Saif and Kareena Married, Finally!

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor got married on October 16, 2012, in a simple registered ceremony at Saif's Bandra residence, witnessed by three people: Kareena's parents Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and Saif's mother Sharmila Tagore. After five years of dating and endless media speculation, Bollywood's most-watched couple signed the papers in the afternoon and waved to the crowd as husband and wife.

How did the wedding happen?

The ceremony was a quiet affair, as Sharmila Tagore had promised when she confirmed the date weeks earlier: "Yes, that's the date. Then a reception, too, but not a very big one." The marriage registrar came to Saif's home, and the papers were signed in the afternoon. According to PTI, the registrar confirmed three witnesses: Randhir Kapoor, Babita, and Sharmila Tagore.

One charming detail from the day's reporting: Saif, the Nawab of Pataudi, signed the marriage papers in his original name, Sajid Ali Khan. Kareena's elder sister Karisma was present at the celebrations but was not a witness; she joined Randhir on the balcony later to wave at fans and media.

What did the couple wear?

Kareena wore a mehndi-green salwar-kurta with a heavy embellished red dupatta, minimal jewelry, red bangles, and her hair left open. Saif kept it simple in a grey kurta with white pajamas. After signing, the newlyweds came out to the balcony to greet the waiting crowd.

What about the rumored nikaah and Christian wedding?

Pre-wedding reporting had floated all kinds of speculation: a nikaah at the Taj Mahal Palace, a Christian ceremony honoring Babita's faith, even a Pataudi Palace wedding. In the end, there was no nikaah and no church ceremony. The evening belonged to a private sangeet and reception at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, where the couple exchanged vows before family and a host of Bollywood guests. Manish Malhotra told the media the wedding "was not held as per any custom, it was a very private affair."

Why did it matter so much?

Saif, 42, and Kareena, 32, had been dodging the question since they started dating in 2007, and had starred together in films like Tashan, Kurbaan, and Agent Vinod. For the press, this was the biggest celebrity wedding story of the year; for the couple, the registered ceremony at home was a deliberate anti-climax after all the noise.

Kareena continued acting after marriage, as she had promised, and the couple went on to have two sons, Taimur and Jehangir.

FAQ

When did Saif and Kareena start dating? They began their relationship in 2007 and were together for five years before marrying.

Was there really no nikaah? Per eyewitness and industry reporting from the evening of the wedding, there was no nikaah. The religious-rite rumors never materialized; the evening was a sangeet and reception.

Did they have more ceremonies later? Reports at the time said a grand reception in Delhi would follow on October 18, 2012.

Did Saif really sign as "Sajid Ali Khan"? Yes. That is his birth name, and contemporaneous reporting noted he used it on the marriage application.

The takeaway

For all the frenzy, the actual wedding was almost startlingly ordinary: two people, three witnesses, a registrar, and a signature. Sometimes the grandest celebrity stories end with the simplest line of all: married at home, in the afternoon, in front of family.