Loulou’A, which means “pearl” in Arabic, is the resort’s new event space and a perfect locale for once-in-a-lifetime wedding celebrations. From beachfront wedding receptions and ceremonies to elegant soirees in our sea-view terrace or luxury ballroom, our stylish event and wedding venues offer rich décor, stunning views and menus individually prepared for every event to deliver a one-of-a-kind celebration. Dhiraj looked handsome in a custom-made white suit by Troy Costa.Whether you’re planning a wedding or celebration for another of life’s great milestones, The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai offers stylish locations to give your festivities just the right ambience. To complete the look, I wore a custom-made Swarovski crystal crown especially ordered from the USA. I conjured up an all-white crystal encrusted embroidered outfit with a 3-metre trail. Our family and friends held flares up high as we entered.Īnd just like every girl dreams of that perfect outfit for their wedding, I’d envisioned my reception outfit right from my teens. For our final entry, we had ‘Bailarinas’ with LED-lit outfits perform a beautiful ballet to ‘My heart will go on’ by Celine Dion. “The reception was an all-white event set off by chandeliers, a truly sparkling soirée. My brothers and bridesmaids performed a beautiful dance preceding my entry and my dad walked me down the aisle which was a very precious moment.” I had my bridesmaids dressed in golden sarees with floral borders that matched my Sabyasachi lehenga. “Our wedding took place at the beachfront of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. “Dhiraj and I absolutely love retro music so we hosted an event where we could have a night for the young and the not so young, dancing to tunes from the 70s, 80s and 90s. The venue was festooned with colorful flags, drapes and we customized the dance floor and bar in accordance with the theme.” There is a very famous Spanish carnival song ‘La vida es un Carnaval’, the lyrics of which go, “It’s more beautiful to live singing and dancing, for life is a carnival.” And that’s exactly what we did – we sang and danced the night away. “Our wedding coincided with carnival season in Brazil and Spain so we decided to theme our pool party to resonate. We had the popular Indian rapper Badshah perform that evening.” The outfit had golden jharokas all across the lehenga and a floral top, designed especially with the theme in mind. I entered in a doli like a Rajput princess, wearing Manish Malhotra. The bar was covered with red roses, our initials spelled out in acrylic.
I wanted a Mughal feel so we used LED screens projecting palatial imagery, chandeliers, candelabra and roses across the ballroom. “For the Sangeet I was inspired by the book ‘The Palace of Illusions’ by Chitra Banerjee. We had an all Arabic menu planned with shishas and local entertainment.” We had a bridal seating area with an arch and floral backdrop, colorful majlis for the guests, lanterns, flowers and candles set up across the lawn. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque as a backdrop is absolutely breath-taking and perfect for the theme. The event was called ‘Flavour of Arabia’ and held at the entrance lawn of The Ritz Carlton. We wanted our guests to have a taste of Middle Eastern culture so we planned an Arabian theme. The minute we walked in it just felt perfect. We looked at what felt like a hundred properties and then we walked into The Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal. “We travelled to Bali, Thailand, around the UAE and India in search of a venue for our wedding. And now, here we are, two years later, tying the knot.” Every feeling we’d suppressed resurfaced and we started dating. He wanted to focus on his career and I wasn’t keen on a long distance relationship.įast forward 7 whole years later to 2015 and we met again, at another wedding, in Goa. There was a lot of chemistry but nothing happened because Dhiraj then moved to Barcelona. We got talking and got along really well. We knew each other but it wasn’t until we met, a couple of years ago, at a friend’s wedding that we were seated at the same table. Here, bride Pooji shares some moments from her special day. Planned to perfection and designed to impress, Pooji and Dhiraj pulled off a spectacular wedding ceremony and several celebrations in Abu Dhabi.