We are so excited to share this super special video of creative director Punarvi Patel, head of PUNARVI and her adorable husband Arjit Mehta. What happens when you bring a dream team of vendors together? You get one stunning set of wedding celebrations. Spearheaded and designed by Urvashi Mishra, Wedding & Event Planner and amazing floral and decor designed by Decor One by Nalini, we knew that we were in for such a special treat! The triple threat is all the bridal grandeur hand crafted by the bride's company, Punarvi! The bride and groom held all of their celebrations in exclusive locations that included the ceremony at the Dunleith Historic Inn and the Prentiss Club. Among the entertainment, the bride and groom brought on Nathan Kepner, a mystical magician from Crescent Circus. You'll want to hurry over to the full gallery of photos by Midnight Chai Photography to witness the creativity that went into pulling off this Bollywood Royalty meets Southern Charm soiree. But, not before you hit play with this marvel captured by A & A Video.
Bridal Mehndi:
The festivities began with the bridal mehndi on Thursday afternoon. Punarvi and Divya Patel (droolworthy henna artist based in Toronto, @hennabydivya) put their creative heads together to create a personalized design. "Henna should be meaningful to each bride and tell her story," says Punarvi. "We were able to include details important to my life and journey including my furry best friend, Rose Nightingale, a slice of pizza, and our clock wedding logo."
Welcome Dinner:
On Thursday evening, the couple hosted their welcome dinner at the oldest standing building in the Mississippi (1789!) which is now home to critically acclaimed King's Tavern. “There was no way we were going to let our guests leave Natchez without trying their smoked cedarwood + orange blossom water Manhattan,” explains Arjit. Punarvi made her first bridal fashion statement in a beautiful off-white skirt adorned with pink roses which she designed herself paired with an ivory blouse and Needledust jutti shoes.
Mehndi Party:
The following day is when the festivities went into full swing. On Friday afternoon, Punarvi and Arjit hosted an outdoor Mehndi tea party in the garden courtyard of the historic Dunleith Mansion, a picturesque antebellum home built in 1855. To add in a bit of quirkiness to their Mughal Garden inspired wedding, Punarvi and Arjit channeled Alice in Wonderland, with six-foot tall wooden flowers and moss running along the iron-wrought and long oak tables. Guests mingled in the courtyard surrounded by 150+ year old magnolia trees and enjoyed henna while the DJ treated them to modern Bollywood instrumentals.
Punarvi looked stunning in a dusty rose floral Sabyasachi lengha saree which fit this garden party perfectly. She paired her saree with blush Valentino rockstuds and a vintage emerald choker that once belonged to the Nizam of Hyderabad (!!!). Let’s not stop there - the groom wore a floral bandhgala vest and kurta set designed by Punarvi. He stayed comfy in a pair of olive green suede Louis Vuitton drivers. “Punarvi is a magician with clothes. I think back to when we were looking at fabrics to the finalized outfit and I have no idea how she took all the steps to get from A to Z, but she had the vision the whole time,” Arjit says.
A highlight of the event was the caffeinated creations of Steampunk Coffee Roasters, a very charming local coffee shop with an other-worldly flair for presentation. Amongst the personalized menu were iced cappuccinos, chilled herbal teas in a rainbow of colors topped with edible orchids, and the show-stopping agave citronella which saw the barista smoke a brandy snifter with orange blossom water burned on cedar wood, while making the espresso, orange zest, and agave nectar concoction in a shaker and serving it in the snifter (yes, please!). The bride and groom mean serious business when it comes to food so there was no way they were not going to incorporate their favorites such as crepe cake (from Lady M in NYC, of course).
Haldi Ceremony:
The party continued with a joint haldi ceremony. Punarvi kept it clean in an all white lengha with a double-tie back and incorporated the scarlet and gold on her dupatta. The groom complemented her in a white kurta pajama as friends and family covered their faces and body in turmeric during this traditional Hindu pre-wedding ritual. To encourage the celebration, the guests showered the couple with seed paper and yellow flower confetti push pops (you had to be there to see it!).
Masquerade Ball:
On Friday evening, the bride and groom hosted a night of mystery and dancing at their Masquerade Soirée held at an italian renaissance mansion built in the early 1900’s, Prentiss Club. “We wanted to have a party before the wedding where our guests were able to get down and have fun without all the typical speeches and entrances,” says Arjit.
The bride embraced the mysterious vibe with a two piece navy ensemble (inspired by her favorite actress, Lucille Ball) which she designed herself. The outfit consisted of a bodice embroidered with crystals and pearls paired with a navy ball gown skirt with pants (and nude Loubs of course!) She finished the look with a pair of statement emerald and diamond earrings and an emerald cocktail ring. Arjit looked dashing in his custom Brooks Brothers black shawl collar tuxedo and black velvet embroidered slippers from Stubbs & Wootton.
To set the scene renowned pianist, Jonathan Levin, played Phantom of the Opera while masked guests mingled about. New Orleans magician, Nathan Kepner, opened the night by dazzling guests with unexpected and audacious tricks. Integral to their love story, the couple found this night as the perfect opportunity to share their first love, pizza. It was served by men in feathered masks on the dance floor.
Ceremony:
On Saturday, May 6th, Punarvi and Arjit were wed at Dunlieth in an outdoor ceremony. The couple transported their guests back in time with the idyllic Dunleith Mansion covered in hues of crimson and gold. Every little detail was planned for but let's start with the big one, their outfits! Punarvi was a sight to be seen in the wedding lengha she designed herself. “I had a super specific vision for my bridal outfit and wanted to make sure I put out a coordinated message with everything I did,” says Punarvi. As an homage to her mother, Punarvi made a heart out of her mother’s wedding saree and had it stitched on the inside of her blouse so it sat atop her heart, where only she could see it (lovely!).
Arjit was similarly on point in a floral Sabyasachi sherwani paired with a cream colored shawl and a white banarsi silk safa. He rounded out his look with three lines of natural emeralds that formerly belonged to a royal family of India (!!).
Their commitment to detail continued throughout the ceremony. Punarvi and Arjit chose the perfect scent, Jo Malone Sea Salt and Wood Sage, to wear throughout the day. “Scents are involved in our deepest memories. We wanted something special to bring us back to this weekend,” says Punarvi.
The ceremony site was decorated with an abundance of red roses and hydrangeas. The mandap sat in front of the home, a stark contrast of royal red Indian heritage against the backdrop of the pure white antebellum home. Punarvi made her entrance in a vintage two-tone Rolls Royce alongside her brother, Sneh, who accompanied her down the aisle. Sitar and tabla players added to the regal ambiance of the rituals.
Capping off the ceremony, the couple exchanged their wedding bands -- Punarvi decided to pair her engagement ring with a yellow gold eternity band of emerald cut diamonds while Arjit, got a classic band in platinum from Tiffany. As a special touch, he had a pizza slice engraved on the inside (Aww!).
Long tables were dressed in scarlet linens with arrangements of roses and hydrangeas set in golden votives as the setting for the post-ceremony luncheon. Laid out among the greenery were crystal chandeliers, custom pocket watches, and antique keys hung from the trees. For an added touch, the bride and groom incorporated a thaali-style luncheon (because, why not?!) As guests departed, they were sent home with custom made brass puja thaalis engraved with the clock wedding logo.
Hurry back for more Maharani wedding goodness Monday!
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