Aisle Do

Decorating for a wedding can be a stressful affair, but it’s also a great way to personalise your event. Find out how creative director GunaRaj Sundrajekar pulled off various looks for newlyweds Bobby Hiranandani and Shaila Tanwani’s special day, and things to consider when designing your own reception.

byDomenica Tan February 2017

Decorating for a wedding can be a stressful affair, but it’s also a great way to personalise your event. Find out how creative director GunaRaj Sundrajekar pulled off various looks for newlyweds Bobby Hiranandani and Shaila Tanwani’s special day, and things to consider when designing your own reception.

Draperies lining the ballroom instantly transformed the ambience. Flowers in complementary hues softened the look of the room, while tying the decor themes together.

Handmade coloured glass chandeliers, embroidered cushions, and soft materials like silk and satin were just some elements spotted at a lavish Moroccan-inspired party last year – Bobby Hiranandani and Shaila Tanwani’s wedding celebration.

With the growing trend of designing not just your own home, but also major celebrations such as wedding receptions and baby showers, all it takes is getting the details right to create an Instagram-worthy affair your guests are likely to be talk about for years to come.

For Bobby and Shaila’s wedding, most of the week-long celebration was held at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort and Spa (the groom is the managing director of the Royal Group Holdings, which runs the hotel). With stunning vistas overlooking the ocean and surrounded by lush greenery, Sofitel Singapore Sentosa is a prime location for matrimonial events and banquets. Wedding decor specialist Pandora 2morrow and event organiser P2M Concepts collaborated with creative director GunaRaj Sundrajekar of Plan Studio to develop four design themes: one that’s inspired by Moroccan culture, an all-white decor look, a garden theme, and a Moulin-Rouge-styled wedding reception.

GunaRaj shares how he helped the couple turn that milestone into a luxe celebration of their special day.

THE CREATIVE CONSULTANT

GunaRaj Sundrajekar has over 15 years of experience specialising in interior design, product styling and visual merchandising.

BOBBY & SHAILA’S WEDDING IN NUMBERS

40 large sphere lights illuminated the reception tent.

10 weeks (of production time for design and execution).

50,000 flowers.

900 black ostrich feathers.

Over 5,000 guests.

SETTING THE SCENE

First, the flow of space in the venue has to work such that there is ample room for people to mingle. With that in mind, GunaRaj designed a feature bar in the marquee, to anchor the space and serve as a gathering point for guests. “It’s about sight, sound and scent, when I design a space,” he shares.

Gold-coloured Tiffany chairs were paired with customised black sequined tablecloths, for the glamorous MoulinRouge-themed sit-down dinner.

A stunning visual effect, combined with the right music and scents, is his secret to an unforgettable experience for the couple and their guests. From the choice of colours, to subtle details such as red sequins scattered on the black carpet (in the Moulin Rouge-themed event), every element enhances the overall ambience of the space.

Rich and bold colours were used to create visually stunning spaces.

COLOURS AND TEXTURES

“Deciding on a colour theme is a good starting point, as that can lead to many possibilities and options,” he advises. For Bobby and Shaila’s wedding, there was an extensive use of silks, satins, velvets and sequined material to create the overall luxurious look. Fabric pairings for individual themes differed; for example, the Moroccan-inspired look was achieved through the use of satin, Indian silk, chiffon, and flowers, in a colour palette comprising shades of pink, magenta, orange, red and gold.

The decor team used 25,000 fresh red roses and 900 black ostrich feathers as part of the table centrepieces.

The only event held outside the grounds of Sofitel, was the wedding ceremony at Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sang Sabha Gurdwara temple in Katong. Given the venue’s traditional design and architecture, GunaRaj decked the interiors in a garden-inspired palette of whites and warm yellows, with tall floral arrangements and hanging ferns to finish the look.

Overall, the stylish interiors were achieved with the right combination of colours and textures, floral designs, and clever use of lighting in specific hues and designs. For example, customised gobos — stencils placed in front of a light source to create light patterns — enabled projections of traditional henna motifs on the ceiling of the marquee, for visual interest in the all-white-themed decor.