What do you do when your jaw hits the floor? You pick it up, piece it back together and start writing up the wedding that caused all of this š. Thereās something about being able to write about weddings that makes me so darn happy. Nothing makes me happier. Well food can but hey, weddings have that as well so thatās two birds with one stone š.
Todayās stunning couple is probably one who needs no introduction. This bride blew up my inbox and let me tell you, I always know why š. Women and clothes go hand in hand and every time a bride steps out in something as dazzling as what youāll see today, my inbox gets flooded. Something that caught my eye since Iāve started blogging is how you meet two kinds of people. People who never hold back with compliments and the latter who probably think it but probably donāt share it. Well, todayās bride brought up the former. I had so many people writing in complimenting her choice of outfits and I always choose to share a few of it my brideās way. Nothing leaves a spring in my step more than a compliment so why not share the joy š„°?
Readers of Epo Kalyanam, meet our stunning duo of today; Riya and Antony. For their engagement, Riya was a vision in this stunning traditional attire from NC Santhanam Silks, Chennai . Riya headed onto this store on a special recommendation from Osman Abdul Razak of Gabana Life. And clearly, when a man with such exquisite taste recommends, the results will be worth it šŖ.
Every bride has a different process to planning out their big days. Some start with the jewellery while others pick out the ensemble first and then the rest falls in place but our belle went a different route. She had the dĆ©cor pieced out in her mind and wanted their ensembles to fall in place with it. It really is interesting how every bride is different and I love being able to see their unique processes unwind ā¤ļø.
Setting her heart on red, Riya headed out in search of the perfect one besides Antony š(old pun but still a classic one š) but nothing caught her eye in this colour palette. Although what did, was this beautiful pale golden sunshine hued kancheepuram silk sari with a sliver of a green border.
Coincidentally, our stunner has always had a penchant for green and the border was the icing on the cake. Riya had already her heart set on wanting to wear āsomething greenā for her jewellery choice. I guess when itās meant to be, itās meant to be š„!
Bringing her deams to life was this breathtaking kundan choker designed to perfection by Asha Mattathil of MOD, Kochi. This choker kundan necklace was done on special insistence by the designer herself who insisted on harmonizing the kancheepuram sari with baubles of the more modern route than the traditional ones that are usually paired with sari ensembles.
Planning a wedding can be a daunting task. There are numerous decisions to make and sometimes it can get to be a little overwhelming. Trust me, Iāve been there š¶! So remember to take your time, consider at least a few different options and vendors. Feel them out to see if theyāre a good fit or not and the rest will fall in place.
When it comes to choosing your MUA, your big day might seem a little more daunting than usual. But look no further, our gorgeous herself will inspire you with how she looked and who she chose for her D day. Glamming Riya up, were the famous, talented hands of Jolly Hollywood Saloon who definitely doesnāt disappoint.
Now the dĆ©cor is not just about a thoughtful color scheme and carefully arranged flowers. How you plan out your dĆ©cor accentuates the venue and sets the entire feel of this day. When it comes to planning for such an important event in your life, it doesnāt hurt to get a lil help. Be it from the internet or from professionals šŖ.
And when it comes to planning out big days, nothing beats PINTEREST to start out with. Remember, a well thought out event comes out from a well thought out search on the internet. Our stunner got inspired from a picture she came across of a rustic backdrop lit with lamps and it immediately struck her that a delicately lit vivid bronze backdrop would make their ensembles pop. If my brides keep this up, a lot of event planners are going to be scrambling , I tell you š.
A well-deserved shout out to Unicorn Wedding Planners, Kochi who kicked the ball out of the park with this meticulously done dƩcor. Riya was all praises for this talented team who paid attention to even the minutest detail and what you get is this breathtaking picturesque dƩcor to make your special day more special.
Letās not forget, your special day isnāt complete without your special half and Riyaās special half was dapper-ed up to match his beautiful wife-to-be in a classy silk beige kurta courtesy of Gabanna Life, Chennai. Now, Osman Abdul Razak needs no further introduction. From dressing up the stars to making you look like one, heās your go-to-man if youāre a groom whose on the lookout for building a look rather than just getting an outfit. Grooms of today are really stepping up their game, arenāt they š¤©?
One of the hardest things about what I do is doing justice to ensembles while I write about them. Riyaās wedding ensemble is one that catches your attention while leaving you a lil spellbound š. I love how every bride bowls me over with their stunning taste for their D days.
Leaving everyoneās heart skipping a beat, was our bride stepping out in this unique iridescent 6 yards of pure elegance. A rich blend of intricate embroidery and sparkling hues of silver and white is what makes this gorgeous little number so hard to describe. The icing on the cake is the heavily embellished blouse that really just adds to the whole vision in white look. Iām pretty sure nobody could take their eyes of our belle and honesty who can blame them ā¤ļø.
Labelām definitely deserves a round of applause for this stunning creation. What really caught my eye was the story behind this ensembleās creation. If you have an eye for detail, youāll see that Riyaās stunning neckpiece is in perfect harmony with her wedding sari which is a rare feat but quite possible. This unique number was build off the design of her gorgeous baubles that Riya picked out. A sari to match no other and yet to match you.
Everything about our stunnerās look deserves a shout out and nobody loves going into the deets, more than I do š. What a lot of brides forget is that the bridal jewellery is the finishing touch to your overall look but is so often an overthought. But in this instance, it was the starting touch and it really pays off.
Have I mentioned enough that our stunner is a woman with taste? What happens when someone with such unique taste meets a jewellery designer who gets you? Might make it easier if I show you a picture of her stunning baubles š·. Keen on wanting a diamond neckpiece, every jewellery store in Kochi was visited but none won her over. Stepping up was Kirthilals Diamond Jewellery, Kochi creating this breathtaking neckpiece comprising of diamonds with a gorgeous array of rose gold and gold flowers. The earrings were done specially on request as well completing our brideās dream of the perfect bridal jewellery.
Sometimes, photos just donāt do justice but sometimes they do. Capturing Riyaās and Antonyās special big day were the talented folks at Weva Photography, Kochi and Jackson James Photography, Kochi who needs no further introduction as well. Do not forget to check out Wevaās stunning encapsulation of their big days. You can thank me later š.
And not to forget our stunnerās gorgeous makeup. Done by a man who needs no further introduction in the wedding realm. If youāre a bride whose on the lookout for an MUA who knows what heās doing without going overboard, then Aneez Ansari needs to be your go-to-man. Again, since Iām asked this a lot. No one. Absolutely no one is paying me to sing praises. I donāt mind some baked goodies though. The only way to win me over is food pee-pahl š.
One cannot talk about all the lovely elements to a wedding without the dapper boy to complete the bride. Thereās nothing like a well-dressed groom and nothing hits the nail on the head than the classic black suit that falls right into the dapper category. Dapper-ed up to style was Antony in this classic black suit paired with a contrast white shirt and silver tie from Kim, India. As a rule, when it comes to styling your wedding suit, remember a little goes a long way and this is how you do it š„.
Iāve always found it easier to put my thoughts into words. Its one of the few things I take great pride about in myself. That and my insatiable appetite although that isnāt a life skill. Itās just pure gluttony š. My point being despite finding words easier, I do struggle sometimes. For instance, right here. Riya and Antonyās wedding dĆ©cor is one that leaves you star struck and and the impeccable attention paid to every element leaves me wanting to get married all over again. Well, one can wish š. For all you to-be bridezillaās, take notes š and perhaps head straight to Unicorn Wedding Planners, Kochi. These folks know what theyāre doing.
Now if yāall thought, can it get more stunning than this? Let me tell you, it does š. To celebrate their love and union with their family and friends, a cocktail night was held to dance away the night. This gorgeous number worn by Riya was done by the talented sister trio at T & M, Kochi in the shortest time possible and just for that they deserve a special shout out.
The stunning baubles worn by our belle are courtesy of Malabar Gold and Diamonds, Kochi. Fun fact about this stunning neckpiece was that it was bought way before the function and her entire outfit was customized to suit this particular neckpiece. There truly is no right or wrong way to go about planning your D day. Jewellery first and then outfit or dƩcor first and then outfits. Remember, the key is never in the order. It always is in going with your gut so if you come across something that is unique and catches your eye, buy it and the occasion to style it will fall into place.
If our bride looks this stunning, you can betcha so does our man of the hour. Antony chose to follow the black tie dress code in this sharp, solid black tux paired with the classic white shirt and black bow tie combination. You just canāt go wrong in tux, can you?
Clearly by now you know, their dĆ©cor is one that will leave you breathless again š¤©. I sure canāt stop fawning over the details. Whimsical meets fairy land dĆ©cor is how Iād put. Look for yourselves yāall ā¤ļø.
Speaking of whimsical, I cannot not talk about weddings without my most favorite bit ā COUPLE FACT. Marriage and its nuances are so different with every couple and there’s always something to learn from each and every one of my Epo Kalyanam couples. Now, the million dollar question is “how do you know someoneās the one”? Especially, in an arranged marriage!
Everyone wants to find that perfect person ā a partner for a lifetime who will share your world and love. And while you perhaps, might rightly say there is no perfect person, there certainly is a right person. In this day and generation, the subject of arranged marriages has come into much debate and contemplation. After all, how do you know when the person in front of you is a complete stranger to start with? You follow your gut. While thatās easier said than done, its quite how a lot of things in our lives roll out. We calm the butterflies and look at the bigger picture.
Riya mentioned how apprehensive she was about going down the arranged marriage route but one meeting with Antony, took away those butterflies and made way for some calmness.
I always love meeting a fellow overthinker. It reminds me of how human I am and it also reminds me of how sometimes going with our gut and following our heart sometimes leads to the best decision you can ever take. In a marriage, the key is always listening to to your heart and also to the other person. How else will you know otherwise š¤? Listening closely got Riya to see a man who lets her be without any inhabitations and someone who wears his heart on his sleeve and the rest fell into place š. To quote the bride herself āin essence, there is a sense of comfort and home for me in himā. It cannot be said any better than that folks ā¤ļø!
And as always, if you have any questions for me regarding this post or otherwise, you know what to do š. Donāt forget to show us some love on our Instagram handle 
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ā¤ļø,
Elza
Epo Kalyanam 