A Traditional, Yet Modern South Indian Wedding by The Doli Diary at The Leela Kovalam

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Weddings | July 31, 2017 | News

The Doli Diary The Leela Kovalam Jodi Clickers Karthick Iyer and Band

The Doli Diary headed by Neha Wadhawan and Jinal Patel, wedding planners who combine modern-day aesthetic with traditional Indian culture, striking a gorgeous equilibrium between both, is a young and vibrant company which believes in making the entire wedding experience count. A great example of this was a recent wedding at The Leela in Kovalam.

When Priyanka Shenoy (the bride) met Neha and Jinal, she knew they were the right people to plan and execute her destination wedding. Partners and vendors who came on board included Jodi Clickers for Photography and Plushpalette for the outfits of the Bride and Groom; and Aryan as the artist for the Beach Function.

A Nadaswaram band from Bangalore was called to perform at the functions and Karthick Iyer and Band performed at the evening dinner in the Chess Park. This was the perfect start to the wedding under a ceiling of bulbs and the voice of the sea in the background. The Sangeet too, was like no other. The Kathakali-themed bar, overflowing cocktails, live music and the fairy lights merged to create this beautiful South Indian wedding.

Décor highlights at the wedding included the Sunflower Entry of the Bride and Groom, Chess Park Fairy Tunnel and Bulb Hangings, the Kathakali Bar for the Sangeet, and the wedding Mandap, full of South Indian flowers.

On planning the wedding, Neha and Jinal, Co-founders, The Doli Diary remarked, “This wedding was by far the most heartfelt and beautiful wedding we have executed. The couple trusted us completely from day 1 and gave us their exact vision of the wedding. It was very clear what they wanted and we were happy to give that to them and more. Since Leela Kovallam is a property we have worked many times at and the hotel is always a pleasure to work with we did not face any challenges and the wedding went on in an extremely smooth fashion. The smallest of details right from fans during the baraat or post party snack or even mundoo tying instruction cards for south indian lunch were taken care of, as they say god is in the details.”

An Indian wedding is incomplete without flowers. Clients Priyanka and Prasann had envisioned exactly what look they were going for in terms of décor. While the classic marigold adorned most of the wedding backdrops, sunflowers were used as photo props and décor elements.

The trademark used for all celebrations was the couples’ signature PHeartP installations, which was present in every function and was dressed up differently each time, sometimes covered in flowers and sometimes in-lit. As per the theme, every function had its own PHeartP installation.

This wedding kept in mind the essence of family and culture, which was reflected in the décor and even the location. They made sure that the wedding, however modern, still had numerous traditional aspects to it.

The Leela in Kovalam was chosen as the destination, as it resonated perfectly with the couple’s South Indian heritage. The Leela – Kovallam is currently one of the most sought after destination wedding hotels in India, it blue skies, palm trees and the tranquil backwaters make for the perfect relaxed and romantic atmosphere, Priyanka (the bride) had in mind for her wedding.

Shrijth R, Director of Sales, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts remarked, “The Leela Kovallam is a perfect venue for Indian weddings because it not only has breath taking views from almost anywhere in the property, it also has apt venues like the beach or the pandal for sadhya meals which ensures the perfect balance between traditional and modern day weddings. The venue was apt for Priyanka and Prassans wedding as it could offer a different picturesque place for each of their functions be it a pool-side location overlooking the ocean or the cozy dinner at the Chess Park or even the most talked about traditional Sadhya lunch following the wedding.”

Weddings are usually about fun and grandeur in India, but The Doli Diary ensured that this wedding was all that and much more by putting in love, warmth and tradition into every aspect of it. It was important to them to ensure the utmost comfort of the guests – something which usually does get overlooked in planning your big day. Not only did the families have the time of their lives, but even the guests took away their own bit of sweet memories.

All in all, Neha Wadhawan and Jinal Patel of ‘The Doli Diary’ managed to quirk up the wedding with the little details but stayed true to the traditional ties in the big picture.