WhatsApp. Facetime. Skype. Who knew that modern-day technology would find itself elevating modern-day destination weddings.
My team was elated to work alongside Nahid Global Events to design a grand multi-day wedding celebration for Pav and Akal at the gorgeous Ritz Carlton in Orange County, which is known for its luxurious five-star rating and sweeping panoramic views of the coast. With five back-to-back events to plan for this couple, we knew there could be challenges, being that the bride and groom to-be lived halfway across the world in India. I am a firm believer in establishing a solid relationship with my couples to guide them through the design process, so this was a job for the world wide web.
ENTER THE APP STORE.
After meeting the couple and their family briefly during their initial site visit and planning trip, we decided to communicate via WhatsApp, which conveniently translates languages, to share inspirational images and video samples from India. This was a game changer to help us connect despite any language barrier. We took it one step further and began sharing a design deck of color palettes I created. I uploaded it to Google Slides to share with them for comment, collaboration; it was a transcontinental conversation. Our meetings occurred over Facetime, naturally.
We had five events to execute for the 3-day wedding weekend, including:
1. Welcome dinner at Club 19 at the Monarch Beach Resort (formerly the St. Regis Monarch Beach) on Friday evening.
2. Mehndi Luncheon on Saturday morning on the lawn at the Ritz Carlton.
3. Sangeet at the Ritz on Saturday night.
4. Ceremony at the Ritz on Sunday afternoon.
5. Reception in the Pacific Promenade, following the ceremony.
Each event had its own design scheme. We started with the welcome dinner for 70 guests and created all the tabletop centerpieces and arrangements for the food stations. The Mehndi luncheon was a slightly bigger event, up to 125 guests, where we installed hanging strands of marigolds as well as large floral pieces to the outdoor buffet and tent lounges. Those were interwoven with all the tabletop decor designed in eccentric bud vases, interweaving fresh florals and paper flowers.
The Sangeet celebration was a grand affair in rich jewel tones with tall lanterns and candelabras embellished with floral centerpieces in deep burgundy and gold shades.
For the official wedding day, we designed an elaborately lush mandap framed in an array of ivory and pantone-approved coral roses mixed with specialty eucalyptus, and Phalaenopsis orchids in 4-column tiebacks. We included two front arrangements leading up into the mandap to balance out the blooms. Then the reception was yet another showstopper. It featured a candlelight backdrop draped in orchids with a textured blue and gold linen from BBJ that became the foundation for the sea of white floral table runners and globed centerpieces, with warm, romantic candle lighting all around.
It really came as no surprise when we saw this elaborate 3-day affair featured in DESTINATION: I DO Magazine. It was quite a prize to see that press because we put so much into making Pav and Akal’s destination wedding a dream come true for them. And we have to thank the power of technology for seeing this one through from start to finish.
Plus, of course, this wonderful team of vendors:
Photographer: Duke Images. Wedding Planner: Nahid’s Global Events. Florist: Adorations Botanical. Hair: Hair by Rami Haddad. Bridal Makeup: Dolled up by Lulu. Makeup: Makeup by Souad and Makeup by Samia. Mehndi Artist: Henna San Diego. Stationery: Calligraphy Katrina. Videography: Russell John Films. Linens: BBJ Linen. DJ, Lighting and Ceremony Music: Special Occasions. Chairs: Chiavari Chair Rentals. Rentals: Hire Elegance and SYNX Events. Catering: Monsoon Catering and Natraj. Bar Service: Hello Barman. Photo Booth: The Foto Box. Dance Floor: Platinum Pro. Carpeting and Mandap: NFP Events. Event Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Paper Flowers: Paper Ave.