A Royal Indian Wedding at Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai

What began as an arranged meeting between Pooja Gupta and Anshul Doshi, soon evolved into a love story that surpassed the couple’s dreams. Pooja still remembers what Anshul was wearing for their first date – jeans, a black shirt, and tan shoes.

“He was so handsome, I couldn’t take my eyes off him,” she shares. “Our date, which was supposed to be for an hour, lasted for four-and-a-half hours. 

When he spoke, I felt like I was talking, and his experiences seemed so similar to my life experiences. We met again the following week, and that day we laughed and shared more about ourselves. His laughter lit my world and I felt this strong connection towards him. This meeting changed everything for both of us and luckily, he felt the same.”

Pooja’s décor company, Elusive Dreams, was doing well in Delhi and she had no plans to ever leave her city. After two more dates with Anshul, however, the couple knew they had found their perfect match. Three months later, the proposal took place at Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur.

“The days to the wedding got nearer and we booked Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai for all our functions, which saw 800 attendees on each of the days,” says Pooja. “Mumbai was a very new city for me.

We had over 200 guests from the bride’s side who were staying at a hotel. Decor was designed by me with major inputs from my husband; and to my surprise, he said he wanted purple flowers on the sangeet day and peach flowers on the wedding day! He was the most involved groom I had ever met. 

From my outfit trials, to his outfit trials, to my makeup trials, he was so involved! He wanted to know everything, and I was so happy that he was taking charge of all the planning as much as me. I knew he was someone who would share responsibilities with me in the future.”

For their wedding décor, Pooja and Anshul used artificial imported flowers for both days. “I wanted to spread awareness of zero wastage and doing our bit for the environment,” Pooja explains. “Artificial flowers are reusable, and therefore it’s more practical to use them. I wanted to create an impact.”

The wedding day was a dream come true, and the ballroom at Taj Mahal Palace provided the most stunning space that needed little embellishment. Pooja walked down the aisle with her older brother, who has been a “pillar of strength” throughout her life.

“My vidai was as emotional as it could get for a bride who was leaving her parents’ home in Delhi and moving to a new city where she had no friends and had to start a new office, from scratch,” she recalls. “My husband held my hand that time and whispered in my ear that he will never let a tear drop from my eye ever again, and that he will always be my best friend before being a husband. And that was the kind of relationship I always wanted. My best friend first and everything else after.”