“Mr. and Mrs. Bhupathi” as quoted by Mahesh, who had a registered marriage on February 17th in Mumbai, flew to Goa for an extended celebration. The Candolim resort at Goa was the venue for their Victorian-themed formal church wedding and reception.
Sangeet Ceremony
The night of February 18th was the sangeet ceremony for 32 years old ex-Miss Universe Lara Dutta and 36years old 11-time Grand Slam Champion Mahesh Bhupathi. Keeping with the Victorian décor, the club was decked up in shades of white.
The beach club was decorated in white roses and white jasmines. The backdrop of the Arabian Sea was further enhanced with candle lighted paths.
The bride was elegant in a white lehenga by designer Manav Gangwani, made of French net with marigold shades. The groom looked handsome in a chikankari churidar kurta.
The guests list included almost 200 family and friends, from Bollywood and Indian tennis fraternity. Celebs spotted included Raveena Tandon with hubby Anil Thadani, Riteish Deshmukh, Vinay Pathak, Suchitra Pillai, Bikram Saluja and Sheetal Mallar. Leander Paes, Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna were among the Davis Cup team tennis players present.
DJ Whosane entertained the guests with Bollywood and Hollywood numbers. A dholak band party was brought in from Mumbai, to add the desi flavor. The acrobatic group from California, Lucien Dossier, gave a live performance. The menu was Goa-inspired with Goan and Pan Asian food, seafood and sushi. The stage was all set for their formal church wedding, the next day on February 19th.
The Wedding
Lara Dutta wore a beautiful white wedding gown for their formal church wedding and Mahesh looked dapper in a black tuxedo. The gorgeous off-white lace dress with a 10 metres train, designed by Elie Saab hugged Lara at all the right places, enhancing her curves. She wore diamond drop earring and a diamond tiara.
Bridesmaids dressed in pink, while groomsmen wore black. The groom’s best man was his coach Scot Davidoff.
In addition to the Davis Cup team, other sportsmen present at the ceremony included Vijay Amritraj with son Prakash and Captain of Indian Fed Cup Enrico Piperno.
The Times of India reported the exchange of vows as being emotional, where Bhupathi proclaimed his love for Lara. As quoted by the TOI, his words were, “Lara, when I first met you, this day was a dream. Today it is a reality. When I'm on the tour, not a day goes by without me wishing I was home with you instead, so even when I'm gone I am with you. You are my companion, partner and best friend. I promise to stick by you through hits and flops. I look forward to growing old with you."
TOI further reported that as part of her vows, Lara declared herself as his “chief doubles partner” and said, “I promise to return your serves and volley alongside you. I will be with you through our many wins and occasional loss." She called him “my true north” and tearfully expressed her feelings, while Mahesh put his arm around her.
The passionate ceremony was followed by a reception with dancing and dinner.
Here’s wishing the newly-weds a very happy married life.