Real Ceremonies by Sonal Dave
Venue – Syon Park
Wedding Planner – Rohita Pabla
Music – Mistry Music
PA/DJ – Divine Musiq
Celebrant – Sonal Dave
Akshitha shared that:
If I’m “high strung”, then Ashwin is very, very “low strung”! He’s very chilled out and laid back and doesn’t get stressed easily (which means if he’s stressed, then you know he’s really stressed!). He has a very logical and pragmatic way of thinking, whereas I’m a bit more idealistic and chaotic. I think that balance works for us really well.
He’s very friendly and approachable – everyone who meets him likes him! Whereas I’m definitely more introverted and reserved which I think can come off a bit cold at first.
When we’re together just the two of us, we really unleash the silly and goofy sides of ourselves – I feel like I can be 100% myself when I’m with Ashwin.
Ashwin shared that:
Akshi is amazing, particular and infuriating. Those were the three adjectives I used to describe her when her friends asked me the same question for her Hen party. She’s amazing because she has so much grit and determination that when she puts her mind to something she goes far. For example, she had never been very athletic but following a re-evaluation of her lifestyle she had committed to running for over 2 years now and more recently yoga. She’s an inspiration.
She’s particular in the sense that she knows what she likes and what she wants. She’s infuriating in the sense she can be so stubborn. Once her mind is fixed on something then it’s tricky to change it.
What I like best about Akshi is that she has such a huge heart and is so kind and gentle. She thinks about everyone, the planet and the environment, and how she can help throughout her day-to-day activities and modify her lifestyle.
Working with Akshitha and Ashwin was an easy journey. For the wedding day, they had a great planner on board who I knew would make sure everything we needed was sorted and in its place, ready for the ceremony. The couple knew what they wanted to include outside the venue and inside for their ceremony, and together, we created a wedding ceremony that they had visualised that respected their cultures and their special bond as a couple.
When you have a wedding planner on board, this helps with the actual ceremony planning, and the day goes much smoother. You can choose to have a wedding planner or a day coordinator, and they will work with you and all your suppliers to give you the best day ever.
We included a Milni outside the venue, where the elders greeted each other, and then the walk down the aisle for Ashwin and Akshitha.
The couple exchanged garlands, and we had readings. The couple shared their personal vows with each other, and then we had the mangalsutra (a necklace) that Ashwin ties on Askhitha, and we ended with a game of Koda Kodi to see who found the ring.
Syon Park is the perfect place for your wedding day.
It was built in the 16th century on the site of a medieval abbey. Syon stands amidst acres of capability brown parkland. It is peaceful enough to feel like an oasis of calm, and yet only a stone’s throw from Central London.
Ashwin and I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you for creating and running such a beautiful ceremony for us last week. Even though we got unlucky with the weather and had to move our ceremony inside, it was still everything we imagined our wedding ceremony would be. We loved the way our family and friends were able to get involved, the mix of emotions from laughs to tears, and the way we incorporated traditions from our cultures. It was a perfect ceremony for the two of us, and lots of people told us how much they enjoyed seeing something different!
We’re both so glad we made the decision to go with an alternate route for our ceremony and that we had you as our celebrant. Your cultural understanding of Indian wedding traditions was really useful when it came to planning our ceremony, as well as making sure things ran smoothly on the day.
We’ll definitely be recommending you to friends planning their own weddings, whether as a celebrant or a toastmaster. All the best with the rest of your bookings for this summer and beyond!
