Inside Their Romantic Tuscany Proposal: Sukriti Kakar and Shoumik Shetty On Love and Plans For a Destination Wedding

Their love story seems straight out of the pages of a beautiful romance novel! A friendship between singer Sukriti Kakar and entrepreneur Shoumik Shetty, cascaded into blossoming love and led to their recent gorgeous proposal away in scenic Tuscany, that took your breath away! She looked every bit gorgeous in a sage green Meshki Jasmine Satin maxi dress as he swept her off her feet, popping the question as they overlooked the rolling hills of Montalcino. With that, they promised to stand for each other for life.

In her, he loves the warmth, energy and how she makes ordinary moments feel fun, while she loves how he’s dependable, hardworking and notices even the smallest of details. They 're lucky to have a sync-ed up love for slow travel and are already chalking up plans to see the world together! Life is a platter of happiness now, and they don’t want it any other way, Shoumik and Sukriti exclusively tell Manifest as they talk love, dreams, vibes and that oh-so-stunning ring!

(M): Congratulations are in order for you and Sukriti! Where did you pop the question and what was it like, a surprise? What ran through your mind through it all?

SS: I proposed at Villa Capanna at Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany, overlooking the rolling hills of Montalcino. I’d been planning it for about three months, and Sukriti had no idea where we were going. She just knew we were taking a trip to Europe.

There was actually a lot planned for that evening because I wanted to propose on the same day we landed in Italy. I was quite obsessive about the sequencing. I wanted us at this exact spot when the light was right, the proposal to happen at the right moment, and then this private candlelit dinner to begin at a certain time. So, there were a hundred things running through my head that I didn’t want to go wrong.

But at the same time, I remember consciously trying to slow everything down. I didn’t want to spend this moment I’d planned for three months worrying about a schedule. I wanted us to actually take in the views, the location and just each other’s presence.

Even the drive up to Villa Capanna is this long, winding road through Tuscany, and somehow that felt very fitting after five years together. By the time we got there, I think Sukriti had started to suspect something because I’d been unusually particular about her dressing up that evening!

(M): Tell us about the ring. Where did you get it and did it have a meaning?

SS: The ring is incredibly personal to me because it was designed by my mom, Chethna Shetty, who is an award-winning bespoke jewellery designer.

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of looking through the magnifying loupe she used to inspect the quality of stones, watching her work with the kaarigars who brought her designs to life, and listening to her passionately explain diamonds and precious stones to me. So, jewellery was never just something beautiful that I saw in a store. I grew up around the people, the craftsmanship and the stories behind how these pieces were actually made and naturally became an admirer of it myself.

When it came to designing a ring for Sukriti, it felt inevitable that my mom and I would create it together. We wanted something timeless, but with details that made it distinctly hers. At the centre is a flawless rectangular radiant-cut diamond, cradled over an invisible pavé-set halo of diamonds, with rare pink diamonds micro-pavé set along the shank.

Beyond the stones or the design, what makes it so special to me is that the ring carries a little piece of my childhood and my family into the family Sukriti and I are now going to build together.

(M): Sukriti, what did you feel like when Shoumik proposed; was it a surprise?

SK: It was one of those moments where your brain takes a few seconds to catch up with what’s actually happening. I think I had a little suspicion that something was up because he was being unusually particular about everything that evening, but I still wasn’t prepared for the moment he actually got down on one knee.

I remember looking at him and feeling this overwhelming mix of happiness, disbelief and emotion. 

And honestly, once I saw the ring, I think everything else disappeared for a minute. It was just us, in Tuscany, in this completely beautiful setting, and suddenly we were engaged. I was so overwhelmed that I actually forgot to say yes in the moment! I was completely blank, just laughing and trying to process what was happening. I remember thinking afterwards that I’d somehow forgotten the most important part of the proposal and we were laughing about it the entire evening! 

I’ve replayed that moment in my head so many times since. It really was one of the happiest moments of my life.

M: How did you both meet and when did you know this person is ‘the one’? How long have you been friends?

SK: We met through a mutual friend who happens to be Shoumik’s best friend and, to this day, is still the matchmaker of our story! He randomly asked if I’d let him set us up, and I agreed without really knowing what I was getting myself into.

About a month later, we met at Soho House, and then somehow kept seeing each other weekend after weekend. I’ll never forget that very early on, Shoumik looked at me and said, “You’re mine.” It completely freaked me out at the time, but five years later, I think he just knew before I did. He’s always been incredibly intuitive that way.

I knew he was the one when he became the person I could share absolutely anything with without overthinking. I could just be myself around him, and somehow, he made me love myself even more. What started with butterflies eventually became this incredibly calming, peaceful feeling. Being with him never felt demanding. It gave me more space to focus on myself, my work and the person I was becoming.

And I think that’s what’s been so special. We’ve both changed and grown so much over these five years, but somehow, we’ve only grown closer.

(M): What’s the best thing about each other that drew you to each other?

SS: I think what drew me to Sukriti was how much life she brings into everything. She has this incredible warmth and energy, and she’s also very grounded. She’s so naturally in her feminine energy, which I love. There’s a softness and warmth to her, but also a quiet strength.

We’re quite different in a lot of ways, and I think that’s actually why we work so well. She pulls me out of my own head, reminds me not to take everything so seriously and makes even the most ordinary moments feel fun. Five years later, that balance between us is still probably my favourite thing about our relationship.

SK: Shoumik is the calmest, most relaxed person I know, while also being incredibly ambitious and hardworking. It’s a combination I’ve never experienced in anyone else. But more than anything, he lets me be completely me. He gives me the space to grow into whoever I want to become, supports every crazy idea I have! 
He notices the smallest things, remembers what matters to me, understands when I need support and when I just need to be held, and somehow always knows how to make me feel cared for. 

He’s also the most stable and reliable person I know. With him, I’ve never felt like I have to second-guess anything or worry about what’s going to happen next. There’s just this feeling of, “We’ll figure it out.” And I think that kind of certainty is one of the most beautiful things you can have with someone.

(M): Do share a peek into the wedding plans. Where and when will the big day be?

SS: We’re both extremely meticulous when it comes to the big experiences in our lives. It’s part of the reason it took me three months just to plan the proposal. So, with the wedding, we definitely don’t want to rush into planning it just for the sake of having a date.

We want to take our time and create something that feels very us. The idea right now is something boutique and intimate, where we can actually spend meaningful time with everyone who is there. More than anything, we want the people closest to us to come away feeling like they’ve had the best time with us.

SK: Honestly, we’ve only just started having conversations about what we want our wedding to look like. Getting engaged was such a huge step for us, so right now, we’re really just enjoying being fiancés. 

We’re thinking sometime towards the end of next year, and we definitely know we want a destination wedding. We have a lot of ideas and are exploring a few beautiful places, but we’re keeping the details close for now.

We want it to feel intimate, but not too intimate, and most importantly, we want all our favourite people there to celebrate what will hopefully be one of the most special days of our lives.

(M): Do you both want a small intimate wedding or a larger one and perhaps a destination wedding celebration to include all in your families?

SS: Definitely a destination wedding. We’re not sure about the number yet because we’re fortunate to have a lot of people in our lives whom we genuinely adore. So, no matter how intimate we try to make it, I have a feeling the list is going to get longer very quickly!

But what we’re really intent on is designing the wedding in a way that allows us to spend time with each and every person we love. We don’t want it to feel like this enormous event where the whole thing passes us by without us actually getting to experience it with the people who came to celebrate with us.

SK: Definitely a destination wedding. I’m a Delhi girl, but I’ve called Bombay home for the last 15 years, so I could never pick between the two. A destination wedding feels perfect because we can choose somewhere that becomes a special place we’ll always look back on. We’re still deciding between India and abroad, but there are so many beautiful options, and honestly, the exciting part of the planning has begun.

We keep saying we want it to be intimate, but then we start making a list of the people we absolutely cannot imagine celebrating without, and suddenly it doesn’t sound very intimate anymore.

I think we want that perfect middle ground. Something personal and beautiful, but with all the people who have genuinely been a part of our lives and our journey. We want lots of food, music, dancing, laughter and enough time to properly celebrate with everyone we love.

(M): Sukriti, are you also fond of sports like Shoumik is, especially with padel?

SK: I wouldn’t say I’m quite as obsessed with sports as Shoumik is! He can turn almost anything into a competitive sport, so I’ve learnt to pick my battles. But I actually love that he’s so passionate about padel. I think it’s really attractive when someone has something they genuinely love and can completely immerse themselves in. I’ve definitely been pulled into the padel world through him, and I enjoy playing with him, although I’m not sure he’d say I’m quite at his level yet!

I think we’re quite different in that way. He’s very sporty and competitive, while I’m much more likely to be happiest singing, travelling, dressing up or finding somewhere amazing to eat. But I love that we have our own interests and then find ways to enter each other’s worlds too.

Marcela Ferreira(M): Are you both fond of travelling?

SS: Very much. We actually have a very particular way we like to travel together, and the proposal trip was quite reminiscent of that. We love slow travel. We’d rather find one beautiful property, settle into it and really experience the place, the surrounding towns, the local culture and, obviously, the food.

 We tend to stay away from the obvious tourist trail and prefer places where you can really get a sense of where you are. Castiglion del Bosco was perfect for that. It gave us the luxury we love without ever making us feel removed from Tuscany itself.

I think some of our favourite memories together have come from travelling this way, so it also felt very natural that this next chapter of our lives began on a trip.

SK: Very much. I think some of our best memories together have come from travelling. We’ve travelled quite a bit together, especially around Europe. Some of the places we’ve been to include the South of France, particularly Cannes and Nice and Vienna, Salzburg in Austria and taken road trips through Germany and Austria, and Northern Italy, including Dolomites, for a ski trip , among others. Europe has definitely been a recurring favourite for us. I’m incredibly lucky that being a musician allows me to travel so much, and I love that Shoumik joins me whenever he can. We also make it a point to plan a holiday or two of our own every year.

I’ve always had this huge desire to see the world. I love discovering new places, experiencing different cultures and, most importantly, doing things I’ve never done before. I think I’m happiest when I’m collecting experiences rather than things.

Luckily, Shoumik feels the same way. We love new adventures, new food, new places and just sharing those first-time experiences together. For me, there’s something really special about seeing the world with someone you love and getting to experience it through their eyes too.