Sapna and Rashpal, Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa, Thailand
From the Punjabi ‘jago’ dance to the Gujarati ‘garba’ - Sapna and Rashpal’s Thailand wedding was all about blending their different backgrounds and customs.
People often say that the best love stories emerge from the best friendships, and Sapna and Rashpal’s journey is no different. Bride Sapna shares highlights of her Thailand wedding celebrations held at the Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa which was planned by WeddingSutra Favourite Foreign Wedding Planners and those moments were captured by WeddingSutra Favorite – CoolBluez Photography.
How We Met
“We met at university when we were 18 and instantly became inseparable friends who shared many special memories together! In the summer of 2013, our careers took us to New York, and it was there that everything fell into place and our friendship transformed into love.”
Proposal
On February 4th, 2017, after a surprise helicopter ride to the stunning Glenmere Mansion in New York, Rashpal got down on one knee to ask the big question. I said ‘Yes!’ and we toasted to the next chapter of our lives together.”
Wedding Venue
“We both desired a destination wedding as we wanted to do something unique which would make our nuptials a really fun celebration as well as a holiday for our guests! Thailand was the first place where we had gone on a holiday together as friends. So we picked the ‘Land of Smiles’ for our destination wedding. We had fond memories of the country whose hotels and resorts also seemed to have the experience and capacity to host Indian weddings well. We booked the Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa for our wedding, and everything was perfect on all counts!”
Wedding Planning
“Neha Mehrotra from Foreign Wedding Planners helped us put the entire wedding together. She thought of everything, which meant we could just focus on enjoying the functions with our loved ones. Every time we walked into an event, we were overwhelmed by the beautiful decor. Neha was a pleasure to work with! I really miss our chats and planning sessions! The rest of her team were also fantastic and helped the events run smoothly.”
“Simran Takkar from Ablaze gave me beautiful makeup looks for all the events. We would spend our time indulging in lovely conversations with her as she worked her magic! The rest of her team also did amazing beauty makeovers for our family members.”
“CoolBluez Photography was in charge of capturing the memories of our wedding, and they were amazing. Their team managed to be everywhere all at once. The footage they got was exceptional and they froze special moments that we will treasure forever! We were especially happy with the teaser and highlight video that they produced which captured the essence of our wedding with creative flair. It added to the joy of sharing our special moments with loved ones who could not make it to the wedding.”
Wedding Functions
Welcome Party
“The Welcome Party was a fun event hosted on the beach. It was the perfect way for everyone to meet and mingle. Since the volume of music for outdoor events at the resort had to be turned down by 11 pm, we moved the party indoors to the Sync bar where the after party went on until 3 am. I wore a flowy cream dress for this event, while Rashpal kept it casual with his relaxed attire.”
Pooja and Haldi
“The following morning we had a small ‘pooja’ (prayer ceremony) followed by the haldi function. I wore a green saree for the prayer ceremony and changed into a yellow one for the haldi event. Both these events had simple setups and attendance was limited.”
Sangeet
“We hosted a Moroccan-style sangeet and mehndi party on the resort’s lawn. We had lots of dancing at this event which included belly dancers and a surprise performance by the Makwana cousins. We had fun with the Punjabi ‘jago’ and Gujarati ‘garba’ dances which blended both our cultures. There was no after party on the second night as we wanted our guests to get some sleep before the big day! Since the theme for this function was ‘Arabian Nights,’ I wore a beautiful fuchsia pink and gold lehenga that I bought from Yavani in Leicester, UK, with Arabic style jewellery. Rashpal, on the other hand, wore a peacock blue sherwani.”
Wedding
“We got married twice the next morning – the first ceremony was a Sikh one, which was followed by a Hindu one. The Sikh wedding was a beautiful event where Neha and her team managed to bring the essence of a Sikh gurdwara into the ballroom of the hotel. After a quick high tea, we hosted our beachside Hindu wedding, where, once again, the team of Foreign Wedding Planners surpassed our expectations and created a dreamy mandap with peach and pink hues with the blue sea as the backdrop.”
Reception
“After lunch, everyone had time to rest and change before the grand finale – the reception – which was elegant and luxurious just the way we wanted it to be. After the speeches and our first dance, everyone partied till 5 am! It was an amazing end to the three days. A beautifully embroidered long peach dress with a train made me feel like a princess at the reception. Rashpal opted for a tailor-made tuxedo from The Bespoke Club in Singapore which did a great job.”
Advice for Couples
“Hire a good wedding planner! The process of preparing for a wedding should be fun. However, it does have its stressful moments which can be minimized if you have a good wedding planner. Also, don’t forget to enjoy your wedding and take it all in as everything goes by so fast and only the memories last forever.”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa, Thailand
Wedding Planner: Foreign Wedding Planners
Bride’s Outfit: Yavani (Sangeet)
Groom’s Outfit: The Bespoke Club (Reception)
Makeup Artist: Simran Takkar
Photography and Videography: CoolBluez Photography
