Nikhita Iyar & Mukund Chillakant

The Celebration

Some couples meet; Nikhita Iyar and Mukund Chillakant grew toward each other. For more than a decade their families had been intertwined — Nikhita and her sister had been close friends with Mukund and his fraternal twin brother since high school. The bond deepened in the most delightful way when her sister and his twin fell in love and married, and Nikhita and Mukund's own story grew quietly from that shared history.

The celebrations opened with an Indiana Jones adventure at The Leela Palace Chennai — a poolside world of cane furniture and twinkling lounges, a bridge walkway over the water, dried flowers and pampas grass, and the glow of 3,000 candles, presided over by a twelve-foot Buddha while dancers, fire artists and bongo drummers carried the night. The mehndi that followed was pure fantasy: an Alice in Wonderland world at Chess Gardens with a golden floral carriage for the bride, a chessboard dance floor, a canopy of pink-and-white hanging flowers, a giant teacup-and-saucer installation, a flower-filled antique telephone booth, towering floral bars and floral-cage lounges, and a Ladurée-inspired dessert spread in mauve and pink. DreamzKrraft even created specially designed henna-design booklets for every guest.

The sangeet brought the house down with a live performance by Shankar Mahadevan, with DJ Nawed and VJ Tarang keeping the floor moving. The wedding itself moved to the seaside Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay in Mamallapuram, where a pastel mandap stood against the backdrop of the waves and floral arches in white and pink framed the couple. The Terrence Lewis group performed a Ganga Aarti dance, guests received mogra wristlets and garlands, a South Indian sit-down lunch was served, and The Indian Jam Project played on.

The finale was an Opera House — floor-to-ceiling paintings, elegant gold structures, exotic florals and colossal drapes, anchored by an astounding jewelled Fabergé-egg installation and a three-arched custom stage of chandeliers and cascading velvet. The Shillong Chamber Choir performed, Terrence Lewis staged a Phantom of the Opera act, and live artists in remarkable costumes served food wearing lamps on their faces. Across both venues DreamzKrraft handled planning and décor, with co-founder Priti Sidhwaani sharing the experience of conceptualising and executing a vision built on opulent floral arrangements, large-scale installations and meticulous customisation.

Wedding Makers — Venues: The Leela Palace, Chennai (Welcome Dinner, Mehndi, Sangeet) & Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, Mamallapuram (Wedding, Reception). Planner & Décor: DreamzKrraft. Photography: Shades Photography. Entertainment: Shankar Mahadevan, Terrence Lewis, DJ Nawed, VJ Tarang, The Indian Jam Project, Shillong Chamber Choir. Bride Outfits: Swapnil Shinde (Welcome Dinner), Tarun Tahiliani (Mehndi), Gavin Miguel (Reception). Featured: Netflix — The Big Day (Collection 1).