Chapter 2 Events Executes The First Ever Indian Wedding in Baku

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Weddings | May 29, 2019 | News

Chapter 2 Events

Chapter 2 Events, a brainchild of Puja and Kunal Laungani is a full-service event and wedding planning company based in New Delhi, India. From conceptualization/design to logistics management and hospitality to vendor coordination, they are seasoned veterans who can turn any wedding into a memorable experience for all. One such experience was a dream wedding in Baku, a gorgeous destination where Europe and Asia met.

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, witnessed the first ever Indian wedding of Maithili Sagar and Rohit Gupta. This dreamy wedding took over the streets of Baku and the two most prominent hotels - Fairmont and Four Seasons Hotel in Baku. The city which follows the Caspian Sea coastline hosted guests from India, Dubai, Canada and the USA for a spectacular celebration of the #RomaForLife union. The destination wedding was a fitting affair for the couple, both Canadian citizens of Indian origin, living in the USA. The venue scouting and planning started as early as 8 months before the big day & all the hard work culminated into one big spectacle which is now known as #RomaForLife. This wouldn't have been possible without the commitment & enthusiasm of their team.

Each and every vendor was handpicked after careful diligence that ensured a magical wedding experience for wedding guests and for people of Baku. 12 chefs from India flew to Baku; the DJ was called from Canada and Performers from India, Pakistan, Dubai, and Canada. The experience surpassed all the expectations, leaving all guests mesmerized with the magic of Azerbaijan.

Details of the events -

Je Aan Nu (The Punjabi Welcome) - The Jazz Club at the Fairmont, a popular club in Baku was transformed into a colourful Pind which gave all the guests a quintessential vibe of Punjab. The Punjabi style welcome with Dholwalas, Pagdi walls, Truck Bar and quirky Punjabi signage won hearts and this was complemented by an amazing performance by Hari and Sukhmani. The event lasted till 4 am and then moved to the 24-hour lounge.

Mehendi - While the day Mehendi set a Sufi Mehfil, it was also integration with the Azeri Henna ceremony. The Mehfil was the most unique one not just for Azerbaijan but also for the wedding guests. The Mehendi Bazaar in themes of pink had beautiful gifts for the guests. From Potlis to peacock feather fans, a variety of bangles to traditional Juttis for all the ladies, The Bazaar was the real attraction. Local Azeri artists were hired to put Henna for the guests in their traditional attires. While the bazaar got some attention so did the Mehfil set by the Pakistani Sufi Artists Shafqat Ali Khan and his entourage.

Sangeet - This event called for the glamour quotient and the guests lived up to it. The Sangeet was organized with a ton of surprises - a Vogue photo booth where one is  literally on the Vogue magazine cover, Neon Signs ‘Save Water Drink Champagne’ shouted out the motto of the wedding, a ‘Glitter Bar’ to add some more glamour & to top it all, the Bollywood sensation Hardy Sandhu. There were even surprisingly energetic performances at wee hours of the morning. The small details stood out as well such as, makeup artists for touch-ups in the washrooms for guests all night, late night buffet for the party crowd that kept the stage on fire till 5 am and the 24-hour bar serving bubbly.

Baraat and Wedding - It started with the Indian flag proudly flying outside the Flame Towers gearing all the Baaratis to take over the Philharmonic Park (the real center of Baku) which was the start point of the procession. The spirited Baaratis were joined by even more lively Azeri dancers and Drummers that got into an exhilarating Jugalbandi with the Indian Dhol. It was a true spectacle, which made this wedding the most talked about event in Baku.

The procession moved into the beautifully decorated Four Seasons Hotel, which was a class apart. The creamy white and beige alter and a theatrical western wedding feel was integrated with the Indian mandap. For the emotional guests, there were tissues for happy tears, for the more gleeful ones, flower-filled cones on every chair and for the inquisitive, there was a beautiful explanation of the wedding program. The exciting affair went into a royal vintage goodbye. Staying away from the traditional dolis, the vintage car had the couple’s hashtag designed in beautiful flowers.

Reception - Taking every event one notch higher in experience, A Night in Baku was an Azeri cultural immersion. Over 2000 kilos of real fruits were used in the decoration for the Azer garden themed event. It had trees erected in the venue with real branches and fresh fruits. The venue smelled of a beautiful orchard. The pre-function areas showcased Azeri traditional Artists, from calligraphers to carpet weavers, and the stage events showcased the thrilling Azeri performances. The pilav dance (yes literally with a plate of Pulao) to the real fire dancing spectacle we had it all.

Challenges faced by Wedding Planners -

Being a virgin destination, to plan a 4-day larger than life celebration was a daunting task. There was also a significant language barrier that posed as a big bottleneck towards the planning. Plus the local vendors were inexperienced & were new to the Indian rituals & traditions. To sensitize the local team of vendors both about the Indian tradition, service levels, and requirements was one of the biggest challenges. They also had to deal with 2 different venues for the wedding – Fairmont Four Seasons Hotel was the venue for all pre-wedding functions and all the guests were housed to Four Seasons Hotel where the main wedding ceremony was planned – this involved massive logistical planning for 500 guests, deploying multiple teams at both venues to overlook the setup.