Destination Wedding - Langkawi

Life is so beautiful. The past few days we were embraced in what seemed a never ending treat and privilege to be part of a friend's son's wedding.

The happy couple with their family members  

It was Gul and  Mala's big day. The destination - Langkawi where their families and friends were to witness  and partake of the lovely moments and to the uninitiated like us, a first hand experience of a Sindhi wedding, replete in splendour. People from all over the world hear of the charms of this idyllic, legendary  island in the Andaman Sea. The beautiful invitation had different cards for different events with a guide to attire. There were the Ring and the Sagri, Sangeet Party, Mehndi and Ghari ceremonies and culminating in the Wedding Ceremony and Wedding Reception. Beauty surrounded us. In the ceremonies conducted, the shower of genuine love and caring by the parents and relatives, the great hospitality accorded, and the painstaking attention to details with breathtaking views of mountains and the turquoise blue sea  as backdrop  for a truly memorable destination wedding gave us a beautiful  time of our lives starting from the smooth welcome at the airport to The Westin Resort and Spa.

The ballroom where the Ring and Sagri  ceremonies  and the Sangeet Party  took place.

Well -positioned stage for the Ring and Sagri Ceremonies to take place. 

All set for the prayers

The dressing up was very much part of the different events. All my legwork to look pretty- from bangles, ear rings etc to the clothes came off nicely. Needless to say, the gorgeous bride  was stunning in all her outfits. She looked relaxed and her dear brother who gave her away was prompted to praise her - ' what you see is what you get ' in his thank you speech.

My hubby and I were blown away by the riot of colours. The clever mix turned each venue  dressed differently into a wonderland to step right into. I have not ever seen him slipping in and out of clothes changes, something quite unheard of. But he was sporting and carried it off with panache. So I tagged along  my handsomely dressed guy and we partied .

For most of the wedding attendees, the hotel was their heavenly oasis for their 3-4 day stay. However, we managed to squeeze time early one morning and stole away  for a nature jaunt. My blogging friend, wchinner  caught up with me at Breeze. A nature guide herself, she was occupied  but she arranged  a boat trip for us  to the mangrove forest and a visit to a relatively new tourist attraction, Buffalo Park. That was when I slipped into my fave tees and jeans. Back at the hotel, after a nice shower  and hair wash,  it was time to look glamorous again!  - time to wear the saree for the Wedding Ceremony.

Floral arrangements  that dazzled the guests

Three beauties in a row at the Ring, Sagri and Sangeet Party

Rose among the thorns!!

The Sangeet Party  was much fun - it went on till the wee hours of the morning. Champagne, 
cocktails etc  flowed freely. 

Ladies who greeted the guests with beautiful things for the Mehndi.

The bridegroom's parents  leading the groom ( in blue ) and family members

Inviting, charming, alluring, so heavenly...

The priest specially flown in from Hong Kong  to conduct all the religious ceremonies 

In -laws embracing  and having much in common.

The fun had already started . The mood was contagious.

Heavenly Spa  - the perfect setting for a lovely evening. 

All eyes on the intricate  henna painting on the bride

One of the guests showing off the  lovely artwork.

At  Heavenly Spa where the Mehndi took place. Lady guests were greeted with such a lovely array of bangles, fancy potus , tatoo stickers and  Indian sweets.

Inside the Spa, ladies waited for their turns to have the henna painting in this awesome setting.

From the Spa,  take a walk on the beach. 

Food  - immensely spoiled for choices. Svelte figures can forget about the calorie count!

Delicate garlands for guests.

Everything's just heavenly right here.

Relaxing, soothing ambience

Enjoying the sea breeze and the company

At the Ghari ceremony - a religious ceremony performed on the eve of the wedding day in order to pray for the prosperity of the couple and their families and to illustrate  the end of the couple's old life and welcome in the new.

Just showing a wee bit of my back! Dressed for the Wedding ceremony by the Pool Deck 

Gorgeous setting

Happiness overflowing