From just friends to eternity: The inspiring love story of Bhakti and Pratham

Most great love stories have a plot twist. For Bhakti and Pratham, it was this: the love of her life had been living next door all along, in chappals, with Pizza Hut cravings, and a sense of humour that wouldn’t quit.

“I’m loud, social, full of life,” Bhakti begins. “He’s calm, comical, and dependable. We were childhood neighbours, your classic ‘just friends’ duo that everyone tried setting up together... but, of course, we were blissfully delulu about our feelings.”

Their story wasn’t built on grand romantic gestures, but on consistent, quiet connection, dressing up in matching Halloween costumes, late-night Jumeirah chai runs, testing her latest vegan bakes, or simply walking off the chaos of life together. “He felt like home,” she says. “Love didn’t arrive like fireworks, it felt like breathing.”

It wasn’t until 16 years of deep friendship, life, growth and countless ‘No, no, we’re just friends’ denials later, that everything shifted.

“I once wrote down 30 extremely unrealistic traits I wanted in a partner, and recently, I found that list. He ticked every single one,” Bhakti laughs. “The guy I was searching for far and wide had literally been right next door.”

A wedding in wonderland

From April 17–20, Bhakti and Pratham tied the knot in Antalya, Turkey, at the breathtaking Maxx Royal Kemer Resort. Set between turquoise seas, dramatic cliffs and wandering mountain goats (yes, really), the venue was chosen for its grounding beauty and fairytale charm. “It held space for raw emotion and big joy,” Bhakti says.

Event designers Harsha and Jharna, Bhakti’s aunts, came out of retirement for this. And it showed. Every moment was curated with the kind of intimacy and imagination that only family could deliver.

Each of the four days brought a different visual fantasy.

For instance, fashion that broke their social media feeds. Their style? Bold. Daring. Iconic. “We love statement fashion,” Bhakti says. Every outfit across the four days proved it.

Pratham rocked a sherwani with a sequinned tiger crawling down the back. Bhakti? A gold lehenga for the sangeet music ceremony. For the ritual pheras, she channelled Barbie in a soft pink lehenga with a matching veil. “It screamed me!”

But the true showstopper was her reception gown, potentially the largest (by circumference) ever worn by an Indian bride. “Still waiting on Guinness World Records to call,” she jokes.

The creative geniuses behind these looks were Manish Malhotra and Falguni Shane Peacock, who turned every wild vision into reality, including couture prisoner uniforms for that cliffside rave. “Manish made the impossible possible,” she says.

A ceremony of love and 300 drones

On the day of the wedding, Bhakti walked a full kilometre across a water aisle, her voice echoing as she spoke heartfelt words of gratitude and love. “My eyes were locked on his the entire way,” she says. “That moment held the weight of a lifetime.”

When the couple exchanged garlands (after Pratham had cheekily tried running off with his), a burst of colour exploded from sea to sky behind them. “It was magic,” she says.

The entire celebration was layered with BP branding, from the licence plates on venue buggies, helium balloons and even a 300-drone performance painting their love story across the sky.

Cliffs were laser-mapped into galaxies. The stage was a LED cube. And suspended mid-air was a glowing moon with aerialists dancing above the crowd. It’s hard to imagine how it could have gotten any better.

From Florence to Jaipur

The menu was no less extravagant. Guests dined on over 300 dishes, flown in from across the world: Florentine gelato, Belgian crepes, and Jaipur dosas sizzling fresh onsite. “It was a global palette with a soul rooted in celebration,” Bhakti says.

The musical line-up was impressive, too: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam, Rohin Puri, and the Inspiration band, who kept emotions high and spirits higher.

Even the kids had a role to play, from delivering a formal shoe-stealing contract to participating in the traditional rituals. “Every generation felt seen.” Bhakti says.

What comes next for them?

She feels happily ever after isn’t a destination. “It’s loud laughter, slow mornings, building homes, businesses, and memories together. It’s not perfect, but it’s perfectly ours.”

And advice to future couples? “Don’t just plan your wedding, experience it. Cry ugly. Laugh hard. Let go of perfection. Be present. Because if you stay open, things happen that are even better than you imagined. That’s where the magic lives.”