Tanya Tourani and Jai Dawda – Bangkok, Thailand
Both Dubai-based, Jai is a Jeweller, and Tanya works with the Legal department of Standard Chartered Bank. They met through a mutual family friend, but thier little story began in London, which eventually turned into a beautiful wedding at Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa, Bangkok.
Tanya writes about her Destination Wedding at Anantara Riverside Resort and Spa, Bangkok
Jai and I live in Dubai; Jai is a Jeweller, and I work with the Legal department of Standard Chartered Bank, Dubai. We met through a mutual family friend in Dubai, but our little story began in London, when I was in University.
After our wedding date was finalised we considered apart from Thailand, destinations like Bali, Udaipur and Malaysia. We chose Thailand because of their great hospitality, warmth and good food; also, all of us are very familiar with the place.
Wedding Venue
Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa was the perfect venue for our wedding, it is located in Bangkok City itself and is the only resort style 5-Star Hotel in Bangkok. Their Staff is extremely warm, hospitable and efficient. One couldn’t have asked for more! The direct flights to Bangkok were a major advantage and it worked out very convenient for our guests!
The Wedding Planner
We hired a Wedding Planner but I would say my mother (Neelam Tourani) was the main wedding planner! Yes, the appointed wedding planners did their bit, but it was my mother’s impeccable planning and coordination that made it an affair to remember. She was hands-on involved in everything, designing the pre-invites and wedding cards, conceptualising the themes & decor, deciding on the food, wedding favors, performers and coordinating the transport.
I feel it is very important for one family member to be fully involved when planning a wedding, as you cannot totally depend on a Wedding Planner to execute what you really want. It is the people who make your wedding, so I have to thank both our families and friends, and my mother for making our dream wedding come alive!
Wedding Events
24th December night: A Welcome Dinner at Benihana where there was live tepanyaki; our guests were seated around tepanyaki tables, and enjoyed the different culinary tricks the chefs did with the food and knives. All our guests said it was the best tepanyaki they had ever experienced and eaten! A lot of dancing followed with family and friends dancing on top of the tables and the bar!
25th December afternoon Mehndi: This event took place on the Riverside Terrace. We wanted a very bright and colourful atmosphere; the theme was ‘Vibrant’, and the decor was filled with lots of color to create a beautiful, yet traditional ambience with drapes, flowers and gorgeous umbrellas scattered everywhere. Lots of massages, nail painting, tatooing, henna designing and a spectacular performance by the Bhangra Boys and Rajay the Dhol Player kept the guests entertained.
25th December night Sangeet: This was the Bollywood night held in the Chao Phraya Ballroom. The decor was glamorous. We entered in a bling Tuk Tuk, adorned with Swarovski crystals. We had skits performed by both sides of the family and there was an outstanding three hour performance by Rahul Vaidya, followed by DJ Zubair playing till the early hours of the morning.
26th December afternoon Rain Dance: The theme for this event was Boys in Pink and Girls in Blue; this was a fun and chilled out event, and the riverside terrace was decorated with customized balloons with the text ‘Jai Weds Tanya’.
26th December night Neon Party: This event was held at Trader Vics and was one of the most spectacular and fun events during the wedding. Lighting was the highlight and we had neon colored springs and chains hanging from the ceiling. Lots of party favors, such as LED glasses, rings, bracelets, straws etc added a quirky element to the whole theme. Retro music was mostly played for this event and according to many guests was one of the DJ Zubair’s best nights.
27th December afternoon Pheras: Different shades of pink combined with cream made the decor elegant and beautiful. The whole mandap set-up on the Riverfront looked magnificent. The bride’s entry, the entire wedding ceremony, the translations of the vows, the fireworks and the bride moving out in the beautiful palki left our guests overwhelmed.
27th December night Reception: This was in the Chao Phraya Ballroom, and had a white decor to complement the ‘Heavenly Angel’ theme. Beautiful flowers and crystals and candles in abundance created a serene and romantic atmosphere. Unicorns, angels and Roman pillars added to the beauty of the theme.
We worked with some fantastic people, who I think are ‘the best’:
- Colomono Studio‚ our photographers and videographers for the 4 day wedding and the pre-wedding shoot. An exceptionally creative and talented team, who are so warm, and have a true passion for photography & videography. They put together an absolutely phenomenal wedding video at the end of the wedding. I need some more excuses to have them photograph us again!
- Rahul Vaidya‚ Indian Idol superstar. He was outstanding and performed for three hours non-stop at the Sangeet. He had the crowd rocking on the dance floor. His performance took many guests by surprise and he was definitely one of the highlights of the Wedding!
- DJ Zubair‚ Amazing Music throughout the Wedding! One of his highlight nights at our wedding was the Neon Party, where he blended retro and hip hop music exceptionally well.
- KP Singh‚ Our Emcee from Singapore, he is funny, engaging with his jokes and had the crowd in splits.
To view Tanya and Jai’s wedding highlight video click here
Photographs courtesy:
Colomono Studio
