Devika Narain

Jan 5

Jan 5 RHEA + DAVID

THE WEDDING

We've been to The Leela in Udaipur over a dozen times, yet it retains for us a sense of wonder and enchantment. We've watched their courtyard filled with colour, covered up and hidden - which is why we decided to work with a palette that celebrated its architecture..

The Leela Courtyard aptly named ‘Rangmanch’ is truly theatrical. The black and white chequered floor and bold stripes contrast the sandstone façade. A medley of waterbodies come together to form the grand stage which is the perfect location for a wedding ceremony.

The evening was a brilliant contemporary take on royal, classic in colour, yet bold in form and plan.

I'll never forget the first time we made an all white mandap! Designed to compliment the turquoise lagoon behind it, the bride and groom conspired with us and matched their cream and gold outfits to it - the most unique and rebellious design we'd ever made! An evening before the wedding the groom's father called me hysterically saying you don't have a white mandap for a Gujarati wedding - madness ensued- he sent some gold matkas to be placed at the corners - the groom made me paint those off white and after much chaos I added some pink flowers at the base and ombre chair backs.
The groom's father today is one of our strongest champions.
The tradition of the white mandap continues and is now a DNC favorite.

The mandap became the centre of the entire setting. Set within a water body, entirely filled the most exquisite desi gulab from Ajmer – so much so that you couldn’t even see the water- A vision in white, accented by gold kaliras that always hold a special place in a Punjabi wedding.

Colour, often is the single most transformative element in a space. Our base palette of cream and gold was painted over with a stroke of red to compliment the brides outfit. It reverbed in the cushions, candle ware and flowers and instantly made them pop in the evening.
Our task for was to bring the different spaces together and create a venue that felt cohesive, yet light and airy. Thousands of metres of fabric was block printed to create a ceiling above the gardens, that danced away in the cool winter breeze.