1. 134 TIE THE KNOTSCOTLAND TIE THE KNOTSCOTLAND 135
REAL-LIFEweddings
Sandeep Chahal married Paul
Laurence Davis on 7th May 2016
We chose Gean House in Alloa to host our
wedding. We had visited many other venues
around Loch Lomond but we felt that Gean
House just represented us perfectly. The manager,
Billy, was fantastic, and we got a good vibe
about everything. He was very accommodating
to our needs. For example, as I come from an
Indian background, we really wanted to serve
up authentic Indian cuisine, and he made sure it
wasn’t a problem to bring in outside caterers.
The most emotional part for me was our civil
ceremony. I was overwhelmed seeing all my
guests when I entered the room, but then my
focus went right on Paul. He turned around as
I got closer to the end of the aisle and then the
emotions just hit me. I started crying when my
dad put my hand into Paul’s.
The day’s look was inspired by my Indian
heritage. I wanted to incorporate all the best
bits of my culture to create a lovely fusion
wedding, such as having a Milni (short ceremony
symbolising the unification of the two families)
and a Jago ceremony for the evening celebrations.
The Indian influence was apparent in many of
our wedding details.Indian brides traditionally
wear red, so this became the main colour. We
had red chair ties, and luckily the curtains in the
reception room were red. The decorative lights
were little gold elephants, and the ties and pocket
squares of Paul and the groomsmen had Indian-
style paisley patterns on them.
It was hard to choose between a white gown
and a traditional Indian dress.In fact, I really
struggled to find the perfect combination of the
two at any of the various shops I went to, so I
decided to design my own dress. I went to Sajh
Dhaj in Glasgow, who helped me envisage the
dress. It was made in Pakistan, and waiting for it
to arrive was the hardest part. I was in awe when
I finally saw it – it was the most beautiful dress I’d
ever seen!
Top tip: Shop around. If you like a supplier who
is outside of your budget, don’t be discouraged
– there are plenty of alternatives who can be just
as good for far less, often because they’re still
building their reputation.
Photography by White Tree Photography
Need to know
ENGAGEMENT TO WEDDING Just over a year
BUDGET Undisclosed
NUMBER OF GUESTS 66 for the whole day
FIRST DANCE My Girl by The Temptations
Sandeep and Paul
Waiting for my dress to
arrive was the hardest part.
I was in awe when I
finally saw it. It was the
most beautiful dress ever

2. 136 TIE THE KNOTSCOTLAND
VENUE Gean House, Alloa www.geanhouse.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHY White Tree Photography
www.whitetreephotography.co.uk
DRESS Sajh Dhaj www.facebook.com/sajhdhaj1
BRIDESMAID DRESSES Mix Bridal
www.mixbridal.com
GROOMSWEAR Victor Valentine
www.victorvalentine.co.uk
CATERING Saffron Events
www.saffroneventsuk.com
FLOWERS Flowers by Kate
www.flowersbykatemac.com
ENTERTAINMENT VIP Entertainments
www.vipentertainments.com
FILM MAKER Wedding Utopia Film
www.weddingutopiafilm.com
HAIR AND MAKEUP Dazzlicious Hair and Makeup
dazzlicious.wix.com/makeup
Address book
THEIR STYLE
Steal
Stockists on page 296
“We wanted our photos to
look natural in the sense that
they weren’t all posed but
also not overly touched-up or
filtered by the photographer
afterwards. Tomasz from
White Tree Photography did
a fantastic job and listened
to what we wanted. Our
favourite shot is when we are
out in the garden having a
secret kiss! My bouquet is on
the wall behind us, which is a
lovely bright touch.”
Sandeep Chahal
“Sandeep and Paul’s wedding was one of the most
colourful I’ve ever witnessed. I love this photo of
the traditional Indian Jago ceremony – it’s used to
welcome the bride to her husband’s home. I love to
document candid moments and tell the story of the
wedding through natural and emotive images.”
Tomasz Adameczek, White Tree Photography
Couple’s favourite image
Photographer’s favourite imageREAL-LIFEweddings
Red lace
dress, £175,
Laura Ashley
Ventura slim-fit
three-piece suit,
£79, Slaters
Snowy Owl cake
topper, £62,
Feltmeupdesigns
at Etsy.com
Bridal bouquet,
made to order,
Flowers by Kate
Vintage Affair heart
wooden confetti, £3.99
for 25, Ginger Ray
Vandana
temporary
metallic tattoo,
£16.95, Bohemian
Jewellery Tattoos
Lilac Anemone
cake, from
£725, Liggy’s
Cake Company