When she was a model in Mumbai, Diva Dhawan Sheth was known for bringing that nonchalant cool girl flair in front of the camera, and off it too. That inimitable je nais se quoi persists even as she is back in her hometown, New York, working as a personal stylist and fashion entrepreneur. This very easygoing chic aesthetic lined every detail of her wedding to Ronak Sheth, the Philadelphia-raised founder and CEO of LIT Videobooks.
Tied to their traditions but global in their outlooks, the New Yorker couple wanted to highlight the best of both worlds in their celebrations, while paying an ode to the Big Apple. New York essays an important role in their story — it’s where the couple first met and fell in love, and where they’ve built a life together. So, the festivities just had to have that quintessential New York charm that keeps them tethered to the city.
Fast forward from the proposal in Lake Como (a bucket list destination for both) last summer and a civil ceremony earlier this year, the Sheths were sure they wanted the bigger celebration this August to be in the city. “From there on the details easily fell into place, because we had to narrow it down to venues that could fit our 350-plus guest list,” laughs Diva Dhawan. They also wanted to refresh the typical Indian wedding format, so that it was an apt mix of something old, and something new.
The festivities kicked off with a bridal lunch at Par Ici Café in Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s New York, a spot the couple often frequents. “This was specially hosted for my closest girlfriends who travelled from all over the world for the wedding,” says the bride. Meanwhile, the groom had his pithi ceremony at his home in Philadelphia on the same day. “Since the wedding celebration was in New York, the family wanted to host one function at home to kick off the weekend,” adds Ronak. After a bridal mehendi and chooda ceremony at Swan Club On The Harbour in Long Island the next day, the evening was dedicated to a sunset rooftop party, a true-blue New York experience, at Hotel Hugo. “We hired a magician as a surprise. He was just walking around and performing tricks, everyone thought he was a guest at first! It was a real highlight,” reveals Diva. Instead of a sangeet, the evening allowed guests to mingle with each other ahead of the big day.
The wedding and reception the following day were hosted at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, the largest waterfront venue in Manhattan, which highlights the city’s skyline and incredible views. The groom arrived by boat for his baraat, and walked to the mandap with the couple’s French bulldog, Truffle. A Sikh prayer, dedicated to Diva’s maternal grandmother, played just before her bridal entry. Soon after the ceremony, the party flowed into a cocktail reception with the city twinkling in the backdrop. “We wanted just one big event, and this was it,” explains the bride. “The entire event was planned from the guests’ perspective, to ensure they could enjoy the entire evening comfortably. We tried to add some new elements to a typical wedding reception flow,” adds Diva.
The couple put together the right team to bring their vision to life. Artistic Affairs NY planned the wedding, and Elegant Affairs did the flowers. Each event was dressed in neutral, ivory tones to complement the skyline. “My brief was no roses!” laughs Diva.“Instead, we worked with flowers like peonies and hydrangeas that I love.” The couple designed their own invitation, and the Emmy-winning team of Ronak’s company made an animation video outlining the couple’s story. Moghul Catering curated a vegetarian menu of Mediterranean, American and North Indian cuisine, along with two signature cocktails, dedicated to the bride and groom. Jessica Pineda, was roped in for hair and make-up, and went for a soft bridal glow, without going OTT.
Ivory was a big part of Diva’s bridal wardrobe. This included a Cinq à Sept dress worn with Stuart Weitzman heels and a DiAi Designs bracelet for the bridal lunch, and a customised silk skirt and top set from Lénne Atelier for the sundowner. “Everyone else dressed in a pop of colour for the sunset party, so Ronak and I could stand out in all-white. The scooped cowl back with a crystal scarf was the highlight of this look. It had a very dreamy Italian summer vibe,” says Diva. She went with a classic haldi-hued Ritu Kumar lehenga and jhumkas from New Jersey-based RK Jewels for the mehendi.
Having worked in fashion for over a decade, the bride had a singular vision for her wardrobe and wanted to work with young designers as much as she could. Case in point: her mirror bridal lehenga by Abhinav Mishra, who she has even worked with in the past. “I’ve resonated with his work ever since. Abhinav has only recently started his couture line, and this is one of his very first bridal lehengas,” she says. Diva wore this with polki jewels from RK Jewels. She then changed into an emerald green Reem Acra gown for the reception, chosen to elevate her lab-grown diamond suite from DiAi Designs. “I wanted this look to be about the jewellery, and let it really stand out,” adds the bride. She also changed into a nude Abhinav Mishra lehenga for the surprise dance performances with her friends that night. Ronak complemented his bride in a Christian Dior white shirt and Loro Piana shoes for the sundowner, an Anita Dongre sherwani for the wedding and a Tom Ford tuxedo for the reception.
“Ronak and I had fun throughout our wedding. We weren’t influenced by other weddings, or what’s expected at one. We wanted to stick to traditions important to us and our families but create our own traditions with modern elements true to us. My biggest piece of advice would be to bring in your personalities into the events, and create intimate moments for you and your guests,” says the bride before she gets back to basking in the bliss of being a newlywed.