Shaadi specialists savor street food@ Anantara, Bangkok

May 31, 2012 Destination Weddings, Wedding People & Planners

Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa, Bangkok is one of Bangkok’s most popular wedding venues, and many Indian families have been hosting their celebrations there- intimate ceremonies and big, elaborate weddings. Couples have exchanged vows on a covered bridge overlooking gardens in full bloom or shared their first dance against the majestic backdrop of the Chao Phraya River, and celebrated with family and friends aboard a sunset Manohra Cruise.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invited some of India’s leading Wedding Planners, Destination Wedding specialists and WeddingSutra.com to visit select resorts and hotels in Koh Samui, Bangkok and Hua Hin. On this occasion Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa, Bangkok hosted a special street food theme lunch. The guests from all over India- Delhi, Ludhiana, Chennai and Mumbai relished the delicacies from different places- Idlis & crisp masala dosa, Mumbai’s favorite snacks- fluffy dhoklas, tangy bhel puri & pani puri & spicy pav bhaji, North India’s all-popular chole bhathure, tikki and chicken tikka rolls.

The Pani puri and bhel puri couner

Aloo Tikkis with chole

Dhoklas

Dahi Balle and Pani puri

Pav bhaji

Claudia Pronk, General Manager of Anantara Riverside Resort & Spa with Runjuan Tongrut (Director- TAT) and Mayuree Luangpaiboonsri, Director of Sales

Wedding Planners and TAT officials with Team Anantara Riverside Resort & Spa

Anantara offers several attractive packages and customised plans for Indian Weddings. Click here to read more about Weddings at Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa

Tags: Anantara Bangkok, Street food, Theme, Weddings

Bollywood Kitsch- Sangeet theme for the Big Fat Wedding in Indore

Mar 27, 2012 Celebrity Wedding Pictures

The wedding of Ishipal and Harshvandhan Bhatia, both scions of leading Indore-based business families was a star-studded affair. The Sangeet was held at Jalsa, the sprawling banquet cum outdoor space in Indore, where the decor was created by DreamzKraft, the ace Mumbai-based wedding decor specialists. The highlight of the evening was the Bollywood kitsch decor, the performance by singing sensation Mika, and the presence of Bollywood stars like Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure, Boney Kapoor and Bhagyashree.

Says Anway Bhoite, the Creative Head of DreamzKraft : “The Bhatias got very excited when we suggested a Bollywood Kitsch theme, inspired by the Glitz and Glamour of Bollywood in the 80′s and 90′s. And they were thrilled with the way we executed the theme.” Adds Priti Sidhwani, the Director of DreamzKraft: “It was equally interesting to witness the guests experience the theme, as many of them enthusiastically observed the decor elements, at every corner all over the venue.”

Thematic tissue boxes for the cocktail tables

Old Ambassador car with yesteryear film posters

Bollywood Kitsch entrance

The Groom cycled the Bride in this tricycle

Thematic cushions for seating

Stage and special seating for the Couple

Tags: Bollywood Kitsch, Dreamzkraft, Indore, Jalsa, Priti Sidhwani, Theme, wedding

‘Army life taught me a lot about Event Management’

Feb 5, 2012 Wedding People & Planners

Her creative enthusiasm generates magical moments. Meet Bangkok-based Keeran Baweja of ‘Weddings by Keeran’ which offers the most exuberant theme and destination weddings. Keeran is famous for her meticulous planning, superb ability to work on a budget and strong managerial skills. The much sought-after Wedding Planner spoke to Jaspreet Soni

After completing my post-graduation in Botany from Miranda House, Delhi, I married an Army officer, so we lived in many places, and I got to participate in many competitions and organize creative events. The experiences strengthened my passion for creativity and over the years I developed an eye for detail, and learnt how to give shape to ideas. Later, my husband took premature retirement from the Army, and we moved to Bangkok where his family resides. And then on began my career as a Wedding Planner.

- Tell us about any one theme you have executed till date, which has been one of the most memorable experiences.
The one that was truly special is a Retro Bolly/ Holly theme we executed recently. It was the client’s idea, and though a tried and tested theme, we added new dimensions by opting for life size cutouts of famous 70’s movie icons like Gabbar Singh, Sholay Buddies, John Travolta, Wonder Woman, Basanti etc with their equally famous accessories, which were placed all around the venue. We also used sound bites from the same 70’s films, giveaways such as moustaches, funky 70’s sun-glasses, polka-dotted scarves further enhanced the effect. The success of the party was quite elating!

Another theme, I always look forward to executing is the Rajasthani theme. I am deeply enamored by the multi-colored hues, jewelry, dances and structures of Rajasthan.

- Besides decor, which other aspect of wedding management do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy anything which requires detailing and follow-ups. I don’t like leaving anything to chance—be it the transport, entertainment, menus or any other aspect of wedding planning.

- Where do you shop for wedding decor elements?
I live in Bangkok but I shop for weddings whenever I travel. In short, I walk, talk, eat, drink and sleep my work. It gets too much sometimes for people around me, so I need to take myself away from my passion when I’m with my family and friends!

- What advice would you like to share with WeddingSutra readers

• Detail, Detail and Detail, to make life easier
• Give a heading to each element and then subheadings so tracking and remembering becomes easier.
• If you’re hiring the services of a Wedding Planner, choose one who gives you good advice on where your (or your parents) hard earned money should be spent and what expenditure can be avoided
• Don’t stress the small stuff on your wedding day, make sure you don’t get irritated or annoyed by anyone’s action—be they a family member, friend, acquaintance or wedding service provider. Because what you’ll remember most, is how you felt on your very special day!

Weddings by Keeran in association with Precious Time. To get in touch with Keeran write to keeran@weddingsbykeeran.com

Tags: Army, Events, Keeran Baweja, Life, Retro Bolly, Thailand, Theme, Weddings

Junior NTR ties the Knot

May 9, 2011 Celebrity Wedding Pictures

Popular Telugu actor Junior NTR tied the knot with Lakshmi Pranathi at a grand ‘Gold and Purple’ theme wedding at Hitex, Hyderabad on 5th May. The elaborate sets were created by South’s award-winning Art Director Anand Sai, and the décor was done by Hyderabad’s most sought-after Wedding Planner Dinaz Noria.

Junior NTR is the son of N. Harikrishna, the eldest son of late NT Rama Rao, film thespian and the founder of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Pranathi’s father is a Hyderabad-based business magnate and her mother Narne Mallika, is TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s niece. Huge crowds of fans gathered outside Hitex, and the couple walked into the massive venue for the pre-wedding reception at 7.40 pm. Politicians of all hues, film and business personalities greeted the couple, post which the stage was reset for the traditional wedding ceremony that began after 1.00 am.

Pranathi wore traditional heavy silk sarees and gold jewellery for the wedding. For the reception, she chose a lime georgette saree with a pink border and white work teamed with heavy diamond jewellery. Junior NTR wore a white sherwani.

Tags: Anand Sai, Dinaz Noria, Gold and Purple, Hitext, Hyderabad, Junior NTR, Lakshmi Pranathi, Narne Mallika, Pictures, Theme, wedding, Wedding Photographs

Lara’s Surprise Hen Party in Dubai

Jan 19, 2011 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for, Celebrity Wedding Pictures

If Lara Dutta was thinking her hen party will be a close and private affair with friends, she was in for a surprise! Her good friend and fashion retail CEO Raza Beig hosted a lavish hen party at his residence. The actress and 13 friends including one-time Bollywood designer Xerxes Bhatena, ex-model Marianne De Souza and nutrition and fitness expert Dianne Pandey were flown down and put up at the Madinat Jumeirah resort. The bash was at hosted at Raza’s villa at The Palms overlooking the Atlantis and was attended by Dubai’s socialites and fashion fraternity.

The theme was white and red, right down to the red velvet cushions with ‘Lara’ written on them. While everyone wore white, Lara stood out as the bride-to-be in a chic salmon-pink Herve Leger bandage dress.

Photos Courtesy: Mid-Day

Tags: Dianne Pandey, Dubai, Hen party, Herve Leger, Lara Dutta, Madinat Jumeirah resort, Marianne De Souza, Raza Beig, Theme, Xerxes Bhatena

Oswal’s host Big Fat Sangeet in Ludhiana

Nov 18, 2010 Celebrity Wedding Pictures

Ludhiana and Delhi, the city of the big wedding spenders are talking about the Big Fat Sangeets, where unimaginable amounts have been spent. Industrialist Kamal Oswal’s daughter’s sangeet was held at a farmhouse in Ludhiana on 13th November. Neha Oswal weds Anant Nahata in Delhi on November 29th, and for the first function in Ludhiana, the family hired Mumbai-based design boutique house Studio Neelabh to design and execute a “wow” theme. Aditi and Neelabh, the husband-wife duo who run Studio Neelabh designed a Venetian concept— with huge replicas of Venetian architectures and elements of Venice. The 250 feet long stage was twice the size of the stage of a world-class event and Neelabh and his team of over 500 persons, worked on the design and sets for over two months. Malaika Arora Khan performed at the sangeet, and Delhi-based Kitchen Art took care of all the culinary arrangements. Now if the Sangeet was so grand we wonder how much grander the wedding will be.

Photographs courtesy:www.badalraja.com

Tags: Anant Nahata, Badal Raja Jain, Daughter, Kamal Oswal, Kitchen Art, Ludhiana, Malaika Arora Khan, Neha Oswal, Oswal, Sangeet, Studio Neelabh, Theme, Venetian, Venice, wedding