Chittar Hill · Jodhpur
Bridal makeup at Umaid Bhawan Palace
Part royal home, part museum, part Taj hotel: Umaid Bhawan is one of the last great palaces built in India, finished in 1943 in golden sandstone and Art Deco. A wedding here is photographed against domes, colonnades and the Mehrangarh skyline.
Travel and costs
From Pune to Jodhpur for your palace wedding.
Tejaswini lives in Pune and flies into Jodhpur before your first function. She styles the bride herself and adds artists only for the family. You cover the travel and the room; neither is folded into the bridal price.
- TravelAt cost
- Based inPune
- Hair & drapeIncluded
- ConsultationPune or video call
The palace
A royal residence that also hosts weddings.
Taj and trade figures. The royal family still lives in one wing, so some spaces are not open to events.
- Built
- 1929–1943, for Maharaja Umaid Singh
- Style
- Art Deco in golden Chittar sandstone
- Hotel rooms and suites
- About 64
- Baradari Lawn
- About 1,858 sq m, the main wedding lawn
- Marwar Hall
- 298 sq m; around 150 for a reception
- Also on site
- Royal residence and a palace museum
History
The last of the great palaces.
Maharaja Umaid Singh began the palace in 1929, partly to provide work during a long drought in Marwar, and it took around fifteen years to finish. It was designed in an Art Deco style unusual for Rajasthan and built from the golden sandstone of Chittar Hill, on which it stands.
Today it is divided three ways: a wing where the royal family lives, a museum open to visitors, and a hotel run by Taj. The hotel side includes the Baradari Lawns, where most large functions take place, with views across the city to Mehrangarh Fort.
For a bride, the palace is about golden stone and very large spaces. Stone throws warm light back onto the face, and the scale of the rooms means photographers often shoot wide, so the look needs to hold its shape from a distance.
Function by function
Four looks for a Jodhpur palace.
Mehendi in a courtyard
Golden stone and afternoon sun. A light, fresh face and a braided hairstyle.
Sangeet in the Marwar Hall
Pillars and a large chandelier. Sculpted eyes and a set base.
Pheras on the Baradari Lawn
Mehrangarh on the horizon. Traditional Rajputi styling with the drape planned around the jewellery.
Reception in the palace
Art Deco interiors. A sleek, modern finish.
Wedding day
An Umaid Bhawan wedding day.
- 09:00
Set-up
Getting ready in a palace room with tall windows.
- 11:00
Bride begins
About three hours including poshak or lehenga drape.
- 14:30
Portraits in the colonnades
Shade from the arches, light from the courtyards.
- 16:30
Baraat
Final checks before the procession.
- 17:30
Pheras on the Baradari Lawn
Timed for sunset over the city.
- 20:30
Dinner
Refresh for night photographs.
At Umaid Bhawan
Umaid Bhawan planning notes.
Worth doing
- Time the pheras for sunset over Mehrangarh
- Use the colonnades for midday portraits
- Plan a Rajputi poshak look if the family wears one; it changes the drape and jewellery
- Book family artists early for large guest lists
Worth avoiding
- Overly warm bases against golden sandstone
- Long walks between functions in heavy outfits without breaks
- Glossy finishes under direct sun on the lawn
- Assuming every palace room can be used; part is a private residence
Watch
Four looks, one wedding.
Classic bridal red
Tejaswini
Your artist at Umaid Bhawan
Tejaswini has styled more than a thousand brides since 2012, including Marwari and Rajasthani brides with traditional jewellery. At Umaid Bhawan she balances warm stone, wide photographs and heavy pieces, and agrees each look with you before she travels.
Her work
Brides styled by Tejaswini.
Portfolio photographs of Tejaswini’s own brides. None were taken at Umaid Bhawan Palace.
Umaid Bhawan Palace questions
Umaid Bhawan makeup questions.
Does Tejaswini travel to Umaid Bhawan Palace?
Yes. Tejaswini comes from Pune for booked dates at Umaid Bhawan Palace; her travel and room are added at cost.
Where are weddings held at Umaid Bhawan?
Most large functions use the Baradari Lawns; the Marwar Hall suits smaller dinners.
Can you style a Rajputi poshak?
Yes. The drape, the borla or rakhdi and the hair are planned together.
What does it cost?
A full bridal look, face, hair and drape, starts at Rs 50,000.
How far is the palace from the airport?
It is close, around twenty minutes by road.
Umaid Bhawan Palace bookings
Planning an Umaid Bhawan wedding?
Share the dates, functions and the number of people who need makeup, and you will receive an itemised quote.
