Simran and Karan, Hua Hin, Thailand

Fashion and real estate entrepreneur Karan tied the knot with Bangkok school teacher and former aviation professional Simran in an awe-inspiring celebration in Thailand. With six fun-filled functions, the wedding was planned and executed to perfection by WeddingSutra Favorite – Mantra Events. Bride Simran shares some highlights of the festivities below.

Wedding Functions

How They Met
Simran shares, “I met Karan through his cousin who was a friend of mine in High School. A few meetings led to us exchanging numbers. The more we got to know each other, the more we wanted to spend time talking to each other. We started dating officially in November 2015. While I work as a teacher right now, I used to work as a cabin crew for Oman Air, and because Karan was based out of Bangkok, for the first year of our dating, we had to manage a long-distance relationship.”

The Proposal
The elaborate proposal kicked off with a private sunset boat ride on the Chao Phraya river with champagne, strawberries and chocolate, before docking at the exclusive Chakrabhongse Villas, a former royal palace by the river built in 1908. Exclusively booked out for the proposal, the floors were scattered with rose petals and a candlelit dinner table was set up on the dock by the river overlooking the beautiful Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) where Karan got on his knees and popped the question. Simran’s ‘Yes’ was followed by a 10-course dinner that was curated specially for the evening and consisted of their favorite Thai dishes and champagne.

Wedding Venue
The couple wanted a boutique venue that had not been frequented by other couples and decided to go for Avani+ Hua Hin Resort in Thailand. “We were impressed by the quality of service and loved the property as well. It was an instant decision!”

Wedding Planning
Simran shares, “We wanted our wedding to be a reflection of our families and of us as a couple, and we entrusted Mantra Events to plan and conceptualize the wedding. We wanted a relaxed and unique vibe for all events, and our priority was food and entertainment at each event, which we believe is the most memorable part of any celebration. Over the course of five days and six events, we served our guests a variety of food by Red Catering with no two dishes ever repeated. Also, all of the food was prepared fresh and to order with live stations, a concept that has never been done before to this scale. We had a specialized bar for each event, courtesy of Bangkok Bar, with the menu consisting of drinks we personally love.”

“Design by Peerapach executed the decor for each function flawlessly, while every moment of the festivities was captured by the talented Black Tie Project team. “

Wedding Functions

Mehndi Lunch
“Our wedding functions were spread across Bangkok and Hua-Hin. We kick-started our wedding festivities with a mehndi lunch called ‘Let the Mehandiness Begin’ at Sofitel Sukhumvit, that was conceptualized as an English Tea Party with an Indian touch in pastel tones. In keeping with the vibe of an afternoon affair, the bar served only white spirits with a specialty Margarita and Mojito. A novel experience was the ‘Chocolate Energy Ball station’, where the pastry chef at Sofitel did an interactive demonstration of healthy desserts that guests could enjoy and even take home. The lunch was then followed by high-tea with canapés, macaroons and other gourmet foods such as lobster rolls and truffle caviar sandwiches.”

Bride’s Mehndi Lunch
The next day began with a mehendi lunch at the bride’s house held at the event hall of the bride’s building. The theme was kept bright and colorful with a mix of Thai food and iconic dishes from Mumbai’s Chowpatty. This was followed by a Maiya dinner at the groom’s place with traditional ceremonies followed by dinner.

Wedding
“Our main event, the ‘Golden Darbar’ was the wedding itself that was held at the Gurudwara in Bangkok. The morning started off with the baraat at Karan’s house which kicked off the big day with high tempo music and coconut water, ringing in the celebratory mood for the family. The wedding was a solemn affair in minimalistic hues of peach. However, while the decor was kept simple to honor the sanctity of the ceremony and the temple, we made up for it with an extravagant feast of 40+ items, from hot plate buffets to live stations.”

Sunset Dinner
The post-wedding celebrations were all held at Avani+ Hua Hin Resort, starting with the ‘Sunset Symphony,’ a sundowner-cum-welcome dinner with a rustic earthy vibe. A food island was created with live stations allowing the guests to interact while also setting the tone of the evening for drinking, dining, and dancing. The band Twin Strings, who came all the way from Mumbai, kept guests entertained while they indulged on all the food that was on offer, with a stage setup overlooking the beautiful Andaman Sea.

Hip Hop After Party
Following the dinners was the ‘Kickin’it like a G’ after-party, focused on streetwear and stylish sneakers as both the bride and the groom are true hip hop fans. Everyone was asked to come dressed in their best street gear and partied to retro, contemporary and desi tunes till the wee hours of the morning. The decor for this event was created to resemble an underground club with an LED display bar, a graffiti dance floor, and of course, lots of premium alcohol.

Sufi Night After Party
A separate after-party was held for the parents and their friends at the hotel’s Jazz bar with the theme of ‘Everyday I’m Ghazzalin,’ where the guests enjoyed a night of acoustic Indian classics played by Twin Strings.

Pool Party
This party was titled ‘Wat’er you waiting for,’ and gave everyone a chance to unwind and have a gala time. With luxurious decor featuring black, white and rose gold elements, the event had cocktail tables and bar stools set up in the water itself, accompanied with a giant rose gold swan. A specialized gin bar had a wide selection of brands, tonics and garnishes where guests could customize their own drinks as they relaxed while a sax player and percussionist entertained them. Live food stations with 30+ items from Thai, Indian and Italian cuisines had guests relishing every bite, while a tea bar was set up for the non-alcoholic guests. There was also a Thai Massage area to help the guests recover from the exertion of the first night of partying. Games like Spin the Board as well as drinking ones were on hand for those who wanted to keep the party going all day long.

Reception
The last event, was the reception party that also doubled up as the sangeet, and it was packed with heartfelt speeches and performances. Titled ‘You Color my World,’ the event had an enchanted garden theme alongside romantic and chic decor elements like flowers, chandeliers, and LED backdrops. The highlight was the specially curated Whiskey Bar offering over seven different labels, and a unique set up of assorted cheeses, cold cuts, live shucked oysters, lobsters, fondues, and flambés. Talented mixologists doing bar tricks and over 30 live stations had the party rocking from the moment it began, and the DJ, percussionist and violinist kept guests on the dance floor till the wee hours of the morning.”

Couple Speak
“Working with Mantra Events was an incredible experience thanks to Neha, Veena and the team from Mantra Events. They worked very hard to ensure we had the wedding of our dreams and put in a lot of effort to make our vision a reality. We also wanted our wedding to be unlike others they have worked on, and they did a great job with eclectic ideas for specialty spirit bars, live food stations, themes and decor.”

The Wedding Makers

Venue: Avani+ Hua Hin Resort, Thailand
Wedding Planner: Mantra Events
Decor: Design by Peerapach
Groom’s Outfits: Shivan & Naresh (Mehndi Lunch), Gulati Bespoke (Brides House Mehndi, Sunset Dinner, Pool Party, Reception), Amare (Wedding), Rohit Bal (Sunset Dinner), Boohoo Man (After Party), Mr. Ajay Kumar (Pool Party), Gaurav Gupta (Reception)
Groom’s Accessories: Gulati Bespoke and Ajay Kumar
Bride’s Outfits: Yoshita Couture (Mehndi Lunch), Kala Kriti (Wedding), Nishi Mehra (Sunset Dinner), Zara (After Party), Papa Don’t Preach by Shubika (Pool Party), Dolly J Studio (Reception)
Jewellery: Fooljhadi (Mehndi Lunch), Bishan Singh Jasbir Singh Jewellers
Make Up Artist: Jida 
Hair Stylist: Art Adison 
Mehndi Artist: Lavina
Invites: Pixie Dust
Bartenders: Bangkok Bar
Entertainment: DJ Jeff, Twin Strings (Welcome Dinner), Vency Coutinho (Percussionist), Madina (Violinist), Antonio (Saxophonist)
Catering: Red Catering and The Palayana Hua Hin

Photography and Videography: Black Tie Project

 

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