New Delhi: The high-profile wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding was solemnised in Mumbai on July 12, 2024, at the Jio World Convention Centre in BKC. The ‘big fat Indian wedding’ saw world leaders, eminent personalities, global celebrities and desi showbiz A-listers making their attendance under one roof. Itchha Talreja – Founder of Itchha Talreja Designs, who beautifully crafted the special invites for the wedding shares exclusive details with Zee News Digital.
Q. How does it feel to design invites for perhaps the ‘biggest Indian wedding’?
A. It has been a great experience – creating an invitation for an event where the whole world would be watching and possibly judging. Being involved from the very beginning was humbling, and we are incredibly thankful for the opportunity.
Q. What brief did you get for Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding invites?
A. The whole idea was to keep the invite simple and bright with elements that symbolize the events themselves. The brief was straightforward: Anant likes animals, and Mrs. Nita Ambani wanted to incorporate them into the event themes, along with elements of the grand decor and chintz motifs in watercolours. We also included Anant and Radhika’s favourite shades to make it more personal.
Q. How was it to craft special invites, logos for their pre-wedding functions like Mosalu/Mameru, Sangeet, and Grah Shanti?
A. The whole idea behind designing for the events at Antilia was to keep it personal, as it was an event in their home for a very intimate crowd. We crafted everything with motifs related to each event. We loved every bit of it – it was both challenging and satisfying.
The first event was Mosalu, an event for the Dalal family, which is Nita Ma’am’s side of the family. We started with a Kalash, as that is traditionally used to begin auspicious events. The second event was Kuldevi Pooja and Grah Shanti Pooja, so we incorporated elements of their Kuldevi, Randal Ma. The third was Shiv Shanti, one of the most beautiful designs we created, featuring two hands: Shiva’s hand going up and Parvati’s hand going down, along with Rudraksha. Then there was Peethi, which is the haldi ceremony, where marigolds were incorporated.
Q. Did you interact with the bride and groom for any recommendations?
A. We were in communication with Nita Ambani and Radhika Merchant. For the Sangeet event specifically, we were in touch with Radhika, who mentioned she wanted the entire theme to revolve around the palaces of India, calling it ‘Celebration of Hearts.’ We meticulously planned a walk-through of various Indian palaces, complete with heart-shaped fireworks. The invitation turned out beautifully, and we selected Radhika’s favourite song to accompany it.
Mrs. Ambani provided detailed instructions for the book. She requested a design that explained all the rituals since many guests from abroad were unfamiliar with the intricacies of a Hindu wedding. She placed significant emphasis on Kanyadaan, highlighting in her speech that it is not just about giving away the bride but also about gaining a daughter, while the Merchants welcome a son. These insights from Mrs Ambani were thoughtfully incorporated into the design.
Q. Who all have you designed for before Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant?
A. We have designed for Saif Ali Khan, Parineeti Chopra, Rakul Preet & Jackie Bhagnani, Aliyah Kashyap, and Rosemin Madhavji. Tatas, DLF & Kirloskar’s being few of them.
Q. How different was it to design for the Ambanis?
A. The only difference was how careful we had to be with the information. We had a small team to ensure that conversations and details were limited to a select group. Even the prints were guarded meticulously, covered at all times so that no one could see them until they were officially released.