Indians from different parts of the world, will be flying to Florence for the shaadi celebrations to mark the union of two prominent Marwari families, from Mumbai and Dubai. The three day celebrations will be held at legendary hotels like St Regis and Westin Excelsior while one function we hear is at the estate owned by Italys’ famed Corsini family.
Landmark hotels St Regis and Westin Excelsior will be some of the venues for the Big Indian Wedding in April
Ever year, almost 1,000 couples visit Florence for their dream destination wedding. While the Florence media may not write about many of the spectacular weddings taking place there, there was quite a buzz when the first Indian wedding took place between 4th and 6th June, 2010. News reports from Florence read: ‘Indian tycoon’s daughter marries at Maharajah style wedding’. ‘700 guests this weekend to attend wedding of super-rich Indian’. ‘Fairytale wedding in Florence for daughter of Indian tycoon’. The celebrations then included a welcome-luncheon at the lavish lawns of the Four Seasons hotel and a dinner at Palazzo Corsini, the magnificent palace overlooking the Arno River. The main wedding function was at Villa Le Rose, the luxurious villa owned by the Ferragamo family.
The spectacular lawns of the Four Seasons and Ville Le Rose, were the venues for the magnificent Indian Wedding which took place in 2010
Thanks to the big buzz back in India, Florence’s most prominent wedding specialists and venues were looking forward to welcoming many high profile wedding families. The 2013 wedding is expected to be an equally grand affair, but since many invitees were present at the previous wedding a lot is expected to be different too. The families currently in the middle of wedding planning are in talks with the best names in decor and food; all of them have been asked to keep it quiet and hush-hush. Quite obviously, this is expected to be the most magnificent Destination Wedding of 2013!
Feb 22, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Model and actress Lisa Haydon announced her engagement on Twitter. Her fiance Karan, a DJ by profession is the son of Society Darlings Deveika and Suresh Bhojwani. The groom-to-be announced the good news on his FB page. “I asked and she said YES!!!!! I’m the luckiest man in the world. Lisa and I got engaged last night!!! Love is all you need!!! We are one xxx”.
Born to an Indian father and Australian mother, Lisa Haydon was the face of Lakme Cosmetics. She moved to India in 2007, when she was 21 to pursue a career in modelling. Lisa and Karan have been seeing each other for long, and Mumbai is looking forward to the Shaadi. Will it be a destination wedding by the beach or a grand celebration in South Mumbai? We’re still guessing.
There’s more knotty news. Leggy model Carol Gracias tied the knot with long-time boyfriend Samuel Ziza. The wedding was a traditional Goan Catholic affair at Ashvem Beach, Goa. Samuel who earlier worked as a journalist, is from Paris. Samuel and Carol are business partners too, they run online venture WittyGift, that lets people express their love for family and friends by gifting them experiences wrapped in pretty boxes.
Two of Mumbai’s most talented Fashion Photographers said ‘I Do’ in February. R. Burman’s wedding in Kolkata was an elegant, grand celebration while Prasad Naik’s wedding in Mumbai was a simple affair. The Photographer and Fashion fraternity is now looking forward to the next shaadi celebration- US returned Fashion Photographer Sameer Parekh weds on March 16th in Colaba, Mumbai.
Feb 15, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Its celebration time for the Husains and Palejwalas. Mahera, grand-daughter of celebrated artist MF Husain is marrying Mahir Paljewala and the celebrations commenced yesterday with an intimate and fun Mehendi at Blue Sea in Worli Sea Face. The Nikaah and Reception is at a Hotel in Juhu tomorrow.
Mahera, a hairstylist is the co-owner of Smashh, a salon in Khar. Groom Mahir works and lives in Kuwait.
Feb 8, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Paridhi, daughter of Cyril Shroff, the co-owner of one of India’s most influential law firms, weds Karan, the son of Shipping Tycoon Gautam Adani. And the venue for what is expected to be the Destination Wedding of the season is Grand Hyatt, Goa. While the affair in Goa is expected to be a power-packed celebration with business and legal luminaries, the post wedding reception at the Adani Shipping port town Mundra will be a giant celebration, with over 10,000 guests.
In 2011, Paridhi’s brother Rishabh married Saloni, from Jaipur’s renowned Surana Jewellers family, and the lavish wedding was held at the Jaigarh Fort. Karan Adani, a graduate of Purdue University, is Dr Priti and Gautam Adani’s elder son. He is the presently the Executive Director of Adani Ports and SEZ.
After Paridhi and Karan’s wedding celebrations are over on 13th February, the same venue plays host to another big wedding from 16th to 18th February. The Shah and Sheth alliance, Mumbai based Shahs of Everest Masala and the Sheth Builders.
Paridhi Shroff and Karan Adani
Feb 1, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
It’s a matrimonial alliance between two big builders from Pune. Ankita, daughter of construction magnate Rajesh Patil (of Kolte-Patil Builders) is marrying Rohan Lunkad whose family owns Lunkad Realty. The wedding celebrations are the majestic Umaid Bhawan Palace and the spectacular Meherangarh Fort on 5th and 6th February; the post-wedding reception is at the Patil home on 8th February.
Taj Umaid Bhavan Palace
The celebrations in Jodhpur include a traditional Rajasthani mela, a cricket match between the two families and an evening performance by singing sensation Shankar Mahadevan. The wedding is managed by Ahmedabad based Red Events and expected at the two day affair are a host of business luminaries and politicians from Maharashtra.
Rohan Lunkad works in his family business. Ankita’s passion lies in education, she runs Anisha Global, the school in Pune.
Jan 9, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
“My brother Ravi is getting married in mid-January”, Urvee Adhikari Vyas, the charming fashion designer and daughter of business baron Gautam Adhikari (of Sab TV) called to invite us. Ravi Adhikari is marrying his childhood sweetheart Rubaina, a Nutritionist. At a relaxed photo shoot at their home Adhikari Villa in Juhu, they spoke to us about their Wedding preps.
Ravi and Rubaina
Anjana and Gautam Adhikari tell us they toyed with the idea of a Destination Wedding but then decided on a home town wedding. “We considered Goa and Rajasthan, but finally decided on Mumbai, with the different functions at Hotel Novotel, Hilton and Taj Lands End.” Adds Urvee: “When I got married two years ago, the Wedding was managed by Erina and Natasha of Divinity Weddings, we’ve appointed them for Ravi’s wedding too, so co-ordination is quite a breeze, they know us well and we know them.” The groom-to-be adds: “Dad has decided on the budget, my sister and brother-in-law are taking care of the details so I’m relaxed because I have the least responsibility.” Karan Vyas, Urvee’s husband tells us: “The ladies in the house have taken most of the creative decisions, and I prefer it that way- logistics and co-ordination is more fun than deciding on colors or decor elements.” Ravi and his sister conclude: “And we have the sweetest mom, who says ‘Yes’ to whatever everyone decides on.”
Standing- Anjana & Gautam Adhikari with Ravi and Rubaina. Seated-Karan Vyas & Urvee with the to-be-weds.
Photographs Courtesy- Medhavi Kotecha
Jan 2, 2013 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for
Its Shaadi time at the Ambani home. Nayantara, Dhirubhai Ambani’s eldest grandchild is marrying Shamit Bhartia the grandson of KK Birla. The wedding is in Chennai where Nayantara’s parents Nina and Shyam Kothari live, and to celebrate the forthcoming union, the Ambanis are hosting a special evening on 5th January. The venue is Mukesh Ambani’s iconic home in Altamount Road, the invite from matriarch Kokilaben Ambani is in a blush shade and the dress code is ‘A touch of Romance’. It will be a more than a special evening for the Ambani family- Nayantara is Dhirubhai’s first grandchild to marry and the occasion may bring together siblings Anil and Mukesh, whose professional rivalry has made much news in the recent years.
1991. Tina and Anil Ambani at their marriage in Mumbai.
2011. Nita and Mukesh Ambani
A marriage that will link two of the biggest business families, the four day extravaganza in Chennai is expected to be the most well-attended wedding of 2013. The Kotharis have appointed Mumbai’s Percept D’Mark as the Wedding Planners. The post wedding reception is hosted by the Bhartias in Delhi on 21st January.