Star Entertainers @ Destination Weddings in Thailand

Sep 15, 2010 Destination Weddings, Wedding People & Planners

Ahmedabad-based Red Events managed the magnificent wedding celebrations for two business magnate families in Thailand. Bangkok based billionnaire Anil Kothari hosted his daughter Ankita’s marriage to Sitesh Hirawat. And Mumbai-based Divya Dhadda married Abhinav Daga in Phuket.

The events at the Kothari wedding in Bangkok included a music melange with Rodney, a mehfil-e-mehtaab, a pre-wedding party with performances by Vishal & Shekhar and a ghazal evening by Roopkumar and Sonali Rathod. For the Dhadda-Daga destination wedding, a team of 200+ event managers and executives, 100 + artists, several florists, chefs, skilled Bengali artisans, sound and light engineers and technicians travelled from India. Since the wedding was in the monsoon season, and the family wanted a wedding by the beach, Red Events set-up transparent centrally air-conditioned water-proof marquees, which cost a bomb, almost as much as the decor.

The entertainment@ Divya and Abhinav’s wedding included a Grand Illusion show by Joe Conrad, a performance by talented singer Krishna Beura whose hits include ‘Soniyo’, ‘Main Jahan Rahoon’, ‘Deedar De’ and ‘Aap Ki Kashish’. Sonu Nigam performed at the Sangeet. On the day of the Wedding, Abhinav arrived on a Thai elephant and accompanying him in the grand parade were the high spirited baraatis, a host of Thai dancers and musicians, and Bhangara performers.

Divya Dhadda arriving in a beautifully decorated Doli

Left, Divya Dhadda and Abhinav Daga. Right, Ankita Kothari and Sitesh Hirawat

Divya and Abhinav’s jaimaala and pheras took place in the transparent marquees set-up on the romantic white sand beaches of Phuket

Roopkumar and Sonali Rathod at the Bangkok Wedding. Sonu Nigam in Phuket.

Tags: Abhinav Daga, Anil Kothari, Ankita Kothari, Bangkok, Destination Weddings, Divya Dhadda, Entertainers, Indians Wedding, Joe Conrad, Krishna Beura, Phuket, Red Events, Roopkumar and Sonali Rathod, Sitesh Hirawat, Sonu Nigam, Vishal & Shekhar

Indian Marriages Made in Phuket

Jun 1, 2010 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for, Destination Weddings

This month, Mumbai’s super-rich will be in Phuket for the wedding celebrations of Divya Dhadda and Abhinav Daga at the JW Marriott.

Since Phuket’s luxury resorts are attracting high profile Indian weddings, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is making special attempts to get more Indian weddings there. The grandest wedding to be held there was at the Banyan Tree Phuket, the most upmarket of Laguna Phuket’s resorts. Nagpur industrialist Manoj Jayaswal hosted the most “wow” wedding for his daughter Swatee’s marriage to Lalit Tayal. Over 700 guests flew in to Phuket to experience a fairy tale wedding fiesta with live performances by Roopkumar and Sonali Rathod, Sayali Bhagat, Shveta Salve among others.

While Indian industrialists host the glittery, super-grand affairs to present a ‘Desi Traditions’ meets ‘Thai Style Entertainment’, many Sindhi and NRI families host intimate dos, where the bride and groom exchange vows on the pristine white beaches in the presence of hundred to three hundred guests. According to Wedding Planner Divya Chadha, who runs the company AKA: A Klass Apart, hosting an intimate wedding at Thailand can be more economical than hosting a wedding at a five-star hotel in India. She says: “At most times of the year, Thailand is around 30% cheaper in terms of room rentals and banqueting rates. There, one gets much more value for money spent since they have an exotic range of flora which would cost double in India. There are excellent musicians, performers and entertainers too, to suit different budgets.”

Last month, Mumbai designer Kiran Gidwani married Mauritius businessman Anup Tolaram at the newly opened JW Marriott, Khao Lak Resort near Phuket. This was followed by a White Wedding at a Chapel at the Laguna in Phuket. Thanks to the Sindhi diaspora— Phukets resorts are now better equipped to host Indian weddings and a host of artists specialise in servicing the demands of Indian weddings. Says Jakarta based Samara Melwani who got married at the JW Marriott, Phuket last year. “Besides Marriott I checked three other properties in Phuket—the Sheraton, Le Meridien and Indigo Pearl. I liked all of them, but the Marriott had already hosted many Indian weddings—so I was confident their Wedding Planners could do a great job with planning my Wedding, which they ultimately did.”!

Nagpur’s Swatee Jayaswal wedding was the most expensive be held in Phuket

Samara Melwani’s wedding at the JW Marriott– a Foam Party and the Traditional Festivities

Kiran Gidwani’s wedding at Khao Lak Resort and the Chapel at the Laguna 

Tags: Abhinav Daga, Destination Weddings, Divya Dhadda, Kiran Gidwani, Lalit Tayal, Phuket, Samara Melwani, Swatee Jayaswal

Phuket Wedding for designer Kiran Gidwani

Mar 10, 2010 Celeb Weddings to Watch out for, Celebrity Wedding Pictures

Mumbai designer Kiran Gidwani, a popular face in the city’s party circuit is getting married in May, at Phuket. Kiran got engaged to Anup Tolaram in August last year—at the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple at Babulnath, Mumbai.

Anup is an alumni of LSE and is based in Mauritius. Kiran schooled at Fort Convent and graduated from HR College. She currently runs a store opposite Strand Cinema, Colaba that specialises in Indo-westerns, sarees and bridal lehengas. Kiran’s select friends from Mumbai, and Sindhi relatives from around the world are expected to attend the traditional and fun celebrations at Phuket.

Tags: Anup Tolaram, Destination wedding, Kiran Gidwani, Phuket