Luxury Suppliers:
Wedding Planned & Curated By: Chapter 2 Events
Wedding Stylists: Styl. Inc.
Photographer: Cine Love Production
Chapter 2 Events recently organized a grand wedding that spanned 3 countries within three weeks. This wedding spectacle drew its inspiration from the couple, whose fairytale love story brought cultures together. The quiet Indian groom Ansh and the bubbly Serbian bride, Slobodanka, also known as Bobana, grew up in different parts of the world unaware of each other’s existence until both met in a law classroom in Vienna. Sparks flew, romance followed and they finally confessed their love to each other a year later in India.
The 3 part celebrations, kick-started in India with a Bhajan Sandhya. The second wave of the festivities was an authentic Serbian wedding with over 200 guests from across the world in Belgrade. This led to a perfect buildup for the main destination wedding hosted at the majestic Titanic Mardan Palace, Antalya, Turkey with all the pomp and glory associated with an experiential Indian wedding.
Last but not least, the newlyweds returned to India for the finale reception in New Delhi to end the festivities on a high note.
As planners, they decided to bring together elements from both the cultures in a well-thought-out and planned manner for Ansh and Bobana and for their international guests. The result was two separate weddings, honouring Serbian and Indian traditions. All of the planning for this was put together in just a matter of three months.
Events / Functions Breakdown :
The 3 part celebrations, kick-started in India on the 4th of January 2020, with a Bhajan Sandhya aptly called ‘Krishna Alok’, to seek divine blessings for the joyous union. Famed bhajan singer Sidharth Mohan graced the occasion with his soulful bhajans.
The festivities then moved to Belgrade, Serbia, the hometown of the bride. Owing to months of meticulous planning, the wedding turned out to be a marvel for the city. The planners’ (C2E) focused on diligently picking and engaging the best of vendors to ensure smooth and hassle-free execution of this one of a kind Indo-Serbian wedding in this virgin destination.
The venue Topciderac Restaurant, Belgrade was decorated with a white and green theme complementing its rustic ambience. Fresh flowers, hundreds of fairy lights, and the personalized props ensured it was nothing short of pure romance. It was undoubtedly an unforgettable experience for global guests as they danced the Serbian way to the tunes of a local folk band and the house DJ.
The wedding then shifted countries to Titanic Mardan Palace–Antalya, Turkey, where friends and family were welcomed with open arms in the most traditional Indian manner. The three-night extravaganza began with a warm welcome dinner at the Aquamarine Restaurant and had guests mesmerized with the underground marine vibe. The night set the ball rolling for the craziness that was to unfold over the next 2 days.
The following day started with a colorful and quintessential Indian Haldi Ceremony. The madness of ‘Holi’ – a festival of colours which promotes social bonds – was the central theme for the event. The guests from all parts of the world had a riot at this kaleidoscopic event, which further progressed into the combined sundowner of Mehendi and Sangeet at the Mykonos – the beachside lawn. It was an affair which was laden with Indian flavours and authentic Turkish entertainment.
The highly engaging fire acts and the very entertaining family performances glued the guests to their seats until they eventually set the dance floor on fire with their moves.
The drinking and dancing continued till the wee hours at the After Party at the resident club i.e. The Monkey Bar.
The Wedding Day – The D-day which was the third day of the ongoing celebrations, took the excitement levels to the peak. The groom led the entourage (Baraat procession) followed by an Indo-Turk jugalbandi of dholwalas and folk artists. The bride made her entry on a Palki in a traditional Indian way. The guests thoroughly imbibed and joined in the revelries during the procession.
Right from a beautiful beach set up with complementing decor, to a perfect sunset, the couple was provided with all the ingredients of a dreamy beach wedding.
To welcome the newlyweds, a formal sitdown reception was hosted at the Dolmabache ballroom which is the epitome of Turkish culture. The couple kick-started the function with a trendy first dance, followed by a touching speech by the groom’s mother, blessing their union. The captivating performances by folk artists from Turkey – water drummers, tannura dancers, and the engaging belly dancers were a delight for the guests.
The night ended with the post-wedding games between the couple and families.
Last but not the least, a grand finale Indian reception took place at Mor Bagh, New Delhi, on the 25th of January, 2020. The extremely elegant & rustic decor was carefully curated and turned out to be a refreshing non-cliche spectacle. It was a perfect afternoon with the right kind of music, delicious fares turning a formal function into a picnic. All in attendance rejoiced and revelled till dusk set in.
We reached out to Kunal Laungani, Co-Founder, Chapter 2 Events, and asked him about his experience organizing the multi-continental affair! He exclaimed “Anshana was an opportunity and an experience of a lifetime. It truly challenged us and our capabilities in ensuring we curate and deliver a one of its kind, niche wedding experience given the diversities and family expectations. Our team of Wednerds left no stone unturned to make sure every guest was personally taken care of during the wedding, and truly rejoiced in the memorable moments that we created for them.”
The success of any wedding is measured with the happiness of the couple themselves, which in this case was expressed in terms of their candid feedback, “ Chapter 2 Events with Kunal at the helm surmounted all the challenges with sheer professionalism and careful planning. 1 wedding, 2 contrasting cultures with high expectations across 3 countries/destinations… It was one hell of a journey. The team was involved in each & every moment and aspect of the wedding. Be it hand-holding all the guests, managing a medical emergency of a guest in the middle of the wedding, carrying out extensive research of vendors based on our preferences, multiple recces or organizing multiple vendor meetings across countries, C2E was on top of their game.”
The #Anshana wedding was an event of scale and stature. It involved transporting over 100 kgs of Indian spices and extensive research on over 40 vendors. There were 30 plus suitcases filled with props, 9 memorable events, 7 key performers, 6 bridal outfits, 5 recce trips, 4 countries covered, 3 weeks, 2 cultures coming together in 1 big wedding celebration. Phew!
