Neena and Sakaar are an Indian couple who chose to get married in Italy, specifically at the Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano.
Bracciano Castle is an extraordinary private historic home with 800 years of history. Built by the Orsini in 1470, next to the pre-existing Rocca dei Vico, it was purchased by the Odescalchi family, who still own it today, in 1696. Both Neena and Sakkar prepared in the Renaissance-style rooms of the castle. It was beautiful for us to become part of their culture. We were immersed in their rich details of color, jewelry symbolizing the status of marriage. Neena, helped by her friend in the various steps of dressing, was ready: she wore a wonderful embroidered skirt combined with a bodice of the same colors. Red to symbolize auspiciousness and gold for spirituality, fertility and ‘commitment.
The ceremony was set up with their characteristic Mandap in the Castle’s secret garden.
The first to enter was Sakaar escorted by his friends after the shoe stealing ritual. Neena’s entrance was accompanied by a love letter from the groom that involved all the guests to get excited. The guests were all around the Mandap enraptured at the sight of beautiful Lake Bracciano in the background. In the Indian wedding,there is nothing white when it comes to Indian brides. , which tend to favor very bright varieties of red, yellow and orange. This is typical of the traditional Hindu, in which the sari should be colorful and embellished with gold elements to symbolize commitment, spirituality and fertility. An Indian bride adhering to tradition will wear a dress composed of 16 pieces that include makeup, jewelry and clothing. The most recognizable is the Mangtikka,a jewel worn on the forehead. The colors of the fabric of her sari and the groom ‘s attire are largely dictated by the region of origin. The groom traditionally wears a turban adorned with flowers to ward off bad spirits and a special kind of shoes called Sherwani and Mojari.
The ceremony, filled with Indian symbols and traditions, was a roller coaster of emotions.
After the petal throwing, the bride and groom followed us for the photo shoot in the various areas of the castle. Just before the sun went down we arrived at the top and took advantage of the wonderful view below us. We moved through narrow, tiny spaces reaching between the highest battlements.
Dinner was served in the courtyard where everything was lit and decorated to perfection recreating a sumptuous and elegant ambience.
The bride and groom then made their entrance down the stairs, Sakaar now wearing a sparkling black tuxedo to accompany his stunning Neena. After the cutting of the cake, the party then exploded thanks to the amazing musical beat created by two very established DJs in Asia. The Castle Court in a second was transformed into a DJ set.
