“We Didn’t Want To Recreate Something We Had Already Seen,” Actor Sharmiela Mandre On Her Jaipur Wedding

There was no year-long wedding countdown for Sharmiela Mandre and filmmaker-producer Sudhan Sundaram. Their auspicious wedding date, chosen by their pandit, fell just before the Ashadha and Shravan period, leaving the couple with only a few weeks to bring together a destination celebration that would eventually unfold at Jaipur’s historic Samode Palace. What began as a plan for an intimate gathering of immediate family and close friends naturally grew into a larger guest list, but the couple remained clear about one thing: the wedding had to feel like them.

Held on July 12, the celebration brought together Mandre’s Karnataka roots, Sundaram’s Tamil heritage and the craft traditions of Rajasthan. Bespoke motifs inspired by Karnataka’s classical dance traditions and Tamil Nadu’s temple architecture were translated through traditional Rajasthani block printing, appearing across mandap drapery, stationery, umbrellas, cushions and handcrafted details. The result was a wedding that felt traditional rather than themed, with Samode Palace’s old-world architecture providing the setting rather than a backdrop to be transformed.

From Mandre’s coral-pink Bhargavi Kunam half saree and emerald-studded Amit Aggarwal look to her gold Kanjeevaram and Shantanu & Nikhil reception ensemble, every outfit was chosen to retain the bride’s personal style. And perhaps most tellingly, the proposal itself was equally honest: over dinner with their families, Sundaram asked her parents for her hand in marriage before surprising Mandre with the question. “I genuinely wasn’t expecting it and almost choked on my food,” she recalls.

Here, Mandre takes us through the whirlwind planning, the cultural details woven into the celebration, the moment she saw Sundaram at the mandap, and why, after all the planning, what she remembers most is simply being surrounded by the people closest to them.

Manifest (M): For how long have you two known each other? How did you meet?

Sharmiela Mandre (SM): We’ve known each other for over two years, initially in a professional capacity. Since we both come from the film industry, there was an immediate familiarity in terms of the world we inhabited and the work we did. We were introduced through a common friend from the industry.

M: When did you know he was “the one”?

SM: It wasn’t really one dramatic moment. Early this year, something between us began to change quite organically. There came a point when we both just knew that this was it. Sometimes there isn’t a grand realisation, there is simply a sense of certainty, and that’s what it felt like for us.

M: How did the proposal happen?

SM: It wasn’t a modern, elaborate proposal at all. It was actually quite traditional, which made it even more meaningful. He wanted to do things properly and asked my parents for my hand in marriage. One evening, we were all having dinner together when he suddenly popped the question. I genuinely wasn’t expecting it and almost choked on my food! It was surprising, funny and emotional all at once. There was no elaborate setup, which I loved. It was simply us, our family and a very real moment.

M: What kind of wedding did you envision when you started planning?

SM: We always imagined something very intimate, personal and beautiful, a celebration with just our closest family and friends. In our minds, it was going to be a very small wedding. Of course, once we actually began making the guest list, it somehow kept growing! But even as the scale evolved, we were conscious of preserving that sense of intimacy. We wanted it to feel warm and personal rather than simply grand for the sake of being grand.

M: Did you face any challenges during the planning process?

SM: Definitely. The auspicious date given to us by our pandit fell just before the Ashadha and Shravan period, which meant we had an incredibly short window to put everything together. Most weddings of this scale are planned months, sometimes even a year in advance, and we had nowhere close to that amount of time.

I did have moments of stress, but perhaps our professional lives prepared us for it. Coming from the film industry, we’re both used to creating things under pressure and dealing with last-minute changes. Somehow, we remained quite composed and trusted that it would all come together. In fact, a couple had come for a wedding recce around the time of our wedding and were shocked to see we had pulled it off. They were planning for December 2027!

M: How involved were both of you in the planning?

SM: One hundred per cent. We’re both extremely particular about details, so there was very little that we weren’t involved in. From the venues and décor to the food, music and smaller design details, we wanted every decision to feel like us.

M: Who or what influenced your wedding style and aesthetic?

SM: We didn’t begin with a mood board or references from other weddings. We were very clear that we didn’t want to recreate something we had already seen. We wanted to start with a blank canvas and allow the aesthetic to emerge from our own stories, backgrounds and tastes.

There was a sense of refinement and timelessness that we wanted throughout, but it also needed to feel warm, rooted and deeply personal. For us, luxury was never about excess. It was in the details, the craftsmanship and the thought behind everything.

Then we discovered Samode Palace in Jaipur and it was one of those rare decisions we agreed on almost immediately. There was something about the palace, its history, architecture, intimacy and beautiful old-world character that felt right to both of us. It already had such a strong personality that we didn’t feel the need to transform it. We simply wanted the wedding to become part of its existing beauty.

M: Tell us about your wedding outfits. How did you select them?

SM: A huge amount of credit goes to my stylist Anisha Gandhi and her team, who somehow managed to pull everything together so beautifully. She knows my taste extremely well and understands how particular I am about what I like and, perhaps more importantly, what I don’t like!

I wanted every look to feel like an extension of myself rather than something I was wearing simply because I was a bride. There needed to be elegance and occasion, of course, but I still wanted to recognise myself in every look.

For the Mehendi, I wore a traditional half saree by Bhargavi Kunam in soft coral-pink with gold zari, paired with layered kundan and pearls from Tvisha Jewels. For the welcome dinner, I wore an elegant pre-draped saree gown by Amit Aggarwal with emerald and diamond jewellery from Izzari.

For the wedding, I chose a classic gold Kanjeevaram with a veil, paired with traditional South Indian jewellery from Sri Ganesh Diamonds and Jewellery, including the non-negotiable vadyanam and mango mala. For the reception, I wore a rich red Shantanu & Nikhil silhouette with a statement layered kundan necklace from Surana Jewellers.

M: Were there any personal touches in the wedding? Did you incorporate traditions from your families or cultures?

SM: This was probably one of the most meaningful aspects of the wedding for us. We wanted the celebration to reflect where we come from rather than simply follow an aesthetic. The design became a tribute to the two places we call home.

Motifs inspired by Karnataka’s classical dance traditions and Tamil Nadu’s temple architecture formed the heart of the visual language, and these were brought to life using Rajasthan’s traditional block-printing craftsmanship.

The bespoke motifs travelled throughout the wedding, from the mandap drapery and entrance installations to cushions, flower cones, umbrellas, frames, stationery and handcrafted décor details. It became this beautiful meeting of three cultural traditions: Karnataka and Tamil Nadu representing our roots, interpreted through the artistry of Rajasthan, where we chose to marry.

M: How did you decide on the music, food and décor?

SM: We were very specific about all three. Across the two days, Samode created a beautiful mix of Rajasthani and South Indian cuisine, subtly bringing together the destination and our roots.

For the welcome dinner, we wanted the music to feel more international and relaxed, so we had saxophone and jazz-inspired sounds setting the mood. For the reception, we had Curry On My Mind, who were absolutely fabulous. By that point everyone was ready to celebrate and they completely understood the energy of the room and had everyone on their feet.

The décor was by Bling Mushrooms. They had previously created my engagement décor and understand my aesthetic instinctively, so there was a great deal of trust there.

M: What was going through your mind when you saw each other at the altar?

SM: It felt surreal. You spend weeks planning every detail and moving from one decision to another and then suddenly there is this one moment when everything else disappears. You look at each other and realise, “THIS IS HAPPENING.”

M: What was your favourite moment from the wedding day?

SM: It’s difficult to choose one particular moment because there were so many little ones that stayed with us. But I think my favourite was simply being at the mandap surrounded by the people closest to us. There was so much happening around us yet somehow that moment felt incredibly still and intimate.

M: How did you feel at the end of the day?

SM: Content. It’s probably the simplest word but also the most accurate. There was happiness, relief and exhaustion, of course, but above everything there was this overwhelming sense of contentment. We had celebrated exactly the way we wanted to, with the people who mattered most to us.

M: What advice would you give other couples planning their wedding?

SM: People put an enormous amount of pressure on themselves when planning a wedding. There is always another detail to perfect, another expectation to meet and another thing that feels incredibly important in the moment.

But ultimately, the wedding is a celebration of one or two days. The marriage is what deserves your real attention. Plan a celebration that feels true to you, enjoy it and don’t lose sight of why you’re doing it in the first place.

M: What did your wedding teach you about each other?

SM: That we probably work rather well together professionally too! Planning a wedding together, with all the baggage that comes with it, is quite an effective test of teamwork. We realised that we can make decisions together, handle pressure and somehow still laugh through the madness. Of course, we needed a week of R&R after that!

M: What are you most looking forward to in this next chapter together?

SM: Honestly, the everyday things. The wedding was beautiful, but we’re most excited about building a life together beyond it. Growing, communicating, supporting each other’s ambitions, travelling, creating a home and making memories that have nothing to do with a celebration or an occasion.

There is so much we want to do individually and together, but I think the nicest part is simply knowing that from here on we get to do life as a team.