Komal and Sunny, JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, Thailand

Komal and Sunny’s destination wedding in Thailand included multiple ceremonies and parties. It wasn’t an easy task to orchestrate everything, but WeddingSutra Favorite – Shanaya Celebrations made it a hassle-free occasion for the couple.

How They Met
Komal was visiting her sister in Philadelphia, when Sunny arrived with an old friend of hers. Both were drawn to each other and they often met after that night and eventually, the sparks turned into love. Komal shares, “The one thing I always needed my significant other to do was to treat my family and friends as if they were his own. That is probably the thing I love the most about Sunny.” The groom shared his side of the story too, “During Christmas 2015, we went on multiple dates in just one week, which made me realize that I had found someone truly special. Komal is all the things I ever wanted and more, and I am the luckiest guy in the world to have her by my side.”

Proposal
Komal and Sunny decided to take their first international trip together to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. While Komal planned the trip, Sunny secretly began planning the proposal for her. He started almost six months in advance and had everything perfectly planned. However, Komal fell sick while traveling from Sevilla to Lagos. Sunny had planned on proposing to her the same evening. As soon as they arrived at the resort, Komal took a nap while Sunny met with the photographer and set up the proposal site. They decided to just stick with the plan, and he somehow convinced Komal to take a walk on the beach. Once she agreed, Sunny waited for the perfect moment and just as the sun was about to set, he went down on one knee and proposed to her on the top of a cliff.

Wedding Venue
“We visited Thailand a year before our wedding as we had heard good things about the food in Thailand. We visited a few venues but nothing clicked till we got to JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa. As I stepped into the lobby I immediately told my dad – this is it! Of course, there were a lot of other factors to consider before we made our decision such as food, venue spaces, service level, and hotel rooms. The hotel itself was beautiful and was worth bringing our guests from across the world. The service level of the JW Marriott held up to its standards. I wrote a personal note for each guest who came. They handed this in during the check-in along with the Welcome Bags we had for each room with a timeline for all nine events.”

Wedding Planning
The couple planned their wedding with the help and expertise of Shanaya Celebrations. The couple shares, “Since we were across the world, they were great in helping us coordinate with vendors. Good communication is key between the client and planners, and by the end of it we were able to be transparent with each other and became friends.”

Wedding Functions

Welcome Party
“Our welcome party had a Thai theme since we wanted to welcome each guest to Thailand. We decided to host it in the Spa, which I thought was the most beautiful location in the hotel. We set up a ‘Day Thai Market.’ The menu included Asian street food and Indian treats via live stations. We set up a market feel by having stations for gifts such as handmade Thai soap, elephant scarves, and Chinese fans. We had Thai dancers perform every 30 minutes as well. For our cocktails, we had Tom Yum Cocktail and Green Curry Cocktails. It was a fun and intimate way to start the wedding.”

Sangeet
“Since the first country we visited together was Morocco, we did a Moroccan themed sangeet. Colorful decor, Middle Eastern tagines, curries, and dancing were just some of the highlights. We chose a dance floor print that was fun and multi-colored. Even our outfits had a Moroccan flair and were in sync with our dance performances.”

Pyjama Party
“We wanted a relaxing after-party for the first night as we figured guests would be jet lagged, so we decided to make it a pajama party. Everyone danced and enjoyed the midnight snacks menu for the soiree. It included tempting options such as milk and cookie shots, a hot chocolate bar, a Maggi station, Mexican bar, and more. We made sure the guests were never hungry.”

Haldi
“One of the features we loved about the hotel was that it has a pond in between two restaurants. We decided to create a stage in the middle and host the combined ‘pooja’ (prayer ceremony) there. It was followed by both of our haldi ceremonies on each side of the restaurant deck” The theme for this ceremony was yellow and orange which complimented the traditional decor.

Wedding
The baraat was customized to the theme of Sunny’s all-time favorite football team – The Philadelphia Eagles. Komal made a mesmerizing entry on a boat decorated with pale pink flowers with a violinist playing in the backdrop. The mandap looked heavenly with pristine white drapes accentuated with pastel and white flowers, fronds and butterfly motifs. Sunny shares, “We wanted a very minimal look since the wedding was on the beach – we just added in a butterfly pastel theme to our mandap and chairs. As Komal glided in on the boat, the moon was behind her, and she was going towards the sunset on the other side. It was the best of both worlds! We also had waterfall fireworks instead of real fireworks.”

After-Party
“We made this a club event because we figured this was going to have the most guests in attendance. We also chose the yummiest food for this after-party since people were enjoying their drinks and it went on till 4 am. The violinist from the wedding joined in for this after-party to entertain the guests.”

Pool Party
The couple also hosted a pool party before their reception. The groom revealed, “Since we didn’t have an Indian-themed event we made the soiree before the reception a fun meal by the pool. The food was amazing; we had so many games such as balloon dart, Jenga, caricature, ludo along with a rain dance. We came in colorful Indian clothes and then changed into swimsuits.”

Reception
The bride and groom chose an elegant theme for their reception. The decor included lots of florals and lights with cocktails served by the beach. Talking about his experience, the groom shares, “This was the grandest event in terms of decor and food. We wanted to save the best for last!”

After Party
Komal and Sunny’s wedding was one big party commemorating their love, companionship and the beginning of their future. The couple celebrated it with opulence and grandeur too as they hosted a final glitzy after-party at Olive restaurant, which is considered one of the best restaurants at the venue.

Advice for Couples
“Make sure you make this whole experience fun! From looking at venues, food tasting, talking to vendors and to the actual wedding, ensure that you enjoy the process. Take time every day to soak it all in because the whole occasion goes by so fast!”

The Wedding Makers
Venue: JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, Thailand
Wedding Planner: Shanaya Celebrations
Decor: Design by Peerapach
Groom’s Outfits: Shyamal & Bhumika (Sangeet, Pooja, Wedding)
Bride’s Outfits: Abhinav Mishra, Aneesh Agarwal, Carma India
Jewellery: Amrapali
Makeup: Simran Takkar (Ablaze by Simran)
Bartenders: FlairMix
DJ: MVP DJs, USA
Dhol Players: Dhol Riderz
Invitations: Madhurash
Photography: Koro Films

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