When it came time to create her dream wedding dress, Priyanka Chopra turned to a designer who was there for the beginning of her love story with Nick Jonas: industry icon Ralph Lauren.
The legendary fashion powerhouse worked closely with Chopra, 36, to design the gown she wore to marry Jonas, 26, during the couple’s Western Ceremony on Saturday in Jodhpur, India. And for the bride, working with the team at Ralph Lauren was very sentimental.
“They’re so much a part of our love story for obvious reasons,” Chopra tells PEOPLE in the latest cover story, referencing the early days of the couple’s relationship when they attended the 2017 Met Gala together as guests of the designer.
“For the Western wedding, we had been talking to a bunch of incredible designers, but ultimately when Ralph Lauren approached us, I learned that Ralph has only designed three wedding dresses in 50 years — one for his daughter, his daughter in law, and his niece,” Chopra explains, adding, “I was blown away.”
RELATED: Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Relationship Timeline
Lauren met with Chopra to hand-deliver the sketch for the dress, and it was love at first sight.
“When we went in for the sketch presentation, they created exactly what I envisioned for myself on my wedding day… and I said, ‘Yes’ to the dress,” she tells PEOPLE.
Chopra wore a hand-beaded and hand-embroidered dress featuring floral and scroll motifs, lace-effect tulle appliqués, scalloped sleeves and a high-neck collar. The embroidery took a total of 1,826 hours to complete, according to the brand.
And the intricate details didn’t stop there. Underneath the long-sleeve gown was a strapless column dress made up of 2,380,000 mother of pearl sequins. Chopra completed her look with long tulle veil that reached 75 feet and custom Jimmy Choo shoes.
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The bride also wanted to honor the people, morals and moments that are closest to her so the team at Ralph Lauren hand-stitched eight words and phrases on to the gown including Jonas’ full name (Nicholas Jerry Jonas), the couple’s wedding date and the names of her parents (Madhu & Ashok). To add to the familial sentiment behind her design, Chopra had a piece of her mother-in-law’s lace wedding dress sewn into her dress.
For more exclusive details and photos from Jonas and Chopra’s epic wedding weekend, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.
Chopra’s stylist and friend Mimi Cuttrell worked closely with the team at Ralph Lauren to bring Chopra’s vision to life.
“I would not have changed a thing about this dress,” Cuttrell tells PEOPLE exclusively. “The Ralph Lauren team was an incredible team to work with. It was such a fun collaborative process between Priyanka, Ralph Lauren, and myself. Seeing this dress come to life and walk down the aisle… it still gives me chills! Priyanka was fully the inspiration behind this dress. Everything about it is true to who she is — a classic, elegant, beautiful, sophisticated woman.
For his part, the groom wore a custom Ralph Lauren Purple Label double-breasted black tuxedo and custom patent lace-up dress shoes. He also included a nod to his bride: Inside of the lapel of the tuxedo, Jonas added a small piece of lace from Chopra’s dress embroidered with the Urdu words “My Jaan” which translates to “My Life.”
Watch the full episode of People Weddings: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas streaming now on PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite device.
Ralph Lauren also outfitted the entire wedding party — 12 bridesmaids, 12 groomsmen, four flower girls and one ring bearer — as well as the bride and groom’s parents.
The celebrity couple — who got engaged in July — wed at the Umaid Bhawan Palace, a Taj hotel in Jodhpur, the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
And it’s just one of two ceremonies they had during their epic wedding weekend.
To celebrate both of their cultures, couple also had a Hindu wedding. “It is super important to Priyanka to have an Indian ceremony that honors her heritage and culture, just as it’s important to also have a Western ceremony that honors Nick’s Christian upbringing,” a source told PEOPLE. “They are doing both.”
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The couple also followed custom Indian traditions leading up to their weddings as well. On Friday, the couple held a colorful, coed Mehendi ceremony at the Umaid Bhawan Palace. They had elaborate henna designs applied to their hands, and celebrated with a Sangeet, an over-the-top party with performances in honor of their nuptials.
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