“Anisha and Vishal's stunning sari soiree was a vibrant 3 day wedding weekend: A Mehndi evening followed by a Wine Tasting and traditional South African BBQ and of course culminating in a stylish Indian wedding celebration!”
We met Anisha and Vishal 18 months prior to their wedding date in London and we knew immediately that this would be a culturally exciting wedding to design to start to finish. Anisha’s family resides in Kenya and Vishal’s in London so South Africa, specifically the Stellenbosch Winelands region, proved to be a fantastic choice for their destination wedding. It would not only guarantee a five star picturesque setting, but also incredible local cuisine and an unforgettable experience for their international contingency.
The festivities began with a Mehndi evening at Isola at the One and Only Hotel where upon arrival at the 5 star hotel, guests were greeted with coconuts cocktails and intricate henna painting for the ladies. Mehndi is often one of the most important and fun filled pre-wedding ceremonies, which is traditionally celebrated mainly by the bride’s family. The designs are very intricate and often hidden within the mehndi pattern the name or initials of the groom are applied. The evening had a wonderful celebratory yet relaxed festival feel to it with some Bollywood music playing softly in the background, the ladies dressed in their colorful saris and all adorning the lovely red hue of the Mehndi. A lavish offering of fine Indian flavours was set out as a decadent dinner as the sun set.
The day before the wedding saw the guests journey out of Cape Town to visit Waterford wine estate for a personalized Wine and Chocolate tasting. After which they strolled down the farm road to the neighboring Dornier Homestead for some lawn games and a traditional South African BBQ. A competitive Family Tug-of-War took place between Anisha and Vishal’s family which proved to be absolutely hilarious for all those involved. In the early evening more food was served and many of the family members from Kenya had brought along traditional spices, sweet sauces and Bombay mix, all carefully hand-made in preparation for the celebration.
As everyone had travelled from abroad to attend the celebrations, we made sure that it was a three day affair of various activities culminating in the exceptionally elegant and stylishly understated wedding celebration. In true tradition, on the morning of the wedding, Anisha’s family gathered at the ceremony area to bless the gazebo. Anisha had several stunning Sari’s for the day: an emerald green creation for the morning blessing ceremony followed by a white and red sari which matched Vishal’s outfit for the wedding ceremony. A striking purple sari was the 3rd outfit change for the reception. True foodies at heart, this couple wanted a gourmet meal that their guests would never forget. The designer menu was crafted by none other than Luke-Dale Roberts of The Test Kitchen fame, and it certainly took centre stage, whilst the stylish décor and stationery details ensured the golden thread was carried through the rest of the celebration.
The exquisite details on the wedding day where everywhere to be seen! From the unique seating plan – a tree adorned with butterfly-shaped cookies were the guests seating cards and fun quotes were also attached, which acted as the Table Numbers at the reception. Hand crafted wedding stationery with a distinctive design was then also materfully applied to the wedding cake by the talented Roxanne Floquet, as well as repeated on the custom printed lamp shades above the dance floor. The strong pops of colour amongst a modern design and neutral palette for the décor allowed for a really striking yet understated finish.
To culminate a fantastic weekend of events and to get the party mood in motion, an exhilarating surprise performance by fire dancers ended off the formalities of the evening with a bang and got guests onto the dance floor where they partied till the early hours of the morning.
Photographer: Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuisen
