Coworkers to a Mountain Marriage: Inside Apoorva and Indrajit’s 30-Guest Intimate Celebration

Some love stories do not begin with fireworks, rather they begin with work calls, board meetings, random conversations and friendships that quietly grow deeper. Apoorva and Indrajit’s love story is one such. The couple had first met during the work-from-home era after joining the same company just fifteen days apart.

Complete opposites to each other, the couple believed that they were an absolute mismatch. Apoorva thought Indrajit was smart, calm, and effortlessly sorted, while he found her delightfully quirky and laser-focused on work. 

But somewhere between after-work hangouts and endless conversations, they found a connection that felt easy and real. And over the span of the next two years their relationship grew into something deeper as the two travelled together, navigated family differences. When it came time to get married, they skipped the grand spectacle and chose an intimate 30-guest celebration in Kasauli. 

Manifest (M): How did you two meet?

Apoorva Garg (AG): Our story began during the work-from-home era when we joined the same company just 15 days apart. Initially, we were opposites: Indrajit found me completely ‘weird’ and hyper-focused on onboarding, while I thought he was incredibly smart, mature, and easygoing. What started as casual hangouts outside of work quickly blossomed into a solid, unshakeable friendship. He loved my chirpy energy and family-centric values, and I loved his classy, non-judgmental, and sorted nature. At 34, I thought I knew what life was about, but he completely swept me off my feet and made me feel 16 all over again.

M: When did you know they were “the one”?

AG: The turning point came during an unexpected confession at Sidebar in GK, Delhi. While I initially tried to play it off as platonic, the chemistry between us was undeniable. After a couple of months, I confessed my feelings too, and there was no looking back. Over the next two years, we travelled the world, went on countless dates, and fell deeper in love through our favourite activity: just talking to each other. Coming from very different cultures, we faced a few initial hiccups with our families, but navigating those testing times only brought us closer together and showed us the true strength of our partnership.

M: How would you describe your relationship dynamic?

AG: Ours is a relationship where respect comes first. I generally overthink a lot, and Indrajit has this unique quality of uncomplicating and simplifying everything. This is what I love the most about our relationship. 

M: What’s the most romantic thing you've done for each other?

AG: Weddings are deeply emotional to everyone, and when it comes to planning the wedding guest list, it can test the strongest of relationships. So planning this intimate wedding, saying yes to this wedding format, not compromising anything in the name of an intimate wedding...and choosing US over everything is the biggest romantic gesture we have both done for each other.

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

AG: We always wanted a small wedding only with more presence and meaning and less show. Along the way, we just kept getting lucky in finding the right team that finally shaped this wedding. I never knew an intimate wedding would look this pretty, but my team of photographers and designers pretty much nailed it and showed us a whole new world. We selected an all-female team with whom I was really comfortable, trusted them 100% and then let them do what they do best.  Our job was to be just present. 

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

AG: When it came to getting married in May 2025, we knew we didn't want a grand production. We envisioned a cosy, low-key, and homely celebration like a backyard party with the inner circle of people we value and love the most. The Manor in Kasauli provided the perfect, serene, intimate backdrop for this coming together of hearts. We wanted to create a wedding experience where conversations could unfold naturally, where every guest felt included, and where the focus remained on relationships rather than production.

M: How did you choose your venue?

AG: We consciously wanted a small 30-guest wedding, and the biggest challenge for us was to have a property that we could have all to ourselves and our 30 guests, that could be reached without much of a travel hassle from Delhi and had the views as well. This property came in as a recommendation on one of our hunts and seemed to just magically tick off all our requirements. A boutique hotel stay for all our guests, a nearby hotel for all our vendor teams, colonial, serene interiors mixed with the valley view and drivable distance from Chandigarh and Delhi. 

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

AG: Comfort first. For Day 1, because it was easy breezy and casual- a meet-and-greet and drinks, I chose a good muted green and a lehenga in which I could move around. 

Considering this was a small wedding, I first thought of renting my wedding lehenga. Then my family suggested we go for an heirloom piece for this important occasion. I chose maroon as a colour for my lehenga, since red was something that had become a lil cliche and was too bold for me. Plus, our decor person popped this colour palette when she showed us the decor mood board for the day. So the final output ended up being a good combination. My Mehendi and Haldi outfits were gifted by my sister-in-law. On the wedding day, I wore a custom Hanut Paul, while all his outfits were from Tasva, except for the Haldi fit, which was from Fabindia. My jewellery was from Surana Jewellers, Jaipur, and Tanishq

M: Was there a particular ceremony or function that was especially meaningful to you?

AG: We did a first look that happened before the actual wedding. We are very private people and this moment that we had only to ourselves let us soak in the day totally. 

M: Did you include any traditions from your families or cultures?

AG: Indrajit is a Bengali, and I'm a Baniya. So we ended up keeping a common Hindu ceremonial wedding that honoured both sides of the traditions equally. I had his name written in Bengali in my Bridal mehendi. 

M: Is there anything you would’ve done differently?

AG: Apart from a few of our friends and family who couldn't make it to the wedding, who we missed dearly, everything was perfect. This is how we wanted to start this chapter of our lives. 

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

AG: Plan your wedding around presence and meaning; only then will you be able to enjoy these important days. 

Be present at your own wedding; these two days fly by so quickly, and later when you look back at the pictures and videos from the wedding, all you will see is what happened. If you enjoy your own wedding and be the party starter at your wedding, that is what you will live with later. If you are going to fret and be worried about trivial matters, again, that is what you shall have to live with later. 

You have put in all your energies and planned it for such a long time - Now focus on living it up finally.