Neel & Brinda Abu Dhabi : An unforgettable royal wedding extravaganza set in golden sands of Abu Dhabi

Brinda and Neel 

This royal wedding affair was celebrated at a palace amidst the golden sands of Abu Dhabi at the Emirates Palace which was nothing short of opulent, lively and full of extraordinary events leading to a wedding that harboured joy, love and togetherness.

The Story 

Brinda and Neel’s love affair began on a friendly note through a WhatsApp group chat for a trip their friends had been planning during their break between their semesters. The love birds bonded over the simplest conversations that later turned into love none of them saw coming. The couple grew with each other like Yin and Yang, each complementing the other’s likes and dislikes. Brinda is vivacious, full of life and Neel, a workaholic! But Neel did make constant efforts to please his wife, despite being busy. A million WhatsApp texts, phone calls and a few adventurous trips later, they decided to tie the knot, marking the beginning of their life together.

The Welcome

Both Brinda and Neel were sure of one thing, i.e., they wanted their guests, friends and family to have the best time ever! 

A traditional Arabic band with 26 Russian hostesses greeted the guests with macaroons designed with the wedding Monogram imprinted on them in edible ink. The Hospitality and Welcome desk were decorated with a life-size book and a Ganesh statue. 

A Welcome kit bag was handed out that consisted of a food hamper, a welcome letter in English and Gujarati, key token boxes, a funky shirt for the beach party, sarongs, hangover kits, flip-flops and the event itineraries. Each of these elements was custom made and designed especially for the wedding.

Next, everyone got busy with the beach party. With the theme around Shaam-E-Beach, the venue was decked in several little elements placed strategically to complete the whole picture as per the theme. The entrance had a 

lit #SHAAM-E-BEACH structure along with a colourful contemporary arch gate.  

 The bride and groom entered the venue aka the beach on a quad bike, and as they walked in, hundreds of balloons of various colours were released on either side of them. 

Their seating area was created in the shape of a boat to match the theme. The evening witnessed an electrifying performance by DJ Chetas followed by Rodney and his band. A mini-market was arranged that gave away shirts, neon 

bands, headgears, glow paints and temporary shimmery tattoos.

Morning Mehendi & Sangeet

The theme for the Mehendi was Brindavan, a wordplay on the bride’s name ‘Brinda’ as well as the floral theme depicting “Van” or forest. The couple entered the venue on a chariot led by 25 Russian dancers. Instead of using just real flowers, life-size artificial floral installations were created all across the venue as well as centrepieces. 

Brinda opted for Arabic Mehendi that was beautifully captured by the photographer. Her hands were adorned in gold and white gold jewellery that complimented her white ornamental suit. She looked like the Indian version of Aladdin’s Jasmine with her golden tiara, fused with baby breaths at the back.

The Mehendi and sangeet ceremony were clubbed together. The couples’ family opened the act with a unique performance which was written and dubbed for the occasion. Aishwarya Mazmudar and her band then got the party going till well in the evening.

The Haldi

Brinda was one excited bride who went all out for the wedding and left no stone unturned. The string of joyous events began with the Haldi ceremony where Brinda was happy to be smeared with Haldi by her friends and family. The highlight of the event was the Arab troop that made an appearance in their Kandoras and swords. The bride wore floral jewellery in purple and pink along with a yellow sari.

The Musical night aka Sangeet 

This event was a much-awaited one and was split into two parts. The first half of the evening was a cocktail party with a very Gatsby-esque feel with an 8-string band entertaining the guests. The entrance was set up with a huge LED fog screen decked with images of the bride and groom. The couple made a grand entry on a chariot as the beaming bride sparkled in an ice pink lehenga that she accessorized with diamond jewellery and a floral hairdo. The groom made a stunning entry in his yellow sherwani with gold details. The second half of the event was the Sangeet and the ring ceremony. This one was held in an auditorium where a mesmerizing LED interactive performance by the bride and groom was showcased. This act was shot prior in Mumbai and edited to create an illusion. The performance was followed by the ring ceremony and cake cutting ceremony. The show finale had a vibrant performance by Neha Kakkar.

The Wedding

It was then time for the big fat Indian wedding in Abu Dhabi. The groom and his parents made a smashing entry via a helicopter landing at the round pier. Next, they took a vintage car to the west gazebo. The baraat was then led by 12 Russian performers, a live DJ and Nashik Dhol. The groom looked like the modern prince of Pataudi in his black and gold sherwani layered with royal jewellery. 

Now with the groom’s prince-like entrance, the bride wasn’t the one to be left behind! She entered the venue in a chariot lit with fairy lights making the whole scene very magical!   

The bride looked like a gorgeous empress as she wore a beautiful royal blue lehenga and Mughal-inspired jewellery that had sapphire gems and rubies. The Jaimala ceremony was held with the serene ocean as the backdrop. As they exchanged the garlands, the venue lit up with a large display of fireworks. Next, they moved onto the vidhi mandap. Now, with every element of the wedding being unique and out of the box. The mandap had to be something massive and something that complimented the giant structure of the Emirates Palace! 

But getting the right mandap structure was a task. “After rejecting several designs, we finally decided on four 22 ft. Elephants serving as the pillars to a large star-shaped Vidhi mandap that mimicked the water body architecture of Emirates Palace,” says the bride, Brinda. 

The bride was accompanied by her brothers, followed by 26 Russian performers dressed in unique costumes showering the bride with flowers. As the ceremony progressed, 30 live musicians chanted the Vidhi mantras mimicking the sounds of the heavens. The couple were showered by heart-shaped confetti as the rituals came to an end.

Dream Team 

Photography: 35mm Candids

Event Planner: Events N More 

Location: Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi 

Henna Artist: Mr Harin Dalal 

Makeup Artist: Swati Verma 

Peethi Outfit: Sonam Luthria 

Floral Jewellery: Floral Art By Srishti 

Mehendi Outfit: Qbik

Embroidered Jewellery: Fooljhadi

Groom’s Outfit: Rohit Bal 

Jewellery for Sangeet: Pokhani Couture Jewels 

Beach Party Outfit: Shivan & Naresh 

Shoes: Badgely Mischka & Jimmy Choo