Meet The Indian Bride Who Had A “Personal MET Gala Wedding” In Mexico City

When it comes to love and weddings, there are no geographical boundaries! Which was the case for Ikaasa Suri (completing her MD at Mount Sinai) and Jaywin Singh Malhi (trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division at the United States Department of Justice), who first met at a social conference in NY meant to bring together young Sikh professionals. It was fleeting then, but a call from Ikaasa months later saw a cross-country friendship blossom. Living on opposite coasts, they soon made time for quick trips to visit each other, dates at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and stops at NY’s famous bakeries. 
From museums and matcha to letters and leaps of love, Jaywin proposed—actually inventing a colleague’s wedding to pop his question! And the rest, as they say, is history. This May the duo tied the knot at a glamorous wedding — high both on fashion and romance! 

ELLE: Ikaasa, you wanted your wedding, “to feel like my personal Met Gala.” Tell us what was behind that.

Ikaasa Suri (IS): Fashion and beauty are two creative outlets that have always brought me joy. I wanted my wedding to feel like my personal Met Gala — not just a celebration of love, but also a chance to express myself through these. I have followed editorial makeup artists and have enjoyed scouting out up and coming designers for years and our wedding felt like the perfect opportunity to step beyond the traditional bridal beauty playbook. Each look was designed to reflect the unique vibe of its event—through colour, silhouette, texture, and energy.
Dad, too, a businessman with roots in the garment industry, always encouraged me to use fashion as a form of self-expression and that you could never, ever be overdressed if you were dressing for yourself. And mom, gave me the confidence and freedom to do exactly that.
To bring my vision to life, I flew worked Luquin, a renowned makeup artist from Guadalajara known for his graphic, editorial looks and built a detailed inspiration deck with outfits, themes, and references; he responded with custom face charts for every look. For hair, I partnered with the incredibly talented Andrei Sansores, who brought a complementary artistic flair. We crafted everything from sculptural updos to playful textures that completed the vision. 

ELLE: Your five-day extravaganza saw almost the entire city used as a venue—can you take us into some of the most unforgettable locations?

Jaywin Singh Malhi (JSM): We wanted a destination wedding, but one that was exciting and also accessible and affordable for the people we love. We’ve all been invited to weddings that require days of travel and thousands of dollars—and we knew we didn’t want to ask that of our guests. For that reason, we nixed most destinations in Europe, Asia, and beyond. We ultimately chose Mexico City—a place we fell in love with when we spent a few days there following our engagement. In terms of vision, we wanted to use the entire city as our canvas and designed a five-day, seven-event celebration that let our guests experience the diversity and beauty of Mexico City and its surrounding landscape. We hosted our sangeet in a 16th-century ex-convent, showcasing the city’s historic architecture anchored in stunning archways, the reception in a breathtaking national forest, surrounded by towering trees and fresh mountain air, our Anand Karaj (Sikh wedding ceremony) on the grounds of a sprawling hacienda, and our welcome party, maiyan, after party, and farewell brunch across a mix of iconic restaurants, rooftop terraces, and even a presidential suite that has previously hosted Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Madonna, and Tiger Woods, which became a week-long gathering space for family and friends.

ELLE: Bringing about that seven-day do must have packed both challenges and high points?

IS: For sure! The hardest part? The logistics. Planning a multi-day Indian wedding for 450-ish guests abroad—in a country where neither of us spoke the native language, fluently at least—while balancing full-time jobs and demanding responsibilities was no small feat. I was deep in my clerkships as a third-year medical student, and Jaywin was working as a civil rights litigator at the United States Department of Justice, pushing case after case to trial. Between managing family expectations, coordinating international vendors, and obsessing over every detail (we’re both admittedly very Type A), there were more than a few moments of chaos.
But the easiest part—by far—was staying committed to the why: each other. Whenever things felt overwhelming—whether it was choreographing dances for the Sangeet, chasing down vendor quotes, or waiting on (very) delayed outfits from India—we found ourselves coming back to the same thing: the excitement of finally living in the same city, of starting our life together, of marrying our soulmate—and that made every challenge feel worth it.

ELLE: A 22K gold corset sure makes for a scene stealer! What was it about?

IS: I have always been drawn to fashion as a form of storytelling, and I wanted my look for each event to be unique and intentional. For the Sangeet, I wore a custom gold corset that was as much a piece of art as it was a garment. I had come across MISHO’s work when I spotted a red-carpet look they had done for the Cannes film festival and fell in love with the idea of etching our love story into metal.

Inspired by our nomadic love and cast in solid 22K gold, the corset was etched with the landmarks of our relationship: cities we’d lived in, visited, or fallen in love in

I poured my heart out to Suhani Parekh, MISHO’s creative director, about how Jaywin and I met at a Sikh conference more than ten years prior, how we became best friends before ever falling in love, and how our relationship spanned years of long-distance flights, cities, and tiny pockets of stolen time. And I told her that I wanted this piece to carry this story—the way we had carried each other across so many places and phases of life. Inspired by our nomadic love and cast in solid 22K gold, the corset was etched with the landmarks of our relationship: cities we’d lived in, visited, or fallen in love in. At the centre was a scene of us standing hand-in-hand in front of the church in San Miguel de Allende, where Jaywin proposed. Above us, in delicate Gurmukhi script, were the words 'Tu Hi Ah'—the name of the song that played when he got down on one knee. I remember seeing the final engraving for the first time and tearing up: it truly was a love letter in metal.

ELLE: For your Anand Karaj, you spent time searching through 72 ateliers across India, to finally create your outfits from scratch. What did you finalise on?

IS: Yes, we collectively visited 72 stores across all of India over the short course of a two-week trip in search of the perfect wedding outfits, but realised we wouldn’t be able to find off-the-rack what would speak to our hearts and would have to instead design it ourselves––from scratch. I took inspiration from the pichwai work beautifully represented in Tarun Tahiliani’s lenghas, regal intricacy of layered textiles in Rimpal & Harpreet, and traditionalism of Anita Dongre. Wandering the alleys of the Chandni Chowk, we came upon a small hole-in-the-wall shop specialising in the very thing my dad taught me to value growing up: quality textiles. Here, we selected colour swatches, conceptualised the storyline of their outfits, and designed the shape of each piece––from my blouse to Jaywin’s sherwani. 
In the end, I wore an all-pearl blouse with a pichwai-work lehenga featuring panels of lilac, sage green, and ivory peacocks, flowers, cows, and boats that pay homage to the regal Rajasthani roots of the work. To complete my outfit, I wore two dupattas: an ivory one and a 12-foot lilac one embellished with Swarovskis, as I entered the darbar sahib (traditional Sikh court) for the Anand Karaj.
I also went all-out on the accessories. Since Jaywin and I were particularly picky about colour matching––I opted for an untraditional colour of the choora: baby pink and dark lavender. I also wore gold and diamond kaleere and hathphool hand jewellery by Preeti Mohan, along with Dior’s signature J’Adior Slingback Pumps in Nude Patent Calfskin. 

ELLE: Jaywin, what was it like to match every look with Ikaasa?

JSM: Well, I wore a sherwani with an ivory base and work exactly matching the lilac and sage pichwai work on Ikaasa’s lehenga. (This was a must-have for us; rather than opting for matching looks in colour that modern couples often wear, we wanted exact matches in the work and design of our outfits, to physically represent our union). It featured an angrakha wrap-style front, and an elaborate stole adorned with pearls and Swarovskis, and embroidered juthis with the identical pattern of work. The kirpan-engraved with “IKWIN FOREVER-was wrapped in a regal mauve velvet sheath matching the colour of my pagh and our palla. The kalgi on my pagh featured three prominent mauve and lavender cabochon stones set in antique gold filigree and I complemented it with a custom haar. Most meaningfully, I wore my late father’s gold ring and watch during our Anand Karaj. 

ELLE: The stylish sojourn doesn’t stop here. You had specially-themed outfits for each function, tell us about them.

JSM: For the welcome party, Ikaasa wore a two-piece fit with mini dress and sheer maxi skirt underneath, covered head-to-toe in Swarovski crystals, designed by Ikaasa herself. I opted for an all-white custom ensemble featuring a sharply tailored three-piece suit. Inspired by a look worn by the singer Rohanpreet Singh in the music video for his song Gaadi Kaali, I asked countless tailors across America and India if they could try their hand at building the outfit I had in mind. A dozen declined, but one courageous tailor—at a tiny shop called George 7 in Adalat Bazar, Patiala—stepped up for the task. My look also had a white turban, layered chains, wrist and hand jewellery (including a khanda pendant-turned-bracelet from his mom’s collection), and statement Straight to Hell snakeskin boots for a striking finish.

For Maiyan’s ‘Tropical Jungle’ theme, Ikaasa wore a maximalist two-piece set from Payal & Zinal, in a leafy print, with a ear cuff, stacked gold bangles and cheeky, oversized sunglasses—a look that said “main character, jungle edition”: equal parts glam and grounded. I sported a custom two-piece set with a complementary floral print filled with bold shades of coral, green, and black and classic kolhapuri sandals. It struck the perfect balance between laid-back and editorial— tropical prince, with just the right amount of chaos.

IS: To the sangeet, Jaywin wore a custom sherwani and kurta set, paired with a maroon turban to match the velvet back of my corset and gold Punjabi juthis (shoes) with large nokhs (curved tips), both from hole-in-the-wall shops in Chandigarh. For the reception, I chose a red lehenga with halter top by Seema Gujral, a play on the evening’s ‘extraterrestrial’ theme with the Cassia Lace-Up Slingback Pumps by Christian Louboutin in black, that Jaywin gifted me. He rocked a custom robe-style tuxedo inspired by Tom Ford, with Greggy Oxford shoes by Christian Louboutin. Embroidered in red on the left chest was a custom “I&J” monogram, a quiet but personal detail and inside the jacket was monogrammed: IKWIN FOREVER.

The real showstopper, however, was the back of the jacket, embroidered with the exact constellation of stars mapped from the night and place we first met: Fort Lee, New Jersey on January 19, 2014, at 9 PM ET. It was unexpected and deeply personal for me—a sartorial love letter written in stars.

ELLE: A wedding reception deep in a forest. Exciting cuts it mildly; do take us into the fun.

IS: Our reception was held at Ex Convento Desierto de los Leones—a centuries-old monastery turned national museum, tucked deep within a forest on the outskirts of Mexico City. Surrounded by towering trees and ancient ruins, the venue felt sacred, cinematic, and otherworldly—exactly the kind of magic we hoped to channel for the final night of our wedding week. For this, we leaned into a bolder red and black palette.

The night was designed to feel like a cosmic dream: a laser-lit entryway that welcomed guests through a custom “portal” into the hidden gardens; dry ice floating across the dance floor; a laser show against the stone ruins; nitrogen and charcoal-infused cocktails, and a massive ice sculpture of Saturn glowing among candlelit florals in the garden.. It was intergalactic-meets-earthy aesthetic

The cocktail hour took place in a hidden garden tucked away within the ex-convent’s ruins and the actual reception took place in an empty forest adjacent to the secret gardens—with evergreen trees towering 100+ feet into the sky. The night was designed to feel like a cosmic dream: a laser-lit entryway that welcomed guests through a custom “portal” into the hidden gardens; dry ice floating across the dance floor; a laser show that danced against the stone ruins; nitrogen-and-charcoal-infused cocktails served from a bar made entirely of ice; and a massive ice sculpture of Saturn glowing among candlelit florals in the garden. The arrangements were lush but modern, perfectly echoing the evening’s intergalactic-meets-earthy aesthetic.

The DJ booth was a showstopper in its own right—a multi-screen LED setup that pulsed with celestial visuals and rivaled that of Coachella, transforming the forest into an intergalactic dance floor. And in a fun twist, a giant alien installation danced over the crowd, quickly becoming the unofficial mascot of the night. We were earlier worried about the weather—rain and the cold—but in the end, the skies stayed clear, the stars came out, and the reception unfolded exactly as we dreamed—under a cathedral of trees, in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the people we love most.

ELLE: Rajma-chawal, jelly cocktails and tacos—the food and music sure played to the gallery! What was that indulgence about? 

JSM: Yes, we’re both definitely foodies, and as with most Punjabi weddings, food and music were at the heart of our wedding! The Welcome Party at Lilou Restaurant inside the InterContinental Presidente bistro in Mexico City served up an entirely Mexican menu—tacos, ceviches, esquites, and more—and of course, no Indian wedding event is complete without some Indian food. So, we had kathi rolls, rajma chawal, and more.

Our Maiyan wasn’t just a pre-wedding ritual—it was a full-on explosion of colour and laughter with Mexican fair games, marigold colour bombs and festive beats with street-style fusion: juicy mangos on a stick drenched in chamoy and Tajín, piping hot tacos, and fresh churros alongside Indian crowd-pleasers like gol gappe, chaat, and kebabs. 

We wanted our sangeet to feel like a living, breathing market in Marrakesh—so it had an indulgent spread that merged Indian warmth with Mediterranean flair; saffron chicken kebabs, and dolmades with garlicky yogurt sauce that met live kebab grilling and a jalebi station that kept the line going all night. The reception saw wood-fired pizzas, hand-tossed salads, a Mexican mole bar, a Japanese robata grill (a nod to CDMX’s vibrant Japanese community), and an Indian station celebrating our roots. The guests’ favourite were ‘woolis’—a cocktails in jelly capsule form—and nitro-infused candies served by the iconic mixologist team, Calavera.

ELLE: Bhangra met some high energy dance, it must have made for some unforgettable moments?  

IS: For the music we had everything from a local saxophonist to dhol (traditional drums) and boliyan (Punjabi folk verses), and a powerful live performance by Mehfil, a Punjabi folk group that took us into the heart of Punjab. At the Sangeet, I performed a solo piece for Jaywin, while he surprised me with a performance of his own, complete with a jhanjar reveal that brought the house down.

There was the electric groomsmen bhangra set, followed by an impeccably coordinated bridesmaids’ performance. The dance floor opened after a traditional gidha performance by Jaywin’s mom, sister, and other close aunties (the culmination of 20+ practices in the preceding months) turned into a everyone-get-up-here-and-dance jaago. 

The baraat was something no one expected: Jaywin arrived not just on a white horse, but on a full-fledged unicorn—thanks to a carefully affixed horn. One unforgettable moment came during the baraat, when Jaywin danced into the ceremony with a live mariachi band performing Punjabi songs that got him and his groomsmen to break into bhangra. At the reception, at one point, two Punjabi DJs dropped Rise of Our City, and it felt like time folded in on itself. We were instantly transported: one minute we were dancing under the stars in a Mexican forest, the next we were back in 2015, shouting lyrics in a crowded NYC apartment with our friends. Everyone on the dance floor knew the transitions by heart, knew exactly when the beat would switch—and in that moment, surrounded by our people, it felt like we were celebrating not just our wedding, but the entire journey that brought us there.

ELLE: What advice would you give to couples who want to make their wedding both deeply personal and community-focused?

IS & JSM: When it came to planning our wedding, we didn’t follow trends—we followed meaning. Our advice is, let meaning be your North Star; don’t plan a wedding to go viral; plan one that will stay with you for life. Also, design for experience, not just aesthetic; we stepped away from the idea of a singular “wedding look” and instead curated a multi-day experience where each event felt like its own immersive world. Also, your culture is your superpower so lean into your heritage.

Our wedding felt deeply personal. Not Pinterest-perfect, but soul-perfect. That’s the kind of wedding that lives in people’s memories. 

Lastly, it’s not about luxury, it’s about intentionality: Yes, our wedding had incredible moments, but it never felt gaudy because every detail had a reason. Remember, the best compliment you can get? “It Felt Like You.”: In the end, the thing our guests told us again and again was that our wedding felt deeply personal. Not Pinterest-perfect, but soul-perfect. That’s the kind of wedding that lives in people’s memories.

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