Arpita and Hiral – Phuket, Thailand

Arpita and Hiral are based in London; she is a Dentist and Hiral is a businessman. Arpita and Hiral knew each other and dated for a long time and during their trip to Vienna, Hiral planned a surprise road trip to Prague and proposed to Arpita at the Kempinski gardens. Needless to say, she said ‘yes’! The duo tied the knot in Phuket, Thailand, and they share details on how they planned their wedding and their 3 day celebrations there.

Wedding Venue
Our first and only choice for our destination wedding was Thailand, because of it’s beautiful beaches, pristine weather, warm culture, and proximity to India as we had a lot of guests coming from there. We had initially chosen a different hotel, but due to various reasons, we had to have a last minute change of venue. The service, and ‘can do’ attitude of the JW Marriott Wedding/Events team from the word go was gratifying‚ they were on a mission to make our wedding happen, and on a fairly last-minute schedule. To add to this, the quality that is synonymous with the JW Marriott brand made the decision easy. Also thanks to our amazing wedding planners (Marry Me Weddings), we were able to resolve this with relative ease.

Wedding Planning
We felt the services of a planner would be very helpful as Arpita was working in London, I was travelling frequently, and the wedding was in Thailand. So we hired Marry Me Weddings to manage all the preparations, who were a great help to us. Candice and Jarrett, the founders were hands-on the entire way. If the journey is more important than the destination, we are so pleased to have walked it with Marry Me Weddings. Also an honorable mention to our siblings for working with the planners every step of the way.

Wedding Functions
Meet n’ Greet / Welcome dinner

Our festivities kicked off with a Welcome Dinner at the beachfront, post sunset. The area was done up with minimal white decor and tiki torches. A group of local Thai dancers put up a unique performance while our guests enjoyed the tropical cocktails and barbecue food. Post that we had instrumental and lounge music playing in the background as everyone mingled and got to know each other.

Mehndi Mela
The next afternoon, we organized a mela themed Mehndi by the Xana Bar and Pool, where guests played a host of games like charades, antakshari, volleyball, etc. We had vibrant and colorful decor and a variety of food stalls that offered coconut water, fresh fruits, mini burgers, Thai dishes and more. Unfortunately, the event had to be moved indoors due to rain.

Evening soiree
Later in the evening, we organized a jazz night with formal black tie as the dress code, and it was held at the hotel’s Xana Lawn and Deck. The event showcased a beautiful fire show, followed by the DJ playing some of the latest tunes until wee hours of the night.

Wedding Ceremony
Our wedding ceremony took place the following evening, with the mandap setup on the Lotus Pond to provide a breathtaking view of the sunset. While our ceremony took place, we had a veena player performing live.

 

Reception
Post our ‘I do’s’, we hosted a Reception dinner as the grand finale of the festivities. The event commenced with cake cutting, followed by beautiful speeches from our family and friends, and ending with lots of music and dancing.

Recommendations/ advice for to-be weds
– We chose photographer Julian to photograph our wedding after looking at his portfolio. It showed his awesome ability to capture emotions, expressions and the life of a party.
– Makeup Artist Recinda Martis and her sister Ronella did Arpita’s makeup and hair, and we were thoroughly pleased with their work and professionalism.
– On a cautionary note, the families should look more closely into the Pandit they select for the ceremony. We took a gamble on a local one and it’s possibly our only regret. In hindsight, it would have been better to bring a known Pandit from India.
– Our biggest advice to future brides and grooms is to just be in the moment, because once you look back, you’ll realize the 3 most important days of your life just flew by! Don’t sweat the small stuff, enjoy the beautiful moments with your spouse and the interaction with all your guests who have travelled from far to be with you on your special day.

Wedding Details:
Wedding Planner- Marry Me Weddings
Bride’s outfits- Pankaj and Nidhi (Welcome Dinner) Anamika Khanna cape (Mehndi), Temperley London dress (Evening soiree), Anita Dongre (Wedding ceremony), Shyamal & Bhumika (Reception dinner)
Makeup Artist- Recinda Martis
Photography-Julian Abram Wainwright

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