Boutique Festival Wedding with a Marigold Sky

January 15, 2024 Open the Door

We spent three days in the mountains, on a 20-acre meadowland amidst native cork tree forests and surreal panoramic views. 100 of our loved ones journeyed to the little village of Grazalema to be there with us. We wanted our guests to undergo a rebirth, forge new connections, we wanted them to have an experience like no other. We exchanged vows beneath a sky full of Marigolds, dined beneath the full moon and perseids showers, danced until the morning light - and it was imperfectly perfect.

Welcome to our love story

INDIAN PRE-WEDDING PARTY | Late to our own event

Our pre-wedding party celebrated my Indian heritage; Spicy aromatic flavours, vibrant colour, melodic music, dancing, embroidered fabrics. over the top jewels and our connection to nature.

But, a few hours before the wedding celebrations were due to start, Jose, my husband to be, fell ill and simultaneously a thunderstorm teased the summer sky. It was the 12th August, and the only thing we expected to show up in the sky that day were the Perseids meteor showers.

I sat in hair and makeup watching the sky grow darker. I knew Jose was having a bad time and I kept thinking - this wasn’t how it was meant to be.

Our friends and family tried to lift Jose’s spirits. The rain was falling hard outside now. Our guests had arrived earlier and were awaiting our arrival at the top of the mountain - I had pictured this moment in my mind for months, Jose and I greeting each one our guests with shiny smiles on our faces….

We managed to get Jose up and dressed and slowly began making our way up to the party, but our celebrant Ana stopped us all and performed an ancient rain-stopping ritual using a knife and fork to mark the ground.

Then something strange happened.

Just as we were ascending the hill to the beat of the dhol player’s rhythmic drum echoing through the mountains - the clouds parted making way for the sun.

We were greeted with cheers and an immense amount of joy from our guests, something more powerful than we’ve ever felt. It was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. Being swarmed in kisses and hugs from the most amazing humans. I turned to Jose and I could see he had recovered.

And the dancing started.

Photographer The Kitcheners (Scroll to the end for the full list of vendors)

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if i could relive any weekend forever - it would be this one

An Experiential Wedding | Nature, Music & Design

We envisioned our wedding day reflecting the things that matter to us, and incorporating these elements in a meaningful way so that they resonated with the laid-back sophisticated ambiance we wanted to cultivate.

Our deep love for music, art, thoughtful design, fashion, nature, gourmet food, local wine, intimacy and grandeur, were the inspiration for our event. The ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and party were each revealed at different phases of the evening, with the transitions through the breathtaking landscape intentionally planned to to deepen our experience of connection and immersion in nature.

The styling was an eclectic blend of Indian bohemia, including antique rugs from the Middle East, a hand-carved door from Morocco, and a skyline of hanging marigold flowers. The mood lighting, designed to complement the glow of the full moon, illuminated the landscape, adding to the ambiance. The attire of our bridal party and guests contributed to the vibrant vibe in our choses palette of warm, earthy shades.

My wedding gown was a vision in couture, tailored from fabric hand-embroidered in India and layered with gold silks. Our rings, bespoke and thoughtfully designed, were adorned with stones that resonated with me: Imperial topaz for it’s distinctive hue and zircon known as the oldest mineral on earth, each carrying its own timeless story.

I will always describe my wedding experience as perfectly imperfect. With my dress arriving only weeks before the wedding, too large and necessitating last-minute fittings on the morning of the wedding itself, getting married in the most stressful year for wedding industry professionals with the post pandemic backlog of events and my dad not being there… But, what I learned that despite things not going as you envision, all you can control is yourself, and what you want to focus on.

Thanks to my incredible team, who turned our wildest dreams into reality, we were able to focus mindfully on the experience. Throughout that weekend, I felt as though I was moving in a vast cloud of love, in harmony with everyone around me.

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