Venice, IT Fusion Wedding by Barbara Zanon Studio

Step into the magical wedding of Anneke & Mohit at the luxurious Aman, where every moment resonates with romance and elegance. Angel Lion's exquisite planning transformed the venue into a starlit realm, setting the stage for a truly enchanting celebration. The air, filled with the fragrance of blooms from La Dogaressa Flowers, added a lush, colorful backdrop that mirrored the day's joy. Our radiant bride, Anneke, was captivated by her ethereal beauty, enhanced by Letizia Cordella's expert touch on her hair and makeup. Each smile, whisper, and tender look between Anneke & Mohit was immortalized by Barbara Zanon Studio, whose lenses crafted a visual symphony of their love story, filled with candid moments and choreographed elegance. As you wander through the visuals and stories of their day, feel the love that danced in the air and let your hearts be inspired. To all our darling readers seeking a tale of timeless love, dive into Anneke & Mohit's wedding day—each detail is a testament to their unique journey. Join us and find a spark of inspiration for your fairy tale. Enjoy!

How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?

We initially met at a long table dinner where we were introduced by a mutual acquaintance. Even though we didn’t really get to chat, there was immediate chemistry. About two weeks later our mutual acquaintance called me asking if he could send my number to someone I met that night. I immediately asked if it was Mohit and he said yes. I was bursting with excitement!

Mohit called me one morning and asked if I would like to go on a date with him.

He invited me to a lovely, very romantic lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river. It was a very stormy day and as I was nervous I tried to postpone saying I’m too scared to drive in the storm. He replied calmly, “don’t worry, I’ll send you an uber, I really want to meet you today”.

I arrived at the restaurant where he greeted me with so much warmth. He could tell I was nervous, ordered me a glass of champagne, took both my hands in his and said, “just breathe, you’re here now”. In my head and my heart I immediately felt safe and I just knew he was my home, my person, my soul mate!

After lunch he looked at me and said, “so what are your plans for the rest of the day?” I told him I have the whole day off, to which he replied, “Awesome! Want to go watch a movie with me?”. I said, “absolutely”. 

As we walked out of the movie, he said, “so, do you want to join me for dinner?” To which I replied replied, “why not!” He took me to another lovely restaurant. We were enjoying each other’s company so much we didn’t want the day to end.

As the day came to an end, he offered to drop me back home to make sure I’m safe but also because we didn’t want to say goodbye yet. He dropped me off. Gave me a big hug and a little kiss on my cheek.

I saw him almost every day after that initial date and seven and a half years later he still makes me feel safe and calm!

Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!

This one makes everyone laugh…

We were in India, visiting family. We knew we wanted to get married but we weren’t in a hurry. He previously asked me my preferences for rings and he knew my ring size.

On our way to the mall one day, we just got in the car in our basement parking garage, he said “can you give me your hand?”.

As he was on my right side I instinctively gave him my right hand. He said, “no, the other one…”.

I gave him my hand and he put the most incredible solitaire diamond ring on my finger and said, “so, you wanna do this?”

My brain took a few seconds to process what just happened.

I replied, “Absolutely! But couldn’t you have made it a bit more romantic?” He said, “I promise you you’ll never forget this and it will be a great story to tell people!”.

He’s actually very romantic, I promise

Tell us how you went about planning your wedding, and your overall experience with the Venues, Hair & Makeup, Outfits, Decor Theme, and all of the other important details.

When we started we knew we wanted to get married in Venice. We both love it there and believe it’s the most romantic place on earth.

When we started our journey we knew we needed to start with finding a venue. We went to see a few venues one day and when we saw the Aman hotel we knew it was just perfect for us! We signed the contract and paid the deposit locking in a date. Everyone there, especially the Banquet & Events Manager, Giuliana was so helpful and generous throughout the whole experience!

Our initial wedding wate was 21 September 2021 - which obviously fell in that time where the whole world was in lockdown. The venue was so patient and understanding and just kept postponing everything as we stayed home hoping the world opens up again eventually.

Once everyone was able to travel again we decided on a date, 23 March 2023.

We knew we would need some help so we immediately searched for wedding planners. We found Amber at Angel Lion. She is a Venice based wedding planner and is without a doubt one of the best decisions we made in this planning process. Her guidance and advice made the whole process so smooth!

With it being a destination wedding we relied on the team there for suggestions. Amber sent us a whole Google doc with all the suggestions, from photographers, hair & makeup, florists, musicians, gift ideas and a whole lot more.

The Aman Hotel is so beautiful, we didn’t need any decor apart from beautiful flower arrangements.

We decided to make the flowers a romantic colourful celebration much like our two cultures coming together.

How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?

For our Outfits we went back and forth a few times but one thing was certain, I did not want to wear white and be a traditional bride. I’ve always wanted a dress that I could potentially wear again.

We flew to Italy in February 2023 for dress shopping and to finalise wedding details like the menu and to meet Amber in person.

Starting in Milan, we spent 2 days in designer boutiques trying on the most fantastic dresses but none of them really stood out.

We decided to see what Venice had in store. The first shop we walked into, Dolce & Gabbana, a lovely woman welcomed us and after I gave her a brief glimpse of my vision, she immediately knew what I wanted! The first dress I tried on was the dress! - The party dress that is!

For the ceremony I wanted to honour Mohit’s culture by wearing a Lehenga. And also, who doesn’t feel like a princess in a stunning Lehenga?

For this I knew exactly who to turn to and exactly what I wanted. Gyans in Gurgaon always has the most beautiful designs and the most talented designers. They knew exactly what I wanted and they made it happen, even though they were concerned about my choice in fabric. Light blue cotton lace isn’t the first fabric you think of when you think Bridal Lehenga.

Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?

What I loved most about our wedding is how we really felt like guest at our own party. There was stress, I had absolutely nothing I needed to do and I could really just enjoy every second and be in the moment with my husband, friends and family!

There was this one moment in the ceremony where Mohit was feeling a bit faint, it was a very warm spring day. He was wearing a black Achkan and after spending about an hour on a boat in the sun before the ceremony for the photo session the heat was getting to him. I extended my hand out and took his hands in mine. He immediately looked calmer.

Lastly, it was so special to have our friends and family there with us, we were so grateful to everyone who traveled so far to celebrate this long awaited day with us.

Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?

Without a doubt hire a wedding planner! It takes so much pressure off of you and if they’re a great team like Angel Lion, you will get to enjoy your wedding like you’re a guest knowing everything is taken care of! This gives you the freedom to savour every single second.

Be prepared for the post wedding “depression” that hits you the morning after. We both sat at the breakfast table, gushing over our perfect wedding. With a sigh we both said, “so what do we plan now?”

Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)

All my Jewelry is made by LD Sons in South Extention, Delhi. My wedding ring, necklace and earrings were specifically designed for the wedding.

Francesca, a very talented mehndi artist based in Florence came to Venice to do mehndi for all the ladies a day before the wedding.

We had our ceremony in the Tiepolo room at Aman Venice. After the ceremony we all went downstairs to enjoy some delicious canapés and drinks in the garden on the Grand Canal.

We headed back up, this time leading our guests through the Grand ballroom to the Yellow room where we had the most fantastic dinner with a harpist playing in the background.

The chef at The Aman made us a delicious 2 tier decaffeinated tiramisu cake adorned with fresh flowers that matched our table flowers.

Bouquet, I asked the florist for 6 white peonies. One for every year we were engaged. Why peonies? Apart from them being my favourite, Mohit gave me a bouquet of 30 white peonies on my 30th birthday in the Ritz Paris.

May it inspire your journey towards a dreamy and romantic wedding day.