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Garden Hindu Wedding, Rasa Sayang, Penang: David & Nandini

By 26/09/2014August 18th, 20217 Comments

Amidst lush, majestic and mature trees just alongside the Batu Feringgi beach, David and Nandini were wed at the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort, Penang. The garden was beautifully decorated for their Hindu wedding ceremony, and all their guests came in traditional Indian attire. It was a tropical treat for David and Nandini’s guests from Ireland, who basked in the sun, witnessed a meaningful wedding ceremony, and enjoyed delicious Indian cuisine. Both Weiming and I were really blessed to have such thoughtful clients who really looked out for our best interests. Even Nandini’s mum made sure I was well fed since I was well into my 2nd trimester of pregnancy by then!

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_012020140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0703David & Nandini’s Story

David and I first met at his sister’s wedding over 5 and a half happy years ago.  I had to move away from Dublin for work in 2013 and a month later, David proposed. Obviously, I happily accepted! Being from Penang myself, we had spent a fair bit of time there and we both loved the idea of holding our wedding ceremony, which was to be a traditional Sanskrit Hindu wedding, outdoors and by the sea. The Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang hotel’s stunning gardens were the natural choice. After choosing the venue, we left most of the actual wedding planning to my parents who live in Penang, after giving them an outline of the kind of ceremony we had in mind. Okay there may have been (daily) input from me via Viber and Skype!

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0038We selected Stories as our photographers even though they were based in KL because of the beautiful, natural photographs we randomly found online. We thought the Skype chat with Grace was a nice touch as it actually made us discuss the type photographs we wanted with each other, before then conveying our thoughts to Grace. The slideshow was a new idea to David as it’s not something that’s done at Irish weddings.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0088We were blessed with beautiful weather for our wedding. Despite having to wake up at 0430,  I didn’t have to fake a single smile through the day. I could not have imagined a more beautiful setting and the dais simply took my breath away. Most of our friends turned up in Indian outfits, which looked amazing. The entire ceremony went off without any hitches. David and I were over the moon at having so many of our friends and families present. We even got a few casual photos with our friends on the Parkroyal beachfront during our pre-reception drinks. I’d expected it to be hazy but because of the daily rainfall (which stopped 2 days before our wedding), the skies were clear and as if on cue, there was a stunning sunset in the background. David and I had decided we would throw our actual outfits (his a suit, mine, a white dress) on at the last minute as we had a feeling the party would end late, and it did…at 6am! We had a fantastic time and didn’t want the day to end. One of our friends called it a fairytale wedding, and I couldn’t agree more.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0114Grace and Weiming remained remarkably energetic and chipper despite being on the move, non-stop, from 6am till the end. My heart nearly stopped at one point when Grace (who was 5 months pregnant at the time), almost slipped off a rock whilst trying to capture a shot from a good angle! We were able to sample a selection of the photos they took in the morning during the beautiful slideshow at the start of dinner and we absolutely loved them. Grace and Weiming, we are still receiving compliments on this! Thank you so much for being so positive, in spite of the heat in the afternoon, and a groom who is not particularly camera-friendly. Thanks also for being so respectful of the various Hindu traditions throughout the ceremony. Everyone was full of praise for you both!

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_006420140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0092 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_010020140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0071Grace says:
I love how David and Nandini took extra effort to write up all the details and meaning that is behind the rituals of a traditional Hindu wedding. It was really informative, even for me! Despite having photographed many, many Hindu weddings before, the significance behind these rituals were unclear. So I’ll take some excerpts from their write up to share here.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_011320140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0137 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0156 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0195 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0216The beginning of the ceremony is marked by the entrance of the groom with his entourage. He is accompanied by his best man, usually the brother of the bride, and in this case, Nanda.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0225David gets his feet washed by Nanda, who in turn is presented with a ring.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0236 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0252David then takes his place on the main stage (the dais) and then the priest conducts his prayers.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0284 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0290 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0292 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0309 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0348Soon, it is Nandini’s turn to walk in with her entourage. She undergoes a similar cleansing ceremony and prayers.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0349 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0376 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0382 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0398 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0403 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0407 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0408 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0419The highlight of every Hindu wedding ceremony: The tying of the Thaali!

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0452And with every significant moment in a Hindu wedding ceremony, a coconut is broken!

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0454 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0463 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0483After exchanging garlands, David and Nandini look into the mirror simultaneously for the first time, symbolising their unity of purpose.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0487 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0490Oh and I love this fun part – the bride and groom have to reach into a bowl of water in an attempt to fish out a gold wedding ring. This ritual is performed 3 times but if the same person acquires the ring two consecutive times, he/she must allow the other person to succeed the 3rd time. This ceremony is performed to nurture a feeling of ‘give and take’ between the couple. (I just thought that the person who got the ring would rule the household! Haha)

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0527a20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0533 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0598 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0659 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0673 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0692 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0700In the evening, the cocktails and dinner reception were held at Parkroyal Hotel, Penang.

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0818We had a gorgeous sunset that day! (this is the epic photo that had me standing on a ladder, camera in one hand, and flash in another. Don’t worry, I was really really careful!)

20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0828 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0833 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0870 20140711_WEDDING_DAVID_NANDINI_0998Hurray! Married now and on an adventure of a lifetime! Congratulations, David and Nandini! Lots of love from us!

Credits:
Photographers: Grace & Weiming
Ceremony Location: Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang
Dinner Reception: Parkroyal, Penang
Decorations: Venus Florist, Little India, Penang

Join the discussion 7 Comments

  • Karrthi says:

    Hi there,
    The photos were beautiful. Could I please know who did the decor.

    Thanks in advance.

  • Annie says:

    Hi , I loved the photos and the decor…is the whole stage done by Venus Florist? Did they have a wedding planner? Thanks.

  • Syzy says:

    Excellent job! Love your work, you captured the beauty of a Hindu wedding so beautifully!
    May I know the name of the vendor who did the dais? I would love to hire them for my upcoming American-Indian fusion wedding in Penang.

    • Grace Tan says:

      Thanks Syzy and congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I don’t have the contact details but the name of the company who did it is credited at the end of the blog post. You can try and google to find out their number online. All the best!

  • Syzy says:

    Thank you, Grace. Would that be Venus Florist? I did look them up, however, it shows as just a florist. But, if you can confirm they did the dais, including the furnitures in the wedding, I would definitely contact them!

  • Syzy says:

    Hello Grace, I contacted Venus Florist and yes, the did the entire decoration. Thank you for sharing!

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