At almost $10 million, the nuptials of an Auckland doctor and Chicago billionaire became the biggest and most expensive wedding New Zealand has seen.
Former Auckland Diocesan School for Girls student and Femina Miss India Earth 2007, Pooja Chitgopekar married Vikram Aditya Kumar before about 500 guests at the Formosa Golf Resort.
The shaadi was at Auckland, where Pooja’s parents live.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Did not find many pics but their wedding details are all over the place. The union is also being filmed by the Indian television network for the reality show My Big Fat Indian Wedding and will be broadcast to 150 million viewers. It is also set to become a feature film.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
An Auckland street was shut for a Bollywood dance-style party while guests at the reception were entertained by international acts imported for the occasion.
London-based dance group RDB performed, along with the King of Bhangra pop music, Daler Mehndi, and Signature, a Bhangra dance act that took out second place in Britain’s Got Talent.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
The three day wedding included Sangeet nights held separately by the bride and groom on Thursday, an elaborate baraat procession on Friday, followed by the wedding ceremony at night. The bride’s doli took place on Saturday morning, followed by a grand reception held in the evening
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Thats crazy
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Bride’s Sangeet:
The bride looked beautiful and was beaming in a bright pink and purple nearly floor-length Anarkali suit at her Sangeet.
The venue was given a Moroccan feel with lanterns and cushioned seating on the floor. Guests were entertained with dancers on a patio outdoors and then the night continued with dhol and bhangra indoors.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Thats crazy
More craziness is on the way!
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Groom’s Sangeet:
Guests at the groom’s Sangeet were welcomed by live classical music. The groom looked regal dressed in white as he arrived and was showered with rose petals. Multiple mehndi artists created intricate designs for the female guests.
The guests were entertained by a live band singing popular Hindi and Punjabi songs.
The highlight of the evening was a private performance by RDB and Nindy Kaur. The dance floor was packed as the group performed their biggest hits on stage. Nindy looked striking in a black lehnga with a short blouse coupled with long sleeves.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
The Baraat:
On Friday afternoon, streets were closed as the baraat began. The groom, and his father Shalabh Kumar, led the baraat while riding on white horses. 40 groomsmen followed the groom and his father on brown horses. Hundreds of guests surrounded them dancing to Indian music while a plane flew overhead with a banner displaying the couple’s names.
The baraat, which looked like more of an India Day parade, headed towards a Hindu temple to seek blessings before heading to the wedding venue.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
The wedding ceremony:
The guests were then transported to the Formosa Golf Resort for the wedding ceremony. The groom and over 50 guests traveled in 9 helicopters in a V shape formation (V for Vikram).
Once they landed, the groom, his father and groomsmen traveled on horseback again while Daler Mehndi and RDB performed on floats for the 200+ guests. The entire party was received by the bride’s family on a red-carpeted aisle.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
They thought of caged white lions and cheetah cubs to lead the “baraat”, but event organiser David Hayward, of the Auckland-based Orange Group, used horses instead.
“Normally in India, they have elephants and lions but that just wasn’t possible in New Zealand,” he said.
“The reason we decided not to have the animals was because Mr Kumar made his money out of electronics, so he decided to do a 21st century version of it. So instead of elephants and tigers, we’ve got helicopters,” he said.
It was an exciting and complex event to organise, Mr Hayward added.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
After the Baraat, complete with helicopters and horses, came to an end, the two families met for the Milni before the wedding ceremony. The groom entered the ceremony preceded by two beautiful little flowergirls and his groomsmen cheering him on from behind.
The bride entered with her brothers in an elaborately designed marroon and gold lehnga.
The Hindu wedding began at 9pm and lasted for 3 hours. At the end, Pooja and Vikram exchanged vows and rings and were officially declared husband and wife.
At midnight the sky was lit up with a custom fireworks show for the couple.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
insaani soch aur khwaahish ki koi inteha nahi ..
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
^ Vikram's father Shalabh Kumar, chief executive of electronics firm AVG Advanced Technologies, told the Herald on Sunday he had been "inventing this wedding" since his son was a toddler. He said the bill for the wedding ran into the "high seven figure" mark. He spared no expense in this wedding, mainly because it was something he had been dreaming about since Vikram was born. He was quoted as saying that he wanted the grandest, most fabulous wedding there ever was!
"I'm contributing a lot to your GDP. I think the Department of Tourism should give me a commission."
Nearly three-quarters of the wedding guests were from overseas
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
The bride’s vidaai was held on Saturday morning, after which they flew to another temple to seek blessings.
Upon arriving at the groom’s hotel, the families engaged in playful games to welcome the new bride.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Vikram and Pooja’s reception held at the Formosa Golf Resort in Auckland:
The beautiful bride wore a strapless, tiered chiffon Vera Wang gown in a blush color that complemented her perfectly. The dress was beautifully accessorized with diamonds.
The bride, and groom, in a grey and white pinstriped suit, burst through a white screen to make their entrance at the reception.
Pooja’s bridesmaids wore soft pink dresses.
The couple’s first dance began with the timeless At Last by Etta James and transitioned into the fast-paced We No Speak Americano by Australian duo Yolanda be Cool and producer DCUP.
The reception decor was tasteful and elegant in white with romantic pinks and purples. Decorations were flown in from Mumbai especially for the event. The centerpieces included purple flower balls hanging as if suspended in air.
Performers for the night included the popular bhangra stars RDB and Nindy Kaur, as well as Daler Mehndi. The groom’s father surprised guests by joining in with the group Signature as they reenacted the act that brought them runner-up titles in the show ‘Britan’s Got Talent’.
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
Helicopters?!??! Wow, cough some change up for me! Jeeeeez
Re: Pooja Chitgotekar weds Vikram Aditya Kumar (Wedding bill heads for $10m!)
uh... you would think that while spending THAT much money, the bride would focus on a better lengha! i'll stop there with my negative comments. lol