Shivaangi and Danny, Phuket, Thailand
Busting traditions (and a few moves) this beach wedding had all things romance and revelry.
With the skills of WeddingSutra Favorite – Pink Palki‘s planning skills to rely on, Shivaangi and Danny’s wedding in The Land of Smiles – Thailand had all their guests beaming with utter delight. The team orchestrated a marvelous extravaganza with utmost precision and left the couple and their families impressed.
The bride tells us all about the nuptials and her experience of working with them.
How They Met
“I met Danny, a Dutch expat working as a CA with Deloitte on a five-year posting, in Hyderabad where we live. I run a PR and events company which does a lot of launches and openings of clubs, restaurants etc. Our events usually see many guests from the local expat community and at one of those, I met Danny through a friend. We started chatting and soon became close.”
Proposal
“Last summer, he was going back to visit his family in Amsterdam and he came over to ask my parents if he could take me along. We went on a road trip across Amsterdam, France, Spain, Portugal and a few more countries.
Wedding Venue
“We need the slightest hint of an excuse to head to the beach and when we got talking about the wedding, we realized we wanted to get married someplace by the water.
Thailand came to our minds immediately. Our wedding planners, Pink Palki recommended the Angsana Laguna Phuket for the wedding celebrations. When we, my father and Danny’s sister went to check it out, we were sold within minutes!”
Wedding Planning
“The Pink Palki team had managed my brother and cousin’s wedding so I knew them very well. We’d developed a great rapport and a shared understanding. I was very clear about décor concepts and gave them lots of reference pictures to illustrate what I was looking for. They were brilliant in the way they understood my vision and gave me the best from all the available options. They were so efficient and needed no follow-ups. With them on board, putting everything together became so much easier!”
Wedding Functions
Mehendi
“Our first function was the mehendi, a sundowner, dressed in white. We had canopies decorated with white drapes, bistro lights, Chinese paper lanterns, and fresh flowers. Some of the canopies were designed to look like teepees but it was the bars, decorated with books, artifacts and blooms that stole the show!
There was an effortless elegance to the evening and to resonate with the vibe I wore an easy frill saree by Anushree Reddy and Danny opted for an outfit by Ujwal Dubey.”
Pool Party and Haldi
“The haldi is usually a smaller event so we decided to amp it up by combining it with a pool party. It took place the following morning and we had a nautical palette of blue and white, accented with yellow.
I think the highlight of the décor was our photobooth – a collage of all things evocative of the sea – a hammock, an anchor, lifebuoys, marine ropes and more made for a truly fun backdrop. We both wore Shivan and Narresh to the event.”
Sangeet
“Our sangeet was a scintillating affair with lots of glamour and a touch of mystery. The ballroom at Angsana Laguna Phuket was decked with rich drapes in red and black. We used lots of full blown red roses and the creative lighting was an integral part in building the mood. A mix of chandeliers and candles spelled romance. The stage backdrop had semicircular tiers of graduating sizes fringed in silver tinsel and it was absolutely spectacular.
In tune with the theme, I wore a red lehenga by Mahima Mahajan while Danny opted for a Shantanu & Nikhil sherwani.”
Wedding
“Of course our wedding ceremony took place on the beach. The décor was in shades of pink and white, rendered in flowers and fabric. We wed as per Hindu customs with a few tweaks to acknowledge his side of the family. What we got, as a result, was a celebration that was unique and so much fun! My parents and sibling came to the venue along with the baarat just like the baraatis with Danny sitting in a tuk-tuk all the way. It felt so good since it erased all boundaries of the ‘ladkewale’ and ‘ladkiwale’ and transformed us into one big happy group doing everything together.
For the pheras I chose a pale pink lehenga from Jade and Danny picked a sherwani crafted by traditional karigars in Hyderabad.”
After Party
“The after party was a pyjama party! We insisted on the dress code here because we wanted our guests to ditch all the heavy Indian clothes, put on something comfy and focus on having fun. We laid out a few beds, had a small ball-pool, hung out dreamcatchers and even had cushions decorating the bar. With great music and drinks, this bash was a total hit.”
Advice For Couples
1. “Don’t forget to enjoy your own wedding amidst everything that is happening around you.
2. Try to stretch out the gap between the functions so you don’t have to be the first one to leave the party to catch some rest or get ready before the next function begins.
3. Make sure to get a really good wedding planner. This will ensure that 75% of the job is done. Pink Palki was not only professional but also took personal interest in our celebration which made everything a breeze for us.”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: Angsana Laguna Phuket, Thailand
Wedding Planner: Pink Palki
Bride’s Outfits: Anushree Reddy (Mehendi), Shivan & Narresh (Pool Party), Mahima Mahajan (Sangeet), Jade (Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Ujwal Dubey (Mehendi), Shivan & Narresh (Pool Party), Shantanu & Nikhil (Sangeet)
Makeup: Praveena Rathore
Photography: Fotowalle – The Story Folks
