Blushing Bride - Villa le Rose

weddings & honeymoons updates
Q+A
DiVYa GuRWaRa, Bridal Asia
T+l gets the founder
of asia’s foremost
wedding fair to talk
about destination
weddings and share
some pointers.
Are destination
weddings the new way
to get hitched? With
couples becoming
more aware and a
substantial rise in the
level of disposable
incomes, getting
married in an exotic
location is a trend
that’s here to stay. The
positives are many: it’s
a great opportunity for
families to bond and
everyone is more
relaxed, including the
bride and groom. Plus,
it gives a more intimate
feel to the entire
wedding experience.
your top wedding
locations? i would rate
rajasthan, Kerala and
Goa in india; and bali,
langkawi, south of
00 november 2010 Travel + leisure
France, sardinia, and
even napa valley as
some of the most
romantic spots to
bring in your big day.
Things to keep in mind
while picking a spot?
Keep a keen eye on
your purse strings, find
out about the local
customs, duration of
travel, and plan extra
activities to keep the
guests engaged. While
i know some people
like to carry everything
with them, including a
priest and cooks, it’s
more fun if you add
some local flavour.
Tips for guests
attending an
outstation wedding?
avoid lugging heavy
presents and give cash,
gift vouchers or even
jewellery instead.
properties that you
recommend? For
convenience and easy
access, opt for ayana
resort & spa, bali
(formerly The ritz-
Carlton), Palace of the
Golden Horses,
malaysia, and the lake
Palace, udaipur. The
backdrop, hospitality,
and food make these
properties stand out.
Designers for the
perfect wardrobe?
arpan vohra,
nalandda bhandari,
Dev r nil and nikasha
Tawadey are some of
the exciting new
names doing
interesting work.
However, Tarun
Tahiliani, sabyasachi,
and Pallavi Jaikishan
are classics.
A wedding planner for
a destination nuptial?
sahiba singh of
lifetime expression—
this young wedding
designer goes that
extra mile to put
together an exotic
set-up that’s exquisite.
MeMoraBle
MeMentos
searching for that exclusive
souvenir to present the newlyweds
with? these precious tokens
will make for great offerings no
matter what your budget.
This
laser engraved
tote with scarf from
ritu kumar’s (Rs 4,000
upwards) accessories line is
a great addition to any attire.
Her line also features
clutches, bags and wallets
in Ghungroo, Jamdani
and madhubani
ranges.
Pop
open a
bottle of korbel
champagne Brut
(Rs 3,000) to make a
toast to the just-married
duo. This sip-worthy
California bubbly blends
flavourful chardonnay
with effervescent
champagne.
These
versatile
emerald earrings
from Farah khan Fine
jewellery’s (Rs 9,000
upwards) new Heritage
line blend a traditional
design in a modern
setting making them
perfect for all
occasions.
adorn
her wrist
with piaget’s
limelight Secret watch
(price on request). This
unforgettable memento
has an 18-karat white
gold case set with
differently cut sparkling
diamonds and
a black dial.
see buyer’s Guide.
left: courtesy of divya gurwara
c l o c k w i s e f r o m t o p l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f m a n d a r i n o r i e n ta l , p r a g u e ; g i a c o m o f e ;
courtesy of shimauli dave; courtesy of mena house oberoi, cairo
BlissFul rendezvous
unwind and revel in each others company
post your whirlwind wedding at these utterly
gorgeous honeymoon spots.
DeVi gArH, uDAipur
Enjoy peace and tranquillity in this
stunning 18th-century fort palace.
What’s included Accommodation
in a suite, airport transfers, bottle
of house wine, chocolates and
dry fruits, daily breakfast at the
Restaurant Terrace, three-course
dinner at a special venue, exotic
bath set-up, and special turndown
service. Delwara, NH-8, Near
Eklingji Udaipur, District Rajsamand;
91-2953/289-211;deviresorts.in;
doubles from Rs 31,000, based on a
minimum of two night; till March 31.
menA HouSe oBeroi, cAiro
The Unforgettable Experiences
offer is perfect for duos who are
historians at heart.
What’s included Three-night
stay in a Standard Room, daily
American breakfast for two,
round-trip airport transfers,
a romantic dinner for two, a
historical sound and light show
at the Pyramids. Pyramids Road,
Giza; 20-2/3377-3222; oberoihotels.
com; doubles from Rs 42,700.
mAnDArin orienTAl,
prAgue Discover the legendary
allure of Prague with the Perfect
for Two romance package.
What’s included Two-night stay,
exterior view of
Mandarin oriental,
prague at dusk.
Bottom: a suite at
the Mena house
oberoi, Cairo.
intimate Rasul treatment for two
followed by 60-minute Oriental
Essence treatment, candle-lit
in-room arrangement of finger
food and sparkling wine, a bath
with rose petals, and romantic film
collection supplied. Nebovidska
459/1, Mala Strana; 420-230/088-
888; mandarinoriental.com; doubles
from USD 1,079.
rAmBAgH pAlAce, jAipur
Experience a truly regal experience
with the Taj Holidays Royal
Honeymoon package.
What’s included Two-night stay,
transfers to the palace in a vintage
or luxury car, daily breakfast,
romantic dinner with in-house wine
and instrumental music, one-hour
couples massage at the Jiva Spa, and
half-day escorted city tour followed
by a glass of sparkling wine. Bhawani
Singh Rd.; 91-141/221-1919; tajhotels.
com; doubles from Rs 74,900.
FirST perSon
KeRala QueSt
namita agarwal and
shiva Keshavan tied the
knot at Kadavu resorts
in Calicut, Kerala.
Why We didn’t want to
have our wedding in
Delhi since in may it was
swelteringly hot. shiva’s
father is from Kerala
so we picked it and
it turned into a
destination wedding.
Highlights The resort for
me was the biggest
highlight. There were
around a 100 guests
from both sides and all
the ceremonies took
place in venues around
Goa SojouRn
shimauli Dave and
Gaurav vora got
married at The leela
Kempinski Goa.
Why beach weddings
are beautiful and it
couldn’t get better than
Goa. a sunset behind
the mandap, sand,
waves—it’s the best way
to get hitched.
Highlights For the
elders, my parents
arranged a music and
dance recital by shubha
mudgal and aditi
mangaldas which
surprisingly most
youngsters attended
too. We also organized
a water polo match
between the guys and
girls side which was lots
of fun. l The mehendi
was like a carnival
where we had people
giving foot and
shoulder massages,
reading your horoscope
and singers from
ahmedabad singing
the pool. l a large
number of our guests
were from abroad so we
arranged cultural shows
which were a hit. l We
went traditional with
the flowers and the
menu which featured a
lot of local dishes as
well as north indian
staples. on the wedding
day we had a sit-down
lunch where we served
Keralan cuisine on
banana leaves. l after
the wedding lots of us
left for shiva’s home in
the nilgiris which is in
the middle of the forest.
We put up people in
tree houses, and we, the
newly-wed couple had
a honeymoon treehouse
to ourselves.
We had bonfires, great
food, and went on
safaris through the
wildlife sanctuary.
while people danced
the dandiya garba. l We
put standard gift
baskets in each room
but i also decided to
have personalized items
put in our friends’
rooms every night.
after the night-long
cruise party, we put
15-inch tall dark blue
glasses; the next night,
it was a set of four
coasters with quotes;
and finally speciallymade
cushion covers.
Travel + leisure november 2010 00