Real Wedding- Sabina and Michael, Mehndi Ceremony, Flamingo Beach

Jul 22

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I received a phone call one day from someone who wanted to plan a mehndi ceremony for his cousin, as a gift to his uncle for all the support he'd received over the years.

Great, I said. When is it?

In four weeks.

Silence on my end of the line. Yup. Four weeks to plan a mehndi ceremony for 120 people. Being someone who never backs down from a challenge, I said OK. And away we went...

The original plan had the entire to-do at a villa the family had rented. However, upon check in on Sunday, they decided to move locations, leaving me only a few days to find a spot in the Brasilito/Flamingo/Conchal area that could fit 120 people, a horse, fireworks, had electricity/water/bathrooms and was close-by Mar y Sol Restaurant in Flamingo and that the family approved of. Thanks to the help of the always awesome Jean-Luc Taulere, chef extraordinaire at Pangas and Mar y Sol, we set up on his beach volleyball court in front of his Coco Loco Beach Bar in Flamingo Beach. PERFECT!!

We went with a sunny and tropical colour palette, full of sunshiny yellow, fabulous fuchsia and awesome orange with touches of gold.

Chains of mums were strung to create a curtain behind the staging where the couple would receive their guests and wishes for a sweet marriage.

The bride's family provided everyone at the ceremony with traditional garb from Bangladesh, even the horse handler!

Asiatic lillies added a punch of colour to the cocktail tables set up on the beach.No detail is too small - here, we adorned the light-up bar with the couple's initials.Roses, orchids, Birds of Paradise, mums all combine to create a dramatic floral display.The groom and his men await the arrival of his bride-to-be.Here comes the bride, resplendent in traditional finery!!Guests place henna on the couple's faces, wishing them happiness together.Even the cake was a cultural experience, featuring decor reminiscent of traditional mehndi art.What better way to finish a colourful and exuberant mehndi celebration that with fabulous fireworks?!As challenges go, this was one of the biggest we've had due to the tight-timelines, locations and large number of people. However, we are pleased to report it was a massive success all around and the client - well, he had an ear-to-ear grin the entire night. Mission complete!Huge thanks to Comfort Studio for the fab photos!!