Back when the pandemic struck us and the lockdown happened, many couples were stuck midway in their big fat desi wedding planning. Such was the story of Akshita & Raunak, a couple who had been planning their grand wedding with over 500 guests for the summer wedding season, but with the pandemic and new regulations for wedding celebrations enforced, they were forced to shorten the celebrations to a smaller scale. But with the help of their trusty (and our favourite!) wedding planner, DreamzKrraft, the two lovebirds were able to execute their wedding flawlessly, all thanks to the usefulness of modern day tech!

Scroll down below and check out all the deets of this gorgeous Udaipur wedding. 

Akshita & Raunak's Tech-Savvy Wedding

"Raunak and I met each other in Goa," recalled Akshita, "However, unlike regular people who go to Goa for fun, we were there for a conference and didn't know a lot of people there."

Still, the two managed to spot each other and became instant friends, "Just talking to him gave me butterflies!"

They laughed, they talked and texted each other even when they were sitting apart during their conference, which was evident of the fact that sparks were flying between the two. Then on the final night of the conference, the two had the time of their lives and the romantic vibe between the two was so evident, that not even their friends could miss it. It was evident, that these two had a cosmic connection.

Planning The Wedding

When the Covid-19 outbreak happened, Akshita & Raunak were forced to abandon their original wedding plans. Instead, they approached their wedding planners to help them plan out an intimate wedding at their family's estate in Udaipur. The first thing that happened for the wedding was that the guest list of 500 was cut down to just 30, which included only their closest of kin. 

So, from planning procedure taking place on video calls, to mapping out all safety procedures at the hight of the pandemic, the couple and their planners ensured every detail was taken care of. 

The Wedding

One of the major priorities while planning this wedding was safety of all guests and vendors. So, all members of the staff, from planners to photographers, caterers and even the pandits, were tested for the viral diseases and put into quarantine. Once they were granted the certificate of good health, they were allowed to join the celebration. All the wedding material like flowers, decor material, lighting tc were ordered a week prior to the start of the functions, sanitized and left in quarantine at the family's estate. 

From more than 200 temperature checks done daily to every guest vehicle being santized upon arrival, no safety stone was left unturned by the planners. Around 100 sanitizer bottles were used during the span of this wedding and 12 hands-free sanitization stations were set up at various spots at the venue. Along with that, the wedding planning team distributed about 150+ customized immunity kits along with 150+ personalized custom made masks for the convenience of all guests!

The other major part of this wedding was the presence of virtual reality, which played a major role in all the ceremonies of the wedding. It was the key way to engage with all the friends and family who could not attend the wedding physically. The idea was the sentiment that no one should feel left out. A total of 300 guests were virtually present at the wedding, who watched and blessed the couple in all the ceremonies as if they were present at the venue physically throughout. To make it even more legit and fun, the guests who came in virtually were also dressed up in full glam for all the ceremonies. 

Keen to make every family member a part of this celebration, the couple took a few steps extra. One of the major contributions to the virtual wedding set up was done by Vishal Punjabi (The Wedding Filmer), who set up seven to eight cameras all over the ballroom, including a VR camera, for a 360-degree view of all the ceremonies for all the guests who joined in virtually! Another grand factor of this intimate wedding was the involvement of celebrity choreographer Terence Lewis, who choreographed the wedding sangeet via zoom calls. One of the biggest sports of this wedding were family members who virtually attended the sangeet by pre-recording their dance videos and then merged it into a skit!

From the planning to the execution to the very end of the celebration, this gorgeous intimate wedding was a mix of old meets new. Planners took tips from their past methods of planning and added in the new use of technology to execute this entire wedding in the most fabulous, grand and personal way. Plus, the way this wedding was planned and the place it was held was like a meeting of the old and new in the most serendipitous way possible!

WEDDING VENDORS

Wedding Planner & Decorator: DreamzKrraft | Wedding Photographer: Abhijit Datta | Wedding Videographer: The Wedding Filmer | Wedding Venue: Fort Badi Udaipur | Bridal Makeup Artists & Hairstylists: Nishtha Bhandari | Bridal Jewellery: Fooljhadi; Birdichand; Canarys | Bridal Outfits: Ritu Kumar (Stand Up Comedy Night & Bahu Swagat); Pink Lotus Jaipur (Haldi); Liz Paul (Besan); Shyamal and Bhumika (Sangeet); Sahil Kocchar (Sangeet); Sabyasachi (Wedding) | Groom's Outfits: Rohit Kamra (Stand Up Comedy Night, Haldi, Mehendi); Abhinav Mishra (Besan); Manish Malhotra (Sangeet, Wedding); Rahul Mishra (Bahu Swagat) | Wedding Choreographer: Terence Lewis | Entertainment Company: Bhawen Dhanak; Kumar Swamy DJ

What do you think of this gorgeous tech savvy fort wedding? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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