Forever Starts Here

The Wedding Story of Savy and Puneet Bhathal

Wedding Date: August 12, 2023
Location: Surrey, BC
Guest Number: 400

Bride: Savy Bassi Bhathal
Groom: Puneet Bhathal

Savy and Puneet's love story began unexpectedly during a last-minute long weekend trip to Kelowna with friends. "I wasn't really looking to meet anyone that night," Savy recalls, "but for some reason as soon as I locked eyes with Puneet, I just couldn't look away." Their connection was instant, sparked by exchanged glances that quickly led to endless conversation.

"We both made eye contact a few times before he came up and talked to me," Savy reminisces. "And after that, we just couldn't stop talking." During the trip, Puneet shared something that struck a chord with Savy: their shared values around family. "My crush on him got even deeper as soon as I learnt that we have similar values." she says.

After returning to Surrey, their hometown, they stayed in touch and started dating. "Once we began texting and going on dates, we fell for each other," Savy explains. "It was as if we had known each other for years! The way we instantly understood each other, and wanted to spend endless hours with each other was something neither of us had felt before."

Their relationship grew swiftly, driven by a deep connection and mutual understanding rarely found so early on. "Within almost a month of our relationship, we knew we would end up married in the near future," Savy reveals. What's remarkable is their ability to navigate any challenges without a single fight. "The love is so strong that it always trumps ego, anger, and misunderstandings," she reflects. "We admire each other's ability to listen and understand before presenting an opposing view, which there rarely is."

Savy often playfully hinted at a Banff proposal, saying, "How beautiful would a proposal be here! You should propose to me here..." Little did she expect Puneet to take her words to heart. During a couples' trip to Calgary for the Rodeo, they decided to visit Banff for a day. While Savy was busy taking pictures of the other couples, Puneet kept urging her to come closer to the water's edge.

Suddenly, Puneet dropped to one knee and presented the ring. "I was not expecting him to propose to me at that moment and tears of joy instantly started pouring as he told me how much he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of him life with me." Savy recalls. "That was to this day, one of the most beautiful and memorable moments of my life!"

Savy embarked on her wedding planning journey in 2021, two years ahead of her wedding date, focusing on booking vendors, securing venues, and shopping trips to India. "It was when the one-year mark hit that things really started to pick up," recalls Savy. With a deep passion for dancing, she aimed to make her performances a standout feature of the wedding week. "Coordinating and choreographing five dance performances with friends and family, and sending everyone video recordings of the choreography before we reached the two-month mark, was quite hectic," she admits. "It's also tough to coordinate times for everyone to practice in the summer, given people's busy lives with work, family, and events."

"My favorite part of the planning process was seeing it all come together," Savy reflects. With invaluable support from her sister, they ensured the vision was executed flawlessly and tackled any challenges that arose. Savy meticulously prepared PDFs for all her vendors in advance, preempting any potential questions or issues before the wedding week. The result was perfection in every detail.

Inspired by her wedding journey, Savy and her sister established Beautiful Beginnings, specializing in wedding planning services. "I enjoyed planning my wedding to the T so much that I wanted to help other brides do the same," Savy shares. "I just want to share the creativity, effort, and passion that goes into wedding planning."

Savy and Puneet's wedding week overflowed with love and unforgettable moments. They fondly recall Puneet crashing Savy's jago celebration with all their friends and family, their magical first look at sunrise on the wedding day, and their meticulously choreographed slow dance they had practiced for months.

As the bride, Savy cherished each event for its unique moments:

The boliyan competition between her nanke and dadke during her Maiyan and Mehndi were moments she treasured, "The laughter, the dancing and endless dedicated to beat the other side was too entertaining to watch."

During the Jago celebrations, "Seeing my choreography come to life filled me with happiness and pride," she shares.

The Chooda ceremony held a deeply emotional significance for Savy, where intimate moments shared with loved ones brought tears of love and joy. "Just sharing some intimate moments with my loved ones and just seeing the emotion spill through the tears was very special for me. The love everyone felt that day is forever something we will all cherish." she reflects.

The Laavan ceremony was a profoundly emotional experience for Savy. "It was all real now," she reflected. "In that moment, I couldn't help but be insanely happy to be with the love of my life," Savy shared, "but simultaneously, the gut-wrenching feeling of my life completely changing after that moment also overwhelmed me. To this day, I vividly remember that feeling, an experience I'm sure most brides can relate to. It's a bittersweet change that you can never fully prepare yourself for in advance."

The reception night was where both Savy and Puneet let loose and celebrated with their loved ones. Reflecting on the night, Savy shared, "My favourite moment of that night apart from our slow dance has got to be the surprise Bollywood performance that my sister and I did. Only 4 people including the DJ knew about this and it was an absolute shock to my husband when he saw my sister coming out of the door dressed in the same clothes as him acting as him for the performance. We love to add a little humour to our dancing along with a whole lot of passion so this performance was definitely a highlight for a lot of us!"

Planning the looks was a meticulous task for Savy, who had specific colors and styles in mind. One challenge Savy and Puneet faced was the limited time they had for shopping in India, resulting in them choosing colors and styles for some events that weren't initially expected. However, they kept an open mind and ended up loving everything they selected. They later completed their shopping online from India and custom-designed outfits for their bridal party, making the late-night calls well worth it in the end.

"My goal for my looks was to make each one as different from the others as possible while staying true to my style," Savy explains. "I was thrilled with the finished looks because each outfit featured unique colors and styles, which also allowed my hair and makeup to be distinct for each look."

For the wedding day, Savy wore a stunning lengha from Marwar Couture paired with jewelry from Purab Paschim. "I instantly knew this was the one! I wanted something with olive green or rust tones, and this outfit had both, which was perfect."

After finalizing her ensemble, "we got my husband achkan made from a shop in Ludhiana." Savy continues. "My husband originally wanted to wear an ivory achkan, which was really not the best choice to compliment my lehenga! Luckily, he's very open to new things and was willing to try the pastel green after some convincing. We went back and forth and I hand drew the embroidery design we wanted for his outfit and the result was phenomenal. It made it so special for us because we had put in so much work to design his outfit. Both our colors ended up matching perfectly and the wedding looks turned out better than we could have even imagined!"

As Savy and Puneet reflect on their wedding journey, they offer a profound insight that goes beyond the excitement of their special day. Savy wisely advises, "There is a lot that goes into planning a wedding. There are days where you feel overwhelmed and stressed out. BUT, never get trapped in the whole concept of the 'wedding'. Focus on the 'marriage' that is to follow. The rest doesn't matter as much as that promise and lifelong commitment you will be making with your partner."

Amid the hustle and bustle of planning and celebrating, their words resonate deeply: amidst any moments of doubt or stress, it's essential to take a step back and remember the true purpose—building a life of happiness and togetherness. As they embark on this new chapter together, Savy and Puneet's journey reminds us that while wedding details are important, it's the enduring love and partnership they share that will continue to define their lives together.

VENDORS
Event Planning, Design, & Execution: Beautiful Beginnings Event Planning
Photography: Varsola Visuals
Videography: Emerald Films
Decor: DC Decor
Mehndi: Jasmine Henna Artistry
HMUA: Mona Sangha
Outfit: Marwar Couture
Jewellery: Purab Paschim
Groom’s Turban: Turban Tying
Jago + Reception Venue: Royal King Palace

June 28, 2024
By TK