By Vennette Lailani Seprado
Bollywood crossover superstar and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra wed American singer, Nick Jonas at a lavish multi-day affair in India over the weekend.
Following the couple’s Mehendi ceremony, a traditional practice where the couple is adorned with henna tattoos, the bride and groom were married in a Western ceremony on the lawn of the beautiful Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.
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The bride walked with her mother in hand wearing a traditional hand-beaded gown by Ralph Lauren. The sheer, long sleeve gown was a “hand-beaded and hand-embroidered dress featuring floral and scroll motifs, lace-effect tulle appliqués, scalloped sleeves, and a high-neck collar,” according to People magazine. It reportedly took 1,826 hours to create using more than two million mother-of-pearl sequins. If you think that’s over-the-top, her show-stopping veil was a 75-feet long raw tulle fabric held by multiple attendees.
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Priyanka’s gown wasn’t just a display of extravagance. Hidden details incorporated in the gown had sentimental value to the bride. Eight words important to the bride were stitched onto the dress including her new husband’s name, the name of her parents and their wedding date. A piece of her mother-in-law’s wedding dress was also sewn into the look giving more meaning to the union.
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To pay homage to the designer who dressed them both for the 2017 Met Gala where they had their first red carpet appearance together, the groom also wore a Ralph Lauren double-breasted black tuxedo and custom patent shoes. A small piece of his bride’s dress was sewn into his tuxedo lapel with the words “My Jaan,” Urdu for “My life”.
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Guests were treated to an extravagant feast at the palace grounds after the ceremony. The highlight of the evening was the cutting of the couple’s 18-foot wedding cake. Nick commissioned the six-tier cake from chefs he had flown in from Dubai and Kuwait. The magical evening ended with a spectacular display of fireworks.
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A more traditional Hindu wedding followed the next day. The bride wore a striking crimson lehenga by top Indian designer – Sabyasachi. According to the designer’s Instagram, 110 embroiderers from Calcutta, India took 3720 hours to create his modern masterpiece including hand-embroidered and hand-cut organza flowers, French knots in silk floss, delicate Siam-red crystals.
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The bride looked resplendent in her Mughal jewelry crafted with uncut diamonds, emeralds, gold, and cultured pearls. The groom, on the other hand, looked like a Mughal prince in his golden ensemble from the same designer.
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The extravagant display continued at the couple’s wedding reception, which took place at the Durbar Hall in the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi. Photos circulating in social media showed notable guests at the reception, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the beautiful Sophie Turner from Game of Thrones fame (the bride’s sister-in-law).
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The stylish coupled appeared at their reception party wearing a champagne Falguni Shane Peacock lehenga choli (a traditional Indian skirt and blouse) with silver embellishments depicting elephants, birds, and butterflies for the bride and a dapper blue velvet suit for the groom. Another reception is said to take place in Mumbai for the bride’s friends and colleagues in the industry.
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The couple’s wedding was an amalgamation of both their cultures. They planned a wedding event that combined meaningful wedding traditions from both their faiths. The opulent details of their wedding may be the talk of the town now, but at the core of it all is a union of two like-minded individuals who have been challenging social norms since the start of their whirlwind romance.
