Devika Narain

Nov 26

Nov 26 ANIKA + NABEEL

Anika and Nabeel’s wedding is by far one of the most unique weddings we have designed. Originating from Dhaka, both have traveled and lived all over the world. For their wedding they wanted to invite their friends and introduce them to the rich cultural heritage of Bengal. We worked with local artisans and craftsmen and handcrafted a beautiful wedding for them in their many homes.

All images are copyrights of Devika Narain

Welcome Dinner: Private home, Dhaka

A mad twist on the Sunderbans, the dinner was a recreation of a forest- with neon and life-sized animals of course! Each detail was locally made -in fact, the walls masking the property were hand painted by a local artist.

All images are copyright of Devika Narain

Mehendi: Private home, Dhaka

I will never forget the first time I met Anika, it was past sunset and we met in a dimly lit hotel on Lodhi road in Delhi and in she walked with a giant blueprint. What unraveled was a home they were building outside of town, that we spent the next eight months transforming into a mehendi venue with her team. The function was spread over an entire day (the invitations were for noon and the last guest left post breakfast the next day!) and we wanted to create multiple moments of discovery for the guests. Each space was imagined differently, inspired by the venue, architecture, culture and personal preferences of the family.

The entrance imagined as a flower market led into a Mexican inspired pool lunch and a concert stage set for dinner. The tea garden was imagined as her favorite restaurant in India and the bridal area was an installation of over two thousand hand painted birds. Our favourite part of course were the surprise rooms- a room filled with marigolds, one using just prints, a perfumery and a curiosity corner.

Wedding: Senakunjo, Dhaka

The wedding venue was perhaps the largest venue we have ever designed. A magical Persian city inspired by Tresoldi’s grand structures was created for the reception. A dreamlike city of arches and fountains with floating birds stood over the three thousand guests as local artisans performed in a stage especially built for them. Dinner was laid out in a setting inspired by Persian gardens with large pomegranate trees and details fit for an emperor.