Namrta and Rohan – Rayong, Thailand
Namrta from New Zealand and Rohan from Mumbai celebrated their love and union at the Marriott Rayong Resort & Spa, Thailand
We met through common friends in Mumbai in early 2014. We were running our e-commerce businesses but across hemispheres – Auckland, New Zealand and Mumbai, India. Rohan runs Indian Reverie, a home décor store. I own an online clothing store, Chiffon Boutique. Even though we were super busy we bested a time-difference of 7 hours and made it a point to stay in touch everyday through Viber, Skype and Whatsapp. Time and distance actually made us grow fonder of one another and we fell deeply in love. Rohan proposed to me in Queenstown, NZ, one year into knowing each other.
Wedding Venue
We wanted a beach wedding somewhere between India and New Zealand to make it convenient for families and friends from both sides to attend. We also planned it around the long Easter weekend. We were initially trying to decide between Bali and Thailand but eventually, the final shortlist of wedding venues included the Sheraton, Dusit Thani in Hua Hin and a couple of other hotels in Krabi. We finally chose the Marriott, Rayong after hearing great reviews, particularly the hotel food. One visit was all it took to reassure us we’d made the right selection.
Wedding Functions and Themes
We had a modern Punjabi wedding with about 150 guests. The festivities started with a Mehndi Pool Party by the Fish Bar on the waterfront – a spectacular venue. It was decorated with white tents, a gorgeous bridal seat and teepees for massages. The guests enjoyed a wide range of fruit cocktails, mojitos and margaritas and blew off steam by jumping in the pool. There was a Bride’s vs Groom’s side Tug-Of-War organized. It was a close one but the Girl’s side won 2:1!
The Bride’s vs Groom’s side Tug-Of-War by the poolside.
Namrta kept her mehndi look casual and quirky with a pink lehenga by designer Rajdeep Ranavath teamed with an off-shoulder blouse. Rohan sported an indo-western look with a bandhgala by Simone Khambatta teamed with chinos and loafers.
The next event was the Sangeet for which we had a Birdcage theme. It set the stage for great performances by friends and family and was topped off by a night full of dancing into the wee hours of the morning! We knew our guests would be hungover so we had the Haldi and Chooda ceremony with only very close family in attendance. The rest of our guests were allowed to recover from the madness!
For the sangeet Namrta wore a blue raw silk lehenga by Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Rohan complimented her with a maroon Manish Malhotra knee length jacket.
The Wedding was at sunset, on the beach, with a walkway over the pool to the mandap – it looked like something out of a fairytale. After the ceremony, we hosted an elegant Reception with a Vintage Theme. We’d hired an excellent saxophonist to perform. There were some emotional speeches by close friends and family, a first dance, cake cutting and a cute little champagne shower. Rohan also had the pleasure of his friend and favourite international DJ and producer, Jeremy Olander perform for the after-party. We closed the celebrations with one heck of a dance party!
The peach mandap set-up over the pool overlooking the sea.
For the pheras Namrta wore a pastel green and blue ensemble with gota patti work by Anita Dongre. Rohan wore an ivory sherwani by Shantanu & Nikhil.
Namrta’s phera look was complete with a stunning emerald and diamond set by Dhanraj Diamonds.
For the vintage themed reception party, Namrta danced away in a chic gown by Falguni & Shane Peacock whilst Rohan looked dapper in an SS HOMME suit.
The Wedding Invitations designed by Kahani Designworks (Mumbai)
Trousseau
We did all our shopping at well-established stores and the top designers in Mumbai, India.
Namrta’s Outfits:
Mehndi: Rajdeep Ranavath
Sangeet: Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Wedding: Anita Dongre
Reception: Falguni & Shane Peacock
Jewellery: Jet Gems and Dhanraj Diamonds, Mumbai
Rohan’s Outfits:
Mehndi: Simone Khambatta
Sangeet: Manish Malhotra
Wedding: Shantanu & Nikhil
Reception: SS Homme
Wedding Makers
Location and Food: Marriott Resort and Spa, Rayong, Thailand
Hair and Make up: Paveena Rathour & team
Photographers and Videographers: The Lightsmiths (Vibhuti and Rahul)
Invitation Cards and Creatives – Kahani Designworks (Ruchita Madhok and Aditya Palsule)
Bartenders – Flaming Trio, Thailand
DJ – DJ Amul (Mumbai, India), Jeremy Olander (Sweden)
Photos Courtesy- THE LIGHTSMITHS
