Chandni and Jatin, The Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai, Thailand
The duo’s monsoon wedding in Thailand was a celebration of their long-standing relationship.
With a romance that unfolded over a decade – Chandni and Jatin were meant to be. Their wedding, set against a backdrop of dramatic skies and luxurious nature, was part ceremony, part celebration and won the hearts of their guests.
Bride Chandni tells us all about the wedding.
How We Met
Jatin and I met in 2008 when I moved to the US to study. We were introduced by mutual friends and hung out often at college events and get-togethers. Even after Jatin graduated, we stayed in touch because we really enjoyed each other’s company.
We’d make a lot of effort to meet and soon we realized that this wasn’t just ‘like’. We decided to take the friendship a step further. When we figured out we were ready to get married, we spoke to our families and here we are, at the beginning of our forever.
Wedding Venue
To start with, we had to finalize the country we wanted to get married in. Jatin is from New Delhi, I’m from Bangkok and we live in San Francisco with close friends and families in all three countries!
Our initial plan was to get married in Udaipur because a destination wedding was definitely one of my dreams. But after doing some research we found it was just easiest to manage a wedding in Thailand which anyway is a popular wedding destination in itself.
I wanted to pick a hotel that would showcase the true heritage and culture of the country. It was quite important to me and we chose The Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai. Not only is it one of the most stunning hotels in Thailand, but it’s also a convenient distance from Bangkok which made it the perfect location for our wedding.
The property’s heritage architecture and seamless blending of modern and rustic styles had my heart as soon as I saw the venue for the first time. Though the wedding was in June, Thailand’s monsoon season, we would not have done justice to the site if we had the wedding indoors. So I decided, rain or shine, we would go ahead with an outdoor wedding and thankfully, Jatin, too, backed me up on this.
Pre-Wedding Photoshoot
Jatin and I were looking for the perfect wedding photographer for months when we came across Hitched and Clicked. We were already in touch with several teams across India, Thailand, and Malaysia but when we met Aastha and her team they just won our confidence. We loved their work and were sure that their skill would do complete justice to our special moments.
We did a pre-wedding shoot at the Royal Park Rajapruek, a place highly recommended by the locals at Chiang Mai. Once the Hitched and Clicked crew checked out the location and gave it their seal of approval, we picked outfits that would work well with the backdrop. For the first look, I wore a red gown with a beautiful ombre skirt and a bodice embroidered in gold. Jatin went with a navy suit that complemented my getup.
The second look was an ode to our country of origin. I wore a light blue and pink floral lehenga by Sequins & Pearls, Kolkata and Jatin wore a navy blue kurta and light blue jacket, which perfectly matched my outfit. The locations were spectacular and the photos stunning!
Wedding
We had the wedding at the amphitheater at Dhara Dhevi. The mandap stood in the center dressed in pastel drapes and flowers while the rest of the area was pretty with floral arrangements. C3 events team did an amazing job at transforming my vision into reality.
Jatin wore a white and gold sherwani by Shobhit & Amit and I chose a pastel pink and golden lehenga by Vastra Boutique. Sejal from Makeovers by Sejal worked her charm and made me look like the most beautiful bride that day.
Reception
An easy and relaxed reception was our closing event. We wanted to have an easy vibe so that everyone could relax and catch up with everyone else. We had dinner, just chilled and hung out with our friends and family.
Wedding Makers
Wedding Venue: The Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai
Wedding Planners: C3 Events, Thailand
Bride’s Outfit: Sequins & Pearl, Kolkata (Pre-Wedding Photoshoot), Vastra Boutique (Wedding)
Makeup Artist: Makeovers by Sejal
Groom’s Outfit: Shobhit & Amit
Photography: Hitched and Clicked
