Arjun Tendulkar and Saaniya Chandhok tied the knot recently at a star-studded ceremony in Mumbai. The two-day-long festivities – with mehendi at Gallops in Mahalaxmi Racecourse, and the wedding at St Regis – witnessed thousands of guests in attendance.
“While it is an intimate celebration in spirit, the scale is significant. There are over a thousand guests across the festivities, with carefully managed seating and guest flow. Every aspect, from entry systems to dining, has been planned to handle volume without losing warmth,” said Mumbai-based wedding planner Gehna Alimchandani, CEO, Eternity by Trinity (a wedding vertical of Trinity Entertainment and Strategic Consultants), whose company was booked for the massive event about five months ago.
Giving indianexpress.com an insight into the intimate celebrations, Alimchandani shared that mehendi was “designed as a Punjabi Carnival Bazaar” which is “vibrant, playful, and interactive”. “Guests are not just attending; they are experiencing the space through personalised gifting stalls, colourful decor, music, and movement. The wedding, on the other hand, is calm and rooted in Maharashtrian tradition. It features a 270-degree mandap and a traditional sit-down Pangat. The design language shifts from energetic to serene, but both are connected by a common thread of cultural storytelling and subtle elegance,” she added.
Each event takes several hours of continuous setup, sometimes overnight. The wedding ceremony setup was especially detailed because of the “mandap structure, florals, lighting, and guest-seating coordination”.
Notably, conversations began with an initial online consultation in the first week of October 2025. Wedding planner and Eternity by Trinity founder Vismay Chokshi expressed how the “chemistry was immediate”.
“Within hours of our first introduction, we were requested for an in-person site visit. Two days later, following a meeting at the venue, the family requested our contract for signing. This rapid transition from introduction to ‘partnership’ allowed us to hit the ground running for this March 2026 wedding date,” shared Chokshi, who has 15 years of experience in the wedding sphere.
The wedding planners pose with the Tendulkar family (Photo: PR Handout)
From the first meeting to execution, every week involved detailing, from rituals and food to guest experience and security protocols. “Right now, we are fully immersed in executing this wedding and ensuring that every detail runs seamlessly. Alongside that, we’re planning upcoming destination weddings and a few large-scale celebrations across different cities. It’s a very exciting and intense phase for us,” said Chokshi, who also managed lawyer Darius Khambata’s daughter Leah’s wedding in 2024.
Story continues below this ad
Chokshi shared that the “ideation was deeply collaborative”. “The brief was very clear: honour both cultures (Punjabi and Maharashtrian) and avoid anything excessive. We worked through mood boards, spatial layouts, and guest journey planning. Every element had to feel intentional, from decor to how guests move through the functions. It wasn’t about creating wow moments, but meaningful ones,” said Chokshi.
Reflecting on her experience of interacting with the couple over the past few months, Alimchandani expressed, “Yes, we interacted with them regularly. They are extremely warm, grounded, and clear about what they want. What mattered most to them was that the wedding should feel personal and comfortable for their families and guests. They trusted us fully, which made the process very smooth.”
What makes this wedding special? Chokshi reflected, “It is restraint. It’s not about grandeur for the sake of it. It’s about culture, family, and experience. The mehendi is playful and immersive, while the wedding is emotional and rooted in ritual. It’s a celebration of two families and two traditions.”
Sharing that “the biggest challenge is ensuring that despite the high-profile nature, the family feels relaxed and protected,” Alimchandani mentioned that earlier, weddings were about scale and spectacle but today, they are about storytelling and experience. “Couples care about how guests feel, not just how the décor looks. Personalisation has become the biggest trend,” said Chokshi.
