The universe had big plans for Dubai-based publicist, Dhara Bhatia and property advisor, Karan Dhakka, when the two crossed paths at university in 2015. “I immediately thought Karan was cute,” the bride tells Dream Weddings, “slowly, we got to know each other and became best friends first. We created the most unbreakable bond.”
Fast forward to the winter of 2022 and the couple embarked on seeking the approval of their parents to become husband and wife. “In our culture, when two people get married, we don’t just become one soul, we also become one big family. “We’re both Hindu, but we’re from different castes – I’m Sindhi and Karan is Gujrari. I’m Pakistani and he is Indian.” Admitting they were unsure about how their families would react, Dhara shares, “The discussions went very well and when my family met Karan, they immediately saw his good heart. His parents and family were so welcoming and accepting towards me, too. Once the families met, we had the blessings from both sides.
“When it came to Karan planning his official proposal, I told him it had to blow me away or it’ll be a no,” the bride laughs, “I’m quite high maintenance, the poor guy has a lot to deal with, but he always quotes Chandler Bing from the show, Friends, and he says that he ‘loves to maintain me.’”
On December 24, 2022, the groom prepared for his grand gesture. “He told me to wear something fancy and that we were going out for dinner. I thought, seeing as it was Christmas Eve, we were celebrating. He had made a playlist of all the songs we cherish that we listened to on the way to JA The Resort – it was as if we were on a journey to recap our love.” Upon arrival, a buggy was waiting to whisk the couple off to a secret location on the beach. “When the buggy stopped, I saw a red carpeted aisle, and at the end of it was 10 men wearing masks of Karan’s face, holding a sign that read, marry me? Karan then led me to a cabana, and it was there that he got down on one knee and pulled out the most beautiful ring. It was a lot to process, but it was the best feeling in the world and I immediately burst into tears.” Dhara’s answer was of course, yes.
With a year and a half to plan their wedding celebration, the loved-up pair enlisted the help of event planners, MGM Events. “Founders Pawan and Jenny Mirchandani are like family to us, so choosing planners was an easy decision. Our families were also a great support throughout the process.”
The couple’s three-day fantasy at Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa was complete with six big events, and two smaller parties, including a welcome dinner, mehendi brunch, sangeet evening, the wedding and reception celebration. “We travelled with a lot of luggage!” Dhara smiles.
As the sun was setting on December 9, 2023, the beautiful bride made her grand entrance wearing a stunning Anamika Khanna lehenga, approaching the resort’s island by boat. “It was a really unreal moment. It was like I was sailing towards our own private paradise.”
Accompanied by her parents, Dhara walked down the aisle to an Akankshaa Bhandari cover of the song, Kinna Sona. “Walking towards Karan, I caught his eye and everything else just faded away. It’s funny, after all the planning and stress, there I was, feeling like everything was perfect. It felt as though it was just us…in a beautiful moment, stepping into our future together.”
Surrounded by a sea of breathtaking pastel-hued florals, the bride and groom sealed their union in front of 400 guests. “The setting was unbelievable,” says Dhara, “the flowers smelled incredible and the sunset was absolutely perfect. It was as if the universe decided to give us its best painting as a backdrop.”
The bride and groom took part in several Hindu wedding rituals. “We walked around a consecrated fire (Agni), four times, reciting a specific vow during each round. Every phera (turn) and the vow taken during it, has a distinct meaning. Once completed, we were considered married.” Dhara explains.
After the ceremony the newlyweds invited their guests to join them for dinner and dancing, opening the dance floor as husband and wife to a version of Biwi No.1 by Abhijeet and Anu Malik. “We did our cake cutting and had speeches from our beloved family members. After that, we had a famous singer from India called Sagar Bhatia, who sang our favourite tracks followed by a DJ set that took us into the early hours of the next morning!”
When asked to describe her wedding in just three words, Dhara’s response was, “magical, emotional, irreplaceable.” And we couldn’t agree more. What a beautiful celebration.
WEDDING DRESS & VEIL: Anamika Khanna
SHOES: René Caovilla
SANGEET & RECEPTION OUTFITS: Manish Malhotra
RING: Manish Jewels
STYLIST: Rashi M Kapur
HAIR: Archana Rautela
MAKE-UP: Pooja Khurana
GROOM’S SUIT & SHOES: Vesimi, Christian Louboutin
EVENT PLANNER: MGM Events
PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER: Epic Stories
VENUE: Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa
ENTERTAINMENT: Sagar Bhatia, DJ Alex Mumbai, Juggy Sandhu, Raja Bhatt
CHOREOGRAPHY: Angel Performing Arts
INVITATIONS: The Murphy Studio by Mitali Bhandari, Divine Space Design by Vini Rukhana
