Nowadays wedding festivities are often so much more than a single one-day event. From faraway destination weddings to multicultural celebrations featuring several ceremonies, our series Save the Weekend highlights how (and why) couples have gone about dreaming up a multi-day wedding celebration—and how they made each event uniquely special.
Pravin took Rhea to Regents Park in London when he was ready to propose in the summer of 2019. The sprawling setting was not only picturesque, but also meaningful—it was where the couple went on their very first date.
Within a week after the proposal, Rhea and Pravin began planning their wedding weekend. They always thought they were going to have a “big fat destination Indian wedding” and Rhea started reaching out to hotels straight away, with a November 2020 date in mind. The weather was a big consideration, and as Europe would be too cold at that time, the couple set their eyes on the Middle East, eventually finding a venue in Muscat, Oman. But right as they were about to sign the contract, the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The unknown was a big factor for Rhea and Pravin, as her family is based in Zimbabwe, his family is in Nigeria, and they both have family members all over the world—many in countries that restricted travel. The couple felt it best to reassess their plans for a destination wedding, and focused on a more local setting.
Rhea and Pravin ultimately decided to keep their nuptials in the United Kingdom. Staying close to home ended up being the best decision for the couple, as Rhea (who was working as a doctor in acute medicine) had very few days off and felt more comfortable with the UK's vaccination rate.
“As we decided on the UK, I still wanted to create that ‘destination feel,’ so I ruled out all the London venues. I wanted a place where everyone would travel to and stay over for the celebration nights. I didn't want guests to head home after the parties because I wanted them to feel relaxed in a lovely hotel and just full of the happy wedding spirit.” —Rhea, bride
The couple and their wedding planner scoured the countryside for their ultimate wedding venue. One where they could party all night without restrictions and bring in a caterer to prepare traditional Indian meals (plus British, Italian, Lebanese, and Pan-Asian food made on-site by the Four Seasons catering team!), but still have all other events catered in-house. A place that had multiple areas to use over the course of the weekend and rooms for all of their guests to stay. They found it all at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, and chose a weekend in August 2021.
“We felt the Four Seasons was not just utterly beautiful, but a place where we knew the service would be very good. The attention to detail the staff had was out of this world and we would choose this hotel 100 times over. They were so personal with us, they were so accommodating to our desires and requests, and the standard of everything from the cocktails to the plated formal dinner was sublime.” —Rhea, bride
Once Rhea and Pravin decided to keep their celebration in Great Britain, their original wedding planner in Oman recommended that the couple reach out to Matthew Oliver of Matthew Oliver Weddings. The two planners had met several times, and as the pandemic didn’t allow international travel between the two countries, the couple needed someone locally.
Matthew and his team then proposed skilled vendors that the couple and their families connected with to ensure the success of each event. And while each event was unique with its own vendors, look, and feel, they were treated as a whole, while still keeping the weekend’s overall theme top of mind. Key vendors—like the florist, photographer, videographer, and production company—worked the full weekend and kept the events cohesive.
Flowers were very important to Rhea. And while she was already familiar with Amie Bone of Amie Bone Flowers, when Matthew mentioned her, Rhea became even more excited about the possibility of working with her.
“Amie was fundamental in the style and colours chosen, and she’s incredible, so we worked closely with her. She created drawings/renderings of the ideas we all had so we could see how it blended for the bigger picture.” —Matthew Oliver, planner
Matthew pitched Roberta Facchini Photography to photograph the wedding weekend, with all of its details and moments. An initial video call with the couple’s parents—during which Roberta discussed her approach and style, plus listened to their wants and needs—went well, as did her conversation with the bride and groom. Everyone was excited to work together, and that excitement continued well after the big day, as Roberta photographed Rhea’s baby shower in addition to a maternity session.
Matthew also recommended HD Moments—another frequent collaborator—for wedding videography. Once again, everyone worked together wonderfully.
“We love them both, and have worked with both Roberta and HD Moments many times. We always send our favourite suppliers over to our couples first, so we can learn who they're drawn to, and then either we ask them, or look for similar people within their styles. It was good that Rhea and family loved them too, because they were perfect for what we created.” —Matthew Oliver, planner
It was a team effort when it came to hair and makeup. First, Ami Cass prepped the bride’s hair for the rehearsal dinner. When Rhea’s original hair stylist for the wedding day contracted COVID-19 and was unable to work, Kasun from John Freida in London was available for the last-minute gig. And Melissa Sophia handled makeup for the weekend, playing up the bride’s love for making a statement with bold shades of lipstick combined with otherwise minimal makeup.
Technically, the colorful countryside wedding weekend kicked off in London, with a Henna party at Bombay Brasserie. The couple wanted to do something in their beloved city before heading southwest to Hampshire. But once everyone was in the countryside, it was time to enjoy the hotel and participate in a multitude of events.
Guests were welcomed with a Zimbabwean lunch on the hotel’s terrace to celebrate where Rhea and her family are from. The orange color palette honored the national flower of Zimbabwe—the gloriosa lily—as well as another native bloom, the bird of paradise. The palette provided a vibrant environment for guests to gather as they checked in, with marimba players providing music while traditional barbecued chicken and Mazoe (a beloved orange soda from the South African country) satiated any hungry and thirsty guests—as well as a selection of fruit-infused waters, wine, beer, and Pimms.
Rhea’s wedding planning initially focused on her civil ceremony, as she developed the theme early on—long before a venue was finalized. Day one would celebrate her love of literature (and Pravin!), beginning with a ceremony in the walled garden at sunset. Rhea loves design, and put a lot of work into how this event would look. Focusing on American Literature of the 1920s, she developed a color palette of opulent gold, romantic burgundy, and pearl white.
Thoughtful details were in abundance for the entire celebration. A Great Gatsby book was left in each guest’s room, with a bookmark stating the passcode to use at the entrance of their speakeasy-style after-party. Mini bottles of “moonshine” (in reality, Patron tequila) were placed atop the books.
For the dinner itself, tables were named after authors, and each guest received a personalized quote about love taken from that particular author’s work. To add in period-appropriate decor, gramophones decorated the space, and champagne coupes (instead of flutes) were on hand for sipping bubbly.
“Our florist was a magician and worked with shades of deep reds and pinks cascading over the tables as well as an incredible curved flower wall that we used for a photo booth as well as the altar for our main ceremony. The dinner was canopied with fairy lights which made such a magical atmosphere. We finished dinner at around 11 p.m. and moved into a ballroom decorated as a speakeasy for the rest of the partying.” —Rhea, bride
The next day, after the family joined together for prayers in the Royal Suite, it was time to start the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony. Pravin chose a tuktuk as his form of transportation during the baraat, as a way to bring India to the English countryside. Smoke bombs added to the high energy and colorful nature of the ritual, in homage to how Holi is celebrated with a beautiful display of color thrown around.
Guests were further transported when Rhea decided to “bring the beach to Hampshire” via a color palette of brilliant blues, a mirrored aisle that reflected the sky, and coconuts stamped with the couple’s logo to give a tropical island feel. An additional 80 guests joined for the festivities on day two, gathering in the pavilion where the couple stood under a one-of-a-kind mandap. Using this part of the hotel meant the couple could create whatever kind of space they wanted, with shelter and shade from trees surrounding them. The bride stayed further shaded for her walk down the aisle, thanks to a floral-covered parasol (symbolizing family and love) held by her brother, who escorted her to Pravin.
“I enjoyed contrasting the cool tones of blue and silver with the warm tones of red and gold the previous evening. Our florist created the most beautiful ombre aisle and mandap which was breathtaking.” —Rhea, bride
For cocktail hour, guests moved to the ballroom terrace where they watched the sunset next to a beautiful tree created for the occasion within a circular, mirrored bar. The ballroom had open seating for dinner, with an incredible canopy of 10,000 delphinium flowers hanging over the dance floor.
Entertainment was a key component of the weekend, and Matthew carefully sourced specific specialty entertainers to enhance each event. In the instance of Rhea and Pravin’s events, many options were presented to the couple and several were selected to perform, with each act working with the event’s theme. For the first night, they tapped a singer with a jazzy tone to her voice, which blended beautifully into the 1920s theme. Meanwhile, the reception’s singer performed a mix of Hindi and English music. Specialty entertainment was part of the equation too, from stilt walkers to a typewriter poet to people covered in pieces of mirrors to even their favorite performer Navin Kundra. Each celebration was entertaining and memorable.
Each of the couple’s countryside wedding weekend events called for their own dress codes, with day one event’s calling for black tie, and the Indian ceremony and reception calling for Indian formalwear. Rhea chose a bespoke Zuhair Murad dress and veil for day one, which miraculously survived the devastating blast that affected the company’s Beirut headquarters. Red Christian Louboutin pumps and diamond jewelry rounded out her ensemble. Pravin sported a tuxedo designed and tailored by an expert on Savile Row in London.
On day two, the bride opted for a custom yellow lehenga by Manish Malhotra, which was designed over WhatsApp due to travel restrictions limiting Rhea’s access to India. While not a traditional bridal color, the cheerful yellow fabric reminded Rhea of the sun and happiness, which kickstarted the custom process. Sketches and swatches were sent to and from London and Mumbai, and a design was finalized, and paired with Jimmy Choo sandals in the same sunny shade.
She later changed into a second outfit, also by Manish Malholtra, for the reception. Pravin put on a dinner jacket and bowtie after donning a Guarav Gupta ensemble for the ceremony.
A wedding website had everything the guests needed for each event: the location, the theme, the dress code, and the itinerary. And Matthew guided the couple to identify their main goal for each of the events and how they wanted their guests to feel, so that the design of each was unique. Guests were taken on a journey over the span of the weekend, spotlighting Rhea’s background, the couple’s life in the UK, their love of literature, the beauty of the English countryside, and the traditions of an Indian wedding.
“It all goes so quickly. Embrace the culture of these events, and try your hardest to enjoy every single moment, of not only the planning but also the events too. Work together with your families, and communicate with each other so there is no uncertainty or surprises during the process.” —Matthew Oliver, planner
“I wanted to make sure the guests had fun, were always with a drink in their hand, and that the event production looked beautiful. It was lovely as different friends got to meet and build their own bonds. Everyone got to know each other more over the course of the weekend and it was fun to change up the aesthetic and styles for each event.” —Rhea, bride
