Destination Indian wedding photography at Rayong, Thailand.
Right from the beginning, we knew this was going to be a special wedding for us; and not just as photographers. It started with us thinking that Raina’s sister Anjana was the bride (because the first email came from Anjana), and all emails sent out addressed her as such. LOL The special part of the wedding wasn’t just that it was taking place near the sandy beaches of Rayong in Thailand; but it was the people involved, and the love they poured into making this celebration one to remember!
We don’t know any other person whose name means ‘beautiful night’, and who brings light wherever she goes. Or whose name also means princess, but who has none of the airs. Raina is all that and so much more! She even remembered our room numbers off the top of her head as soon as we got to Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa! Don’t worry Sid, we love you and your sense of humour too! ;) How can we forget walking into you glued to your computer, your mind deep in excel sheets and your friendly smile as soon as you looked at us!
While Raina and Siddharth are a true power couple, we can’t imagine two more humble and down-to-earth people. Of course, when you meet their parents, you know where they get it all from. Mahender Uncle—a most genuine human with the heart of a kid, always the first to eat puchkas with his friends and cousins (Munna Maharaj and his team were specially flown to Rayong), Manju Aunty—always gracious, graceful, kind and knows the right things to say in every situation, Bimal Uncle—always ready to make everyone laugh and knows how to make a stressful matter light and relaxed, and Shakuntala Aunty—ever calm in the midst of the wedding madness. Each one of them an inspiration for those willing to learn. Special mention to Anjana and Radhika (Raina and Sid’s sisters) constantly working to pull off last-minute surprises and along with Sumit (Raina’s cousin) holding the reign behind the scenes and making sure everything goes smoothly.
Every function was an Etsy-lover’s dream come true: right from “Mint-to-be” mints, to customised printed napkins at every function; from the “Anchored in love” bottle openers to the “Bride” goblet; and the cute little favours at the end of each day! It was like all of Etsy had moved to Rayong!
It was a wedding that followed the adage: Work hard and party HARDER! Right from Sid dunking Raina in the pool to after-parties that refused to end, from everything but haldi being smeared on Sid to the glitzy glamour of the Gatsby-themed cocktail.
Our favourite moment from the wedding though happened far away from all the madness, indeed after it all ended. It was something that showed us the true meaning of having a companion for life. A simple moment that spoke volumes. Mahender Uncle feeding Manju Aunty with his own hands after the vidaai, the tenderness and love shining in his eyes. These are the moments we live for!
PS: Thrilled with the launch of Raina’s labour of love, Jibble and Cuzzi—the go-to brand for every new-age parent to find uniquely joyous products for their little ones.
Equipment: Canon 5D Mark IV, 16-35mm LIII f/2.8, 85mm f/1.2, 50mm f/1.4
Raina & Sid’s gorgeous wedding at Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa, Thailand:
Words of love from Raina & Siddharth:
“I still remember the day when my sister and I were going through photographer profiles likes crazy trying to figure out who would be the best photographer for my wedding. When we shortlisted Going Bananas we were not very sure how they would turn out to be. And then started the phone calls with them on the other side and we did realise there was something different about them.
Amidst the fairytale wedding that I had in Rayong, Thailand, while Siddharth & I were busy stressing out, we had these magicians on board the wedding team. It was an epic experience having the GBP team shoot our wedding and so much that, we have already decided, next wedding in the house will be shot by them and them only. Every detail was so beautifully captured and they were so different from the normal cliched photographers.
How common is it to find a gathering of 500 people, where almost all of them knew who the photographers were? They had a personal connection with almost all of them, they would make conversations, make a lively ambience and you would not even realise when they actually photographed you! Towards the end of the wedding, we had people walk up to us, to tell us, you guys had amazing photographers.
I have attended so many weddings, people always rave about the food and the decor and may be the clothes the bride was wearing, but I have never heard of a gathering actually talking about the photographers. We were extremely happy that we chose them and our photos and wedding videos show the hard work that went behind it.
Thank you guys and we really wish you all the best in all your future assignments. We hope to see you grow, GRow and GROW !! :) But in the process of GROWING, stay in touch! :)”
Dream team:
Choreography: DNA Danceworks
Decor: Kanoknit Decor
Raina’s sangeet lehenga: Shyamal Bhumika
Raina’s cocktail gown: Varun Bahl
Raina’s mehendi lehenga: Anushree Reddy
Raina’s haldi gown: Pink Lotus
Raina’s wedding lehenga: Sabyasachi
Venue: Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa
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Karishma + Sandeep | A destination wedding in Florence, Italy
Meha + Shamal | A destination wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan
