Prianka Virani married Mahir Vachani on 2nd March in Monte Carlo. She says:
“Mahir and I met while we were at university. We’ve known each other for five years and have been pretty much inseparable for all that time. Mahir proposed on a surprise holiday in Santorini. He organised a treasure hunt based on my favourite (and his least favourite) film Lord of the Rings. The hunt led to a mountainside where he proposed.”
The wedding planning took about 18 months to plan and consumed our lives. Between us and our families there were six perfectionists so every detail was discussed and re-discussed. We drew a lot of inspiration from previous weddings we’d been to and our suppliers all came from personal recommendations.
We had five events all together, starting with a ‘Welcome to Monaco’ night at the famed Jimmyz night club.
Mahir and I combined our Janya and Mehndi events for an all-day extravaganza at the Hotel Hermitage and in the evening our Sangeet was held at the Mediterranean Ballroom with a ‘Through the Looking Glass’ theme complete with contortionists, live acts and dwarves!
The following day was our wedding day. It began in traditional style with a Baarat on Casino Square. Juggy D performed on a float to a crowd of our guests and local residents.
Our wedding venue was the magnificent Opera House. During our pheras Mahir spent the entire time whispering in my ear, making me laugh. That’s one of my most treasured memories. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have married my best friend.
The Reception
The religious ceremony was followed by a grand reception at the Salles des Etoiles (Sporting Club). We decided on grand décor; dramatic floral centrepieces and a roof that opened up to the stars. We started with a formal dinner followed by speeches –the most heart warming one was from my brother.
All our supplies and planners did a stellar job and we can’t thank them enough – especially RWS London for such brilliant décor and overall support.
Thanks also to MEW from India who brought the life and party to the whole event and helped it to run seamlessly, SBM for their flexibility and understanding in helping us host all of our events, Frank Damgaard from Monaco who ran everything from the ground, Pink Turban from London for what was described as the most ‘finger licking’ food and finally Jay Sean for raising the bar for all wedding receptions!
Wedding outfits
We chose the majority of our wedding wardrobe from Manish Malhotra and Suneet Varma. We wanted that mix of grandeur and sexiness that both designers are known for creating. My good friend and celebrity make up artist from Hong Kong Natasha Moor did my makeup and made me feel like a Queen for all the events. Our jewellery came from a combination of Mumbai based Jewels by Moksh and Hong Kong-based Temptations.
The French writer and poet Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote ‘Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction’. To future brides I say: remember a wedding is about two families becoming one. If you can support each other through that transition, you’ll be able to handle any hurdles along the way.
Bride: Prianka Virani
Groom: Mahir Vachani
Date of wedding: 2nd March – 4th March 2018
Wedding and Reception venue: Opera House Monte Carlo and Salle des Etoiles, Le Sporting Monte-Carlo
Bride and groom outfit designer: Manish Malhotra
Makeup artist: Natasha Moor
Photo and Video: Musemotion Photos
Cake designer: Société des Bains de Mer
Décor company: RWS LONDON- Décor & Production
Florist: RWS LONDON- Décor & Production