Shivani Tarsadia and Viman Singh’s courtship began at a dive bar in New York City in the lead up to the Fourth of July. “It was 2019, and the city was buzzing with energy ahead of the holiday, and I was out with my brother and some friends,” Shivani remembers. “We ended up at a bar we honestly had no genuine desire to be at. I was wearing a walking boot from a recent foot injury and probably shouldn’t have even been out.” That boot served as the perfect icebreaker for Viman, who walked up to Shivani with a line about how he’d once worn a boot just like it. “When we started talking, I felt completely at ease with him,” Shivani says. “After a while, we decided to leave the bar and spent the rest of the night walking around the city and getting late-night food. It was one of those magical New York nights.”
The couple got engaged on July 6, 2023, in St. Tropez. “I didn’t see it coming,” Shivani admits. “We had always talked about having both of our families present for our engagement, so when we planned this trip to the South of France with just my family, I figured there was no way it would happen then. I was convinced he’d wait for everyone to be together. But, of course, I was wrong—in the best way.” The day started with plans for the couple to visit a winery. Once they arrived and settled in, Viman suddenly said he wasn’t feeling well and asked Shivani to go outside with him for some air. “I followed him outside, and heard faint music playing in the distance,” Shivani remembers. “I had no idea what was happening until we saw a man nearby who suddenly turned to us and started singing ‘Marry You’ by Bruno Mars. That’s when it hit me—this was the moment. I’d always joked that someone would have to sing that song for me to say yes, so even though Viman didn’t sing it himself, I still said yes!”
In the lead up to the proposal, Viman led Shivani down a path lined with white flowers, which opened up to a floral arch and a dinner table for 30 guests. “When we got to the end of the path, Viman told me how much he loved me and how I was his perfect match before getting down on one knee,” Shivani remembers. “I was so excited that I put the ring on before even explicitly saying, ‘Yes!’” Afterward, the couple spent a few private moments together before Shivani’s family came out, cheering and tearing up. And, just when Shivani thought the surprises were over, Viman’s family appeared too. “I was in complete shock,” she says. “They had secretly flown in for the proposal, turning off the Find My Friends feature on their phones to avoid giving anything away!”
The couple got married in Marrakech, Morocco, a little over a year later. “We chose Marrakech because it perfectly blended our Eastern and Western wedding traditions,” says Shivani. For their wedding ceremony and lunch, the couple chose the courtyard of The Oberoi, Marrakech, while guests stayed at—and all other wedding activities took place—the Royal Mansour. Surrounded by 30-to 50-foot-high walls, water features, and expansive balconies, they say it made them feel like they’d been transported to a royal palace in Jaipur. “The planning process was an absolute dream, thanks to Marcy Blum and her incredible team,” Shivani says. “Their creativity and expertise were so impressive that I trusted them entirely, which says a lot because I’m the type who likes to have my hands on everything.”
When Shivani and Viman started planning, they envisioned their own unique version of an Indian wedding—blending Eastern and Western cultures. “Beyond that, we didn’t have a clear idea of what that meant,” Shivani says. “Marcy and Rishi Patel from HMR Designs helped us bring that vision to life in ways we never imagined.” One of the couple’s main goals was to make every single event drastically different from the others. “I didn’t want any flowers until the wedding day itself, so we used unique design elements like metals, fruits, vegetables, plants, spices, and food items to create a distinct atmosphere for each event,” Shivani says. “Marcy and her team’s creativity blew us away.”
When it came to her wedding wardrobe, Shivani wanted to create a look that reflected both her Indian heritage and her personal style. “Growing up in the United States with a family from India, it was essential to me that my outfits represented both sides of my identity,” she says. “I wanted to honor my roots while embracing the modernity of my life today.” To bring this vision to life, she worked with two stylists: Tanya Vohra, the founder of CLAD, and Tara Maietta. “Together, they helped me blend my Indian heritage with my personal style in a way that felt authentic and effortless,” Shivani explains. “Each outfit wasn’t just a piece of clothing, but a reflection of my story—a celebration of who I am and where I come from, all wrapped up in the most beautiful fabrics and designs.”
Tanya helped design Shivani’s traditional Indian outfits for the sangeet, haldi, and wedding ceremony. Traditionally, Indian brides wear red for the main ceremony, but Shivani felt inspired to break the mold. She chose an ethereal pastel pink tulle net lehenga embroidered with multicolored florals for the wedding day custom-designed by Tarun Tahiliani, and paired it with delicate diamond and emerald jewelry for a softer look. In contrast, for the sangeet, she went for a dramatic red waterfall mermaid lehenga set by Gaurav Gupta, styled with diamond jewelry.
For her Western looks, Shivani turned to Tara. For the welcome party and reception, Shivani and Tara enlisted the talents of Patricia Voto from One/Of to create a vibrant bespoke look. The embroidery they hand-selected was a mix of metal sequins with twisted beadwork intertwined in a copper bronze mix with an organic lattice pattern. The styling was elevated with custom-made jewelry by Roopa Vohra that pays homage to the rich tapestry of Moroccan culture. For the reception, Tara introduced Shivani to J’Aton. “The fact that I was unfamiliar with this designer made the experience even more exhilarating, as I wanted a unique, one-of-a-kind piece for the event,” Shivani says. “My bespoke gown took upwards of 2,100 hours to hand sew. The process was seamless from start to finish, working remotely with the designers.”
Before the mandap ceremony began, the bride and groom had their first look. “I was wearing my kaleeras—the intricate metal jewelry adorning my lehenga—and as I approached him from behind, the jingling sound of them grew louder with each step,” she remembers. “When I tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. He had tears in his eyes—a rare sight for Viman, who never cries.”
For Shivani, the mandap ceremony itself was equally emotional. “When I saw the courtyard fully transformed, my jaw dropped—it was an enchanted garden brought to life,” she says. “The ceremony brought out every possible emotion. It wasn’t just about Viman and me—it felt like everyone was fully present and part of it. My dad, always the calm presence in my life, whispered jokes as we walked down the aisle to keep me from crying, which made me laugh and helped me savor the moment.” The mandap was set up in a circle and allowed the couple to see every guest. “When I finally saw Viman, standing there waiting for me, everything else melted away,” she says. The moment when the veil was lifted felt incredibly real. There was this beautiful mix of emotions in the air—solemnity, joy, and even laughter.”
The saat phere, where the couple circled the sacred fire seven times to take their vows, was next. The sound of the bells ringing from every guest added an ethereal quality for the bride and groom. “Each step felt significant, almost like the words of the vows were materializing around us as we walked,” Shivani says. “It wasn’t just a ritual—it was the tangible start of our life together.” When the ceremony ended and the rose petals were thrown in the air and rained down, it felt like a scene from a movie. “I turned to Viman, and we both smiled like we were the only two people in the world,” Shivani recalls.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds stepped away to take a few moments for just the two of them. “We walked hand-in-hand, feeling a mix of excitement, peace, and pure joy,” Shivani says. “Time seemed to stand still, and we talked about how magical the ceremony had been, how surreal it felt to finally be married, and how every little detail had come together even more beautifully than we imagined. We couldn’t stop smiling.”
Finally, they joined their guests for a traditional thali lunch under the olive trees at The Oberoi. The setup was a never-ending path of majestic olive trees, their branches forming a natural canopy with a single long, rectangular dining table, dressed with simple yet elegant décor. “It felt like we were sitting in the middle of a storybook, surrounded by nature and love,” Shivani says. “Throughout the weekend, we leaned into our Indian culture while also finding ways to highlight the life we’ve built together, and I think that’s what made it feel so special. The priest had everyone involved in the ceremony, the pool party felt like a slice of LA in Marrakech, and the after-party had a moon juice bar! It was equal parts tradition, modernity, and pure fun and truly a celebration of not just our love, but also our roots, our personalities, and the incredible people in our lives.”
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Photo: Valorie Darling 1/79A first glimpse into Marrakech. Designed by Carey of The Idea Emporium, our invitations featured a bold chili pepper red—a color that became a signature throughout the weekend. Inside, guests found medjool dates and a beautifully bound book with every detail of our celebration, setting the tone for the journey ahead.
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Photo: Valorie Darling 2/79Tara Maietta and I collaborated with Patricia at One/Of to create this custom ensemble, designed around my statement necklace. Viman kept it effortlessly refined in Suit Supply as we welcomed our guests to Marrakech—a night dedicated to embracing its vibrant culture.
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Photo: Valorie Darling 3/79We brought the souk to our guests! Event planner Marcy Blum had the brilliant idea of creating a general store at the Royal Mansour. It was stocked with our favorite wellness essentials—Arrae, LMNT, Moon Juice, AG1—alongside treasures from the Marrakech souks. To make it even more personal, my mom added her favorite Indian snacks, a little taste of home.
Our guests looked incredible in warm metallics as they entered the Royal Mansour, greeted with cocktails and the magic of Marrakech.
Welcome to Marrakech! Local musicians set the tone for an unforgettable first night.
