AN ISLAND AFFAIR

Designer Sonaakshi Raaj shares how she and restaurateur Nikhil Merani included traditions and fun themes in their destination wedding

- Sonaakshi Raaj

Coffees, parties, and a proposal Nikhil and I first met four years ago through common friends, and then again at my aunt’s Diwali party. Nikhil took my number, and we began going on coffee dates and attending parties together. In May 2018, he popped the question at a romantic private island in the Maldives.

On a grand scale I had always dreamt of a larger-than-life tropical destination wedding, packed with traditional ceremonies. And that is exactly what it turned out to be. We had a plush affair on an island in Thailand. There were four big functions—the dhol night, which we combined with the mehendi ceremony, the sangeet night that also included the chuda ceremony, the sundowner wedding, and the reception.