Inside Rhea Nihal Singh’s lavish, multi-day wedding celebrations in New Delhi

“Under the pretence of going for drinks to a speakeasy in London, he popped the question to me in a chapel,” said luxury PR consultant Rhea Nihal Singh to paint the picture of how her now-husband and entrepreneur Raunaq Singh Anand set a plan in motion for his proposal in May 2019. “It was such a surprise. Looking back, I should have guessed when he asked me to wear something dressy for the evening, instead of my signature crop top and pants combo,” she said. Chronicling back to how it all started, Nihal Singh revealed that a common friend introduced to her husband in 2015, at a bar in Atlanta, where she was pursuing an undergrad at Emory University, and Singh Anand was getting his masters degree at Duke University. “We remained acquaintances for two years before reuniting again at a Diwali party in New Delhi and hit it off,” she disclosed. In January 2020, the couple tied the knot in a lavish, multi-day wedding celebration in the capital. Scroll ahead to take a look inside their wedding album.

The wedding planning

The pair had about seven months since the proposal to pull off the festivities. “Since we both knew exactly what we wanted, the planning started right away. But owing to the fact that we both have large families, an intimate celebration was out of question,” said Nihal Singh. The couple’s wedding itinerary included six events, making it “both exciting and nerve-wrecking” for the couple. “Since both of us lean towards a clean, modern style, we agreed on almost everything as far as the decor was concerned,” she elaborated. When it came to the location for the wedding, the couple eschewed archetypal venues in favour of hosting the functions at either one of their homes.

The pre-wedding festivities

The brunch

Festivities kicked off on December 21, 2019 with a brunch party for close friends and family at the groom’s New Delhi residence. “Since we believe our meeting was destined in the stars, we created a photo booth so that everyone could be a part of how we felt,” Nihal Singh revealed. The bride wore a midi dress by Self-Portrait meanwhile, the groom complemented her in a pinstriped suit.

The sangeet

After a two-week break, the celebrations continued on January 11, 2020, with a resplendent sangeet at the bride’s home.  “We decided on a personalised installation in the middle of the bar, which included our hashtag, #RaunGetsRheal, the name of the city where we met, the chapel where Raunaq proposed, lyrics of our favourite song and much more. It was complemented with a tailor-made carpet, with our story running through the entire party,” Nihal Singh disclosed.

To tie in with the fiery theme of the night, the bride opted for a crimson Amit Aggarwal lehenga, which was accentuated with the designer’s signature sequin work. 

The groom’s mehandi party

The couple decided to organise two separate mehandi celebrations—both poles apart in terms of the design and decor. The groom’s side hosted their ceremony on January 16, 2020. “Since the space was highlighted with marigold flowers, bright yellow tassels and accents of gold, we urged our guests to wear pink to make the setting picturesque,” the bride explained. In keeping with the vibe, she too reached out for a fuchsia lehenga by Manish Malhotra, which comprised a diaphanous skirt with floral embroidery and a mirror work blouse. Singh Anand chose a white suit by Kunal Rawal.

The cocktail

January 17 marked the cocktail party, which saw the groom’s home transform into a nightclub outfitted with LEDs, an infinity mirror room and a huge stage. The space was dressed up in silver tones. Embracing the evening vibe of the celebration, Nihal Singh opted for a nude pink Falguni Shane Peacock lehenga that was enhanced with silver embellishments. Singh Anand went the classic tuxedo route and picked a custom creation by Dior.

The bride’s mehandi

The next day, January 18, saw Nihal Singh’s family throw their own mehandi party. While the groom had hosted his event in a traditional manner at his home, the bride opted for a Mediterranean vibe—she chose the Mediterranean restaurant, Olive Bar & Kitchen, as the venue, and decked it up with pastel blooms and furniture. “I chose a beautiful organza floral lehenga by Sabyasachi. The turquoise outfit, which was from the designer’s destination edit, suited the aesthetic perfectly,” she revealed. Singh Anand wore a blue Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla kurta set for the occasion.

The wedding ceremony

Conceptualised by Varun Bahl’s team Aurum, the wedding ceremony’s design and decor brought the bride’s elegant British vision to life. The traditional mandap for the pheras, held at the bride’s home on January 19, was given a modern update as the young couple circled the sacred fire under a custom-built glass house in the garden. “We brainstormed on keeping the theme English-inspired with accents of roses and greens. The food was done by Varun Tuli’s Food Inc.,” Nihal Singh told us.

“I was certain I wanted to wear a bright pink lehenga—it’s my favourite colour. One visit to Sabyasachi’s exquisite store and I was sold on a piece that featured intricate floral embroidery. His designs truly make one feel special, and befit the tradition and Indian heritage. The jewellery for the wedding day was a difficult decision, but after visiting several stores, I chanced upon the perfect polki and Russian emerald set by Raniwala 1881. Raunaq leaned on another Kunal Rawal creation—an ivory sherwani,” the bride remembered. A highlight of her bridal look was a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, which were signed with the wedding date by the designer himself. The celebrations ended with a power-packed performance by musician, Kanika Kapoor, at the after-party. 

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