photos from www.masala.com
Last week Shilpa Shetty married millionaire Raj Kundra. Her father almost didn’t make the wedding as he was ill with malaria only a few days before the wedding. Shilpa’s Sangeet and Mehndi ceremony took place at the Bawa Villa on 21st November. Mehndi decorations are intricate designs of henna applied to the hands and feet. The Sangeet is one of the fun filled rituals of Indian weddings, full of song and dance, followed by a lavish meal. Shilpa’s family performed a comical musical choreographed by her friend Ganesh Hegde.
photos from www.masala.com
The wedding ceremony took in Khandala on 22nd November. The groom arrived at the ceremony on a horse drawn chariot. The silver chariot was adorned with lavish garlands of red flowers including orchids, roses and carnations. Raj wore a traditional sherwani in maroon with gold embroidery. The stunning bride wore a red sari embellished with gold embroidery and hundreds of red Swarovski crystals. The bride and groom both wore garlands of fresh flowers in red and white. The garlands are much longer than Hawaiian style garlands. The red and white flowers symbolise fertility and purity. The ceremony is normally conducted under a mandap, a canopy with four pillars. The couple walk around a sacred fire (Agni) seven times making vows of love, duty, respect and fidelity to each other.
photos from www.masala.com
The reception was held on 24th November at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai. The hotel was decorated with flowers and butterflies. Shilpa wore a fabulous gold lehenga-style evening gown and Raj wore a black sherwani. The centerpiece was the amazing 9 tier wedding cake. It weighed over 80kgs and contained chocolate, candied fruit and nuts. The guests enjoyed a selection of Indian, Italian, Thai and Chinese dishes.
