The Westin Pune Koregaon Park Takes Couture to the Dinner Table with Prempatra’s Banaras After Dark

India : What happens when the romance of Banaras after dark meets the warmth of Westin hospitality? On October 10, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park and Prempatra by designer Shruti Singh Mahadev answered that question with Lagan – Riwaz Naye Purane, an intimate wedding experience that brought fashion, craft, music and gastronomy together on the hotel’s lawns. Moving beyond the conventional runway, the evening unfolded in three acts: Cocktails, Sit-down Dinner and Dessert – each revealing a different side of the modern Indian wedding.

The curated and handpicked guest list of around 60 brought together leading wedding curators from Pune and Mumbai, alongside influencers, members of the media, dignitaries, doctors, and well-known names from Pune’s business and social circles. Rather than watching a show, guests were invited to step inside one, moving through spaces where every texture, flavour and note of music became part of a single story.

Setting the stage was decor partner Linkin Minds, who transformed the hotel’s 30,000 sq. ft. lawns into a majestic open-air setting, where candlelit corners, rustic furniture and rich textiles gave way to a grand dining room beneath the stars.

Act One: The Romance of Banaras, Craft and Cocktails

The evening began on the softly lit lawns, where flickering candles and Prempatra’s signature Anglo-Indian aesthetic created the feel of an old-world soirée. A beautifully styled bar served The Westin Pune Koregaon Park’s curated artisanal cocktails, as guests mingled and reconnected to the sound of live Hindustani music.

Around them, Prempatra’s world came alive. Skilled karigars demonstrated the intricate arts of Kantha and Zardozi embroidery, while corners adorned with colourful bangles, fragrant ittar and fresh gajras evoked the sensory richness of a wedding in the making. It was a quiet reminder that behind every finished garment lie hours of handwork, ritual and memory.

For Shruti, whose roots and creative sensibilities are deeply connected to Banaras, the collection was a personal one.

“Being from Banaras, I have always been surrounded by its extraordinary textiles, its old-world charm and the stories woven into its craft. With Banaras After Dark, I wanted to capture the city’s spirit – its romance, richness and quiet grandeur – while creating something that feels relevant to the contemporary Indian wedding wardrobe. Every weave and embroidered detail carries a piece of our heritage, and I wanted guests to experience that beauty beyond the clothes, through the artisans, the textures and the stories behind them,” said Shruti Singh Mahadev, Founder and Designer, Prempatra.

The first act closed with the opening presentation of Banaras After Dark. Models walked in creations that celebrated rich textiles, intricate detailing and statement silhouettes, balancing the grandeur of traditional Indian aesthetics with a contemporary sensibility. Marathi actors Bhushan Pradhan and Sayali Patil, took centre stage as showstoppers, their easy chemistry lending the moment the charm of a reel-life couple and a touch of cinematic romance.

Act Two: A Grand Table Under the Stars

As the first presentation drew to a close, guests were led to a long dining table dressed beneath glowing chandeliers – a setting that felt as intimate as a family dinner on the eve of a wedding, and as grand as the celebration itself.

Curated by Rajdeep Rana, EAM – Food & Beverage, and his culinary team, a specially designed four-course dinner offered a glimpse of how The Westin Pune Koregaon Park approaches wedding dining: menus rooted in Indian flavour, presented with finesse and served with genuine warmth. The journey moved from a chilled young corn and millet, a nod to Maharashtra’s winter harvest, to tandoori asparagus and with morel, and a main course offering vegetarian and non-vegetarian options ranging from Nihari Taftan to Gucchi Nadar Yakhini, Meen Moilee, all served with a side of Pulao.

“In an Indian wedding, the meal is the moment when everyone finally sits down together, so it has to be memorable. For Lagan, we wanted to honour the flavours families grow up with, while presenting them in a way that feels new. Every couple we work with starts with a conversation and a tasting, and we build the menu around their family, their region and their guests,” said Rajdeep Rana, EAM – Food & Beverage, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park.

The table was also the stage for the evening’s second fashion presentation. Rather than returning to a runway, models moved through the dining setting in the collection’s richer, more traditional pieces, bringing couture within arm’s reach of guests. With fashion unfolding amid the tablescape, guests became part of the spectacle itself, as style, dining and celebration came together in one seamless expression of modern wedding hospitality.

Act Three: The Sweetest Finale

Dessert arrived as theatre. In a chefs’ walk, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park’s culinary team made a striking entrance, each chef carrying an exquisite dessert creation to the table in a procession that celebrated the skill, creativity and teamwork behind exceptional hospitality.

It was a fitting close to an evening in which every detail – from the first candlelit welcome to the final sweet bite – had been conceived as part of one continuous experience.

A New Chapter for Weddings at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park

For The Westin Pune Koregaon Park, which has hosted weddings since it first opened its doors, Lagan – Riwaz Naye Purane was also an opportunity to reconnect with its partners and share its vision for the years ahead. It is a vision of wedding hospitality that extends beyond the venue to the atmosphere, the food, the people and the personal touches that make a celebration truly memorable.

“Weddings have been part of The Westin Pune Koregaon Park since the day we opened, and every one of them has taught us that the best celebrations are built together. With Lagan, we wanted to bring our partners – planners, designers, decorators and our own culinary team – around one table, and show what becomes possible when everyone brings their very best. From Prempatra’s artistry to our chefs’ finale, every element was curated to inspire. Our aspiration is simple: to be the place where families bring their vision to life, with warm hospitality, impeccable attention to detail and moments their guests will remember long after the celebration,” said Victor Chen, General Manager, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park.

“Wedding curators are among our most valued partners, and Lagan was our way of showing them, rather than telling them, what a wedding at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park can be. Our 30,000 sq. ft. of lawns are a rare canvas in the city. Together with our newly renovated rooms and suites, including some of the largest guest rooms in Pune, and a culinary team that designs every menu around the family, we can host every chapter of a wedding with the same care. This evening marks the beginning of deeper collaborations with the wedding community, and we look forward to creating many more celebrations together,” said Nishtha Ghosh, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park.

With Lagan, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park and Prempatra offered a fresh perspective on the luxury wedding showcase – one in which the runway became a meeting point for design, living craft and heartfelt hospitality. Rooted in the cultural richness of Banaras and presented with a contemporary sensibility, the evening celebrated the enduring appeal of Indian wedding traditions while imagining new ways to experience them.

Because the most memorable celebrations are not simply about what is worn or where they take place, but about the feeling every detail leaves behind.

****