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Hotelier Keshav Suri of Lalit Hotels marries his partner Cyril in Goa and their photos are #PureLove
Destination Weddings, Love without Borders, Wedding Planning - Jan 3, 2019
On the 7th of September, 2018, the Supreme Court scrapped Section 377, a 158-year-old colonial law. Independence Day for the Indian rainbow community, love finally had no barriers! And just like all struggles, this particular battle includes many unsung heroes like Keshav Suri.
Always having equal opportunities at work and in life, in 2017, Keshav started #PureLove, a social media campaign talking about inclusivity and diversity. With the abolishment of the regressive anti-homosexual law, Keshav decided to tie the knot with his longtime partner and love of his life, Cyril Feuillebois!
Their Goa celebrations, orchestrated by WeddingSutra Favorite VLW Global, was a beautiful affair we can’t stop gushing over.
Keshav shared some heart-warming moments from their fairy-tale.
He says, “When Cyril and I met a party at the 24/7 Bar at The Lalit, New Delhi, it was an instant connect. Little did we know, we would move on to imagine an eternity together! Our story of 10 years finally reached a ‘happily ever after’ when we exchanged vows in Paris in June this year. I love this man so much, I married him twice in the same year. If required, I would do so over and over again, in this life and the countless that follow.”
Keshav says the moment was very special as they celebrated this cherished event with family and close friends. Pure happiness, family and friends like family and true love are universally recognizable. Hash-tagged #kitcyphrenia, photographs from the intimate affair struck a chord with anyone who happened to get a glimpse of them.
“With the reading down of Section 377, we just had to celebrate our union with immediate family and close friends here in India,” Keshav explains. “So, we decided to host another three-day wedding affair in Goa, and the celebration turned out better than my imagination! Shruti and her team from, VLW Global meticulously worked to bring out unrivaled color themes and design elements. After Paris, we exchanged vows here, this time against the breath-taking backdrop of a setting sun. Our respective sisters walked us down the aisle, to reach the stunning beach setting where our mothers stood to facilitate the vows. We also had a transgender high priestess officiate the ceremony.”
“While the entire experience is something I’ll always treasure, my performance with my mother during the ball left me teary eyed! As she smiled, and elegantly danced with me to a choreographed number in front of the crowd, I realized how fortunate I am. Explaining the lyrics to everyone present, she said, ‘Life is a mystery for each of us to unravel in a way we see fit. We can choose to be happy or completely destroy ourselves, I choose to be happy and I wish the same for all of you too!’ She is truly an inspiration.”
The women in Keshav’s life are all inspirational and the 80’s theme ball was proof of it. He says, “My sister, Deeksha encouraged everyone to be in drag! A cousin and a few of my friends were in their best drag outfits representing the 80’s.” Bringing unparalleled glamor to the night, performances by drag divas Violet Chachki, Rani Ko-HE-Nur, Maya – The Drag Queen and Betta Naan Stop had everyone in awe. Keshav recounts in glee, “DJ Kiss, NickV and Resident Kittens played music throughout, DJ TN DAO and Avantika Bakshi also surprised us with impromptu sets. Violet and Hungry broke into an impromptu dance as well! With his friends, Cyril also set fire to the dancefloor to ‘our song’, ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Kaene. He made me recall the time he proposed marriage to me as this song played in the background.”
Not to be outdone, Keshav himself was the belle of the ball in a Gaurav Gupta masterpiece!
Advice for Couples
Keshav reminds couples, “The purpose of the festivities was to send out a strong message about equality and to break the shackles of gender that bind us. To anyone and everyone out there battling identity or acceptance issues, just hang in there, it gets better. Continue to be true to yourself and the world will accept you eventually.”
After their wedding in Paris and party in Goa, the couple jetted off to Morocco for a romantic escape. We wish them a future full of happiness, love, togetherness and a whole lot of groovy dancing!
