Dubbed India's "wedding of the year," fireworks lit up the sky as pop star Nick Jonas and
actress Priyanka Chopra tied the knot December 1st, 2018, in Chopra's native India.
An epic five-day affair that combined Western and Eastern cultures, here are some behind
the scenes moments you didn't see.
A modern-day fairy tale
Nick Jonas reportedly knew he wanted to be with Priyanka Chopra the first time he met
the actress in person at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
The pair had spent months texting prior to their first meeting, but nothing could have
prepared Chopra for what Jonas did upon seeing her.
The former Disney star told Vogue:
“I put my drink down, [...] get on one knee [...] and I say, ‘You’re real.
Where have you been all my life?’”
As for Chopra, she knew the exact moment when she felt Jonas could be the one.
While on a date with the "Close" hit-maker, Chopra said Jonas told her:
"I love the way you look at the world.
I love the drive you have."
The actress told Vogue:
"As a girl, I've never had a guy tell me, 'I like your ambition.'
It's always been the opposite."
Meghan sends her regrets
Priyanka Chopra and Meghan Markle have been friends since meeting at the Elle Women in
Television dinner in 2016.
The pair is so close that Chopra scored an invite to the royal wedding to see her friend
become the duchess of Sussex.
In Time’s 100 Most Influential People issue, the Quantico star raved about their friendship,
writing:
"[Meghan’s] compassion, evident in the causes she supports, and her drive to break down
stereotypes, obvious in her actions, will connect her to a generation in much need of
kindness.”
Priyanka Chopra is quite the hype man.
Unfortunately, however, Markle was unable to share in the joy of her friend's wedding
day.
A source told Entertainment Tonight:
"Meghan isn't trying to travel as much as she is pregnant.
But Priyanka and Nick are extremely happy because their closest friends and family are
in India to celebrate their marriage.”
Something tells us their friendship will be okay.
A little something for everyone
According to People magazine, Nick and Priyanka kicked off their wedding celebrations with
a Mehendi ceremony, which is technically a Hindu bachelorette party.
As the publication explains, a Mehendi is a traditional Hindu wedding ritual where the
women from each family gather together while the bride has henna designs applied to her
hands and feet.
However, Jonas and Chopra decided to make their wedding weekend Mehendi a co-ed affair.
Jonas took to Instagram to post several pictures from the ceremony, along with the caption:
"One of the most special things that our relationship has given us is a merging of families who
love and respect each other's faiths and cultures.
[...] An important part for the girl in an Indian wedding is the Mehendi.
Once again we made it our own, and it was an afternoon that kicked off the celebrations
in the way we both dreamed."
Thanks, Pops
Nick and Priyanka had not just one wedding ceremony, but two.
A source told People magazine:
"It is super important to Priyanka to have an Indian ceremony that honors her heritage
and culture, just as it's important to also have a Western ceremony that honors Nick's
Christian upbringing.”
But before the traditional Hindu ceremonies kicked off, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra
became husband and wife during a Christian ceremony officiated by Nick's father, ordained
minister Paul Kevin Jonas.
With the entire wedding party decked out in Ralph Lauren, Nick's eleven groomsmen included
his brothers Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas and Frankie Jonas, Priyanka's brother Siddharth Chopra
and Nick's Kingdom co-star Jonathan Tucker.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds had their first dance to Roberta Flack's "The First
Time I Saw Your Face."
They later left the hotel in a classic red car, followed by a massive display of fireworks.
Talk about starting a marriage with a bang!
Family dance-off
As part of their traditional Indian wedding, the families of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas
kicked off the festivities with a Sangeet.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Sangeet translates to "sung together," and is a way
for family and friends "to bond and celebrate joy, spirituality, love and happiness over
singing, dancing, food and good music."
E! News reports that for Jonas and Chopra’s Sangeet, each of their families formed a team
and performed their own version of how the bride and groom met.
Chopra took to Instagram to dish details from the evening, describing it as a “fierce
song and dance competition that ended with a celebration of love.”
Chopra wrote:
“And what a performance it was.
Each family telling our stories through song and dance, filled with lots of laughter and
love.
We were both filled with gratitude for the effort, the love and the laughter and will
carry the memories of this special evening for the rest of our lives.”