The bride chose a vibrant Dolce & Gabbana one-piece swimsuit paired with a matching sarong and bejewelled patent leather sandals for the pool party. Guests noshed on pizza and caprese salad as they tossed back glasses of prosecco. The same evening, they hosted the sangeet, peppered with dance performances and speeches by both families.
The next morning, the villa’s cathedral hall was converted into a serene set-up for the anand karaj, which was preceded by the baraat and milni (a ritual which signifies the coming together of two families). The bride picked a pastel-hued embellished lehenga by Kalighata, with her hair styled into a braid. The groom wore a cream sherwani by Dhoire and carried the traditional kirpan, a cherished family heirloom. For the outdoor nikkah that followed, the set-up switched to moody red and white florals, which Taqbeem matched with her choice of a deep-red sari sourced from a Bangladeshi boutique, paired with satin Jimmy Choo sandals. “I knew I wanted to wear a traditional red sari for my wedding ever since I was a child,” Taqbeem shares. The addition of another ceremony, apart from the one she had envisioned all her life, allowed her to experiment with other colours and styles. “I wanted to find something that paid homage to the anand karaj ceremony and Abhay’s family, so I decided to go with a light pink lehenga,” she adds.
“During the anand karaj, our Sikh priest focused on how similar we all are in terms of values, equality and sharing a strong sense of community and compassion,” Dhaliwal says. “Similarly, Taqbeem’s cousins, who officiated the nikkah, beautifully explained each element of the ceremony and shared words of wisdom for a successful marriage. Taqbeem teared up when they read out a letter written by her maternal grandmother who couldn’t be present for the wedding,” he reveals.
The venue was transformed into an Italian piazza in the evening, complete with a red vespa, a mozzarella bar and a gelato cart. As an Italian band belted out classics, the bride danced in a Dolce & Gabbana bustier midi dress and Amina Muaddi slingback pumps, while the groom changed into a white linen shirt, pants and jacket. Fireworks lit up the midnight blue sky and served as a heady nightcap. Despite a packed roster of events, the couple managed to create a core memory as they stole a moment before their reception to take photos on a classic Riva yacht on Lake Como. Taqbeem shares, “We managed to capture one of our most precious moments from the entire weekend: Abhay gazing at me with more love than he has for gelato, which says a lot considering it’s his favourite dessert.”
