Sabrina & Alex - Belgrade, Serbia
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sabrina and Alex live in London, but when the time came to say their vows, both had their hearts set on Serbia (Alex's birthplace). More than 200 guests flew in from all over the world to attend this lovely couple's wedding, and if memory serves, more than 24 countries were represented. The ceremony took place at the breathtaking
Serbian Orthodox Saborna Church in Belgrade, which was built in 1840 and is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Serbia. After the ceremony, guests made their way to the dramatic fortress of
Kalemegdan, which was rebuilt in the year 535.
Sabrina's spectacular custom
Vera Wang dress was hand-flown (by the groom) from New York to London, and then from London to Serbia. It would be an understatement to say that this gorgeous dress required its own seat on the plane. Sabrina was truly a princess for her wedding to her prince.
Sabrina and Alex had planned a lavish antique fairytale theme for their wedding, complete with magical decor (think European fairytales of yore, not Snow White). But this wonderful couple's grand decor plans were thwarted by over-zealous border agents and customs personnel. A huge truck full of decor made its way down from London, only to be stopped at the border and refused entry. The truck driver also was put into a holding tank for no good reason, and was eventually let out on Sunday (after the wedding). As we all sat at the airport on Monday waiting for our flight home, so, too, did all the beautiful peonies and other flowers that had been flown in from Holland . . . only to be refused entry by airport customs.
Truly, I have never seen anyone work as hard as world-class floral designer Andrew Devonport and the team from London's
Wild About, and coordinator Susan Smith from
Smith and Niemierko, also based in London. I don't think any of these people slept for the first three days, as their sole mission in life became getting the truck / flowers into the country. After days of frustration, the team ultimately went on a massive scavenger hunt throughout Belgrade to try to put something together. They came through in a big way, but those of us in the know were still very sad that the original flowers and decor were refused entry. In all my years of working with weddings, I've never seen people work harder under worse circumstances.
The wedding was glorious despite the decor snafu, and I was so happy to be a part of such a wonderful celebration. Sabrina and Alex, thanks so much for finding me, and for including me (and my talented colleague
Rebecca Bouck) in your wedding. I hope your honeymoon was amazing.
Labels: Destinations, Weddings
Posted by Dina Douglass [+]
Andrea & Andres - Cartegena, Colombia
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Andrea and Andres were married in the magical city of Cartegena, Colombia. We didn't get a chance to meet until we all arrived in Colombia, but I of course adored them both. The heat and humidity were incredible, but the lavish black-tie event helped everyone forget the weather. The ceremony took place at Santo Domingo Church, which was the most beautiful church I've ever seen. The reception took place in Teatro Heredia, which was astonishing in its grandeur. Colombians (and New Yorkers) know how to party into the wee small hours, so it's no surprise that their reception didn't end until about 6 a.m. More details (and vendor links) on this fabulous wedding in a week's time, as I'm just setting off for Serbia and don't have all the information. Just wanted to get this blog posting up before I hopped on a plane. Andrea and Andres, thanks for including us in such a wonderful part of your lives. We had a fabulous time at the wedding and at the day-after session, and the post-day-after-session mojitos and conversation were a true highlight. I hope you had a great honeymoon.
Labels: Destinations, Weddings
Posted by Dina Douglass [+]
Tara & Raj - Udaipur, India (Part 2)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Now that I've gotten through all the images from Tara & Raj's wedding, it's clear that I'll need three posts to properly share this spectacular set of events. Behold Part 2 -- The Wedding & Reception.
Tara and Raj began their wedding day preparations at the world-famous
Lake Palace Hotel -- a floating palace on beautiful Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India. Considered by many to be the most romantic hotel in the world, this exclusive property is only accessible by private boat, and you cannot even visit this hotel if you are not staying there. Thankfully, Tara was able to get special permission for my team and I to visit the hotel and shoot on its grounds. (We actually arrived just as the President of the Maldives was preparing to leave by boat.)
The baraat -- featuring camels and an elephant -- took place on the Promenade just oustide the City Palace, and Raj and his family then took boats over to stunning Jag Mandir Palace Island, where the wedding took place. Built sometime around 1622, with structures made of sandstone, Jag Mandir has served as a home for royalty as well as a place of refuge for those in exile. Raj's entrance was welcomed by fire blowers and an extensive fireworks display, much to the delight of the guests. Despite the unseasonably freezing weather, everyone loved the beautiful and heartfelt ceremony, which concluded with champagne for everyone and yet another dazzling fireworks display. Tara was carried out in a doli, and then she and Raj took some time alone on a boat out on the dark, quiet water.
The reception was fabulous, and everyone braved the cold to dance into the evening. Tara's outfit was stunning,
DJ Amlan rocked the house, Rajasthani dancers entertained the crowd, and a light-up dance floor added a fun shock of color to the peacock-themed reception. (For a complete list of vendors, see my first post upon return from India.)
Be sure to check back soon for the third and final installment: Portraits at the Udaivilas, the No. 1 hotel in the world.
Labels: Destinations, IndianWeddings, Weddings
Posted by Dina Douglass [+]
Tara & Raj - Udaipur, India (Part I)
Monday, March 10, 2008
The wedding of Tara and Raj was breathtaking, with four events spread over three very cold days in beautiful Udaipur, located in the state of Rajasthan, India. Known for its Rajput-era palaces and nicknamed "The City of Lakes," Udaipur was made famous in the James Bond film "Octopussy." It also boasts some of the most lavish hotels and event venues in the world.
The talented
Christine Marie photographed the events with me, and I will forever be grateful for her willingness to travel halfway around the world to contribute her artistry to this stylish couple's wedding. She's one of the most talented photographers I know, and a good friend. So to Christine, Thank You, from the bottom of my heart.
I can't seem to find a way to blog this unique wedding with just one post, so I'll start with the Menhdi and Sangeet. The Menhdi took place at Shiv Niwas, and featured a traditional Indian bazaar theme, complete with hundreds of puppets hanging from silk fabric panels. As the women got their menhdi done (and Tara's menhdi was the best I've ever seen -- courtesty Sangeeta Shah out of Mumbai), I couldn't help but laugh as Raj spent nearly an hour attempting to fly a small kite just outside the gates of the Maharana of Udaipur's palace. A snake charmer -- complete with two cobras -- added to the event's charm.
The evening's Sangeet was a masquerade ball featuring an amazing performance by
Prem Joshua, the top-selling world musician in India. Born in Germany, this talented multi-instrumentalist and vocalist has released 14 albums, and everyone found themselves in awe while he and his band played. The party took place at the Zanana Mehal in the City Palace Complex, where Tara and Raj were greeted by torches, a 20-piece band (complete with bagpipes), girls throwing rose petals, and horn blowers on horseback. The banquet featured so many different dishes that people had to make four trips just to sample everything. Once Prem Joshua finished his set,
DJ Amlan spun the crowd into a dancing frenzy.
Next up: The Wedding. Be sure to check back in a day or two.
Labels: Destinations, IndianWeddings, Weddings
Posted by Dina Douglass [+]
