Ananya and Thomas Kingshott’s love story is one of near-misses and almost perfect timing. “I lived in England for five years, while Thomas visited his family there every year,” Ananya notes. “We interned at the same company, but in different offices. We even lived in the same building at the same time in NYC but never officially crossed paths.” It wasn’t until Ananya began working and befriended someone who went to high school with Thomas, when the stars finally aligned.
After three years together, Thomas proposed at their first apartment together. The evening began with a detour to meet Thomas’s sister and her husband for pre-dinner drinks. “We went up to the roof and no one was around, except for one other person who I thought was another resident,” Ananya recalls. “Next thing I know, Thomas is on his knee asking me to marry him, and the other ‘resident’ was a photographer. I was totally surprised.”
“From the start, it was important to us to consider the Indian and Western aspects of our wedding and how we could combine both into one weekend,” Ananya notes. The couple felt strongly about a destination wedding—partial to all of the special in-between moments that accompany a vacation— and landed on somewhere tropical. From there, they decided on Nizuc Resort & Spa in Cancún and enlisted Nirali Shah for her expertise in the planning.
“We had multiple looks, spanning the Indian and Western events—we tried to really differentiate between each of the events and honor both cultures,” the bride shares of her wedding wardrobe. 16 Arlington’s Solaria sequin midi dress gave her a mermaid look for the welcome party. In terms of beauty, Karuna Chani applied a smoky eye.
“I really leaned into tradition here, to honor my family and culture,” Ananya shares of her look for the Hindu wedding ceremony. “We soon landed on the designer, Sabyasachi, and I knew I wanted the traditional bridal red.” Her mother styled the outfit to perfection—selecting the jewelry, khaleeras, and maang tikka herself. Thomas—especially excited to embrace tradition— wore a traditional Sabyasachi ensemble and a Turba by Saffas for Weddings.
The following day, the couple said “I do” in a western ceremony. To this, the bride wore Monique Lhuillier. Initially, she was torn between a fitted waist and a full skirt—that was until she tried on the Fleur de Lis gown. “It had a drop waist, which I didn’t even know was possible, and then a more dramatic skirt,” she explains. “This gave me the best of both worlds, and I knew it was the perfect combination of everything I had been looking for.” Jennifer Behr’s pearl earrings served as a final touch which tied seamlessly with the delicate pearl details on her gloves.
On March 3, 2023, Ananya and Thomas wed at the mandap surrounded by the whimsical floral designs by Prashe Decor. The festivities began with Thomas’s lively Baraat, where he made his grand entrance surrounded by family and friends. “This turns into a dance party, with the idea being that his family and friends are ‘making him wait to see his bride,’” Ananya notes. In keeping with tradition, she made her entrance beneath a canopy of flowers, escorted down the aisle by four male family members—two cousins and two uncles. “This was my first time appearing as a ‘bride’ over the weekend. I had butterflies in my stomach before I walked down the aisle and loved seeing my family and friends’ faces as I looked out.”
A priestess officiated the ceremony, guiding guests through each moment with care. “It was important to us that all of our guests understood the ceremony,” the bride shares. “Our priestess explained the traditions in English as she went along, and we also provided programs on our guests’ chairs, for them to refer to at any point.”
The Sangeet that followed was a celebration of pure joy. DJ Shilpa and Dholnation kept the dance floor alive well into the night. “Thomas and I both performed dances with our friends, with each other, and with our joint families, and other people did some surprise performances for us!” Ananya shares. “It was an incredible evening, filled with entertainment and the fun of seeing your family and friends dancing on stage.”
The following evening, the couple hosted their Western ceremony on the beach, officiated by the groom’s sister. The couple exchanged personal vows, sealing it all with a kiss as the waves lapped nearby. “I similarly felt extreme butterflies before I walked down the aisle, even though I had done it once the day before,” the bride remembers.
Afterward, Ananya and Thomas danced to Undercover Band’s rendition of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You,” a sentimental nod to the groom’s grandparents, who also danced to the song on their wedding day.
As for their honeymoon, the newlyweds set off to Australia. Their trip began in Sydney before they headed to Hamilton Island and Barossa Valley before ending the adventure in Kangaroo Island.
