How this real-life Anjali and Rahoul got their happily-ever-afters—twice

“There wasn’t a grand proposal—no lights, no violins, no photographs. In fact, there wasn’t even a ring,” the groom exclaims over our call.

It’s a warm afternoon in New Delhi, and the newlyweds, Anjali Batra, founder of Anthem, an experiential marketing and brand solutions agency, and Rahoul Singh, who runs a manufacturing and export business designing automotive components, are engaged in playful banter. Their mutual adoration is evident with every laugh as they recall the details of their wedding, which took place twice: first in December 2024 and then again in October 2025. The first ceremony was an intimate Anand Karaj; what followed was a much larger four-day affair in New Delhi. But it all started with a Hinge date in October 2023, after which came a very adult, sit-down meeting with their respective families to break the news of their engagement.

The proposal (or lack thereof)

“We didn’t have a grand proposal,” Singh notes, “Neither did we have recognisable timestamps in our relationship for when we started dating, fell in love or decided to get married.” A private proposal after a 15-course meal at Naar during a trip to Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh for Singh’s birthday was enough. The couple set out for a stroll to a hill nearby teeming with fireflies when, without any warning—and without even a ring—Singh went down on one knee to pop the question. “It was never about the perfectly fabricated moment. It just was. Which made it so perfect and so us,” Batra fondly adds. The ring arrived later—an oval-cut diamond laced with a string of tiny solitaires on the band—elegant and practical, as Batra had wanted.

Getting married…

When the couple got formally engaged in August 2024, much of their family could not make it to Delhi for a wedding celebration. Not wanting to wait until they could start living together, an Anand Karaj ceremony at the gurudwara lawfully brought them in union.

“Rahoul wore a beige kurta and a beautiful shawl and traditional turban, and I was dressed in a red and white Debyani sharara that I picked in all of ten minutes at Dhan Mill,” Batra mentions.

Getting married again…

Ten months later, as friends and family flew in from various parts of India and beyond, the couple got married for the second time. “What started out as a one-day event ultimately turned into a four-day wedding,” Singh remarked.

The pre-wedding kick-starter hosted by Batra’s aunt and uncle at Mestizo in Vasant Vihar ran into dawn, preceding a last-minute mehendi at home planned by Batra’s mother. That was followed by an evening of music and celebrations at the Qutab Golf Club hosted by Singh’s family; the wedding, which took place on day three; and on the final and fourth day, a reception to close at the Delhi Gymkhana Club.

The fit-check

For the daytime mehendi, Batra paired a Payal Khandwala jacket with a skirt designed by her mother, designer Abha Batra, founder of Abha Batra Designs. Batra later slipped into an AG Designs blouse and a Raw Mango skirt by night.

When it came to the wedding lehenga, Batra knew she wanted to wear red, eventually getting a custom piece designed from A&R by Rhea Kapoor. “While they only do pastels, I was lucky to figure this out with her [Rhea’s] mom, Sheena Kapoor, who was incredibly patient and accommodating,” shares Batra, “I picked from a mix and match of outfits and created a custom piece in red with floral zardozi work.”

Jewellery was a mix of earrings and a navratna necklace from Gem Palace in Jaipur paired with bangles and bracelets from the family collection. “I wore my nani’s old jewellery from Burma for the mehendi ceremony and her maang tikka—which my sister had also worn at hers—for the wedding.” For her mangalsutra, Batra opted for a south-Indian-style thali necklace held together by a pair of gold figurines that one keeps adding to with each milestone of married life.

Singh’s wedding look, meanwhile, was by Abha Batra Designs, as were most of his outfits. He opted for a rich ivory matka silk sherwani with an embroidered collar, styled with an embroidered pink scarf and a pink turban. The final flourish was a red pocket square to match the bride’s lehenga.

A mandap that’s also an installation

The wedding was hosted at Morbagh Farms in Chattarpur, New Delhi. Batra wanted to stay away from traditional-looking wedding decor elements like mogras and diyas. “My theme was anti-opulent, but I wanted it to be a style statement—think more couture, impactful style,” she said.

Put together by Neha Singh Designs, the venue was bathed with drapes and carpets in red and purple, with candles (strictly electric) suspended over the entryway and on candelabras. Inside, a dramatic, fiery red cloud-like mesh installation hung from the ceiling, and vintage chandeliers lined with cascading droplets of beads and crystals lit up the space.

To add a hint of drama, massive garlands made of velvet balls lined the mandap and the entryway. The mandap was an architectural installation in its own right, comprising a pavilion bordered by a bold red metal frame and bearing an inverted hanging garden at its centre.

Out with the old…

“Ours was an unorthodox version of a wedding. We did things the way we wanted, based on what felt right for us and our families,” Batra shared. During the milni ceremony—where the conjugal families are formally introduced to each other, usually led by male elders—the couple ensured that their sisters were part of the ritual.

“At the last minute, I also decided to dance my way into the wedding,” Batra recalls, “but I didn’t want a traditional bridal entry song. My song was ‘O Humdum’ by AR Rahman from Saathiya (2009) to keep it whimsical and fun.” Meanwhile, Singh broke convention at the baraat, substituting a horse for a 4x4 Toyota Hilux.

Wrapping up two weddings across the span of a year, the couple agree that the doubleness of it made things finally feel complete.