New Delhi: Celebrity wedding designer and founder of The A-Cube Project, Ambika Gupta is known across the globe for designing destination weddings and her special events for celebrities like Kajal Aggarwal. He is now in the news for planning the wedding of South stars Aadhi Pinisetti and Nikki Galrani, who tied the knot on May 18 surrounded by their loved ones.
Ambika began the design process by placing the bride and groom at the center of the various celebrations and had them fill out a questionnaire about their likes and dislikes, favorite decor choices and vacation destinations. This is how Haldi, Mehndi, the design and color palette for the actual wedding and reception came into being. Ambika says, “They were both very specific about their choices, but were open and sweet and kind to my suggestions and put a lot of faith in the design team. We also learned a lot about their lives that they How they met. Their first film and how their love story flourished in the last 7 to 8 years. Whatever they told us somehow helped us design the theme.”
The actors, who have worked together in films like “Margadha Naanayam” and “Yagavarayinam Na Kakha”, connected Ambika through a mutual friend.
The thing that set the decoration apart was that it was very elaborate, not from an ad hoc standpoint. As Ambika says, “We work like architects and interior designers and we are very process-driven. We take every idea down to the last detail. We are also very careful about the choice of lighting and it’s colors.” , how it interacts with outfits and cameras. And we make sure that the accent of each design is individualized so the couple feels connected to it. The decor should be intrinsic to their story and not just slapped together.”
For example, Ambika named the Haldi ceremony Amaltas, also known as ‘The Golden Shower Tree’ of India, which indicates abundant blessings around the couple as they are extremely familial and Also because Nikki likes sunflowers. Ambika says, “We also wanted to show how two people from completely different worlds are coming together, so we had two amaltas trees under which the couple sat.”
For the mehendi, Ambika shows the couple’s love for Bali. ‘Bling it in Bali’ was our theme as she celebrated her first new year after falling in love in this tropical paradise, she says. The decor shows that Adi and Nikki are in love, so from the green verder to the cane furniture, to the gold-painted Bali umbrellas. Be it the 360 degree photo booth or the fun chaat counter, we have spread a lot of happiness in every corner.”
For the wedding and reception, the theme was ‘The White Blossom’ which depicts the purity of love, peace, divinity and the uninterrupted infinity.
The wedding was a perfect culmination of a beautiful love story and Ambika says, “Our design story was a tribute to two people who share a very magical bond and we wanted everything around them to be like their relationship. Be beautiful. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we managed to achieve.”