When Natasha Advani and Aditya Kilachand first started planning their wedding, they envisioned two or three intimate functions that they were confident they could pull together within the short timeline of barely three months. But their friends and family were not having it. “Eventually, we had nine events, ranging from 20 to 700 people,” Advani laughs. “Everyone was extremely excited, and wedding parties were continuously being added in!”
Advani was raised in San Diego, California, but has been living in Mumbai for the last 18 years. She met wellness entrepreneur Kilachand many moons ago, but the couple came together when the timing was right in both their lives. After dating for two years, Kilachand proposed in Lake Como last summer. The rest, as they say, is the stuff of perfect, Instagrammable wedding content.
The celebrations started with a kick-off party in Alibaug, where the bride and groom both wore Verandah’s spring/summer 2025 collection. “Designing something for Natasha and Aditya was nothing short of special,” says Anjali Patel Mehta, designer and founder of Studio Verandah. “I am extremely fond of them both. Aditya has been super supportive of my journey and has always experimented with my clothes since inception, wearing print with panache… I wanted to move Natasha a little out of her comfort zone with a kaftan dress. Ideal for summer weddings, I wanted her to be the belle of the ball in the most special dress from the collection—one that transitions beautifully from day to night, is easy to dance in, and fuss-free. The one she wore is from my new Ceylon collection, which launches at Bergdorf Goodman in early April.”
From a tropical cocktail to a ‘mela’-themed mehendi, this bride and groom continued serving looks throughout. Advani even managed to borrow a strapless gold dress and sash from her mother’s vintage wardrobe for the ’80s-themed party. She was styled by ace stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania, who adds, “For Natasha, less was always more—and in every moment, she embodied that philosophy with effortless grace. I've styled countless weddings and shoots that depict weddings, but styling a friend is always something else—especially when that friend is as quietly elegant as Natasha. She never seeks the spotlight, yet her effortless sense of style deserved to be celebrated in the most thoughtful way. She was, without a doubt, the most radiant bride and the brightest spark in the room.”
But even with the best stylist and a bevy of designers creating your looks, how does one plan a nine-event, big fat wedding in barely three months and get everything so right? The bride takes me through each event to tell me how it all came together—with a little help from her closest friends and her nine-year-old daughter, Miya.
The cocktail
“We had our cocktail at Rendezvous at the Taj Mahal Palace (in Mumbai). But we didn’t specify a dress code, so it was great to see everyone’s interpretations—there were gowns, cocktail dresses, saris, lehengas, everything. The overall theme was very tropical and jungle-inspired, so it was all abundant foliage and greens. A26 was the band, and they were fantastic. I didn’t want to see a single flower! We had martini trolleys and a Negroni bar, and it was a very glamorous, fun evening. I wore custom Itrh by Mohit Rai, my jewellery was minimal except for a standout pair of earrings by Tara Fine Jewellery, and Aditya was in Tom Ford.”
The mehendi
“It was hosted at The Clearing House, and the theme was ‘mela’. There were bright colours, a chaat counter and dhol players. The theme was colourful, so with the help of my ace stylist, we decided I would do the complete opposite—we chose a mirrorwork ivory lehenga with a touch of lavender by Arpita Mehta. I wore a maang tikka that was a gift from my sister-in-law, Avantikka (Kilachand), and the rest of my jewellery consisted of floral pieces from Florals by Shristi. Aditya wore a custom Mard by Abu Sandeep in rani pink, and Miya wore a traditional bandhani lehenga choli designed for her, with similar outfits for all the other children in the family.”
The wedding
“The ceremony was at The Ballroom at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, and it was very traditional. We had a Pichwai from Aditya’s family that was over 50 years old on the mandap, and palms, lotuses, and beautiful Indian flowers completed the décor. The lunch afterwards spilt into The Chambers Lawn as well as the Sea Lounge on the other side. My wedding outfit was by Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla. Sandeep and the team, along with Anaita, were able to figure out the perfect look. It was so carefully put together to make it super unique, and that’s exactly how I felt. My jewellery was a mix from my mother-in-law’s [Shobhaa De’s] stunning and truly heritage collection, and Tyaani Jewellery.
Aditya was always sure he would wear a traditional plain ivory silk sherwani by Rohit Bal, as has been the custom in his family, paired with emblazoned gold buttons—an heirloom set of 13 originally belonging to his great-grandfather. He also wore a beautiful turban pin by Amrapali. And Miya wore an elegant white and gold lehenga from Choti Butti, leading the way as our official flower girl.”
Best advice
“Fix your functions early so you can complete your invites—ours were inspired by Srinathji and traditional Pichwai artwork, and they were custom-made for each function by Rati Tamboskar from Curly Creative Concepts Studio.
My outfits were another big one—my pieces literally came to me the night before. So, try and plan as soon as you can, as it does take time for everything to come together. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to wear Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, and for the rest, I was clueless.
If you can, work with a wedding stylist. I was lucky to have Anaita—she helped me from start to finish, and I would not have gotten through the wedding without her. I also found that there were tremendous cultural contexts I had to factor in, and I was really getting them wrong on my own!
I was also very lucky that Prasad Naik, a well-known photographer and my old friend, agreed to take our portraits on our wedding day.”
