SIAMESE DREAM
Sheryl Buxani and Dhiraj Wadhwani’s Indian nuptials in Thailand were in deed a wedding fit for a prince and princess
Sheryl Buxani and Dhiraj Wadhwani’s Indian nuptials in Thailand were indeed a wedding fit for a prince and princess
The families of Sheryl Buxani, chief creative officer at Temptations jeweller, and Dhiraj Wadhwani, head of business development at Wadhsons, had been friendly for a long time – but it wasn’t until December 2008 that the two became friends themselves, says Sheryl. “We got to know each other better at a friend’s party – Dhiraj claims he couldn’t keep his eyes off me that night. We started dating after we both graduated from university and returned to Hong Kong in the summer of 2010,” she adds. The two dated for a year before Dhiraj proposed in Rome.
Indian weddings are renowned for being grand, elaborate affairs, and Sheryl and Dhiraj’s nuptials were no exception, with more than 1,000 guests invited to join the party at the Shangri-La Hotel in Chiang Mai. Highlights of the four-day celebration included the couple’s bold entrance on a giant floral float as part of a 100-strong parade. “The parade included performances by flower girls, feather girls, peacock girls, musicians, martial-arts performers, Thai bell ringers, umbrella dancers and traditional Thai dancers,” says Sheryl.
Referencing the fact that Dhiraj had got down on one knee in Rome, the couple’s civil theme was based around the Italian capital. “We decorated the room for our civil ceremony as though it were the Sistine Chapel. For dinner, we had St Peter’s Basilica as our stage backdrop, and
recreated the Trevi Fountain as a photo prop,” the newlywed recalls.
For the civil wedding, Sheryl opted for a couture Elie Saab bridal gown, while Dhiraj wore a Pal Zileri Cerimonia tuxedo. Sheryl changed into a gown by Annasul Y for the reception, and Dhiraj rocked a Tom Ford tuxedo. The couple also called on several renowned Indian designers to create traditional wedding costumes for them. “Our Indian outfits were designed by Ashima Leena, Rimple & Harpreet Narula, and Anjalee & Arjun Kapoor, among others,” adds Sheryl.
The couple’s entrance for the sangeet – the night on which family and friends perform choreographed dances for Indian newly-weds – was equally thrilling. “We were transported via hydraulic lift onto a balcony above a backdrop of a life-size elephant,” says Sheryl. As the sangeet is a traditional event, the two wanted to pay tribute to their culture and ethnicity, and did so with a grand Bollywood night, she says.
During the four-day event, guests were treated to some top-notch musical performances. “Our DJs included Paris House Addict, London Beats, and DJ Zubair, who were flown in from Paris, London and Dubai respectively. The parties kept going until 8am – our guests just couldn’t get enough!” says Sheryl.
Sheryl and Dhiraj’s celebrations also included a pool party based around the theme of underwater treasures. “The inspiration came about as I’m a jeweller and I love working with high-end gems – diamonds, pearls, tanzanites, rubies, turquoise – you name it, they all fascinate me! We decided to combine my jewellery passion with the element of the sea and named our event Treasures of the Deep.”
The final night of the wedding, the reception, was the couple’s most glamorous
and grand affair, says Sheryl. “We had a huge palace backdrop on our stage, and flowers everywhere. It was as if you were in one of the palaces of Europe.”
Other details that made the wedding extra special included customised cappuccinos served with the couple’s wedding logo, and a girl hanging from a huge chandelier serving guests champagne during cocktail hour. “We also had a Barbie-and-Ken-box photo booth for our youngsters’ pop-art party, but instead of Barbie and Ken, it was customised to Sheryl and Dhiraj,” adds Sheryl.
With so much partying, guests were grateful for the Hangover Bar at breakfast each morning, which served wheatgrass shots, smoothies – and Dom Pérignon, for those in need of a hair of the dog.
After celebrating in Chiang Mai, the couple took a month-long honeymoon that began in Cappadocia, Turkey. “We then headed to Istanbul, Prague, Dubrovnik, Munich, and ended up on the Amalfi Coast in Positano, which was simply magical,” says Sheryl. With Italy the location of the proposal, there really was no more fitting place for the honeymoon to reach its romantic finale.