Bhavika and Anil, Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

A dream proposal later, Bhavika and Anil got actively engrossed in planning their wedding. They made a grand entrance through a LED split screen on their sangeet and drove to their sundowner bash in a vintage Jaguar. Here, bride Bhavika shares how they pulled out all the stops when it came to the wedding celebrations.

How We Met
“Anil and I have known each other for years, but we only got a chance to speak to each other at a mutual friend’s wedding. We immediately knew that there was something special between us. We’ve been inseparable since then, and over time it became clearer that we had found our soulmates in each other.”

The Proposal
“After four years of enjoying a happy courtship, all we wanted was to get married! Last year, in June, we both went to the newly opened St. Regis Dubai. After having a quick coffee, we went for a stroll in the hotel’s lawns, where I noticed flower petals and candles that led to a cute little fountain. The set up made me feel like I was in a fairytale! He sat me down on a bench near the fountain and handed me a rose and something that looked like a scrapbook. He had made a scrapbook that contained pictures of our memories from the beginning of our relationship. As I got closer to the end of the scrapbook, he went down on one knee and asked, ‘Will you marry me?’ I get butterflies thinking about that moment till today, and I was lucky enough to have my best friend and her husband capture the proposal secretly from behind the bushes!”

Wedding Venue
“After the proposal, everything kicked off with a bang! We got together with our families to decide where, when and how we would like to host our dream destination wedding. This is the part where we wanted to consider everyone’s opinions and ideas before finalizing anything. We traveled around the world to find the perfect location. Out of all the venues we visited, Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa in Thailand completely stole our hearts! The property had exactly what we were looking for – beautiful venues, enough rooms, and delicious food!”

Wedding Planning
“Anil and I wanted to plan the wedding in a way where our guests would not get tired of functions, and would have a good time partying and relaxing. We were involved in everything possible because we wanted each element to be special and were extremely particular with the design, decor, food, and entertainment of the wedding festivities.”

Wedding Functions

Welcome Lunch & Mehndi
“This function was a casual lunch / mehndi on the first day which took place after Anil’s thread ceremony. The decor was based on a refreshing coral color scheme and comprised loads of florals. We had a beautiful floral swing for our seating, which was definitely the highlight of the function. The guests had the chance to unwind with some massages, apply mehndi, dance to Sindhi ‘laddas’ (wedding songs), and enjoy fresh coconut water. I created my outfit for this event from scratch! I knew exactly what I wanted and it resulted in a hand-embroidered blouse and wrap around mustard lehenga which was paired with antique gold dhoti pants and finished with intricate pearl details. My jewellery was custom made by JewelBerries. The aqua blue and maroon details were added to give the pieces a pop of color. Anil wore a sky blue sherwani and cream dhoti pants which were designed in his family boutique at The Rack by Kachins.”

Sangeet
“The decor theme for this function was ‘Shimmer & Shine’. The decor included hanging crystals, intricate mirror cut-outs, and a massive LED dance floor. We made our grand entry to the song ‘Feel So Close’ by Calvin Harris by walking through a LED split screen. I wore a shimmery pale pink Dolly J saree gown with a diamond and ruby stone statement set by Lista Jewels. Anil was in a draped monochromatic toned outfit that complemented the detailed pocket broach by Shantanu & Nikhil.”

Wedding
“I have always wanted a traditional wedding and therefore, worked closely with Anil and our planners to make our dream wedding come true. Our mandap was completely decked in gold and white with the ocean as our backdrop. A beautiful pond that was created in front of the mandap, and the décor included massive gold elephants, cute venue signs and flower petal cones hanging on the back of chairs. Anil made his entry with his baraat who were welcomed with pearl garlands and traditional sweets. I made my way to the mandap under an intricate floral ‘chaadar’ (canopy) that was carried by my four brothers while ‘Latika’s Song’ by A.R. Rahman played in the background. Our ceremony was conducted by an Arya Samaj group who were flown in from Mumbai. Since I wanted a traditional wedding, I wanted to be in a classic red lehenga, and I knew I would find the perfect piece in the Sabyasachi store. I wore a velvet maroon lehenga with elaborate gold embroidery and dual dupattas. I paired this ensemble with polki jewellery. Anil’s outfit comprised a flared off-white sherwani with pastel hand-embroidered motifs.”

Sufiyana Night
“Since this was a Sufi themed night, we used floating chandeliers and fresh flowers along with beautiful fabric drapes in warm colors. Legend Adil Hussaini entertained our guests, and our entry that night for the first time as a newly-wed couple was to the song ‘Soch Na Sake’ by Tulsi Kumar while we were showered with rose petals on stage. It was magical! Anil and I stayed in the same outfits for the ‘Sufiyana Night’, which was followed by our wedding. I simply changed the drape of my pale pink dupatta, altered some of the jewellery and re-touched my hair and makeup.”

Sundowner
“The sundowner was something that Anil and I wanted to host ever since we started planning the wedding. The theme for the evening was all white with a rustic charm. The tables were decorated with unique centerpieces and the dance floor was placed in the middle of it all. The main stage was created on top of the pool where we had our hanging cake, and also where the talented Jasleen Royal performed. One of the highlights of this function was the bar setup which was raised and faced the beach for a nice view while guests were waiting for their drinks. We drove on to the lawn in a vintage Jaguar to the song ‘Young & Beautiful’ by Lana Del Ray. I chose an apple green Gaurav Gupta mermaid gown paired with a special diamond set created by Varuna D Jani that sat perfectly well with the neckline of my gown. Anil was in a bespoke black tuxedo that had a pale gold lining giving it some edginess. This unique piece was tailor-made at Kachins Dubai.”

‘Pakeeza Night’ & ‘Mad Hatters Party’
“On the last night, we decided to have split after parties. The ‘Pakeeza Night’ was held for guests who loved old Bollywood numbers. We had singers and dancers flown in from New Delhi, and hues of green and gold, Bollywood movie posters and cushions, made the decor look quite exquisite. ‘The Mad Hatter’s Party’ was held at the resort’s nightclub for guests to jive to the DJ’s tunes. The entire venue was transformed into a magical forest with details from Alice in Wonderland. We had floating hats, frames, clocks and hostesses & bartenders that were dressed up as the characters from Alice in Wonderland. We even had a massive birdcage, and a smoky floor that was added to complete the ambience of the theme. To top it off, we had CO2 guns for Anil and I to use throughout out night which was super cool and not to mention, extremely fun to use!”

Makeup & Hair
“Bianca Louzado made me look incredible on all my wedding functions. I chose to go with Bianca after seeing her work on my best friend and I knew right away that I could trust her without any hesitation. She answered all my silly questions before the wedding and was always available to have a quick chat. I had a couple of ideas in my mind and when I expressed them to her, she understood them well. Her work is flawless. I would highly recommend her to all brides. She made me feel like a princess on the most important day of my life.”

Photographer
“DotDusk is the most down-to-earth and professional team we have worked with. It was the best decision Anil and I made for the wedding. They made us feel very comfortable during all the shoots. I would recommend them to anyone looking for natural, beautiful and candid pictures that will stay on as beautiful memories forever.”

Tips for to-be-wed couples
“A lot of people advised us to stay out of the planning bit to avoid stress but we could not help it. We wanted to be a part of everything down to the tiniest of details. Focus on yourself and your guests who have come to celebrate with you. Enjoy every bit of your wedding celebrations, and live those days to the fullest and most importantly, don’t forget to share some love with your partner throughout the celebrations!”

The Wedding Makers
Location: Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Thailand
Wedding Planner: Serrao Francis (CrossCraft)
Hospitality Team: I Do Etc.
Bridal Trousseau: Dolly J (Sangeet), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding & Sufiyana Night), Gaurav Gupta (Sundowner Party)
Jewellery: JewelBerries, Lista Jewels, Satyani Fine Jewels, Varuna D Jani
Groom’s Outfit: Shantanu & Nikhil (Sangeet), The Rack by Kachins (Sufiyana Night and Wedding), Kachins Dubai (Sundowner)
Makeup: Bianca Louzado Creative Make-up & Hair Design
Entertainment: Apoorv Singh & Sandeep Thakur (Sangeet), Jasleen Royal (Sundowner), Adil Hussain (Sufiyana Night), Chaudhary Paanwala
Production: PeeraPach

Photography: Dotdusk Studios

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