Designed for royalty

99.9% of the wedding was planned and finalised by my husband as I was too busy filming my first Bollywood film, the David Dhawan directed blockbuster, Hai Jawani Tho Ishq Hona Hai.

I was away for long periods of time throughout the movie schedule shooting in Scotland, London and India. Whilst I was filming, my husband and his family went to several venues and food tastings. We were expecting international guests from Canada and New Zealand so somewhere special and memorable. Park Hall Hotel and Spa ticked all the boxes. Guy also organised our decorations, food, the DJ and entertainment, cinematography and wedding favours.

True story: I was in Mumbai on the week of my wedding finalising the major action scenes for my film. Then 48 hours later, I walked into my Mahiyan ceremony and Jago party. It was like my life was the movie.

Before the main wedding, we secretly eloped to Lake Como, Italy, and married legally. We screened a video of our romantic escape at our reception.

Steal Bishamber’s Style

Britain’s first Asian Plus-Size model turned Bollywood actress, Bishamber Das is passionate about her Punjabi heritage and culture which inspired her look for the religious rituals of the wedding. She opted for authentic jewellery designed by Heritage Punjab. The Punjabi suit she wore was from Harkiran Basra in the Punjab. It was one she had saved on her moodboard five years earlier. She told Asiana: “I wanted to honour my ancestral roots on my special day with my bridal outfit, and I’m proud to say my look was well received online and internationally, going viral with millions of views and message of support.” Her make-up was by Ravina MUA. 

The Big Day

On the day of the Anand Karaj, I was in the hot seat from 3am. The night before, I was celebrating my Jago party until 1am. Despite only sleeping two hours, Team Bride was ready and on schedule.

Whilst getting ready, I made sure nobody was in my space apart from my MUA Mani and hair stylist. I had followed Mani on social media for a long time and loved how skin focussed and versatile she is. She’s also respected for her unedited images with no filters, showing true artistry. Hair by Sonia created a sleek low bun complementing my look.

A traditional Punjabi breakfast and lunch was served at the Gurdwara by Nijjar Catering in West Bromwich, who are my late father’s good friends.

Our reception was held at the Park Hall Hotel and Spa. We really wanted a clean, sharp, classy aesthetic so opted for an elegant Gatsby theme with creams, gold and white. Highlights included our Live Wedding Painter Roberto Romano who did a splendid oil painting portrait for us to treasure. Guests were welcomed by a live harpist and served a vegetarian feast. Our beautiful five-tiered vegan Victoria sponge was made by Kiki’s Cakes in Leicester.

The evening ended with a magnificent party in true Punjabi style with live dhol and DJs.

Magical Memories

Reflecting on my magical wedding now, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride, awe, joy and fulfilment that destiny has been so kind to me. I would love to experience the exact same moments again of the exhilarating wedding week of festivities in a heartbeat. We would both like to thank our parents, as the fairytale wedding of our dreams wouldn’t have been possible without their love, support and encouragement. The next chapter of our story is now unfolding, as we have recently welcomed our own new family member, beginning our sacred journey as parents.