From being childhood friends to sealing the deal with a wedding with several meaningful touches, Sonam Babani and Neil Sanghvi’s relationship came a full circle. “Although Neil and I we were in school together, nothing happened until 7-8 years after our graduation. Three years later, we got engaged,” shares Sonam, the renowned fashion influencer behind @fashioneiress. Neil popped the big question to Sonam in the Maldives, which became a viral proposal on Instagram. He went down on a knee for her, and planned the moment in such a dreamy, romantic manner by the sea that it became the aspirational benchmark for girls all over the world.
The couple waited a long time for their big day as their wedding was originally planned in Bodrum, Turkey in 2020 which got cancelled due to the pandemic. “After our wedding got postponed twice due to the pandemic, I simply wanted my wedding in April 2022 to simply be breath-taking and sacred.”
The Venues
Sonam was on a skiing expedition with Neil in Zermatt when she chose the scenic car-free village to be her wedding venue. The couple fell in love with the place instantaneously, especially with the gorgeous pistes aka ski slopes. After a recce across every ski town including Gstaad, Verbier and Courchevel, their hearts continued to beat for Zermatt. The wedding was planned by Sonam and her events team, Tehiya Narvel Events from Switzerland over several months, with attention to every minute detail and to finesse in every department. The plan had to be created in such a way that the décor, the clothes and all the other production material were airlifted to the couple’s chosen location in a chopper days in advance as Zermatt is a car-free village. Chalet Zermatt Peak, Switzerland was finalised as the venue for the haldi and the wedding was hosted at Gornergrat. “Switzerland is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I always wanted a wedding with snow-capped mountains as a backdrop and what better than the beautiful Matterhorn for that! The whole idea was to make this an intimate affair, with a great location and a plan of action that includes everything the heart desires.”
The Experts
Celebrity photographer David Bastiononi from Italy and Hollywood videographer Alexander Ma from Los Angeles were got on board to pick the most scenic spots to click the bridal couple and capture their nuptials, making their wedding memories become the hallmarks of intimate, classy and emotionally-stirring moments in a couple and a family’s life.
The Haldi
“The haldi ceremony was held at the spa area at Chalet Zermatt Peak. It was the most colourful occasion. The theme for the pre-wedding event was delicate and traditional. We had lots of yellow blooms, which were accented with silver vases and butterflies.”
“Neil and I opted for Sabyasachi creations. Neil wore a navy blue kurta and I chose a velvet robe that featured large floral motifs. I matched the emerald robe with silver jewellery from Amrapali, along with Kolhapuri heels from Aprajita Toor.” Sonam chose a silver clutch by Amrapali to accessorise her haldi look.
The Pheras
April 5, 2022 was the big day. “The wedding was hosted at Gornergrat, which is at a height of 2,222 metres. The brief I gave my planners, Tehiya Narvel Events, is that I wanted my wedding to be out of this world. And it was… with Matterhorn as the backdrop and thousands of gypsies and roses that were flown in from Italy, Holland and South Africa,” Sonam revealed. The overarching theme for the wedding is classic.
The couple wore custom Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla outfits. “I always wanted an all-white lehenga. My blouse was crystal-embedded and the lehenga had resham work as patterns inspired by underwater life because Neil and I both love the Maldives.”
The Rehearsal Dinner
“Gold and gorgeous was the theme for the dinner,” reveals Sonam. The bride wore a custom black Versace lehenga with gold Versace Medusa print, along with emerald jewellery by L Sunderdas Zaveri. The lehenga was enhanced with zari embroidery and crystals on the blouse and band of the skirt.
“It was a really special outfit, which matched the vibe of the evening. We also did Versace-inspired tableware, complemented with lots of metallic touches, flowers and lace. The highlight was the speeches by friends and family. “It was very emotional,” says Sonam.
The Makeup
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration with an Indian influencer, the Charlotte Tilbury team was flown in from London for the bride’s makeup for all the events, courtesy of Nykaa. “Instead of an OTT bridal look, I went for soft romantic makeup for the pheras.” Charlotte Tilbury team did Sonam’s makeup, while Narciso Alfredo Sanchez from Dastan Zaremoradui’s Dastan, London was her hairstylist.
The Bride’s Checklist
The Photography: David Bastianoni Studio
The Videographer: Alexander Ma
Bridal Outfits: Versace, Sabyasachi and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla
Jewellery: Amrapali, L Sunderdas Zaveri
Shoes: Le Silla, Aprajita Toor and Versace
Bags: Judith Leiber
The Venue: Chalet Zermatt Peak and Gornergrat
Wedding Planner: Tehiya Narvel Events
Makeup: Charlotte Tilbury, courtesy Nykaa
