An Udaipur wedding that celebrated two cultures and many journeys

For years, Elizabeth and Nikhil Vazirani lived almost parallel lives without realising it.

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In London, she would often visit friends in the very building where he lived. They shared the same address, perhaps the same lift rides and corridors, but never a conversation. It wasn’t until much later, in Dubai, that a mutual friend finally brought them to the same dinner table.

The connection felt easy from the start. They spoke about sailing, skiing, spontaneous travel—the things that made them feel most alive. The same day, Nikhil asked her out. Soon after, he booked himself onto the same flight back to London. By Valentine’s Day, they were skiing together in St. Moritz.

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Building something across cities

Their first year together unfolded across airports and time zones. Elizabeth, who had grown up in London, now runs her consultancy Insignia while working closely with Goldacre on global data-centre investments. 

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Nikhil’s journey began in Mumbai, moved through Germany and London, and eventually led to Dubai, where he continues his work with TransAsia, the healthcare company founded by his father nearly 50 years ago.

Alongside the logistics of distance came the work of understanding each other’s worlds. What stayed with Elizabeth most was the warmth of Nikhil’s family, something she gradually came to feel a part of.

The proposal

Months later, during a Diwali trip to Dubai, Nikhil suggested a jet-ski ride on the morning Elizabeth was flying back to London.

Out on the water, they stopped beside a yacht decorated with a heart of red flowers. Inside, he had left a dress, shoes and even her makeup. 

On the upper deck, with music from The Parent Trap playing and the skyline stretching around them, he asked her to marry him. They signed their marriage in Abu Dhabi on November 3, 2025—exactly a year later.

A place that felt right 

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When it came to planning the celebrations, the brief was simple: Elizabeth and Nikhil didn’t want a venue that felt like a wedding factory.

Nikhil had visited Udaipur as a child and carried a sense of nostalgia for Rajasthan. When they returned together while scouting venues, the city felt instantly familiar to him—and comforting to Elizabeth.

The property they chose, The Oberoi Udaivilas, wasn’t originally designed as a wedding venue. That meant logistical challenges, but it also meant authenticity. The space felt lived-in, warm, almost like stepping into a palace without the weight of ceremony.

They booked out the entire hotel, along with additional rooms at The Leela Palace Udaipur, creating an intimate world for the 215 guests who arrived from across America, Europe, Australia, Indonesia, the UK and India.

A wedding of many layers

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The celebrations unfolded over four days—from a welcome lunch to a vibrant sangeet, a sunlit haldi, a Hindu ceremony and an English wedding.

Elizabeth wanted guests to understand the rituals, so each event came with booklets explaining their meaning.

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“At KKings Events, we curated Elizabeth & Nikhil’s multi-cultural wedding at The Oberoi Udaivilas as a seamless fusion of tradition and global elegance. With guests arriving from around the world, Hindu and Christian ceremonies, and international bands from the UK and Dubai, our focus was on creating a refined, immersive experience,” says founder Monil Shah. “Working closely with this well-travelled power couple allowed us to design a wedding that was intimate in emotion, yet grand in execution—a true reflection of KKings’ signature luxury planning.”

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The welcome lunch leaned into a playful Rajasthani mood, with pastel tones, handcrafted silverware, bangle makers and the bride’s signature pink floral elephants. By evening, the sangeet shifted into something more theatrical—glass backdrops, digital peacocks gliding across palace walls and jewel-toned lighting that gave the night a cinematic glow.

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For the Hindu ceremony, a giant lotus mandap appeared to rise out of the lake itself, built in a part of the property where structures had never been permitted before. The English wedding followed a single rule: only white roses. Nearly 50,000 were flown in to create a cloud-like installation above the reflecting pool.

Guests also encountered Indian street flavours, bhel puri, pani puri and vada pav, for the first time at thoughtfully set up food stalls. 

“For me, the design of this wedding was never about decoration; it was about building emotion into form,” says Prerika Puri, Founder and Creative Head, To The Aisle. “Each space was imagined as its own universe, but shaped with intention, craft, and a deep reverence for culture.”

Dressing the story

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Elizabeth’s bridal lehenga was hand-embroidered in gold thread, something she watched evolve from sketches into an heirloom over nine months. Her English wedding gown was made in London, with a veil carrying their initials and wedding date.

Jewellery for both ceremonies was crafted by Nikhil’s family jeweller, someone who had known him since childhood. On the morning of the wedding, Elizabeth’s mother gifted her a gold cross that had belonged to her grandmother.

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Her wardrobe moved fluidly across the celebrations— from Arpita Mehta at the welcome lunch to Falguni Shane Peacock at the sangeet, Payal Singhal for the haldi, and a custom Galia Lahav gown for the English ceremony. She closed the weekend in Clio Peppiatt and Manolo Blahnik heels.

Nikhil’s looks were equally thought out— from Jatin Malik to Ricco, and a bespoke tuxedo made in Dubai.

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In the end, the wedding wasn’t defined by scale or spectacle. It felt like a coming together of cultures, families and journeys that had travelled far before finally finding each other.