MILAN AND JAI'S MODERN INDIAN WEDDING

These two lovely gentlemen planned a fantastic elegant and modern Indian wedding in London. I absolutely love all the colours!

TELL US THE STORY OF HOW YOU MET

We met through Grindr, the dating app. We went for a drink and a vegetarian meal after discovering how much we had in common. We are both first-generation British Indians and practicing Hindus. Our grandmothers were good friends and, as children, we attended the same ceremonies and weddings. It felt like fate!

NOW ABOUT THE BIG DAY! WHAT WAS THE THEME AND INSPIRATION?

We wanted to incorporate our Indian heritage into the design of the wedding, however wanted to ensure it was executed in a modern and stylish way. Therefore our theme was regal with pops of colour. The majestic Main Hall at Banqueting House was the perfect backdrop to incorporate elements of majestic India. The drinks reception resembled luxury palaces of Rajasthan with gold guilted poseur tables and bar stools accompanied by Great Hire’s Santa Monica furniture with bright cushions and stunning Jewel tone florals by Simon Lycett. The Main Hall was split in half by parasols which enhanced the vibrant Indian theme.

At dinner, the colour-pop theme continued. Contrasting use of light grey linen, gold & grey chandelle chairs with mirror tops was the base for the explosion of colour with different napkin colours placed around the table, accompanied by high and low arrangements in rich and regal shades to compliment the Rubens ceiling. Each guest also received a personalised gold mirror acrylic name place created using our monogram design.

Often it’s the biggest challenge finding the right suppliers for your wedding. From the caterers and florist to production and the choice of entertainment, the palace has an accredited list of suppliers which made it very easy for us to choose. The chosen caterer was flexible in creating a bespoke Indian menu, Simon Lycett our florist totally understood and delivered our vision and we could trust them all to manage all elements of the day.

Wise Productions projected our monogram on the palace walls and created floor plans and lighting design for our party.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE VENUE AND WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?

Being a Londoner, Jai always wanted to get married in the heart of the city. When visiting Banqueting House with Milan, Jai instantly fell in love with the venue, especially the Rubens ceiling with its grandeur and history. Banqueting House is the last remaining part of Whitehall Palace, once the largest Palace in Europe. Some of the UK’s most famous monarchs have hosted lavish parties and masques there hence why it is known as the ‘party palace’! Therefore, we both felt it was the perfect venue for their wedding.

We wanted to have our ceremony and reception in the same venue however also have a different ambience and styling as the evening went on, with a romantic and tranquil ceremony, but a party afterwards. The venue was perfect for what we wanted as the spaces were dressed in three different ways. We had our ceremony in the stunning vaulted Undercroft followed by a drinks reception and dinner upstairs in the Main Hall. While guests enjoyed dinner the Undercroft was transformed into a cocktail lounge – perfect for desserts and dancing.

YOUR WEDDING PLANNER

Jess Davies from the venue worked with Milan to plan the day and ensure all of the suppliers were prepared and planned all the details of the day.

FOOD

Food was prepared by Blue Strawberry.

Our starters included Kasundi paneer tikka, spicy aubergine and pani puri filled with whipped daahl with fresh mint and flowers.

Our main course was then served which comprised sharing dishes including green pea and paneer tikka masala, dhal makhani, gunpowder jeera aloo with lemon and mustard seeds and achari bhindi.

Following the speeches, we then moved back downstairs to the Undercroft where Blue Strawberry provided dessert stations including a Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Station and a selection of treats such as white chocolate aero with salted flaked almond praline & kaffir lime syrup, Golden Ferrero Rocher rolled in gold honeycomb and raspberries with peanut caramel, salted peanut crumble & raspberry pate de fruit all displayed on Tetris shelving for guests to enjoy throughout the night.

For late night snacks we chose to have a cheese station and layout an array of cheeses from Truffle Waterloo and vegan cheeses for guests to enjoy towards the end of the evening.

YOUR OUTFITS

We wanted to wear something that represented our Indian heritage, however also had a contemporary look. Therefore, our outfits were designed by Milan and custom made by a designer in London. Each of our outfits (Sherwanis) represented our own individual personalities; Jai’s was bright and energetic and Milan’s was sleek and stylish. The outfits complimented each other by having antique gold thread work and mint green French knot embroidery woven into both Sherwanis.

FLOWERS & DECORATIONS

We had a bespoke welcome sign which was an image of Milan and Jai performing a ceremony in India prior to the wedding. We also had personalised name places and table names.

CAKE

Created by Unique Cakes by Yevnig, our five tier ivory royal icing cake stood tall under the throne canopy. With gold leaf accents and piped floral swags, the cake also included our monogram to complement our stationery.

WHAT WAS THE ENTERTAINMENT?

To enhance the experience for our guests, we had royal footmen welcome them into Banqueting House and they also acted as master of ceremonies for the day.

To add the wow factor to the party we hired the Mirror Men to roam the Undercroft and entertain guests during dessert and on the dancefloor. We also chose DJ Vish from Musical Movements for our evening entertainment who kept everyone on the dancefloor with a diverse range of music including popular Bollywood hits and classic floor fillers!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

Nick Rose really understood our brief and made us feel so comfortable. He was very discreet and didn’t impose on our guests and we have some incredible natural shots of our day.

…AND VIDEOGRAPHER

By Lumiere who captured our day did an incredible job of recording our ceremony and the day. Having worked with them on several projects Milan fully trusted them to capture all the details and create the perfect short film of the day.

WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST FUN PART FOR YOU?

We wanted our guests to enjoy the day and have the best possible experience so we wanted to ensure there was lots of food, entertainment and everyone felt welcome. It was important that everyone enjoyed the party so we decided to turn the Undercroft into a nightclub cocktail bar. We transformed the space with great entertainment, deserts bars and cocktails! Milan also arranged surprise Mirror Men as part of the party entertainment for Jai. They added an element of sparkle to the party!

WOULD YOU HAVE ANY PIECE OF ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING THEIR WEDDING?

Our advice would be to absolutely enjoy the day as it flies by so quickly. Make sure you soak in your surroundings! If you’re getting married in a historical venue, allow your guests to enjoy the setting and its history. We wanted our guests to enjoy the magnificent Ruben’s ceiling and therefore included elements that allowed them to view the ceiling whilst enjoying their dinner; for example we chose to have mirrored table tops so guests could see the ceiling from their table.

Get to know your suppliers – they are there to help and support you during the planning stages. We met with our caterers Blue Strawberry several times to share ideas, discuss menus and of course went for a tasting. When it came to the wedding day they knew every intricate detail of what we wanted.

Trust the events team. Jess Davies who was our event manager on the day helped us to plan every detail and worked with all the palace suppliers to coordinate the running of the day. It couldn’t have been smoother and we were able to relax and not worry about a thing.