Priya and Gaurav’s wedding in Goa was a spectacle of romance, elegance and joy. The couple met through a mutual friend, who just knew that they would be perfect together. They wined and dined in London for their first date, and the rest is history! Here are all the details of their special day.
The proposal…
Priya and Guarav were together for nearly 5 years before Gaurav whisked her away on a surprise holiday to Santorini, Greece, after she passed medical school. It was in this enchanting and romantic destination that Gurav got down on one knee and popped the question – a moment that neither of them will ever forget.
The planning…
“Much to Gaurav’s surprise I already had loads of ideas about our dream wedding before we even landed back in London” admits Priya, who had dreamed of her big day for years. Gaurav’s only request was to have a destination wedding in beautiful Goa, on India’s coast by the Arabian Sea. The couple went on holiday to Goa during the Christmas before their wedding, and Priya fell in love with the white sandy beaches.
While visiting Goa, the couple explored many potential venues before they found The Leela Palace. They just loved its “its grandeur, warm welcome and attention to detail” and it very much suited thier numerous outdoor and indoor wedding functions – the grounds offered the relaxing atmosphere that they wanted for their guests. To Guarav and Priya, it was important to find a fairytale venue with outdoor grounds so that their guests could indulge in the exotic Goan weather.
Other considerations during the extensive planning process included the enablement of a Baraat procession with a band and horse, the use of fireworks for our champagne reception, the ability to continue the parties until the early hours of the morning and a flexible catering menu to meet the needs of all of our guests. Luckily, everything went smoothly with the help of their talented wedding planner Reynold Weddings, who is based in Goa and therefore knows the area and local vendors very well.
The outfits…
Priya always new what sort of looks she wanted for her special wedding. For her mehndi she looked stunning in a pink and orange lengha, which complimented their theme. Then she wore a lovely white wedding dress from wore Charmi Creations Boutique in North London, for the ring ceremony. The gown was made for her personally, enabling her to feel unique and elegant, and it was also perfect for a beach wedding because it was simple yet stunning.
Gaurav wore a bespoke suit from a London tailor, so the couple looked picture perfect together, with the groom’s coral tie co-ordinating with the peach sunset-glow theme. For the sangeet, the couple wanted to really stand out, and decided to match, since they were going to dance on the big stage together. Priya wore a blue velvet lengha with silver embellishment, and Gaurav wore a blue velvet Sherwani, from Monga’s in Southall, London. Their Royal Blue theme was a perfect evening look.
For the wedding, Priya wore a red and white, swarovski studded lengha, with a bold red velvet top, also from Charmi Creations Boutique. Her groom rocked a handsome ivory and gold sherwani, again from Monga’s London Boutique, with a red pagadi. For the reception, Priya wore a cream, red and green lengha, which she designed herself! The show-stopping outfit comprised of an emerald green top, with uniquely designed embroidery to match the sparkly lengha skirt. Gaurav wore a bespoke 3-piece suit bought in Central London.
The Wedding Weekend…
Guarav and Priya’s wedding was spread over two days with a grand total of seven events! They started with a Maiyyan function outside on the beautiful Leela lawns, during which their friends and family covered them with yellow paste to ‘cleanse’ them before the religious ceremony. It was a funny and joyous occasion with just an element of competitiveness as to which side could cover Guarav or Priya in the most yellow.
The Mehndi function also took place on the lawns, with a buffet lunch and various brightly coloured mehndi tents. The decor theme was an explosion of colour, which very much complemented the vibrance of the lush green lawns at The Leela Palace. The lawns came alive with bright yellow and pink decor.
The most special function was the Ring Ceremony, a western-inspired event with elegant decor and a palette of peach, white and green foliage. Priya’s bridesmaid’s looked lovely in peach floor length gowns which matched the coral ties of the groomsmen. The couple said their lovely, personalised vows at sunset, and the whole event ran perfectly to time.
The Sangeet came that evening, with a Moroccan themed ballroom for the all-important dancing. This was the most fun event for the couple – they opened the show with a surprise dance to Bollywood songs: “balam pichkari” and “aaj ki party”. The night continued with various performances, songs, dances, instrumental solos, by our family and friends, which led the party atmosphere to continue until 6 am!
Day 2 started with the Choora Ceremony, in a beautiful function room at The Leela, which only the Bride’s family attended. After this, there was the groom’s Baraat, with a procession of a 10-man brass-band, and all of the Groom’s family and friends, through the grounds of The Leela. Guarav was led on an exquisite white horse, which made for a spectacular baraat. After a buffet lunch, it was time for the couple’s religious Hindu ceremony, which took place against a romantic backdrop of the sunset and ocean. The gold theme was enchanting and royal, and the emotion during the beautiful ceremony was at an all-time high!
After more emotion with Priya’s vidai, everyone reconvened on the lawns for Champagne Fireworks, which kickstarted their wedding reception festivities. They held their reception in a gatsby-themed ballroom with decor of black white and gold. Everyone enjoyed the speeches, a luxurious dinner, and dancing until 7am!
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