Wedding Mandap For Barcelona Celebration
Photography by And I Love You SoIf an incredible, Indian-Irish multicultural celebration of love in Barcelona featuring a wedding mandap, 13th-century castle venue, pastel outfits and a personalised dancefloor doesn't pique your interest, we don't know what will. Emily & Atish's love story is, simply put, a breathtaking fairytale. Did we forget to mention that this weekend of joy was split into a welcome party, an Indian wedding and reception, followed by an Irish wedding and reception, to mirror Emily & Atish's origins? This wedding is truly beyond belief, from day one to day three. I'm assuming my invite got lost in the post. No worries, guys.
Indian-Irish multicultural 3-day destination wedding in Barcelona with wonderful wedding mandap
As I am from Ireland and Atish’s family originates from India, we wanted to respect both of our traditions. So we decided to have a multi-day wedding celebration. This included a welcome party, a full Indian wedding and reception, and then a full Irish wedding and reception. We wanted our wedding to be unique! And we thought the best way to achieve this was to add personal touches where possible. Planning a three-day, half-Indian, half-Irish wedding in Barcelona from London was difficult. Especially considering neither of us spoke any Spanish! But it was so, so worth it in the end.
Emily & Atish
Wedding mandap
A wedding mandap is one of the stars of the show at a traditional Hindu wedding. It's a stylish and beautiful piece of wedding decor that steals everyone's attention. Usually made with a mix of wood, fabric and flowers, the mandap is where the couple say they're I Dos, and start their married life together. Emily & Atish's mandap was visually incredible and took centre stage at the end of the aisle. With gorgeous dusky pink fabrics and intricate details, it gave off the most magical vibe. Think of the mandap as a symbol of the beauty, tradition, and pure joy of Indian weddings. So, to summarise, a mandap brings culture as well as visual appeal to your wedding ceremony. Who doesn't want that?
Indian wedding celebration
Indian weddings are rich in cultural traditions that span centuries. Not only are they about uniting two individuals, but also bringing together families and communities. From the vibrant bridesmaid outfits to the intricately designed henna, every element holds deep symbolism. Emily & Atish's Indian wedding was hosted at Hotel Arts. The greenery of the garden complemented the florals and the wedding mandap and provided additional colour which we felt was essential for the Indian wedding. It was important to keep the festivities as authentic as possible for the couple. And this certainly included the food. Hotel Arts had a very talented Indian chef from Mumbai who created an incredible menu and catered for all of our needs.
Irish weddings and wine table numbers
The celebrations didn't end with the Indian wedding. Oh no, sir-ee! The next day of Emily & Atish's celebration was the Irish wedding. Irish weddings are a delightful blend of old traditions and heartfelt celebrations. The couple wanted a fairytale-like wedding, so their choice of the 13th-century castle wedding venue was perfect. The guests were seated at their tables under a canopy of fairy-lit trees and chandeliers before the festivities began. Emily & Atish love vineyards - so, of course, they had to include it in their big day! Instead of having traditional table numbers, they named each table after a vineyard they had visited in wine regions. Tuscany, Bordeaux, Stellenbosch and, of course, some English vineyards were all there. On each table, they left a note telling a story about their time at the vineyard and had a bottle of wine from the respective vineyard on the table for guests to enjoy.
Wedding mandap for a multicultural wedding weekend - couple's advice
In terms of advice, we've got a few pieces to tell couples.
- Trust your gut and make decisions as you go. If you're indecisive, your to-do list will pile up and cause stress closer to the day.
- Stay an extra night. We left for our mini-moon the day after our wedding, but we wished we had an extra day to fully enjoy our first morning as a married couple.
- Finally, enjoy it! Make sure you create special moments for you and your partner. Whether it be a breakfast together, a first look or a cheeky drink before you start getting ready. It's important to remember that it's about you and your love.
Emily & Atish
Indian wedding traditions, vineyard, alternative wedding table numbers, three days of celebrating love... We want in!
After dinner and the cake cutting, we performed our first dance to Elvis's - I Can’t Help Falling in Love. I always used to hear my dad playing this song downstairs in the kitchen before I would go to sleep. So I knew that when I met the love of my life I wanted to have the first dance to that song. What made the moment even more special is that my dad brought his guitar from Dublin and performed the song as we had our first dance. There wasn't a dry eye in the house!
Emily & Atish
Hey Siri, how do I disguise myself as a wedding mandap so I can sneak into this wedding? Huh, no results. Shocker. It's safe to say that Emily & Atish's wedding is one for the books. We are truly blown away! With a wedding as grand as this, structure is important. Our article on the timeline of a wedding day will help if you're not sure where to start. That gorgeous Spanish castle tied the day together beautifully. If you're on the hunt for a venue, our article on 7 factors to consider when searching will provide some very handy information.
