By: Ritika Pujara
Influencers, rather, love birds Alanna Panday and Ivor McCray’s nuptials were a utopian fusion between India and Italy, collated by designer Ambika Gupta, founder of The A-Cube Project.
Just like the morning sun kisses you gently on the streets of Italy, the Haldi on the couple’s skin reminisced their warm days in the country. While the duo themselves were drowning in love of their heritage, Ambika had lovingly carved a picturesque of Italy at the venue, Panday’s Pali Hill abode in Mumbai and titled it ‘Piazza Del Mercato’ which translates to Market Square in English.
Integrating the couple’s memories with design elements to recreate a beautiful moment was Ambika’s primary intention. Let me transport you to this dreamy setting.
How many flowers are too many flowers?
One can never get tired of looking at flowers and Panday’s Paradise was overflowing with delicate blossoms. The entrance foyer was a walk down the memory lane where refurbished Italian chairs and hand-woven tote bags transported guests to the streets of Italy. Interestingly, the beautifully crafted Italian buntings were a gift from Purkal Stree Shakti NGO that added a personal touch with the paw prints and avocado images.
In love people create their own paradise, one that is concealed from the world; a magic that is visible to none but felt by ‘the one’ and Ambika brought this dream to reality. Every nook and corner of the home is adorned with interesting take-aways deeply integrated with the couple’s memories. While bringing this feeling to life was a challenging task, the designer’s determination and skill established her passion towards delivering more than what the client expects.
One of the walls of the venue was swathed with shelves holding Kashi goodies for guests to fill up in a tote bag and create customized gifts for themselves. The couple’s floral love was highlighted with a personal Italian flower shop at the wedding that was specifically created for the guests to pick their own flower combinations.
The Haldi Procession was followed by an intimate family brunch inspired by a farmer’s market. The diners were served a three-course meal by Sage & Saffron along with a gelato cart for unlimited delicacy!
A ‘Roman’tic fantasy
After stalling through the streets of Italy, it was finally time to visit the capital to tie the knots.
For their special day, the couple wanted to be surrounded by nature and thus suggested a ‘white enchanted forest’ theme which was executed beautifully at the Grand Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai.
The entrance foyer was permeated with lush greens spreading across the room in a fashion that directed all eyes towards the stage. Connecting the passage plants with the main stage was an enchanting mirror flooring that reflected the greenery to represent a stagnant stream of river.
Behind the main seating were golden arches with rich foliage paper and hanging birds to reinforce the idea of a misty forest. The addition of the bride and groom’s white outfits along with the fog in background brought it all home.
