Real wedding: Garden paradise at Kew

Sneha and Farhaan scoured London before discovering paradise in Kew – the perfect backdrop for their elegant and contemporary Indian wedding celebration

Photography: Plenty to Declare Weddings

When Sneha and Farhaan began searching for a wedding venue they weren’t sure what they wanted, but the minute they visited Kew Gardens, they knew they had found the right place. Sneha says: “The venue had been something we struggled with. We weren’t sure what we were looking for so we spread our search to manor houses, halls and hotels – we must have looked at practically every venue in the south east! It wasn’t until we went to Kew that we felt this is where it can happen”.

Real wedding: Garden paradise wedding at Kew — A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kew has fabulous outdoor spaces and fine period buildings – when they visited Sneha and Farhaan knew instantly it had scope to create exactly the kind of celebration they wanted for their international guest list

The UNESCO World Heritage Site has a variety of fabulous spaces and the couple chose Kew’s Nash Conservatory for their service and the 18^th-century Orangery for the reception. With these light-filled backdrops, they were able to create an elegant and simple theme. Sneha says: “There had to be a nod to our Asian backgrounds, but with a contemporary feel”.

The lush flowers were created by Sophie King of The Bloomery, Twickenham, who combined traditional old roses and trailing carnations with late-summer exotics such as crocosmia, red hot pokers and dahlias. The same blending of traditions was in evidence for wedding entertainment, which included both mellow saxophone music and, later on, Indian dhol drummers from EvO Entertainment.

Real wedding: Paradise at Kew — For both Sneha and Farhaan, the moment they met for the service was a high point of the day – Sneha says all her worries about tripping up or something going wrong simply vanished

For Sneha and Farhaan, a high point of the day was the service. Sneha says: “There is one moment that I hold very close to me – the moment I saw Farhaan at the end of the aisle. I was very nervous before that for many reasons – tripping over my high heels, my hair coming undone, and so on. I know it sounds super cheesy, but as soon as I saw him, it’s like nothing else mattered. I literally only remember seeing him, and having the biggest sense of relief – like all the weight on my shoulders had just lifted away”.

Farhaan says: “Waiting at the end of the aisle felt like an eternity but when the music started and I managed to get a peek at Sneha past all our friends and family I realised that this was it! Seeing her in her wedding dress was an amazing moment I will never forget. Our first dance and then seeing all our friends and family on the dance floor was another special moment – especially with our traditional Indian drummers playing along to the music.

Their main advice to other brides and grooms is to get to know suppliers on a personal level, since they play a part in ensuring what you planned for your day comes together. The couple felt hugely supported by their team. Sneha says: “Kat Halls from Kew was an absolute star on the day – she really helped me to keep calm and made sure everything ran smoothly. Natalie Danielle my hair and makeup artist also helped to keep me sane! And also our photographers Daria and Marek from Plenty to Declare – hanging out with them was like being with friends”.

Sneha and Farhaan also recommend getting involved yourselves. The wedding website they created became the place to share plans for the day with guests. Other personal touches the couple created together – tablecards, placesettings and activity packs for young guests – took time but were hugely satisfying.

Sneha and Farhaan’s final tip is to relax and go with the flow. Sneha says: “Before you know it, the day will be over, so enjoy it as much as you can – don’t worry too much about other things”.