“There wasn’t a grand proposal—no lights, no violins, no photographs. In fact, there wasn’t even a ring,” the groom exclaims over our call.

It’s a warm afternoon in New Delhi, and the newlyweds, Anjali Batra, founder of Anthem, an experiential marketing and brand solutions agency, and Rahoul Singh, who runs a manufacturing and export business designing automotive components, are engaged in playful banter. Their mutual adoration is evident with every laugh as they recall the details of their wedding, which took place twice: first in December 2024 and then again in October 2025. The first ceremony was an intimate Anand Karaj; what followed was a much larger four-day affair in New Delhi. But it all started with a Hinge date in October 2023, after which came a very adult, sit-down meeting with their respective families to break the news of their engagement.

When it came to the wedding lehenga, Batra knew she wanted to wear red, eventually getting a custom piece designed from A&R by Rhea Kapoor. “While they only do pastels, I was lucky to figure this out with her [Rhea’s] mom, Sheena Kapoor, who was incredibly patient and accommodating,” shares Batra, “I picked from a mix and match of outfits and created a custom piece in red with floral zardozi work.”

The proposal (or lack thereof)

“We didn’t have a grand proposal,” Singh notes, “Neither did we have recognisable timestamps in our relationship for when we started dating, fell in love or decided to get married.” A private proposal after a 15-course meal at Naar during a trip to Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh for Singh’s birthday was enough. The couple set out for a stroll to a hill nearby teeming with fireflies when, without any warning—and without even a ring—Singh went down on one knee to pop the question. “It was never about the perfectly fabricated moment. It just was. Which made it so perfect and so us,” Batra fondly adds. The ring arrived later—an oval-cut diamond laced with a string of tiny solitaires on the band—elegant and practical, as Batra had wanted.