Revisit Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s lavish wedding festivities in Tuscany MGG

One of the most loved couples, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are adored by fans for their cute chemistry. Fans lovingly call them ‘Virushka’. It was on 11th December 2017 that the couple tied the knot at a lavish 800-year-old villa in Tuscany, Italy. Even after all these years, their wedding remains the talk of the town. Right from Anushka’s wedding attire to the location to décor, everything was like a fairytale. Today, let’s revisit Anushka and Virat’s beautiful and memorable wedding festivities.

Love story:
Anushka and Virat met for the first time while shooting for a shampoo advertisement in 2013. Rumours of their dating then started, but the couple remained tight-lipped. They were spotted together in public places on many occasions and Anushka was even seen cheering for the cricketer at a match. After several years into the relationship, the couple decided to get married.

Wedding planning and venue:
The couple had opted for a Mumbai-based wedding planner, Shaadi Squad. In an interview, the wedding planners mentioned that Virat and Anushka came to them in August 2017 for the wedding planning. The couple brainstormed over many locations. The one thing they were sure about was that they didn’t want to get married in their hometowns. “We considered many Indian locations as well as international destinations before finally picking Tuscany,” the planners said. Borgo Finocchieto was finalised as the venue. It is a restored heritage villa-turned-boutique property, and it dates back to the 13th century. It features 22 suites and rooms that can accommodate up to 44 people that were perfect for their guest list.

Mandap Decor: 
The mandap comprised a canopy of flowers flown in from Holland and textiles wrapped around the four posts. The ceiling of the canopy comprised white candles placed within glass lanterns providing a romantic backdrop to the wedding proceedings. The floor where Anushka walked was lined with pastel flowers. Each row of seating also had flower decor.

Engagement and Sangeet:
The couple’s wedding festivities started with an engagement ceremony. With Ed Sheeran’s romantic track ‘Thinking Out Loud’ playing, Sharma and Virat exchanged rings, against the backdrop of foliage-inspired decor. The same evening they even had their sangeet party. Anushka Sharma looked gorgeous in a saree by Sabyasachi. Anushka wore a velvet saree in Gulkand Burgundy colour. The drape had hand embroidery with miniature pearls and also featured zardozi work. The bride topped it off with uncut jewellery. Sharma’s makeup artist Puneet B Saini gave her cocktail look the right finishing touches. The groom complemented her in a blue suit.

Mehendi:
Anushka Sharma’s mehndi featured a simple, intricate design with small flowers, paisleys and leaves. She opted for a multi-hued lehenga that came with a floral printed blouse crafted by artisans from The Sabyasachi Art Foundation, and a striped lehenga skirt. Her lehenga was blush pink in colour. It was hand-printed by the famed Calcutta block printers and hand-embroidered with gota and marori embroidery. The groom coordinated his look with her by wearing a fuchsia textured Nehru jacket over an ivory kurta set. The mehendi led the way into a bonfire night that included karaoke.

From D-Day to attires:
The mandap was inspired by the idea of growth and prosperity and was designed like an overgrown garden. Teams worked for 45 days with flowers flown in from Holland and intricate fabrics from India to create this magical wedding.

Everyone loved Anushka’s bridal attire and her makeup. Her makeup was kept minimal. The crowning glory was her wedding day updo wrapped in hydrangeas. Anushka opted for a bun that rested right on the nape of her neck. “The flowers stayed very fresh and were pinned very well on a bun and around the bun so that they stayed perfectly even with the dupatta pressing on them,” her hairstylist was quoted saying in an interview with Vogue.

Her lehenga was created by Sabyasachi and it was handcrafted in silk floss, gold, and silver ’tilla’ work. The metal threads, pearls, and beads were used on her floral lehenga and it took 32 days and 67 karigars to finish her wedding lehenga.

Reception:
The couple had opted for Sabyasachi creations. Virat looked royal in the black bandhgala and white churidar. The textured silk signature bandhgala featured buttons in 18k gold. It was styled with mojris and a hand-embroidered Pashmina shawl from the designer’s ‘Kashmir Revival’ project. Anushka was seen wearing a traditional saree. She stepped out in a red Banarasi saree styled with a diamond choker and jhumkas. She completed the look with a bindi, sindoor and a gajra-adorned bun.