Both had spent years prioritising careers, families and movement across countries. What they wanted now was something centred on their relationship. “After spending our entire lives prioritising others,” Bhattacharjee explains, “we just wanted it to be about that.”
Planning the wedding in Kolkata followed the same approach. While they worked closely with planners and decorators—collaborators Bhattacharjee says became “best friends through the process”—the decisions stayed close to them. “It felt less like working with vendors,” she says, “and more like building a bigger bridal and groom squad.”
That closeness extended to how they approached ritual. Sharing the same cultural background simplified some choices, but also opened space for reflection. “The fact that we are both Bengalis worked out to our family’s advantage,” Banerjee says, laughing. Both sets of parents were deeply involved and excited, reassured by the familiarity of the ceremonies.
At the same time, the couple took care to examine what each ritual represented. Through conversations with priests and family elders, they learned the meaning behind the customs they were inheriting. From there, they made deliberate choices about what to retain and what to rework.
They kept rituals rooted in mutuality and symbolism, including shubho drishti, the first look exchanged through betel leaves, and mala bodol, the exchange of garlands. The garlands were carried by Naboishu, represented by a small statue, a nod to the elephant the couple have adopted and consider their first “baby”.
Other customs were consciously set aside or adapted. Practices that the couple felt reflected outdated hierarchies were not included. Instead of rituals centred on the transfer of responsibility from one partner to another, they chose moments where both spoke, affirming shared responsibility going forward.
“We wanted to honour culture,” Banerjee says, “while discarding customs that no longer reflect how we live.”
The celebrations unfolded across three days at Rajbari Bawali, beginning with a sundowner mehendi and cocktail evening imagined as a Sufi night. The palette moved through rust orange, soft pink and night white, with bougainvillaea threaded through the space. Lanterns cast patterned shadows across printed floors, while low lounges gathered around a central waterbody. As daylight faded, fairy lights took over.
Razab Ali and his band performed qawwali and Bollywood classics. Bhattacharjee wore a blue velvet Tarun Tahiliani lehenga with a cape. Banerjee chose a Seema Gujral green kurta.
