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REAL-LIFE weddings

Sandeep Chahal married Paul Laurence Davis on 7th May 2016

We chose Gean House in Alloa to host our wedding. We had visited many other venues around Loch Lomond but we felt that Gean House just represented us perfectly. The manager, Billy, was fantastic, and we got a good vibe about everything. He was very accommodating to our needs. For example, as I come from an Indian background, we really wanted to serve up authentic Indian cuisine, and he made sure it wasn’t a problem to bring in outside caterers. The most emotional part for me was our civil ceremony. I was overwhelmed seeing all my guests when I entered the room, but then my focus went right on Paul. He turned around as I got closer to the end of the aisle and then the emotions just hit me. I started crying when my dad put my hand into Paul’s.The day’s look was inspired by my Indian heritage. I wanted to incorporate all the best bits of my culture to create a lovely fusion wedding, such as having a Milni (short ceremony symbolising the unification of the two families) and a Jago ceremony for the evening celebrations. The Indian influence was apparent in many of our wedding details. Indian brides traditionally wear red, so this became the main colour. We had red chair ties, and luckily the curtains in the reception room were red. The decorative lights were little gold elephants, and the ties and pocket squares of Paul and the groomsmen had Indian-style paisley patterns on them. It was hard to choose between a white gown and a traditional Indian dress. In fact, I really struggled to find the perfect combination of the two at any of the various shops I went to, so I decided to design my own dress. I went to Sajh Dhaj in Glasgow, who helped me envisage the dress. It was made in Pakistan, and waiting for it to arrive was the hardest part. I was in awe when I finally saw it – it was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen!Top tip: Shop around. If you like a supplier who is outside of your budget, don’t be discouraged – there are plenty of alternatives who can be just as good for far less, often because they’re still building their reputation.

Photography by White Tree Photography

Need to know ENGAGEMENT TO WEDDING Just over a yearBUDGET UndisclosedNUMBER OF GUESTS 66 for the whole dayFIRST DANCE My Girl by The Temptations

Sandeep and Paul

Waiting for my dress to arrive was the hardest part. I was in awe when I

finally saw it. It was the most beautiful dress ever

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VENUE Gean House, Alloa www.geanhouse.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY White Tree Photography www.whitetreephotography.co.uk DRESS Sajh Dhaj www.facebook.com/sajhdhaj1BRIDESMAID DRESSES Mix Bridal www.mixbridal.com GROOMSWEAR Victor Valentine www.victorvalentine.co.ukCATERING Saffron Events www.saffroneventsuk.comFLOWERS Flowers by Kate www.flowersbykatemac.com ENTERTAINMENT VIP Entertainments www.vipentertainments.comFILM MAKER Wedding Utopia Film www.weddingutopiafilm.comHAIR AND MAKEUP Dazzlicious Hair and Makeup dazzlicious.wix.com/makeup

Address book

THEIR STYLESteal

Stockists on page 296

“We wanted our photos to look natural in the sense that

they weren’t all posed but also not overly touched-up or filtered by the photographer

afterwards. Tomasz from White Tree Photography did a fantastic job and listened

to what we wanted. Our favourite shot is when we are

out in the garden having a secret kiss! My bouquet is on the wall behind us, which is a

lovely bright touch.” Sandeep Chahal

“Sandeep and Paul’s wedding was one of the most colourful I’ve ever witnessed. I love this photo of

the traditional Indian Jago ceremony – it’s used to welcome the bride to her husband’s home. I love to document candid moments and tell the story of the

wedding through natural and emotive images.” Tomasz Adameczek, White Tree Photography

Couple’s favourite image

Photographer’s favourite imageREAL-LIFE weddings

Red lace dress, £175, Laura Ashley

Ventura slim-fit three-piece suit, £79, Slaters

Snowy Owl cake topper, £62, Feltmeupdesigns at Etsy.com

Bridal bouquet, made to order, Flowers by Kate

Vintage Affair heart wooden confetti, £3.99 for 25, Ginger Ray

Vandana temporary metallic tattoo, £16.95, Bohemian Jewellery Tattoos

Lilac Anemone cake, from £725, Liggy’s Cake Company