Born in New York in the middle of winter, Neha could not be more different from Adithya who was born on a hot Sunday afternoon in Madras (now Chennai)! A passionate dancer, an animal lover and a lover of all things Bollywood, Neha had been planning her dream wedding since she was a young girl. In fact, her vision was to get married in Disneyland, in front of the Disney Castle!
On the other hand, brought up in a home surrounded by artists and architects, Adithya had always enjoyed creative pursuits from a young age. As a boy, he even did magic shows for up to 200 people at a time. After two degrees in architecture, he now works in real estate strategy in Singapore. However, in contrast to Neha, he was actually quite scared of getting married!
How these two got together is a mystery everyone is still trying to solve. Just like the two states of Punjab and Tamil Nadu, Neha and Adithya could not be more different, but they are a testament to the old saying that opposites attract. Here’s the story of their wedding, captured beautifully in pictures by Fotowalle – The Story Folks.
The proposal
Over a surprise staycation with a beautiful view of the sea, high on a rooftop bar, a very nervous Adithya asked Neha to be his girlfriend for life. Yes, you heard that right, girlfriend for life! They have always believed that husband and wife are such heavy titles for each other, and decided to be boyfriends and girlfriends for life.
After a bunch of photos, calls to family and a few much-needed drinks, he took her to another restaurant for dinner. Hang on, that’s not all! At the restaurant, a whole bunch of her family and best friends were waiting with balloons and champagne to celebrate the newly engaged couple!
The wedding
South Indian and North Indian wedding traditions are completely different, and everyone was stumped as to how this could be pulled off. Besides family in New Delhi and Chennai, a number of folks from Singapore, USA, London, Australia and the Middle East were slated to attend their wedding.
After hours of brainstorming, numerous conference calls and multiple visits to properties in India and Singapore, the couple and their families decided on the lovely beachside Sheraton Resort & Spa in Hua Hin, Thailand. Located on a pristine beach along the southern border of Thailand, Hua Hin is a hidden gem.
Featuring outstanding Thai hospitality, a number of diverse venues within the property and great weather for outdoor photo shoots, it had everything they wanted.
Neha’s vision for the wedding had always been a play in duality, a blend of traditional and modern, a melange of the north and the south, a delicate weave of family and friends, and above all, a celebration of true love. She worked tirelessly for months to ensure every single event was done just right, right down to the detail of what was printed on the straws that came along with the cocktails at the bar.
Outfit by Astha Narang
The festivities were kicked off with a welcome dinner, with guests sporting a blend of north and south Indian wear, dancing to music from across India, a celebration of traditional colours inspired by a beachside theme. In fact, even the bar menu had two cocktails specially crafted by Neha – The Tamil Toddy and the Punjabi Pataka, inspired by flavours from these regions.
Bride’s floral dress from Forever New
After a good nights sleep, guests woke up to a mehendi pool party, where everyone was dressed in sunny beachside wear, sporting fancy hats and letting go of colourful balloons against the clear skies of Hua Hin. Sipping an ice cold Chang by the poolside with all your loved ones, what more could one ask for?
Outfit by Anushree Reddy
Hang on, the best is yet to come. Held in the beautiful Chandelier ballroom, the sangeet ceremony was kicked off by a surprise dance to Kala Chashma by both families. Neha had designed the entire event to reflect the grandeur of Indian Royalty, in a modern context.
She also choreographed the entire sangeet featuring 10 dances followed by a royal feast and an after party that had the entire crowd dancing away till 5 am!
In a floral pink mandap constructed by the seaside, the wedding was simply the most scenic of all the events. As the sun set, Neha walked down a flower-strewn path surrounded by her closest family and friends into the next chapter of her life.
The decor for all the functions was done by PeeraPach and was outstanding! The ceremony itself was a beautiful blend of both Punjabi and Tamil wedding customs, with both the Pheras and the Thali playing an equally important role.
Outfit by Frontier Bazar
Neha wore a stunning blush pink lehenga for her big day. Her make-up was done by Simran Takkar.
Draped in silver, with a roomful of guests dressed in the most classy outfits, the reception was a beautiful close to a fantastic weekend nobody will ever forget.
At the end of the day, North Indian or South Indian, friends or family, Indian or western, everything blended into one memory filled with love, happiness and ecstasy for all who attended. In fact, none of these distinctions mattered anymore, because North had met South that weekend.
Well, we are totally in love with the couple, their families and their gorgeous wedding celebrations. We wish them lots of love and happiness in their married life!
