Akanksha and Nikunj – Sheraton Hua Hin, Thailand

About us
“We both had a typical arranged marriage meeting as our parents are very good friends. After chatting formally for 20 minutes at a restaurant when we met, Nikunj suddenly asked me ‘ Why are you so tense? Why don’t we talk as friends and leave the world aside?’ After that, we chatted animatedly for a long time, and the waiter had to come and tell us to keep our voices low as other guests were getting disturbed. There was no formal marriage proposal as such. We started meeting each other more often, and then our parents fixed everything without our formal consent because they could see how happy we were with each other.”

Wedding Venue and Planning
“We got married at the Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa. We both always wanted a destination wedding and this resort was the perfect place as it could accommodate all our guests. Plus, the hotel was laid out so well that all the guests could connect with each other effortlessly and also navigate the property easily.”

“We started planning the wedding four months in advance and assumed it was too early, but time flew! We had changed two wedding planners and had to visit the resort three-four times for food tastings, decorations, sound and music tryouts and other minute things. Around 350 guests flew in for the wedding and we got digital pre-invites created for every function which mentioned specific dress codes.”

Wedding Functions

“Our three-day wedding seemed like a carnival – and I have to share that Nikunj was more particular about his outfits for various functions than me!”

Mehndi, Welcome Dinner and Bachelor’s Bash
“The first function was a welcome lunch with mehndi function. The decor colours we chose for this event was orange and pink with mehndi motifs such as paisley. I wore a bright yellow lehenga with gold accents by Peppermint Diva, while Nikunj wore a light brown kurta-pyjama set by Sabyasachi. We had a photobooth at every function with our hashtag #nikanksha. At night, we hosted a welcome dinner with a Cirque du Soleil theme. Guys had to wear tuxedos and women had to don gowns. All guests followed the dress code perfectly, so hats off to them! For entertainment, we booked Alcazar and other shows.”

“A wedding is incomplete without a bachelor’s party so we planned a bachelor’s party at night with a PlayBoy theme at the hotel’s BLACK Club. There were pole dancers and other fun games to pump up everyone’s mood.”

Pool Party
“The next day we had pool party with a nautical theme where there were percussionists, models dressed up like sailors, a rain dance setup, dance units and even foot masseurs on the beach to pep up and pamper our loved ones.”

Akanksha wore a long multi-coloured skirt with a bright yellow top by Urvashi Joneja – Label, while Nikunj looked cool in white trousers, pink shirt and blue jacket by NINE studio.

Sangeet
“Our sangeet was like a Bollywood celebrity night. The theme was Alice in Wonderland, and the MEET Brothers rocked the evening with their tracks. Our families performed choreographed dances, and every one partied non-stop till 4 am in the morning. It was truly a memorable night!” Akanksha wore a beautiful peach and gold Anita Dongre ensemble, and Nikunj donned an outfit by Shantanu and Nikhil.

Wedding
“The D-day arrived with the small ‘tel-bhan’ ceremony in the morning, and this took place on the deck with folk music and dances. During dusk, the lights brightened the venue. Nikunj arrived in a vintage car, and I made a grand entry in a chariot. Everything went according to plan, and both of us wore Sabyasachi ensembles. I wore a deep maroon lehenga with golden embroidery for the all-important ‘pheras’ that took place on the stage built over the hotel’s pool. After the ‘pheras’, we welcomed everyone to a grand dinner at the hotel’s Chandelier Ballroom which had a ‘Winter Wonderland’ theme.”

“The ballroom was decorated like a winter wonderland beautifully… everything was done up in white and for a while it seemed we had escaped the tropical heat and landed in Iceland. The wedding festivities ended with a ‘mujra’ night and this was only for all our uncles and aunties who could not attend the bachelor’s party. The talented ‘mujra’ dancer was flown in from Lucknow an the comfortable seating and arrangements ensured everyone had a grand time.”

“Our reception in Agra was a grand affair and the decor was inspired by London, specifically the Buckingham Palace. The floral decor was done by Ferns and Petals.”

Wedding Shopping
Bridal Trousseau: Peppermint Diva (Mehndi), Gauri and Nainika (Welcome Night), Urvashi Joneja-Label (Pool Party), Anita Dongre (Sangeet), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding), Anamika Khanna (Reception)

Grooms’ Trousseau: Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Mehndi and Wedding), Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna (Welcome Night), NINE Studio (Pool Party), Shantanu & Nikhil (Sangeet), Emporio Armani (Reception)

Wedding Makers
Venue: Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Thailand
Jewellery: Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas (Jaipur) and Abhushan jewellers (Agra)
Make-up: Simran Takkar, Thailand

Photos: CoolBluez Photography

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