Real Ceremonies by Sonal Dave
Deepa shared that:
Steve is my best friend, we’re weirdly similar, we often finish each other’s sentences or say the same thing. He’s super kind and caring and everybody loves him. I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t get along with him, even taxi drivers! He’s sometimes shy but once you get to know him you’ll be chatting away. We’re always laughing and joking around, Steve is almost as funny as me. We love to dance and will always be found on the dance floor together, Steve is an excellent dancer as he was taught by his Grandmother who was a Cabaret dancer.
Steve shared that:
From the moment I first met Deepa I knew she was special, as soon as we started to talk we didn’t stop. Not only did we grow up in the same area, knowing some of the same people and hanging out in the same places around Kingston when we were younger but we also bonded over our similar interests. We both love Wes Anderson movies and would watch Grand Budapest Hotel, Royal Tenenbaums & Life Aquatic on loop, we both love to cook, have similar music tastes and love to dance, often one of the first couples to hit the dance floor and the last to leave. Deepa is incredibly kind and caring, she has always been there for me and for her family, from making wedding cakes for relatives weddings and birthdays to organizing venues for her granny’s 90th birthday which are only some of the things that will make me proud to be by her side in marriage.
Planning the ceremony for Deepa and Steve had some great opportunities but also challenges.
The challenges came from them both being very busy in their working lives, and this is where my skills as a celebrant were used. Not too many emails, clear directions and instructions of what I needed and what they needed to do, and to make myself available for any queries through the journey.
The opportunities were that they were both so easy to work with right up to the wedding day itself. They had ideas that were easy to translate into parts of the ceremony and knew what they did not want. That is very important as it helps me when creating their ceremony.
The ceremony was outdoors, and the weather was great—sunny but not too hot. However, we did have to avoid the wasps.
We had live musicians throughout the ceremony, including a Dhol for the Jaan, Tabla, Guitar and Keyboard. The Antarpat (usually a white cloth) which did not allow Steve to see Deepa until the cloth was brought down. The Ganesh Puja, the Garland Exchange, Readings, Thank you’s to the parents, Promises, Personal Vows, Ring Exchange, Tying of the Knot, The Phera, The Mangalsutra and a game of Koda Kodi.
A really full ceremony, with lots of love, laughter and appreciation.
Walcot Hall
We know that your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life which is why we work hard to make your time at Walcot Hall memorable, magical and above all, unique. Through our friendly and flexible approach, we work alongside you through the wedding planning process. The extended hire period at this historic country house wedding venue allows you the rare luxury of time. The Ballroom can be hired for up to 48 hours for an exclusive wedding reception and along with our holiday cottages and glamping, Walcot can be transformed into your very own wedding village to accommodate all your close friends and family.
Thank you so much for everything you did for us, the time you spent talking through every element with us, putting together a ceremony that was dedicated to us and being such a huge support in the run up to the day and, on the day. The ceremony was so much more than we could have ever dreamt and all the little touches, the games it just made it oh so special. I know it’s probably something people say often but honestly so many of our guests told us how special they thought the ceremony was, some even said it was the best they had ever been to. They loved the way you interacted with them and really invited them in to make them feel a part of the celebrations. A lot of our guests hadn’t been to an Indian Wedding before and they were enthralled. Needless to say you also won over all of my Indian family which is no mean feat. It really truly was so so wonderful and you filled our hearts with so much joy; we can’t thank you enough.
Also, we have received the booklet and the little touches are so special Sonal, thank you so much we loved re-reading our vows, we will absolutely treasure it.
Venue – https://www.instagram.com/walcot_hall/
Music – https://www.instagram.com/d26music/
Dhol Player – https://www.instagram.com/percussionistdholis/
Celebrant – https://www.instagram.com/sonaldave68/
