Around the World, to Switzerland’s Palace

By: Indian Wedding Buzz Featured Weddings

Around the World, to Switzerland’s Palace

When Gayatri and Vallabh were paired 6 years ago as MCs for Vallabh’s sister, and Gayatri’s cousin’s wedding, they had no idea that their very first Skype call was so much more than that- it was a date with destiny.  

This is the story of a globe-trotting wedding that’s laced with extravagance and sparkled with the thing that dreams are made of. Welcome to the story of #Gayabh.



Before we start at the beginning, let’s talk about the end, shall we?

Here are some fun facts about the wedding that grew from the budding romance of #Gayabh:

 

Wedding Venue Fairmont, Le Montreux Palace in Switzerland
Total Attendees 620 (of which 70 were support staff)
Total # of Dishes 825 of the Indian, Swiss and Asian variety
Total # of Champagne Bottles Consumed 955

Accidental Matchmaker

When Vallabh’s sister and Gayatri’s cousin chose the two of them to be co-MCs, they could hardly imagine that their arrangement would last a lifetime. #Gayabh was born from the Skype calls between London and Montreal, somewhere along the way, closing the distance between them.

The two of them wrote scripts, diligently listened to old Bollywood songs (for their roles, of course!) and Vallabh even put some of his dancing skills out there.

In Gayatri’s words, “I sat there thinking to myself that this was going to be a rather interesting trip… “

A Wedding Born From a Wedding

To say that their trip was interesting would be an understatement. From the wedding of their family members, #Gayabh brewed one heck of a romance of their own. One that would take them around the world.

Let’s fast forward.

“Six years later and after moving from one corner of the world to another, Vallabh and I got married at Fairmont, Le Montreux Palace in Switzerland in September 2016. (…)

 

I always wanted an intimate wedding ceremony. What really happened was quite the contrary!”

Nestled between the Swiss Alps and Lake Geneva

In Switzerland, you’ll find the jewel of Swiss Riviera, Montreux Palace. This beautiful palace hosted #Gayabh and their 600+ guests that flew in from Montreal, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Dubai, London, Mexico and more.  

“We pretty much had the whole world covered”

With such a globe-trotting guest list, the venue was nothing short of absolutely breathtaking. The bride describes it beautifully,

“Snow-capped peaks behind you, palm trees in front of you, the beauty of the Belle Époque all around you (..) The Palace’s Ballrooms, the sparkling crystal chandeliers, the majestic staircase, the gardens facing Lake Geneva and the Alps, the mouth-watering cuisine and it’s flair for romance are simply unrivalled. (…)

I still pinch myself when I think we got married on the expansive front lawns of the Palace with such stunning views.”



Planning an Extravagant Affair

“My parents had visited the Montreux Palace a few months earlier on vacation and, had fallen in love with its’ beauty. I had so much confidence in their choice that I did not feel the need to visit the Palace before the wedding.”

While the venue came as a recommendation, planning the wedding itself with the degree of decadence that #Gayabh ultimately had was undeniably hard work.

“It was a mission for Vallabh and I to juggle our careers, our families, our travel dates, our brainstorming sessions and our wedding planning.

Each family member from both sides had an extensive to do list. Many obstacles came our way; but as my mother describes our wedding – “it was a labor of love”. For 4 months we planned and plotted, researched and created, drafted and discarded, to finally reveal our wedding details to all.

Most importantly, Vallabh and I ensured to never lose ourselves in the chaos. We were each other’s biggest strength. We created our website together, planned our timelines together and, supported each other’s desires.”

And, so they did. The #Gayabh wedding was a raging success.

Here are just a few of the planning details that the duo and their families arranged for an unbelievable wedding experience:

Luxurious Preparations

  • Flying 10 master chefs in from the Fairmont Jaipur
  • Getting in touch with Swiss Air for discounted flights for their guests
  • Getting in touch with Swiss tourism to help with visa (even expediting them!)
  • Arranging Swiss Rail and Eurocursions to provide dedicated staff for worldwide inquiries
  • Arranging for a container load of kitchen equipment from India and another from Dubai
  • Organizing 16 people from Dubai to help with logistics and decorations

It’s All in the Details

  • Having the ceremony conducted by two priests, including Arya Samaji (who served four generations of Gayatri’s family!)
  • Arranging for pink champagne, cocktails and light snacks to be served around the clock
  • Cutely themed afternoon teas: Chai, Chaat, Chatpatta & Chit Chat.
  • Elaborately themed cuisines: Delhi Darbar, Royal courts of Punjab, Royal courts of Hyderabad, Royal courts of Rajasthan

Wordly Vendors

  • 3 artists from Pink Orchid
  • 11 hairdressers from Macedonia for guests
  • 10 videographers from The Wedding Filmer
  • 3 pagree wallahs from Jodhpur
  • 5 mehndi wallahs from Delhi and Italy  
  • 5 churi wallahs from Jodhpur
  • 5 drummers from the Netherlands
  • Entertainment staff including Sukhbir and his team, Hari and Sukhmani + their crew (from Chandigarh)

Fit for a Fairytale

Needless to say, all of the meticulous planning paid off. #Gayabh lived out their dreams in a wedding that could make even royalty blush.

From Skype calls to Switzerland, they celebrated their love with grander-than-life decadence.

We’ll wrap up this fairytale ending (or beginning, rather) with a bit of advice from the bride herself.

11 Pieces of Advice from the Bride

  1. Try your earrings on a few weeks before your wedding – some are really heavy and make your ears bleed. And, some of the screws are too big to fit in one’s ear holes.
  2. Choose your bridesmaids (if you are to have any) only 2-3 months before the big day.
  3. Don’t sweat the small stuff!
  4. Set time aside for pictures. Plan it and stick to it!
  5. Take a lot of pictures with your parents.
  6. The Bride and the groom set the tone of the wedding so smile and have fun.
  7. Dance on at least one table at each party!
  8. If you have a sister, she’s your biggest asset!
  9. There’s no such thing as being too organised.
  10. Have a really cool Hashtag!
  11. Don’t forget about your husband… 😉

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We hope you enjoyed this incredible wedding feature. Thank you, #Gayabh, for sharing.

Happy Planning!