After being introduced to one another by a mutual friend, Komal and Rajan wanted to make sure that their friends and family were a big part of their wedding. Having gotten engaged during a magical gondola ride in Venice, the couple were married at The City Pavilion in a traditional Indian ceremony. Find the perfect inspiration for your Indian wedding and celebrations through Komal and Rajan's story. Looking for the perfect venue? Find your ideal Asian wedding venue here!
The Proposal
The couple’s wonderful wedding adventure actually began before their engagement, with their ‘Roka’. The Roka is an Indian ceremony in which the couple and their families come together and celebrate their future. This was shortly followed by a trip to Venice, something which Komal had long dreamed of. During an idyllic gondola ride, Rajan presented Komal with a romantic scrapbook of every date that the couple had been on during their 6 months together. The last page, however, was blank. Rajan then to proposed by inviting Komal to fill in the blank page together as a married couple. As soon as they got off of the gondola, a saxophonist was playing in the street! The couple danced to ‘All of Me’ by John Legend, which became their first dance at their engagement party. A truly dreamy proposal!Â
The Venue
The City Pavilion was a practical choice for Komal and Rajan, owing in part to the fact that it was such a large wedding... Over 700 guests attending the reception! However, it was more than simply convenient for the couple. The luxurious event spaces and opulent decorations made the venue a spectacular location for their special day. The delicious food was also a draw for both of them, as they had enjoyed eating together at the venue’s restaurant many times before.
The Fashion
Some couples will go to great lengths to make sure that they get the right attire for their wedding. Well, Komal and Rajan are no different. Indeed, Komal flew all the way to Delhi in India to find her dream outfits! The couple’s celebrations involved many different events which required many outfit changes. For the engagement party, the couple were both dressed in peacock blue and gold attire matching the vibrancy of the event. Then, for their civil ceremony, the bride wore a stunning gold and white outfit while the groom wore a classic blue suit. For their traditional ceremony, the bride chose an elegant Maneesh Malhotra outfit in pink and gold. This colour scheme matched the decorations on the day. The groom’s outfit was just as elaborate. Rajan wore an incredible Sherwani, purchased from Ziggi’s Menswear in Birmingham.
The Celebrations
Traditional Indian weddings have many celebrations. As is customary, Rajan’s side of the family organised an engagement party at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford, attended by 400 guests. For the wedding events, the couple embraced the strong ties which typical hindu ceremonies embody. So, close friends and family had significant roles to play throughout. There were a number of celebrations, such as the Mehndi party, before the big day. At this event, beautiful, elaborate henna designs are applied to the bride’s hands and arms. There was also a civil ceremony for legal reasons before their spectacular celebration!Â
At the reception, there was also a variety of delicious Indian food. The starters were a selection of two meat dishes and two veggie dishes. This was followed by a main which included a chicken curry, lamb curry, rice, naan, daal and many other incredible sides! Dessert was a variety of yummy Indian treats. The couple gave everyone a little statue of Ganesh as a favour. When it came to the reception, the party atmosphere was certainly in full swing! Dances were performed by Komal’s side of the family involving her sister, cousins and friends followed by her brother and his friends. Even Komal’s and Rajan’s parents did a performance for the newlyweds. At the wedding, a particularly special touch for Komal was that her dad flew in the priest that married her mother and him all the way from Kenya!Â
The day was largely a blur for Komal with so many magical moments occurring one after another! But, her most unforgettable moment was when she stood on the mandap facing Rajan. Seeing him and looking around and taking in how much love filled the room!
- The City PavillionÂ
- Paragon
- Aarti P
- Gagan Photography
- Denee Motion
