Sorrento’s Charm: A Seaside Hindu Ceremony in Italy
Rishi and Pallavi are a young couple from Chicago who dreamed of having a destination wedding in Italy. They had already visited Italy a couple of times in the past and fell in love with our beautiful country. On the other hand, they did not want to give up the traditions of their wedding, especially being a couple with strong ties with their family. Such strong ties that they delegated to their parents both the choice of the seaside wedding venue and almost the entire planning of their Hindu ceremony in Italy.
However, it is known that parents only want the best for their children. Rishi and Pallavi’s parents could not have made a better choice than a magnificent villa overlooking the sea in Sorrento. The newlyweds themselves as soon as they set foot in this Villa for their wedding and admired that breathtaking view, and those open spaces that give you the impression of touching the sea and the sky with a finger, were ecstatic.
In fact, their seaside Hindu ceremony in Italy could not have had a better setting than the highest and most panoramic part of the garden. It has a 180° view of the sea of the Sorrento peninsula, with Capri on one side and the Gulf of Naples with the majestic Vesuvius on the other. To emphasize this intense blue, they chose a total white theme for their Mandap, with white fabrics and white wisteria branches hanging from the ceiling.
Everything was very candid, in contrast with the bride who wore a sparkling red lehenga that stood out and captured everyone’s attention.
Before the ceremony, there was the longest Baraat in our history. It took more than half an hour to walk just the 300 meters that separated the annex – where the groom’s family was – to the main Villa where the bride’s family was waiting for them, and where, once united, they continued to dance and rejoice uninterrupted. The groom chose a white (of course) Lamborghini for his Baraat. He didn’t want a Dhol player, but a roaring motorbike with a speaker attached to the back that preceded the parade. The idea of having a “mobile DJ station” along with the playlist perfect for the occasion, was much appreciated by the guests. They danced non-stop, first of which the groom – a great lover of music and a musician himself. He gave the photographers some incredible poses for their shots. Definitely a Baraat to remember!
The ceremony took place in this magnificent panoramic garden. Since it was mid-September and the area was all outdoors, we set up awnings to give shade and protect the guests from the sun. After the ceremony, a full Indian vegetarian lunch was served inside the glass veranda of the villa. The guests could finally enjoy the air conditioning on that hot day.
Gorgeous outdoor wedding reception on the sea
For the final reception, the entire setup was changed. Instead of the classic setup of the Villa with the cocktail hour outside and the dinner inside the glass veranda, we decided to have the entire event take place outdoors. The large garden was divided into sections. Firstly, we created a lounge area inside the veranda with colored lights and sofas. Then in the first part of the garden, the cocktail hour area was created. Food stalls, cocktail tables and live cooking corners set the perfect mood for the Italian style reception. The guests were entertained by the sweet music of a very talented electric violinist. In the central part of the garden, after various projects and studies of the spaces, we created the table setup with beautiful tall vases and white roses.
The newlyweds’ table was placed in a raised position, with a bright curtain of fairy lights and with many flowers and candles decorating the base and the table, which was the fulcrum of this setup and captured everyone’s attention.
Finally, in the final part of the garden we created the disco area. A stunning lighting setup with moving heads reflected on the sea and on the villa creating a perfect setting that illuminated the garden. All was completed by a strobe ball in the center of the dance floor as requested by the bride to recreate the effect of a real club.
To end in style, the groom had a wish of his own, that of having a Cannoli Tower as a wedding cake. The excellent pastry chef created for them and their almost 200 guests a gigantic tower of cannoli filled and assembled on the spot.
Needless to say, this setup left everyone speechless, and that the guests and the newlyweds had a lot of fun during this magnificent evening, for which we received many compliments, and we couldn’t help but be super happy.
