Celebrity weddings set the tone of the shaadi season and we already know what to expect this year. Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul’s wedding pics were a lesson in minimalism, and the first look of the couple made a striking impression. We loved the muted tones and the dreamy vibe, very similar to that of #Virshuka. If you’re planning your big day, here’s where you’ll find everything on the first celeb shaadi of 2023. From the professionals who put together the whole show to designers, guest outfits, venue details and other elements that made it memorable.
The Athiya-Rahul Love Story
Bollywood actress Athiya Shetty met cricketer KL Rahul through a common friend in Feb 2019. The two successfully kept their relation under wraps for months and it was only later in December that they posted a pic together. While that didn’t confirm anything, a cryptic post by designer Vikram Phadnis got fans speculating. Skip to 2021 and Athiya was seen cheering for KL during cricket matches. They were endorsing brands together and even leaving mushy comments on posts!
Sundowner Events Make For The Prettiest Pictures!
The festivities were spread across three days, starting with a cocktail party on January 21. This was followed by mehendi and sangeet the next day. The South Indian wedding ceremony took place on January 23 around 4 PM.
Getting Married At Home Has Its Own Charm
Dad Suniel Shetty’s Khandala farmhouse, Jahaan, made for the perfect wedding venue. Athiya wanted to get married at a place that meant something to her, and the 17-year-old family home was just that. Surrounded by lush greenery, the property combines modern and contemporary art, vintage designs, and natural elements. Check out the video below for a tour of the wedding venue:
The Professionals Who Brought It All Together!
Rani Pink, who did the decor for Sonam and Anand’s wedding, were roped in for Athiya-KL’s special day too. Founder Anika Dhawan described her experience in an Instagram post as “designing for our own extended family”. As per reports, the entire house was decked up in 300-400 kgs of white roses. Shaadi Squad, who have to their credit various celeb weddings, were the wedding planners for the event. The company, led by Tina Tharwani, Manoj Mittra, and Saurabh Malhotra, has worked with clients like PC-Nick and Anushka-Virat in the past.
The wedding was photographed by Stories by Joseph Radhik. The award-winning team of photographers have to their credit a majority of celeb weddings. Emerging as another celeb-fave, House On The Clouds took over the videography, a glimpse of which we’re yet to see.
Good Food Sets The Mood
Foodlink, founded by Sanjay Vazirani, were in-charge of the catering at the wedding. They have previously managed catering at quite a few events hosted by celebrities like Deepika Padukone and the Ambani family.
Decoding Athiya’s Bridal Look
Athiya kept the minimalistic vibe alive as she opted for a pastel-hued lehenga. As is with every bridal outfit, there’s more that meets the eye. Scroll ahead for all the tiny little details that make it that much more special.
The Designer: Athiya chose to go with designer Anamika Khanna for her big day. The outfit was entirely handmade and took approximately 10,000 hours to complete. Anamika shared that she kept the bride’s strong personality in mind while designing the outfit. It took the artists 416 days to put together this fine piece of art.
Subtle Elements That Make A Statement: The ensemble featured a full-sleeved blouse that was teamed with a high-waisted matching lehenga. Our favourite part? The chikankari work! We rarely see brides choose chikankari and we bet we’ll see a lot more of it during the coming months.
If you loved Athiya’s lehenga, here are two chikankari options that are perfect for a day wedding function:
Veil Of Dreams: The dupatta made Athiya’s outfit look right out of a fairytale. The sheer, silk organza fabric perfectly complemented the heavy embroidery on the lehenga.
A Lesson In Minimal Accessorising: The jewellery flawlessly matched the aesthetic of the pastel outfit. A regal polki neckpiece, matching earrings, and a delicate maangtikka from Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas completed her look. We love that she ditched a long layered neckpiece that usually takes away from the beauty of the blouse.
Not Your Basic Kaleeras: Athiya’s kaleeras definitely stole the show! Giving the heavy ones a rest, the bride went with dainty kaleeras by Mrinalini Chandra that featured tiny sun and star trinkets. We bet there’s a story behind it, and we can’t wait to get the deets!
If you too are getting married this year and want a unique pair of kaleeras, we highly recommend Minerali Store, and Abhika Creations. They even offer customisation options, so you can actually get something to match your personality.
The Artist Behind The Art: The phenomenal look was put together by celebrity stylist, Ami Patel who also styled Alia Bhatt for her wedding.
The Makeup: Athiya’s bridal makeup was as minimal as it gets. Bollywood’s favourite, Namrata Soni did the bride’s hair and makeup, keeping in mind the blush tones of her outfit. The spotlight was on her flushed cheeks and sculpted jawline. And with her hair styled into a centre-parted low bun, Athiya ensured all eyes were on her flushed makeup look.
Recreate her glow with these products:
The Suave Dulha!
Cricketer KL Rahul complemented his bride in an ivory sherwani, also designed by Anamika Khanna. Styled by Rahul Vijay, his ensemble was complete with a long, embroidered overcoat and a dupatta around his neck. The dulha spruced up his look by opting for a layered emerald neckpiece.
Decoding Looks From The Other Functions
Haldi Look: Athiya opted for an ivory anarkali with a gorgeous gharara designed by Ritu Kumar for her haldi ceremony. The outfit was adorned with handcrafted gold gota that took 2,000 hours to embroider. A matching dupatta, a statement maangtikka from Birdhichand, dainty earrings from Shri Paramani Jewels, and juttis from Fizzy Goblet completed the royal look. For the makeup, Simran Gidwani went with nude pink lips, a glossy base, and tonnes of highlighter. The groom twinned with the bride in an ivory kurta by designer Anamika Khanna.
Mehendi Look: The actress wore a pastel yellow custom chikankari lehenga by Anjul Bhandari. Baby pearls, sequins, and over 39,000 Swarovski crystals adorned the handwoven 24-kali lehenga. A heavily embellished dupatta was beautifully draped over her shoulders like a cape by celeb saree drapist, Nisha Desai. The look was accessorised with ornate gold and polki bracelets, a maangtikka from Shri Paramani Jewels, and antique earrings from her nani’s collection. The moon-inspired statement earrings had a sleek chain and multi-colored beads. Her look was completed with subtle eyeshadow, sleek eyeliner, and pink lips by Namrata Soni. Not just Athiya, even KL Rahul stole hearts with his grey outfit. He wore an embroidered kurta set with a Nehru jacket.
The Muhurtham Ceremony: The Muhurtham ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual that signifies the start of the wedding. Athiya donned a gold, handwoven kanchivaram saree by Madhurya Creations that was draped by Nisha Desai. It was paired with a pink blouse, a statement choker, a guttapusalu necklace, and matching earrings from Jadau Jewellery by Falguni Mehta. I loved her gold kadas that sealed the look together! Her hair was styled in a bun with a gajra by hairstylist Reena Dutta. MUA Simran Gidwani gave her a tiny black bindi, kohl rimmed eyes and nude pink lips for an understated look.
The Gorgeous Decor That Set The Vibe, Just Right!
Rani Pink did the decor for all the events and here’s a look at the beautiful backdrops that made the wedding even more magical.
Haldi Decor: Haldi and genda phool go hand in hand and that’s all we could see from floor to ceiling at this wedding function. The designers detailed every corner with marigold flowers, and even the seating was a deep yellow. Such a perfect setting for a day function.
Mehendi Decor: The team at Rani Pink hand painted every element and the tents and malmal drapes were block-printed by artisans in Jaipur. Bougainvilleas in hot pink, coral, and white bloomed in every corner of the garden. The vibrant colours perfectly complemented the bride’s soft pastel outfit.
Muhurtham Decor: The muhurtham ceremony had such an elegant and calming vibe! The trees layered in jasmine strings and for the linen they went with brocade that was hand-dyed in a soft mint palette. Simply breathtaking.
Mehmaan & Parivaar!
The wedding was attended by 70 people, including the bride and groom’s families and close friends. Father of the bride, Suniel Shetty, looked dapper in a beige kurta-dhoti set that he styled with a layered neckpiece and kolhapuris. Honestly, how hot does he look?! Dulhan ka bhai, Ahan Shetty, kept it simple in a white sherwani with a matching long coat and brown juttis. Close friends like Diana Penty, Krishna Shroff, Anshula Kapoor, Akansha Ranjan, Anushka Ranjan, and Aditya Seal were also seen arriving at the venue.
Going by the first big wedding of the year, it looks like 2023 will be a year of subtle, intimate affairs with lot of attention to little details. From the outfit to the decor and planning, everything gets a pinch of personalisation. Here’s hoping we get to see more from the Athiya-KL wedding soon!
Feature Image: Instagram
