#ChikNeh
MUA: Makeup by Leena
Mehndi Artist: Mehndi by Nushrat
Band: Magicbox Mixup
Decor and Planning: Galle Weddings
Venue: Citrus Waskaduwa
Neha and Ruchik, or ChikNeh as we lovingly address them by their quirky hashtag, are both from Dubai. They met each other on an online dating app and bonded over their mutual love for tattoos. They became friends first and started dating a few months later. At the time of their wedding, they had already been together for nearly half a decade. They share a home in Dubai with their fur babies. The wedding was simply a milestone formalising their relationship. Their destination wedding at SriLanka was an intimate one with only 70 of their friends and family members in attendance.
SriLanka was a country Neha most often travelled to for quick breaks and escapades and it was a natural choice of destination for their wedding. Their wedding was one of the most fun and chilled wedding that we have ever covered. Spread over 4 days with just one event per day, the guests had plenty of time to relax, spend and enjoy each other’s company and then dive into the event of the day. The celebrations had a leisurely and relaxed pace, much in sync with the vibe of SriLanka.
The first event was a Mehndi carnival event where everyone had gathered to apply henna, play games and enjoy the Kandyan which is a traditional dance form of SriLanka. The second event was a Sangeet with choreographed performances by the couple and their friends and was followed by an after-party. The third event was a Sundowner Cocktail party next to the beach. The highlight of this evening was the presence of a local rock band that had been invited to perform. It was an evening dedicated to music was thoroughly enjoyed by all the guests (including our team!). ChikNeh tied the knot with 2 wedding ceremonies. Neha is a Muslim and the wedding day kicked off with an austere Nikaah ceremony at mid-morning. The Hindu wedding was held in the evening by the beach with vedic rituals combined with some Gujarati traditions of Ruchik’s family. The wedding day concluded with a sit-down Reception dinner with speeches by a few of the guests.
This was a wedding where the couple was relaxed throughout and had plenty of time to enjoy the company of the friends and family who were invited. It was a simple event, traditional in many ways but with less fanfare. It was a joyous celebration of love, friendships, family bonds and togetherness. ChikNeh were clear about what they wanted from their wedding and also from us. Ruchik loves the camera and gave us plenty of time for portraits. Neha shies away from the camera and reluctantly agreed to pose only a few pictures. They wanted the crew to enjoy themselves while candidly capturing them celebrating the important moments of their life.
