A Chic Indian Wedding at a Romantic 14th-Century Fort in Rajasthan

Priyanka and Uddhav brought together the richness of their Indian heritage and the ease of contemporary Australian style for a destination wedding that felt deeply personal from beginning to end. Hosted at Six Senses Fort Barwara, a beautifully restored 14th-century fort in Rajasthan, every detail was thoughtfully considered to create an experience as memorable for their guests as it was for themselves. Soft, organic florals softened the historic architecture, while a refined palette and understated styling offered a fresh interpretation of an Indian celebration. Across two days, traditional Kerala wedding rituals sat effortlessly alongside candlelit dinners, Bollywood dance performances, and farm-to-table feasts. Priyanka's wardrobe celebrated the artistry of Indian design, from an elegant off-white bridal lehenga with subtle personal touches to a timeless silk saree for the reception. The celebration balanced emotion, culture, and impeccable design with remarkable ease, proving that the most unforgettable weddings are the ones that feel entirely true to the people at the center of them.

Our Love Story

The Day We Met

We first met at a mutual friend’s 18th birthday house party during Year 12 in 2014. Uddhav made the first move and came over to chat, and although we ended up talking for over an hour, our conversation was cut short when my brother arrived to pick me up. It made for a very abrupt goodbye. After that, we found ourselves talking on Facebook almost nonstop for the next few months. It was the middle of our final Year 12 exams, so studying definitely took priority, but we always made time to talk when we could. We quickly realized we shared a similar sense of humor, which made everything feel effortless and fun from the very beginning.

The Proposal

After eight years together, the proposal itself wasn’t a complete surprise, and honestly, if it had been, it might have been a little odd.  When we began planning a trip to India in January 2024, I remember thinking how magical it would be to get engaged in India, connected to both of our roots. In Indian culture, asking for your parents’ blessing is an important step, and I hadn’t quite figured out when he might have had the opportunity to do that. What I later discovered was that he had carefully made time to organize for both of our parents to meet so he could ask for their blessing without me knowing.

On our first day at the hotel, Uddhav had planned a sunset proposal overlooking one of the beautiful lakes that Udaipur — often called the City of Lakes — is famous for. There were a few small mishaps along the way — I wouldn’t say being subtle is a trait that comes naturally to Indians — but despite my suspicions, I was still completely surprised in the moment. Standing there together as the sun set over the lake felt incredibly special and slightly surreal, being in a place I had watched on screen so many times over the years.

Our Wedding

The Location

We booked Six Senses Fort Barwara without even visiting it in person, but the images of the property were enough for us to trust that it would be special. Having traveled to a number of hotels across India together, we both feel that Indian hospitality is among the best in the world, and this location felt completely surreal and unlike anything we had experienced before. Fort Barwara is a restored 14th-century Rajasthani fort, once owned by a royal family and now transformed into a wellness-focused Six Senses resort. It almost doesn’t feel real — both in photographs and in person — so we knew the setting, history, and overall experience would be incredibly special.

Our Team of Vendors

Décor and florals were definitely the most challenging parts of the process. Bringing on Fuhaar to assist with décor and logistics was essential, particularly with the venue’s location three hours from Jaipur and the complexities of coordinating local vendors. They helped us navigate everything from timelines to cultural expectations, including adjusting to the reality that things move at a different pace in India. Another challenge was translating our more simple and elegant aesthetic into the Indian wedding context. My mom, being a florist, played a special role in helping us find Shrey and ensuring the florals reflected my style. Photography was equally important. I had known for years that I wanted Alice Mahran to photograph our wedding. The photos turned out beautifully — you would never guess it was her first Indian wedding.

Haldi

We had guests apply turmeric to us. We also had guests feed us pomegranates instead of traditional Indian sweets, as a slightly healthier alternative. This is a custom that is typically done in Kerala before the wedding.

Mehendi

For Mehendi, guests and Priya had henna applied. We also had a handful of Bollywood dances later in the evening performed by friends and family. The girls’ dance was a highlight and included Dola Re Dola, Deewana Hai Dekho, Kajra Re, and, of course, Bole Chudiyan.

The Wedding Day

We wanted a wedding that truly reflected us as a couple, and fortunately, that’s exactly what it became. We are Australian-Indian, but we feel incredibly proud of our Indian culture and wanted the opportunity to showcase an amazing experience in India to our friends and family. 

For a destination wedding in India, it was important to us that our guests had an experience unlike anything they had experienced before. The most important elements to us were the location, Indian culture, photography, and food. 

The Ceremony

The wedding ceremony was held in the afternoon on the lawn, following a Catholic service. We were incredibly fortunate to have a Catholic priest officiate the ceremony who had known my grandparents during their time living in Zambia, Africa, and we were so grateful that he was able to fly over for the wedding. Uddhav and I both wrote our own vows rather than using the formal Catholic wedding vows, which we felt didn’t fully reflect us as a couple.  We incorporated elements of traditional Kerala wedding ceremonies into our day.

My mom and Uddhav’s mom started the ceremony by lighting a Kerala brass lamp, symbolizing the presence of divine light and representing wisdom, hope, and the removal of darkness. A particularly meaningful part of the ceremony was the tying of the minnu. This is the most sacred ritual in a South Indian — specifically Kerala Syrian Christian — wedding, symbolizing the marital bond and a covenant with God. The groom ties a heart-shaped gold pendant, inscribed with a cross of seven beads, around the bride’s neck using 21 threads drawn from the manthrakodi — the wedding saree gifted by the groom. The threads are traditionally arranged in sets, representing unity and blessing, and the act itself signifies the beginning of a shared life together, grounded in love, faith, and commitment.

The Special Touches

Flowers were another incredibly important detail for me. I was particularly mindful that florals at Indian weddings can sometimes feel overly structured or excessive, so I was very clear that I wanted arrangements to feel organic, slightly mismatched, and effortless. Walking into each event was truly magical — from the staircase at the mehendi to the ceremony aisle, the wedding backdrop, and even the floral installation above the dancefloor, I was genuinely in awe of how everything came together. I often imagined the experience from a guest’s perspective, making sure anything I would appreciate was thoughtfully included. Small touches, like fresh jasmine for guests to wear in their hair felt particularly meaningful. Even elements like the room itineraries and ceremony pamphlets were designed to reflect the atmosphere and setting of the fort, tying everything together in a cohesive and personal way. I also was keen to have some 70/80s American rock play for the pre-reception drinks. 

Our Favorite Moment

It’s hard to put into words, but I would say the overwhelming feeling was a mix of surreal and deeply grateful. Across both days, there were countless moments where I found myself thinking, "Is this real life?" I also felt incredibly grateful to be able to have a wedding like this, made possible by the hard work of our parents, who migrated from India to Australia over 30 years ago with the hope of giving us every opportunity. Some of my favourite moments were the quieter ones: looking out at different friends and family across each event and feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude that they had travelled all that way to celebrate with us. There was something incredibly special about standing together in an ancient fort in the middle of India, surrounded by the people we love. 

Our Style

The Bridal Looks

I always knew I would wear traditional Indian outfits for my wedding. Indian bridal craftsmanship is extraordinary, and from the beginning I had a clear vision for the four looks I wanted and the designers I hoped to wear. Since I was a teenager, I had dreamed of wearing Sabyasachi Mukherjee, but as a Catholic South Indian bride looking for an off-white lehenga, my options were limited. After two bridal shopping trips to India and countless appointments, I still hadn't found "the one" until my mom convinced me to try on a Sabyasachi lehenga I had overlooked. The moment I stepped out, we both knew it was the one. I customized the look with a veil by Jess from J. Andreatta in Sydney, using the trim from my lehenga's dupatta, and styled it in a way that still felt true to me with a simpler silhouette and understated jewelry. One of my favorite details was the signature Bengal tiger embroidered on the waistband, which felt especially meaningful given our wedding in Ranthambore National Park.

For the reception, I wore a cream Sabyasachi silk saree with Jimmy Choo heels and heirloom polki jewelry chosen with my mom, while my Mehendi and Haldi looks reflected a more playful side of Indian fashion through Ridhi Mehra and Pramila. Throughout the process, I focused on choosing timeless pieces that felt like me rather than following traditional expectations of an extravagant bridal look, and everything was selected with the intention of being worn again. Hair and makeup by Mumbai-based artists Yamini and Sampada perfectly captured the natural aesthetic I love, inspired by Bollywood icons like Alia Bhatt, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee, and Madhuri Dixit. Looking back, I'm incredibly proud that every outfit celebrated the artistry of Indian design while still feeling authentically my own.

The Groom Looks

I had a tuxedo made at P. Johnson Tailors in Paddington. The guys there create such a great atmosphere, and the fitting sessions with my brother and dad in the lead-up made some great memories. I became set on a Loro Piana cashmere fabric that had a relaxed luxury feel and reminded me of my time thrifting in Europe during a gap year. For our Mehendi event, I went with a Divyam Mehta set in emerald green. I was amazed by the creative talent of many of the designers in India. I really liked how Divyam Mehta took a modern, minimalist approach to traditional Indian outfits.

Our Bridesmaids’ Looks

I knew from the beginning that the girls would wear traditional Kerala-style sarees, that they wouldn’t all be in the same color, and that they would have sleek buns adorned with fresh jasmine, which is traditional at weddings in South India. Having each of them in a different color felt like the best way to achieve that. The hardest part was finding three sarees in similar styles but in different colors. While my own outfit leaned more modern with an Indian lehenga, I tied their traditional look back into mine through my jewelry and the colors in my bangles. The girls told me they had never felt more beautiful, and that’s something that has really stayed with me.

Our Reception

We entered onto the dance floor with everyone standing around us, ready to join in for a first dance together. We came in to "Dancing in the Moonlight," and everyone joined in for a dance to start the night, which was a lot of fun. The evening continued with speeches from our fathers, brothers, and friends, and Uddhav also gave a speech. We had our first dance to "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke. We didn’t take dance lessons; we simply taught ourselves a few moves in our living room, keeping it lighthearted and not too forced. Similar to our entry dance, we invited guests to join in halfway through the song, which kept it fun and effortless, making it feel like a celebration shared with everyone.

Our Advice

For the Planning Process

While I love being involved in every detail, having a strong team on the ground for logistics, décor, and florals was essential — especially given we weren’t based in India. As much as I would have loved to do everything myself, learning to trust others was important and ultimately allowed us to be present and truly enjoy the celebrations without stress. Planning a destination wedding definitely requires careful planning, but we approached it as something we were comfortable prioritizing. It felt worthwhile knowing it would create such a memorable experience for everyone involved.

For On The Day

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I found myself playing out the two days in my head and asking myself this exact question (I tend to forward-plan a lot, as you can probably tell). I had often heard people say that the day flies by and that they wish they could do it again just to properly spend time with their guests. Because of that, I was really intentional about being present. I thought ahead about the moments I wanted to experience and structured my schedule so I could truly take everything in, rather than spending the entire time getting ready or moving from one thing to the next. Looking back, I feel incredibly grateful. I find myself wanting to relive those days not because they went too quickly or because I missed anything, but simply because they were so surreal and special.

For Post-Wedding

Soak up the time yourselves — and watch your wedding film and go through your photos together before everyone else gets to see them. It’s extremely special to experience those memories together first.