Hannah and Saif, Taj Lands End, Mumbai
Hannah and Saif wowed everyone with the scope of their wedding – from a ceremony at home to a reception outdoors meant to remind people of home, their celebrations were original and imaginative.
Hannah and Saif planned their lavish wedding celebrations spread across multiple venues with meticulous details. From a fun mehndi and sangeet to a beautiful nikah and reception, Hannah shares details from their love story and highlights from the nuptials with us.
How we met
“Saif runs a fashion embroidery company, and I run my own brand agency. We met through common friends, first in Mumbai and then again when we both happened to be in New York City for work at the same time. There was something about Saif that I was drawn towards from the day I met him. If you believe in energy, I guess its safe to say our energies were drawn towards each other. Four and a half years later, he proposed to me in my hometown in Sweden where I grew up. Saif later told me he picked the spot because he knows it’s where I feel the happiest, and most at ease. It couldn’t have been more perfect.”
Wedding Venues
”Mumbai was a sure choice considering the Indian wedding. We wanted to do something close to home, where a majority of our friends and family could be present and celebrate with us. We wanted to have as many functions as possible outdoors, so the Four Seasons garden and ballroom was a given for the mehndi and sangeet and we chose the Taj Lands End easide gardens for the reception. We had our Nikah at Saif’s family home. We struggled to find the perfect venue for the white wedding, as we had something very specific in mind. We wanted a venue where we could spend over twelve hours with our guests, in a constantly changing environment, where the ambience and vibe would adjust to each part of our special day. When a friend recommended Avanilaya in Goa, we fell in love with the property on our first visit. The property is huge and the layout is slightly complicated, but the overall energy is beautiful.”
Wedding Functions
Mehndi and Sangeet
“At our mehndi and sangeet, we wanted a fun, traditional vibe blended with things that make us happy. I love flowers, so together with the team from Rani Pink we created a flower shop at the entrance of the venue. And because we didn’t want anything to go to waste, the flowers from the venue were put in beautiful pots and given as gifts to our guests to take home with them, along with a note from us. We also had thousands of hand-folded origami birds hanging from the ceiling across the venue – because of Saif’s love for Japan.”
Nikah
The nikah was held at the groom’s house in the presence of family and friends. Hannah looked ethereal in her beige and gold outfit with a translucent dupatta dotted with shiny sequins, which was beautifully draped over her head. She accessorized her look with statement jewellery. Saif resonated in his ivory sherwani. The couple focused on the sanctity of this ceremony, and they will cherish those moments forever.
Reception
“For the reception, we asked to create a living room vibe in the hotel gardens. We love hosting people at home, and the way team Rani Pink did up the venue truly resembled a cosy evening in. Candle lit seating areas, huge pots of flowers, handmade pillars covered in Mosaic mirror work, draped ceilings, and food for days – everything was done up in a way that gave us and our guests a feeling of home.”
White Wedding
“From decoration, to event flow, to types of flowers, and ambience, I had my notes and inspiration boards ready way before I met Saif! When Saif and I visited Avanilaya in Goa, we fell in love with the place the moment we did our first recce, we both knew this was where we wanted to get married. Then we found the fabulous Liesel from Knotted Up Weddings in Goa, and the equation was complete. From high tea, to the ceremony, to the speeches, cake cutting, dinner, dancing and an after party, the crowd moved throughout the venue from early afternoon to late night. Knotted Up Weddings worked out an incredible layout of the space, and because we told Liesel our guests love to dance, they designed the dance floor in the middle of the venue, in between the trees, with dining tables scattered around it in these individual fairylight-booths. It was truly stunning!”
The Wedding Makers
Venues: Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, Taj Lands End Mumbai, Avanilaya Goa
Wedding Planner: Shaadi Squad
Décor: Rani Pink (Mehndi, Sangeet and Reception), Knotted Up Weddings (White Wedding)
Caterer: Gaia Gourmet
Bride’s Outfits: Anamika Khanna (Mehndi, Sangeet), Shehlaa by Shehla Khan (Nikah), Tarun Tahiliani (Reception), Valentino (White Wedding), Roberto Cavalli (Wedding After Party)
Groom’s Outfits: Kunal Rawal (Mehndi, Sangeet, Nikah), Rajesh Pratap Singh (Reception), Valentino (Wedding)
Bridesmaid’s Outfits: Shehlaa by Shehla Khan
Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Groom’s Shoes: Gucci (Mehndi), Valentino (Sangeet), Rajesh Pratap Singh (Nikah), Dries Van Noten (Reception), Christian Dior (Wedding)
Makeup Artist and Hairstylist: Namrata Soni and team (Mehndi, Sangeet, Nikah and Reception), Arti Nayar & Hiral Bhatia (White Wedding)
Mehndi Artist: Veena Nagda
Wedding Invitations: Ravish Kapoor
Wedding Favours: Saks India
Wedding Collaterals: Aditi Mukhi
Entertainment: Badshah and Lisa Mishra (Mumbai), Rohan Maz (Goa)
Photographer: Stories by Joseph Radhik
