05 Jun Soumya & Varun – A Love Story Written in Udaipur’s Golden Light
Some weddings are beautiful. Some are memorable. And then, once in a rare while, there is a wedding that feels like a dream someone forgot to wake up from — a wedding that makes you feel like you are living inside a fairytale painted in rose gold and marigold, with the shimmering waters of Lake Pichola as the backdrop.
Soumya and Varun’s wedding was exactly that — and so much more.
Spread over five glorious days across the iconic Oberoi Udaivilas and Trident in Udaipur, this wasn’t just a wedding. It was a curated universe where ancient Rajputana grandeur met modern celebration energy, where five-star luxury became the canvas for a love story that deserved nothing less than the extraordinary.
Here is every moment, every note of music, every flower, every laugh — told in the order it happened, the way it deserves to be told.
Welcome & Dinner — Where It All Began
The Hi-Tea That Started It All — Welcome Hi-Tea | Udaivilas
Before the drums could roll and the music could soar, Udaipur welcomed the families and guests with something softer — a Hi-Tea at the legendary Oberoi Udaivilas. Imagine walking into a property where every archway, every carved dome, every perfectly manicured lawn whispers centuries of royalty. The white marble pavilions catching the afternoon Rajasthani light, the symmetrical cypress gardens stretching into manicured green, bougainvillea in full bloom framing every corner like nature’s own decor team had shown up uninvited and outdone everyone.
This was the first exhale. Guests arrived, checked in, sipped their tea, and let the magic of Udaipur begin its slow, inevitable seduction. The Udaivilas — with its jaw-dropping architecture inspired by the Royal Palace — set the tone for everything that was about to unfold.
Henna, Heartbeats & DJ Harsh — Family Mehendi Dinner
The Night That Needs No Introduction — Sangeet
Croquet Lawn, Trident
If there is one night at an Indian wedding that carries the weight of pure, unfiltered joy — it is the Sangeet. And when the Croquet Lawn at the Trident was dressed for Soumya and Varun’s Sangeet, it became clear this was going to be a night no one would forget.
The decor was theatrical and dramatic — deep crimson drapes cascading from ceiling to floor, crystal chandeliers throwing warm light across long banquet tables laden with exotic floral arrangements in jewel tones. The trees outside glowed with golden lanterns, creating a surreal boundary between the ballroom world and the Rajasthan night sky. Long feasting tables were dressed in deep red linen with towering centerpieces — a design that felt like dining inside a Mughal painting brought to life.
Then, Hari Sukhmani took the stage — and everything changed. Her soulful, powerful voice filled the Croquet Lawn with a quality of sound that made the air feel different. She moved effortlessly between devotional soul and party anthems, her energy matching the room’s heartbeat so perfectly it felt choreographed by the universe itself. Whether she was belting out a classic that had the older generation closing their eyes in nostalgia or dropping into a contemporary track that sent the younger crowd into frenzy — Hari Sukhmani was, unquestionably, the soul of the evening.
And DJ Vicky kept the floor burning between sets — seamless transitions, intelligent mixing, a sixth sense for when to build and when to drop. Anchored expertly by Anchor JK who kept the crowd engaged, informed, and laughing, the Sangeet ran past midnight and left everyone wanting just five more minutes.
Haldi — Sunshine, Laughter & Marigold Mornings
Turmeric, Tears & Togetherness —Kartikey Lawn, Trident
There is something about a Haldi ceremony that strips everything back to its pure emotional core. No elaborate productions needed — just turmeric, laughter, and the people who have loved you longest.
The Kartikey Lawn at Trident was bathed in sunlight and the brightest marigold yellow that morning. Guests arrived dressed in happy hues — saffron kurtas, yellow salwars, mustard dupattas — a human sunflower field. The haldi was applied in rounds, playfully and lovingly, until everyone was uniformly golden, laughing, and slightly sticky.
Master musician Mansheel Gujraal presided over the musical soul of the morning — her voice and compositions bringing a meditative, devotional energy to the pre-wedding rituals that grounded the celebration in something ancient and sacred. His performance wasn’t background music. It was a blessing in melody form.
The pictures from the Haldi are pure gold — literally and emotionally. Joy in its most unfiltered, unposed, unscripted form.
The Grand Entrance — Sehrabandhi & Baraat
Jetty Lawn, Udaivilas
The afternoon brought the Sehrabandhi and Baraat — the grand procession that makes every heart swell. The groom, resplendent in ivory and gold, was received with all the ceremony that a moment of this magnitude deserves. At the Jetty Lawn, Udaivilas — with the lake shimmering behind — the procession moved like a painting in motion. Dhols beat in rhythm, flower petals rained from above, and the energy was primal and jubilant.
When Two Families Became One — Milni Point
Main Porch, Udaivilas
At the Main Porch of the Udaivilas, the Milni ceremony unfolded — the official, joyful meeting of both families. Garlands were exchanged, embraces were heartfelt, and there was that specific quality of emotion in the air that comes only when two families truly choose each other. Against the architectural magnificence of the Udaivilas porch — those soaring columns, the intricate lattice work, the regal proportions — the human warmth of the Milni was a beautiful contrast.
By the Lake, Under the Sky, Forever — Varmala & Phera
Front Lawn, Udaivilas
And then came the moment that every other moment had been building toward.
The Front Lawn of the Oberoi Udaivilas, with Lake Pichola stretching into the infinite distance and the City Palace glowing on the horizon, was set up as a wedding mandap that left guests genuinely breathless. A cascade of deep red bougainvillea and roses draped the wedding arch in a riot of crimson — lush, dramatic, impossibly romantic. White chairs were arranged in pristine rows facing the mandap, with the lake as the only backdrop any wedding could ever need.
Welcome signs carved in the form of elaborate scrolls guided guests in with a phrase that said everything: “Welcome to the Baraat to Bliss.” Stacks of magenta fabric gifts, hand-painted signage, and the unmistakable fragrance of fresh marigold and jasmine completed the sensory world.
Soumya, in her breathtaking lehenga of ivory and blush with intricate gold embroidery, appeared like something out of a Rajput miniature painting. Varun, his white sherwani perfectly tailored, his sehara framing his face just right, looked at her the way grooms look at brides when they realize: this is the person. This is the one.
The Phera ceremony that followed, handled with dignified grace by the team at Saadgi, was sacred and stirring. Seven rounds of the sacred fire. Seven vows. One forever.
The Night the Amphitheatre Became a Temple — Sufi Night
Amphitheatre & Pool Side, Udaivilas
Here is where the wedding reached its most transcendent moment.
The Amphitheatre and Pool Side at Udaivilas — already spectacular — had been transformed into something that looked like it had been styled by the moon itself. Hundreds of candles lined the pool’s edge, their reflections doubling in the still water to create a carpet of liquid gold. Elegant white lounge setups with plush sofas and heaters dotted the outer edges. The ancient Udaipur city skyline glittered in the distance — aerial photographs from this night look like something conjured by a painter in a dream.
On stage, bathed in that signature golden-green light, stood Sagar Bhatia — a name that needs no introduction for anyone who has attended a high-profile Indian wedding. Dressed in a black sequined sherwani, commanding the stage with the quiet authority of an artist who knows exactly what he is doing, Sagar Bhatia proceeded to render Sufi music the way it was meant to be experienced — with raw devotion, with longing, with a quality of surrender in his voice that made the entire audience go still.
“Dama Dam Mast Qalandar.” “Tere Bina.” “Arziyan.” Each song felt like a prayer offered to the night. Couples held hands a little tighter. Mothers had tears in their eyes they didn’t bother to hide. The DJ — the legendary Sagar Bhatia’s accompaniment — wove electronic threads through classical Sufi tapestries in a way that felt both ancient and urgent.
The Sufi Night at Soumya and Varun’s wedding was not an event. It was an experience that rewired something in the soul.
After Party — At Night
Ballroom, Udaivilas
The Sufi Night officially ended, but for those who weren’t ready to let go, the Ballroom at Udaivilas was waiting. DJ Lapata—known for keeping floors alive well past the point when the body begs the brain to stop—delivered precisely that. A night of pure, unfiltered dance floor energy, the after party was the unofficial certificate of excellence for the entire wedding week. By the time the last few dancers finally surrendered, Udaipur was already glowing with the first light of dawn
Gaurav Gupta Made Them Cry (From Laughing)
Central Lawn, Trident
After the emotional grandeur of the wedding day and the hedonistic bliss of the after-party, This Day needed to be lighter. And it was — spectacularly so.
Comedian Gaurav Gupta took the mic at the Lazy Lunch on Central Lawn, Trident, and proceeded to absolutely destroy everyone present with laughter. Drawing on everything — wedding traditions, family dynamics, post-wedding exhaustion, the particular absurdity of being a wedding guest for four days — Gaurav Gupta made the entire lawn convulse with the kind of belly laughter that serves as the perfect palate cleanser between the sacred and the celebratory.
Great food, easy afternoon light, laughter so good it hurt — the Lazy Lunch was deceptively brilliant.
Joint Barat -Two Families, One Floor & Sukhbir Himself
Central Lawn & Croquet Lawn, Trident
The final evening of the main celebrations arrived with the Joint Baraat at Central Lawn, Trident — a beautiful tradition where both families and all guests come together in one last collective celebration of the union. DJ Harsh returned to score this moment, his energy infectious and perfectly calibrated to the emotional weight of what was essentially a farewell to the wedding week.
And then — Sukhbir Singh.
The living legend of Punjabi pop took the stage at the Croquet Lawn, Trident, and delivered exactly the kind of performance that has made his name synonymous with pure, unapologetic celebration for three decades. From the iconic opening notes of “Aa Jaane Jaan” to the eternal “Oh Ho Ho Ho” — every song was a collective memory, a shared joy that transcended generation. Grandparents danced alongside grandchildren. Newlyweds held each other and danced. Old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years found each other on the dance floor and stayed there.
Sukhbir Singh at this wedding wasn’t just a performance. He was the final, perfect full stop on a sentence that had been building beautifully for four days.
Why Soumya & Varun's Wedding Will Be Talked About for Years
It wasn’t just the venue — though the Oberoi Udaivilas is, without question, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful wedding venues in the world. It wasn’t just the music — though Hari Sukhmani, Sagar Bhatia, Mansheel Gujraal, Sukhbir Singh, DJ Harsh, DJ Vicky, DJ Lewis, and DJ Lapata collectively produced a musical landscape that spanned devotion, celebration, comedy, and transcendence.
It wasn’t just the decor — though the Mehendi’s whimsical village garden, the Sangeet’s blood-red dramatic theatre, the Sufi Night’s candlelit poolside amphitheatre, the Reception’s modern metallic grandeur, and the Wedding’s lakeside floral arch with the City Palace in the distance were each individually museum-worthy.
It was all of it, together, in service of one thing: a love story.
Soumya and Varun — this is the wedding that told your story the way your story deserved to be told. In full colour. In full volume. By a lake that has watched royalty fall in love for centuries and was honoured to witness one more.
Here is to every dance floor, every candle, every vow, every laugh — and here is to the two of you, for all the beautiful ordinary days that come after the extraordinary ones.
