The first big celeb wedding of 2023 has finally happened. Actor Athiya Shetty and cricketer K L Rahul got married in an intimate ceremony held on Monday (January 23) at Athiya’s father, actor Suniel Shetty’s Khandala (Maharashtra) farmhouse. Only select celebs such as actors Diana Penty, Anushka Ranjan and Aditya Seal, and cricketer Ishant Sharma were spotted at the do.

The wedding took place around 4:00 pm and the couple looked dreamy in designer Anamika Khanna ensembles. While Athiya, 30, wore a blush pink lehenga, Rahul, 30, complemented her in an ivory sherwani. Suniel, who donned a traditional Mangalorean outfit, greeted the media after the wedding and distributed sweets.

“Very beautiful, small, very close family event. Bohot achha raha aur abhi phere bhi ho gaye hain. Abhi shaadi officially ho chuki hai toh officially father-in-law bhi ban chuka hoon (sic),” the 61-year-old said. Athiya’s brother, actor Ahan Shetty, said, “I am super, super happy. Rahul has always been like a brother to me. So, I am so glad he is part of the family now.”

The newlyweds, who dated for a while and made their relationship Insta official in 2019, were all smiles as they posed for the paps. They shared a glimpse of the wedding on social media and wrote, “In your light, I learn how to love… Today, with our most loved ones, we got married in the home that’s given us immense joy and serenity. With a heart full of gratitude and love, we seek your blessings on this journey of togetherness (sic).”

Actors Kajol, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Vicky Kaushal, among others, wished the couple on social media. Suniel said a reception will happen after Rahul is done with this year’s leg of the Indian Premiere League that starts in March.

Cricketer K L Rahul tied the knot with his actress girlfriend Athiya Shetty yesterday at Suniel Shetty’s Khandala bungalow. The ceremony was a private affair with just the family and close friends in attendance. Among the guests present for the shaadi was cricketer Ishant Sharma, and Athiya’s friends from the industry, including Krishna Shroff, Diana Penty, Anshula Kapoor, Aditya Seal and his wife Anushka Ranjan.

The father of the bride, Suniel, along with his son Ahan stepped out to greet the media and distribute sweets after the wedding. Talking about the ceremony, he said, “It was surreal. It was a beautiful event. Very small; there were just close family members. Bahut accha raha. Shaadi officially ho chuki hai, so main father-in-law bhi ban chuka hoon.”

He further added that he would like to do away with the ‘in-law’ part of his new role. “In-law ka chakkar agar hat jaye, aur agar father hi rahoon toh bahut khoobsurat hai, kyunki woh part main bahut achhe se nibhaata hoon,” he said.

Speaking about his brother-in-law, Ahan said, “Rahul has been like a brother to me. I am glad he is now a part of our family.”

Suniel confirmed that they plan to host a grand reception post the IPL for members of the cricketing world and film industry.

Bollywood’s first big shaadi of the year is here. For months, fans were speculating about the dates of the Athiya Shetty-K L Rahul wedding, with the buzz getting stronger last week as the cricketer’s Bandra house was bedecked with lights. It is now confirmed that the actor-cricketer jodi — who have been in a steady relationship since 2019 — will tie the knot on January 23 at Suniel Shetty’s sprawling farmhouse Jahaan in Khandala. The pre-wedding festivities will kick off today at the farmhouse with the mehndi and sangeet ceremony.

While the lovebirds kept mum about their impending nuptials over the past months, we hear the wedding preparation began last November. Athiya’s parents Suniel and Mana Shetty personally called their industry friends, requesting them to block their dates from January 21 to 23.

“The shaadi will be a grand, traditional affair, in keeping with the rituals of the Bunt community that the Shettys belong to. The pre-wedding festivities will kick off today with the Madarengee, where the bride’s hands are adorned with mehndi. On D-Day, the bride will perform Murthasese that entails praying to the sacred tulsi plant, followed by the aarti that will mark the beginning of the wedding ceremony. It will be followed by the Dhareyeruna [kanyadaan] and the homa, which sees the couple taking the saat pheras,” reveals a source.

The two families have drawn up a list of 100 guests, comprising their extended family and friends. A mélange of movie stars and cricketers will head to the hill station over the weekend. The source adds, 

“Salman Khan, who had launched Athiya in Bollywood with Hero (2015), will be present. Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Jackie and daughter Krishna Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Sajid and Warda Nadiadwala are on the guest list, as are Arjun and Anshula Kapoor. The groom’s cricketer-friends Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya won’t be able to attend as they are part of the one-day series against New Zealand.” 

While some guests will be put up at their luxurious farmhouse, others will stay at the Radisson hotel in Khandala, and another lavish property a few kilometres away from Suniel’s estate.

Rahul, who is joining the Indian cricket team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next month, will head for training within days of the wedding. Given his chock-a-block schedule, the newly-weds will host an elaborate reception in Mumbai only after the 2023 Indian Premier League is wrapped up.

The invites have been sent, the decor is set, and the date has been sealed — we are less than 10 days from actor Athiya Shetty and cricketer K L Rahul’s wedding, which will take place on January 23. Athiya’s father, actor Suniel Shetty, will host the three-day affair at his farmhouse in Khandala, near Mumbai.

Our sources tell us that a ladies’ night is slotted for January 21. “Athiya’s closest female friends, including actor Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, will be a part of this,” says a source.

Other guests will join the following day, when a sangeet ceremony will take place. One can expect Athiya’s brother, actor Ahan Shetty, their parents Suniel and Mana Shetty, and friends to perform. “It is an extremely close-knit affair. Only friends and family members will be a part of the wedding. It’s most likely that you may not see many industry peeps,” adds the insider.

One may wonder how all the guests will be accommodated at Suniel’s almost two-decade-old Khandala house, Jahaan. We have learnt that the guests will stay at a five-star property near the venue and not at Jahaan.

Our source adds that stylist Ami Patel will style the to-be bride, and stylist Rahul Vijay will style the to-be groom. The wedding will feature traditional Mangalorean cuisine as one of the highlights.

Even as the buzz around KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty’s upcoming wedding gathers momentum, her father Suniel Shetty denies the reports. When we reached out to papa Shetty, he casually responded, “Let me know when you get the confirmed dates so I can attend (the wedding).”

Stories about the couple’s wedding have been doing the rounds for a while now, and according to insiders, there’s a big fat south Indian wedding planned. The celebrations, which will include haldi, mehendi and sangeet ceremonies, are likely to take place from January 21 to 23 at the Shetty residence in Khandala. 

Sources say that prep for the wedding is underway and there’s much excitement in both households as the families gear up for the celebrations. Reportedly, the cricketer has taken personal leave in January 2023, and his application for the same was approved by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

If reports are to be believed, wedding bells might ring for actor Athiya Shetty and cricketer K L Rahul in January next year. And Athiya’s father, actor Suniel Shetty is in no mood to confirm, and asserts that the family is trying hard to figure out a date.

As per a report by Pinkvilla, preps are going on in full swing at Suniel’s Khandala bungalow for his daughter’s wedding. It has been a few days since Rahul returned to Mumbai after playing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the pace of things seems to have sped up on this front.

“Rahul and Athiya will tie the knot in January. They visited the Khandala house recently. While the exact dates are under the wraps, the couple will have a traditional wedding,” a source said, adding, “The soon-to-be bride and groom have finalised their outfits for the big day.”

When we spoke to Suniel last week about the wedding, before this report came in, he told us, “I am looking at the possible dates. With both their schedules, we are figuring out things. Hopefully soon, we will know when and where will it (wedding) happen.”

The 61-year-old adds that they are a close-knit family and do not have long conversations. But he assured us, “I guess at the right time, everyone will know [details about the wedding].”

Opening up about Athiya’s and his son actor Ahan Shetty’s relationships, Suniel said, “My kids’ respective partners are very simple and humble kids. I always tell my wife that we are blessed to have them in our lives.”

Athiya and Rahul have been dating for quite some time now, and while the duo has never discussed their love life in public, they have made their relationship official on social media platforms on several occasions by dropping pictures together.