Today we meet Priyam Sethi & Runit Kochhar. Priyam is a vivacious bundle of energy, and a quintessential filmi Bollywood fan (if you follow her recent social media posts, you will know what I mean). Runit too, is a lot of fun and has an incredible smile.
One of our most special memories with these two is the very first time we spoke to them. Priyam & Runit are based in LA, and we were shuttling between Indonesia, London, Bahrain and Oman when they got in touch with us. When we finally found a way to make our schedules work for a call, we mutually decided that we will keep it short given our time zones. We ended up speaking about dogs for two hours, and never found time to discuss the wedding.
That first phone call though, made it abundantly clear for us that theirs was a special story, and we had to be there to document it. I think it also helped Priyam & Runit made up their minds because from that moment on, it was just an unspoken promise between the four of us - they had decided to trust us with the most important days of their lives.
Priyam and Runit met during their dentistry studies, where they started dating. As is with life, it always throws curveballs your way. Their lives took them to different countries. In spite of geographical challenges, their love prevailed. Which bring us to that quintessential question - what is love? Ekta and I are on our eleventh year of marriage now, and we still find it a little difficult to answer that question specifically. What we have realised though, is that love simultaneously exists in grand celebrations as well as in little gestures, in enthusiastic declarations as well as silent whispers.
So let’s see what Priyam & Runit, and their families and friends taught us about love.
#RunitPriyamKiBaliBali
Wedding Venue: The Renaissance Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia
Planners: Shaadi Bali
Priyam’s Makeup: Natasha Moor
Priyam’s Hair: Arifanurjayanto
Henna: Ima Habsyi
Photo & Film: Team Sam & Ekta (Sam, Ekta, Rupesh, Manish, Ajinkya, Aman)
Love is the comfort you feel together, even in peak humidity
Love is making someone else look good. In this case, making them smile when the photographer requests you to, even when you’re standing outside the frame yourself
Love is in both, meeting the family with the tightest of hugs, and also in wanting to document all these moments to send on Whatsapp Groups :D
Love is getting a family portrait with your three daughters, who now have daughters of their own
Love is the way you hold your siblings face to express affection
And sometimes, love is just sitting back and finding happiness in others doing their thing
Love is also about making boomerangs for Instagram
Love is giving your daughter the gentlest of kisses on the cheek, as your emotions are swelling up inside you on the cusp of her wedding
Love is getting up from your designated ‘bridal seat’, and going to your grandparents so they can plaster some turmeric on your face
Love is in trusting friends with your favourite pair of shades
Love is in the echo between your real life & your wedding invites
Love is in letting your friends rip your clothes off just because…
Love is in that sense of anticipation, when you’re waiting to see your daughter & her fiancé walk in to the party
Love is in secret conversations in the middle of your first dance
Love is in dancing your heart away because you’re incredibly happy for your family
Love is when you’ve sprained your foot, and your family dances around you to make you feel included
Love is in celebrating without caring about sweat or fatigue
Love is having a throwback to your beautiful proposal in your mehendi design
Love is in trying to find your name in your bride’s mehendi
Love is is doing the bhangra in the scorching heat…
…and then dunking each other in the pool soon after
Love is in those kisses from your family…
…and from the one who has your heart
Love is being welcomed by your friends and family, as you make your entry under the spotlights
Love is dancing with your mum, and her mum!
Love is also dancing to the same beat as your grandchild, even when you’re in the audience
Love is locking eyes with your groom-to-be as you’re on stage, and seeing that he is cheering for you the loudest
Love is being separated by geographical locations, but still finding a way to put together a synchronised dance performance for your friends who will be getting married tomorrow
Love is teaching 3 of your friends who don’t know Hindi & Punjabi to dance on ‘London Thumakda’ at your sister’s wedding sangeet
Love is having fully committed high-energy dance offs, all in good sport
Love is in dancing while being lit up by countless phones
Love is trusting someone enough to allow yourself to lose your mind and your soul
Love is sharing early morning hugs with grandpa
And in sharing early morning laughs too
Love is in helping each other look your best
Love is comfortably sharing space with your family in a little bit of chaos
Love is in the bond between a mother and her daughter
Love is recreating a photograph from your childhood - with the exact pose & expressions to match
Love is finding a human connection in the midst of chaos
Love is a beautiful smile that radiates from your soul
Love is in carefully prepping the songs you’re going to sing for your niece’s bridal entry
Love is walking your sister down the aisle
Love is a sense of anticipation
Love is giving your daughter’s hand away happily, while your heart is pounding with emotion inside
Love is making a promise
Love is being showered with flowers, blessings & a lot of love
Love is being equal parts elegant and equal parts goofy, and seamlessly switching between the two
