Real Wedding Chanthiya & Dan in south of France
Over a year ago, we had the immense pleasure of organizing the wedding of C&D. A multicultural, modern, and colorful wedding that left us with beautiful memories! So, we wanted to revisit this union on our blog 😉
The Preparations
So, we had several months to organize the multicultural union of Chanthiya, a Swiss of Sri Lankan origin, and Dan, an Englishman. It’s also important to note that this was a destination wedding (link to blog). The couple lives in Switzerland, but they have a deep love for France, especially the Provence region, so they decided to unite near Avignon.
We thoroughly enjoyed working with C&D during our various exchanges. Always cheerful, the preparations progressed quickly, with incredible ideas naturally emerging as we discussed the details!
What we loved: C&D had distinct tastes when it came to decoration. Whether it was the colors, style, materials, visuals… everything was chosen meticulously for a perfect harmony!
Inspirations
Chanthiya wanted a colorful and modern wedding while honoring her origins. To achieve this, we focused on a vibrant and floral decoration. Yes, you read that right, take a look at the photos 😉. Citrus fruits added a lot of cheerfulness and color to the tables. It’s an excellent way to infuse your table with character and originality.
The bride didn’t wear just one or two dresses, but three different ones! This allowed us to have fun with the wedding’s color scheme. Each significant moment of the wedding had its own decoration, while still maintaining a cohesive theme, and I believe the photos can attest to that 🙂
Ceremonies
During their wedding C&D performed a Hindu ceremony with many traditions:
– Kanya Thaanam: This ritual literally translates to “gift of the young girl.” It is a symbolic act where parents give their blessings and entrust the responsibility of their daughter to her future husband. The Kanya Thaanam takes place during the Hindu wedding ceremony and occurs at a specific point in the ceremony, usually before the “Saptapadi” ceremony. The bride’s father places his daughter’s right hand into the groom’s right hand, symbolizing the transfer of the daughter’s responsibility from the paternal family to the groom’s family. This also represents the parents’ trust in the future husband to take care of their daughter.
– Thali: This is an important step in a Hindu wedding. The Thali is a golden necklace, often seen as an “equivalent” to wedding rings. The priest presents the Thali to the groom, who then places it around the bride’s neck. To secure this traditional necklace, the groom ties three knots while placing saffron, chandanam (white sandalwood powder), and koumkouman (turmeric powder) on it. At this moment, close relatives of the couple shower them with saffron-infused rice mixed with flower petals. It’s safe to say that this moment is truly magical!
– Aru Arisi (Blessing of the Rice): During this ritual, also known as the “blessing of the rice,” the priest or officiant blesses a pile of uncooked rice through prayers and mantras. This rice is considered sacred and symbolizes food, prosperity, and abundance. The spouses stand facing each other and exchange handfuls of blessed rice. This symbolizes their commitment to share their life, prosperity, and sustenance together. After the rice exchange and blessing, it’s customary for the couple’s close ones, including family and friends, to throw blessed rice on them, symbolizing their wishes for prosperity, happiness, and fertility for the couple.
The Entertainment
For their celebrations, C&D opted for various entertainment options:
– An ice cream stand: The couple loves ice cream, and they wanted to offer this stand to refresh their guests (and, between us, the ice cream was really delicious!)
– Chanthiya hails from Sri Lanka and wanted to have an Appam stand. Appam is a type of soft, bowl-shaped pancake often served with various toppings, such as vegetable curry, chicken curry, or sweet toppings like sugar and grated coconut.
– A cotton candy stand: For the Welcome Dinner, Dan wanted a cotton candy stand, and it was a big hit. Both young and old indulged and relived their childhood!
– A live music group: We’re used to seeing music bands at cocktail hours or dance parties, but here, they played during the ceremony, which added a deeply emotional dimension. Get ready for a few tears, so remember to have your tissues handy :’)
The vendors
– Venue: Domaine de Blanchefleur
– Photo: Soozana Pvan
– Video: Julien Polo
– Flowers: Marion Gama Events
– Make up: Madusha
– Wedding Planner & Design: Les Coins Heureux
And if you’d like to know even more about this wedding, we’re fortunate to have been featured on the well-known Rock My Wedding blog! So, click here for even more details and photos 😉
