The Vogue Wedding Show 2015 kicked off in magnificent style at New Delhi’s hub of luxury, The Taj Palace Hotel on August 7th. A three day, invitation-only event, it saw the Crème de la Crème of the luxury industry, from designers to wedding planners, converge. We at Think Shaadi were on the ground from the first day, getting a first hand account of all the amazing designs, masterclasses and conversations on offer. Accompanying us for photography and cinematography were the ever cool and highly talented Ronnie and Shivali from Stories by Joseph Radhik.

It began with the ornate hotel transformed into a giant luxury circus, with stadium like proportions. Always praised for being the most “breathable” of wedding fairs, whereas many feel cramped and thrown together, Vogue makes sure to plan the event with military precision, giving spacial awareness a priority. This year was no different, with each area given its own enclave. We saw each artisan look at ease, as they presided over their own unique space.

For day one, we were treated to a masterclass, by Vogue India’s Fashion Director Anaita Shroff Adajania. The class was packed out, with brides-to-be and others. Anaita’s main advice was that essentially brides should always follow their instincts when it comes to choosing their wedding attire.

Continuing with day one, the second much-anticipated discussion took place, with, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Vogue India’s Fashion Features Director Bandana Tewari getting into conversation, with the brand and designer exclusively announcing their upcoming collaboration. It was an exciting and intriguing talk.

With over 50 weddings experts, from a variety of fields, coming together, our goal was to see as many as possible. From the world of high-end fashion, we were spoiled for choice, with the likes of Manish Malhotra, Monisha Jaising, Ritu Kumar, Sabyasachi, Shantanu & Nikhil, Tarun Tahiliani, Varun Bahl, Vineet Bahl and more.

Now, weddings are incomplete without jewellery and the Vogue Wedding show featured the finest selection of decadent bridal gemstones by jewelers including Anmol Jewelers, Amrapali, BN Jewellers, Bharany’s, Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas, Diacolor – Fine Contemporary Jewels, Hazoorilal By Sandeep Narang, Hazoorilal Legacy – South Extension, Khanna Jewellers, Kishandas & Company for Sabyasachi, Mehta & Sons, Raj Mahtani, Rose, Sunita Shekawat Jaipur, Tibarumals Jewellers, Bespoke Vintage Jewels and Gehna Jewellers.’

Taking about gifting, accessories and a special sari pavilion and here are our highlights: The majestic collection from bespoke couturier for invitations Puneet Gupta in collaboration with Swarovski was a huge hit for us, with creations that push the boundaries of invitation design.

Luxury stole designers Ezma invoked an ultra contemporary store design for their display.

As the show rolled into day two, we and other guests attended a workshop by make-up doyenne Namrata Soni, who broke down the many facts and myths and instructed guests on how to wear make-up to fit with a variety of bridal events.

We also saw masterclasses by celebrity nutritionist Kinita Kadakia Patel who gave some great tips for brides-to-be on how to look good through wellness and nutrition. Renowned wedding planner Vandana Mohan gave some invaluable insights, also skin-care specialist Dr. Harshna Bijlani focused on tips and techniques on how to get a flawless, glowing skin.

Swati & Sunaina are now renowned for their collection of Indian woven textiles. Their display was influenced, of course, by the treasures of ancient Indian textile design.

Isharya jewelers sea of gold was an eye-catching moment.

The final day we had a chance to sit in a masterclass with leading wedding planner Vandana Mohan from The Wedding Design Company. It was brilliant to hear from the person behind some of the biggest Indian weddings ever to take place in India and abroad.

Over the course of the three days we were also given exclusive interviews with fashion designers and jewelers who showcased at the show.

Sabyasachi’s display of his latest collection was a feast of tradition and heritage, with deep, rich colours, consisting mainly of reds, oranges and vintage gold adornments. He has retained that signature style of making vintage elements work so effortlessly with the contemporary. It was the elaborate pattern’s that really grabbed our attention, mixing a variety of both rural and aristocratic floral themes.

Jewellery was in abundance. We caught a gorgeous display with Tarang Arora of Amrapali, the jewellery designers whose creations echo the beauty of ancient arts and crafts, with evocative ornamentation and playful themes.

We were delighted to see Manish Malhotra at the Vogue Wedding Show, his collection was displayed among a beautiful selection of flowers, emphasising the feel of an opulent boudoir. The designs were intensely feminine, brocaded with intricate stitching and created a strong sense of fun and frivolity.

Sunita Shekhawat emerged from the ancient surroundings of Jaipur, and uses the techniques of ‘Meenakari’ to create stunning pieces of jewellery. We spoke to Design Director Niharika Singh Shekhawat, who was very passionate about the special bridal jewellery they create.

Tarun Tahiliani’s display felt very intimate. A marvelously eclectic array of themes, ranging from the formal to the informal, the delicate to the strong, were channeled into this collection. He amazed us as always, bringing a myriad of differing influences to the forefront.

We caught up with mumbai based Kiran Datwani of Gehna Jewelers and she was gracious to take us through their new bridal collection.

Working under the banner of “progressive unification” Shantanu & Nikhil were a delight, showcasing a collection that fused together the avant-garde with age-old formality. Their display was all about capturing the essence of imperial grandeur, which the idea for this collection grew from.

A fairly new face on the scene, Anita Dongre quickly rocketed into the stratosphere with her collections, and now she is one of India’s premier designer. For the show, her display was all about the vibrancy of youth, with a collection that focused on freedom and sex appeal.

Varun Bahl’s global outlook on fashion has perfected year by year, with each collection he surpasses himself. For the show, Varun displayed a collection that was whimsical in the best way, with the feel of an autumnal garden, exhibited in an exhibit of muted colours.

Rose jeweler’s are immersed in tradition, with influences that range from Mughal art and architecture, to nature and traditional Indian textiles. They have become the favourite for brides looking for a showstopper piece of jewellery. At the Vogue Wedding Show, Rose made an impact with their display, featuring a variety of outstanding gemstones from diamonds to rubies.

Sania Maskatiya, the only Pakistani designer at the show, offers sleek and streamlined designs that have a distinct youthful feel. Her collection blew us away, with their diverse range of patterns and inventive use of colours and styles.

It was an outstanding three days, and we at Think Shaadi enjoyed every minute of it. Stand by for our collection of exclusive interviews from the show.

Special thank you to Joe, Hema and Puya for all their help in covering the event!

Image Credits: Stories by Joseph Radhik