This couple's wedding brought together Parsi and Hindu customs, rituals and flavours
Shiksha Dhawan and Palaash Tarapore hosted a multi-day wedding across venues in the bride’s hometown
Once Shiksha Dhawan and Palaash Tarapore realised that marriage would mean moving from Bhubaneswar to Ahmedabad, the decision of where to host their wedding was immediate: every celebration would take place in Dhawan's home city of Bhubaneswar. The wedding became a way of holding onto home, of marking a transition without letting go of where it began.
Dhawan, a dentist and endodontist from Bhubaneswar, and Tarapore, a director at green energy company Atmos Power from Ahmedabad, met by chance at an airport lounge. She was travelling to Baku with her family. He was flying to Bahrain with his. Seated at tables across from each other, they noticed one another. Tarapore walked over, started a conversation and they exchanged Instagram handles. Almost a year later, they were married. There was no staged proposal, just a conversation and the mutual decision to take the next step.
The wedding itself was an interfaith union shaped by traditions and family heritage from Gujarat and Odisha. Rather than privileging one set of rituals over another, the celebrations brought both into the same frame. The couple describe it as East meeting West; more than a theme, it was their lived reality of building a life together.
Planning was collaborative, involving both families, with execution handled by Shloka Events. With multiple venues, events and guest lists to coordinate, the focus remained on staying present rather than micromanaging logistics. From the beginning, Dhawan and Tarapore wanted the atmosphere to feel relaxed and welcoming, with attention placed on people, food and time spent together. For the Shloka team, this allowed them to showcase their ability to adapt to new environments, pivot when needed and celebrate diversity through design.
The celebrations began with welcome dinners and the following day opened with a mehendi lunch. In the evening, the mood shifted at the Plumeria Hall of the Vivanta Hotel, where a cocktail dinner and after-party brought in a more glamorous, high-energy rhythm. Music throughout the evening was selected personally by the couple, down to individual songs.
The next day began with parallel gatherings. Tarapore’s side met for a brunch by the poolside at the Taj Vivanta, while Dhawan’s side hosted a chooda lunch at the Central Hall of the Mayfair Convention, a space that lent itself to a more traditional atmosphere. The wedding ceremony later that day took place at the Vatika Lawn of the Mayfair Hotel, an open-air venue that brought the celebrations together.
The decor across events drew from both Parsi and Hindu references without adhering to a single visual theme. Fresh flowers in mixed palettes moved between soft pastels and deeper tones, layered with textured fabrics and traditional detailing. The result was colourful and immersive, designed to feel familiar rather than theatrical.
Menus were curated by the families, with Dhawan’s mother personally overseeing quality and taste across events. The spread reflected both families’ culinary backgrounds and travel influences, with an emphasis on making sure every guest found something they genuinely enjoyed. Entertainment followed a similar approach. The mehendi featured dance performances by friends and family, interspersed with interactive games hosted by an MC. The cocktail evening included a live performance by a Bollywood playback singer, followed by a DJ set. On the wedding day, a traditional Indian orchestra accompanied the ceremony.
Among the moments that stood out most for the couple was the baraat, which extended into a long, high-spirited celebration, followed by the joota churai. Despite determined efforts from the bride’s side, the groom’s family ultimately claimed victory, a result remembered with good humour rather than rivalry.
Dhawan’s wedding wardrobe was shaped closely by her mother, who guided every choice, from clothing to jewellery. For the mehendi, she wore a pink lehenga by Ridhi Mehra. The cocktail evening saw her in a sculptural gown by Gaurav Gupta. For the wedding ceremony, she chose an ivory lehenga by Sabyasachi. Across all events, her jewellery came from Hazoorilal Jewellers by Sandeep Narang, selected to remain consistent while complementing each look.
Tarapore’s outfits were planned in dialogue with Dhawan’s. He wore a light pink kurta with a koti for the mehendi, a classic tuxedo for the cocktail and traditional attire for the wedding: a Parsi dagli for the Parsi ceremony, followed by an ensemble by Umang Hutheesing for the Hindu ceremony.
For hair and make-up, Dhawan was clear from the start. She chose Shamita Gogia for her signature skin-like approach, aiming to look like herself, just heightened. Hair for all events was done by Tina from Gogia’s team, with styling kept clean and complementary to each outfit rather than transformative.
The only regret, if it can be called that, was not pausing long enough to enjoy the food themselves, say the couple. Otherwise, the wedding unfolded exactly as they had hoped: expansive yet rooted in family, held in the city that shaped Dhawan long before it became the setting for her marriage.
