Sumati and Franz, Bangkok, Thailand

They kept running into each other at parties, little knowing that one day they would kick start their own wedding celebrations with a rocking boat party on the Chao Phrao river in bustling Bangkok. With WeddingSutra Favorite Shanaya Celebrations by their side, the duo pulled off regal nuptials at interesting venues. Bride Sumati shares with us the highlights of their wedding.

How We Met
Sumati shares that she only knew Franz casually through mutual friends. They went to the same school in Bangkok and only saw each other at social events. “One month, we randomly started running into each other at the same parties almost every weekend. We began talking more, and he invited me on a date. He cooked me dinner! It was just a simple pasta but which guy does that anymore?! I’m not the type of girl who can make round rotis or even brew her chai, so I was very impressed.” The two dated for almost two years and it was quite uncertain as Franz is not Indian (his dad is Swiss, and his mom is from Hong Kong). Sumati comes from the large quintessential Indian family and is the only daughter. She shares, “I’ve never been the ‘traditional’ type; but this was my future and my family! It was tough rectifying my heritage and marrying into a different culture. Luckily, our respective families met, and everything went well.”

The Proposal
As her 30th birthday was approaching, Sumati and her family took a weekend trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Little did she know her weekend trip was going to be the most memorable one ever! Sumati recalls, “Franz and I had met for dinner the night before I left and got into a huge fight. I stormed out of the dinner. I cooled down by the time I got to Cambodia and texted him to ask how he was and asked what he was doing back in Bangkok. He said he was having lunch with his mom and would probably meet some friends that evening. I had only brought very casual clothes on this trip and decided to give my skin a break from makeup, so I didn’t bring any. My sister-in-law came to my room while I was getting ready and kept persuading me to borrow her lipstick and change my outfit. Finally, I agreed to change into a maxi dress, but that was it! We went down to the hotel bar for some pre-dinner drinks and snacks. I was ordering a beverage when I saw someone walking in. ‘That’s strange’, I thought. ‘That waiter looks exactly like Franz!’ That ‘waiter’ kept walking towards me and got down on one knee. He pulled out a velvet ring box and asked me to marry him. I was so shocked I couldn’t answer for a few minutes! Franz had been in the same hotel as us in Siem Reap the whole time I had been texting him! I found out that he had been planning this whole surprise with my brother and father. I love that he proposed in front of my family. That takes some guts and made our whole relationship come full circle.”

Wedding Planning
“I can’t emphasize enough how wonderful the Shanaya Celebrations team was. It was as if they could read my thoughts and bring what I envisioned to life. At some planning meetings, I only had to say one word about what I wanted, and they would come back to me with a board of amazing ideas. Besides the professional execution of all events, they took great care of Franz and I as well as all our guests. They made sure I had the wedding of my dreams, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.”

Wedding Venues
The couple had a five-day Indian wedding, but their actual wedding ceremony took place at the major Hindu temple in Bangkok called Dev Mandir. Sumati shares, “There was no question that we would get married here as it was really important to my dad. He had always said he wanted his daughter to get married at Dev Mandir, so I didn’t even think twice about it.”

Wedding Functions

Welcome Boat Party
The couple kicked off the wedding celebrations with a boat party on the Chao Phraya River for their outstation guests, close family members, and friends. To make the evening lively and entertaining for the guests, the couple decided to bring the talented DJ Ash on board. “Franz and I made a pretty impressive entrance! We went on the boat first and arrived on the dock to surprise our cheering guests and picked them up. It was a spectacular night full of feasting, dancing and drinking with a DJ setting the party mood. The boat went by all the famous Thai temples, so that was amazing to see as our backdrop. Our wedding hashtag #FRAMATI was lit up on the boat with lots of glittery accents which set the festive vibe of the event. We also had waiters who were secretly dancers and did a surprise flash mob performance which was entertaining. I love challenging myself to create funky Indo-Western looks, so I decided to do that for this event as it was non-traditional. I wore a gold Arpita Mehta mirror work blouse paired with cropped leather pants. Franz looked handsome in a light blue vest and pants combo.”

Sangeet
Every inch of the Plaza Athenee Hotel ballroom was decked in regal Maharaja-style designs. There was a balcony built on the stage where Sumati made her entrance and then came down the stairs where Franz was waiting to greet her with a rose. Sumati wore a Sabyasachi Mukherjee lehenga for this function which she purchased from the designer’s flagship store in Kolkata. A light rose pink skirt paired with a long-sleeved chocolate brown and red blouse made her look like the belle of the ball which she was.

Mehndi
“My mehndi ceremony was probably our most low-key event as I was already exhausted by this point! I hosted it at home, and it was a very casual and intimate affair with just close friends and family.”

Wedding Ceremony
“The beautiful Dev Mandir temple was adorned with marigolds and hues of reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges for our evening wedding. Franz’s baraat was so cool! He, his father and nephew (his ‘sarbala’ – groom’s companion) arrived at the venue in a vintage green car, accompanied by a DJ truck, as well as his friends and family members dancing alongside. I went super traditional for this event with a beautiful gold and red lehenga bought in Calcutta. My wedding jewellery was purchased at Hazoorilal in New Delhi while my wedding rings came from marrymediamonds.com, an online jewellery site that Franz and I run.”

Reception
“Our final function took place in the ballroom of the Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok. I wanted an overload of flowers everywhere for this event. We had ballroom dancers perform to Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love’ when we made our entry. We then cut our cake to The Cure’s ‘Love Song’ in front of a backdrop completely covered in pink and white flowers. It was magical. I had seen a beautiful JJ Valaya jacket in his store in New Delhi. However, since it was way too hot in Bangkok to wear a jacket, I knew I wouldn’t get much use out of it. However, since I loved the ivory color and gold embellishments on the jacket, the store custom made it for me into a dress which I wore for the reception. Franz looked dashing in a tuxedo.”

Advice for couples
“I wasn’t very stressed about my wedding as I surrounded myself with a trusted group of people – family, friends, and wedding planners. I think that’s the best thing to do so you don’t feel like you have to tackle every detail yourself.”

The Wedding Makers
Venues: Plaza Athenee Bangkok (Sangeet), Dev Mandir, Bangkok (Wedding), Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok (Reception)
Wedding Planner: Shanaya Celebrations
Caterers: Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok
Bride’s Outfits: Arpita Mehta (Welcome Party), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Sangeet), JJ Valaya (Reception)
Jewellery: Hazoorilal Jewellers (Wedding)
Makeup Artist: Ablaze by Simran Takkar
Entertainment: DJ Ash
Wedding Invitation Designer: Anya Wedding
Photographer: Doodle Studio

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