Exclusive: At Anuv Jain and Hridi Narang's wedding a surprise piano version of ‘Jo Tum Mere Ho’ played

21 February 2025

Rahul Saharan

A chance Instagram connection led to a dream wedding for the singer and his partner, proving that true love finds its rhythm

For Anuv Jain and Hridi Narang, it all began with an Instagram request in 2017—surprisingly, one that wasn't ignored. “I never accept requests from strangers,” says Hridi Narang, founder of Guru Om Candles & Decor, who made an exception for singer-songwriter Anuv Jain. How millennial, for a singer whose music traces the modern-day complexities of dating. This digital connection, sparked by Jain's song ‘Baarishein’, was a slow burn, taking five years to transform. Their platonic friendship evolved into love and culminated in a three-day wedding celebration this February.

Their first encounter was brief—a five-minute meeting at Jain's Delhi show in February 2021—but it was a routine phone call in 2022 that changed everything. “When she shared, in passing, that she was single, I couldn’t have ignored that as I always found her beautiful,” Jain recalls. “I stopped everything else I was doing as this was my window to shoot my shot.” He surprised Narang with a spontaneous trip to Delhi for Valentine's Day dinner, even bringing her a box of her favourite Kookie Jar boat pastry from Kolkata. Despite a series of comical mishaps—fully booked restaurants and a wrong pizza order—the date became a pivotal moment. “Even though it was like a very bad date, because we just couldn't find a place to sit, we still had a great time,” Jain explains.

The immediate connection solidified their feelings. “We spoke about everything. And I was like, yes, this is the guy I want to be with,” Narang shares. The unplanned Valentine's Day date, which extended into the 15th, became a significant marker in their relationship. "We were a bit poetic with that because that date was on the 14th of February. We didn't plan a Valentine's Day, but it just happened to be that day,” Jain adds. “So after three years, we kept it the same way. The 14th was for some of our functions and the 15th, we actually got married.”

The celebrations were intimate and personalised. "We wanted a close-knit and cosy wedding full of family and friends," shares Narang. Working with Karma Events, as they designed each function with meticulous attention to detail.

Highlights from the mehendi function included carnival games like balloon shooting, ring toss and beer pong to add nostalgic touches from their childhood and early twenties. Narang chose a vibrant Mayyur Girotra fiery red gharara and teamed it with a traditional parandi, complementing the festive Punjab-meets-carnival theme. "We wanted each look to be completely different, yet authentic to us," explains Narang. Jain opted for a cropped contemporary jacket by the same designer, layered over a sleek black kurta and pathani salwar.

Day two brought parallel celebrations—Jain's mehendi featured sitarist Chandu Chandulal, while Narang's haldi was a South Indian affair, honouring her close Chennai connections (courtesy of her bridesmaids and university friends she met in Singapore). The bride wore a sentimental ensemble—a gifted off-white and gold sari, while Jain opted for a Shantnu & Nikhil kurta and jacket set. The evening cocktail saw Narang in a striking gold and silver Seema Gujral creation, deliberately avoiding conventional blues and blacks, while the ‘Alag Aasman’ singer chose a sophisticated Rohit Gandhi Rahul Khanna look with minimal surface ornamentation—letting Narang’s iridescent outfit take the centre stage.

The cocktail was also Jain's favourite concert he’s ever performed at yet, he proudly adds. "I wanted to sing at my own sangeet because why not?" he said, and he did just that, even drawing his in-laws into the joyous chorus of his songs, creating a deeply touching, shared experience. Friends from the music industry—Zaeden, Lisa Mishra and DJ Ashley—seamlessly blended with the festive energy of the traditional dholwalas—a fusion Jain had his doubts about but turned out to be amazing. The real surprise, though, was the ‘Gul’ singer himself. Despite proclaiming, "I'm not going to dance. I'm just going to sing," he pleasantly surprised his bride-to-be with his stellar moves.

For the wedding ceremony, Narang opted for a classic red Marwar Couture lehenga with intricate threadwork. "I wanted to be a traditional red bride while maintaining subtlety," she explains. Family heirlooms from Jain's mother—kundan hathphool and bangles—added generations of love to her bridal ensemble. Jain complemented her in an unconventional Tarun Tahiliani creation of a dhoti and kurta combination under his sherwani.

As she walked towards him, a surprise piano version of ‘Jo Tum Mere Ho’—a song Jain had written for her in 2022 and kept private until this moment—played in the background. "Everyone started crying," Jain recalls, "My work here was done." The first moment as husband and wife was beautifully unscripted—they looked at each other in awe before instinctively linking pinky fingers. The celebration continued with an innovative fusion—traditional sitar melodies merged with techno beats. Later that night, Jain changed Narang's surname on his phone, drawing hoots and cheers from their inner circle.

Their connection runs deeper than conventional romance—it's built on a shared love for music. While Jain creates melodies, Narang lives them. "She knows the lyrics to every song, and is always dancing," Jain says. "I get to be her top artist every year on Spotify, which is the best feeling ever." The musical synchronicity extends beyond their personal life—Jain's song ‘Jo Tum Mere Ho,’ which he first shared with Narang as a rough voice note in 2022, became his biggest hit upon release in August 2023.