A wedding is a bond of love, caring and respect. In each person’s life, wedding is something very close to the heart and soul. It highlights the joy of sharing and enduring through life, with a companion by your side. For every wedding to be perfect, it needs an appropriate venue, a good decorator, checklists, and more than anything the happiness of getting married.
It was somewhat similar for Harbhajan Singh and Geeta Basra when they finally tied the knot in a dazzling 5-day long celebration in the northern state of Punjab followed by a star-studded reception in the capital.
Let us take a glimpse through this adorable couple’s journey of love, caring and bonding.
Harbhajan had been playing for the Indian cricket team for more than a decade. He had proved himself to be a star spin bowler in every sense. Harbhajan is known to have pocketed more than 400 wickets in just over 100 matches that he has played for India. Due to his elaborate wedding celebrations, he had to skip the Test Series against South Africa, which took place in November.
On the other hand, Geeta had made a mark in Bollywood with her debut film in Dil Diya Hai with Bollywood hot listed Emraan Hashmi. Both of them are starlings in their respective careers! Geeta and Harbhajan met almost a decade ago through a common friend. After their first meeting through a common friend, something clicked, that was noticed by both of them. They met in the following year multiple times. They got to know each other very well. Before anything was declared, the paparazzi had already started to follow them all around. They were spotted at functions, parties, weddings, in restaurants, all around the world!
Harbhajan and Geeta Spotted at an event together
Almost a year later, it was official! The top spin bowler of the Indian team was dating Geeta Basra, a debutant Bollywood actress.
Harbhajan’s childhood was entirely different to that of Geeta. He grew in a quiet but reputed family settled in Punjab. His journey through from a small town guy in Punjab to India’s most sought after spin-bowler has been really amusing. Growing up in London with her sisters, Geeta had a life which was totally away from the public. Her entry into modelling and acting has what introduced her to the public life in India.
Harbhajan and Geeta started off with an innocent in each other’s personalities, and in no time, they were getting serious in their relationship. It must have been a task talking to their families, introducing each other, and finally making it public – announcing their engagement! It is interesting to know that they dated for 8 years before making courting their relationship into a timeless and wonderful bond of marriage. In these 8 years, Harbhajan and Geeta have got to know each other through the minutest of details. Be it each other’s favourite colour, cuisine or holiday destination, their bond has evolved and matured through an enduring span of 8 years.
After enjoying every bit of these beautiful 8 years, they decided to take a big leap in their relationship – Getting married! Harbhajan made his relationship with Geeta public in possibly the best way! His simply said, “For me, it was love at first sight!”
Harbhajan Singh poses for the shutterbugs after the wedding ceremony
A few months after announcing that they are going to get hitched, the rigorous preparations for the wedding kicked off. The elders chose 29th October to be the date of their marriage. Preparing guest lists, booking venues, adjusting schedules, finding the right decorator, good food, deciding on a designer was the tough job that lay ahead. With almost no hassle, Harbhajan and Geeta’s wedding was organised. Neither Harbhajan nor Geeta gave any statement to the media. It was a private but grand affair at the Hotel Club Cabana in Punjab.
Hotel Club Cabana where the wedding took place
Geeta and Harbhajan exchanged rings in front of close friends, colleagues and family on the 27th of October. Harbhajan wore a pearl white long kurta with a pink jacket, fashionably matched by a pink pagdi. Geeta was beautifully dressed in a meadow-green dress with elegant jewellery. The bride and groom were designed by celebrity designer Archana Kochhar, whose intelligent and fashionable colour coding was noticeable throughout the five-day gala.
Mehndi is of great importance in any Indian wedding. It signifies the deep bond between the bride and the groom. Harbhajan and Geeta’s mehndi ceremony also took place on the 27th of October. The ceremony was followed by a traditional Punjabi feast, with lots of sweet and savoury dishes prominent in the Punjabi culture.
Geeta during the mehendi ceremony
The engagement and mehndi ceremony was followed by a memorable and grand sangeet. The function was a hit as it had renowned Punjabi singers Mika Singh and Gurdas Mann entertaining the guest with their Punjabi hits. Harbhajan and Geeta were obliged to have them and for making their ceremony so special for them. The sangeet ceremony was in its true sense a star-studded night. Harbhajan and Geeta exchanged their vows in the Gurudwara in the presence of elders and some well-wishers of the family.
The grand sangeet ceremony with GurdasMaan and Mika Singh performing
All the ceremonies except the reception were held at Hotel Club Cabana, a five-star retreat in Phagwara near Jalandhar, Punjab. The bride and groom chose the venue because of its convenient location and its lavish setting. The concierge services were taken care by the venue’s well-trained staff.
The five-day long celebration finally ended in a star-studded grand reception at the Hotel Taj Palace in New Delhi. The reception was attended by the who's who of Bollywood and some head honchos from Delhi’s eminent business milieu.
Harbhajan and Geeta at the wedding reception in Hotel Taj palace in the capital
Harbhajan sported a gold embroidered jet black sherwani while Geeta dazzled in her simple but elegant electric blue lehenga. The couple’s clothes were designed by the famous celebrity designer Archana Kochhar. Her work was well appreciated throughout the wedding ceremonies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was specially invited by the Groom himself. He specially visited the PM to invite for the wedding ceremony. The Shenshah of Bollywood, Big B was not able to attend the wedding ceremony but he sent his special regards and blessings to the bride and the groom.
Geeta and Harbhajan refused to divulge the details about their honeymoon destination. But a source revealed that they are planning on a 10-day long vacation to a beach resort in the Mauritius group of islands.
Harbhajan and Geeta’s grand 5-day long wedding has been the talk of the town for weeks together. A perfect venue, beautifully curated decoration themes, matching and elegant dressing styles and the blessings of elders are what make a wedding immaculate and memorable!
We wish the couple a long and healthy married life ahead!