Komal & Shanil: The Highschool Sweethearts Gorgeous Destination Wedding In Portugal

Komal & Shanil: The Highschool Sweethearts Gorgeous Destination Wedding In Portugal - Eternity

Komal & Shanil: The Highschool Sweethearts Gorgeous Destination Wedding In Portugal

23rd September 2023

Welcome to Real Weddings: where we speak to real couples about their wedding planning process, the lead up to the big day, and any advice they have for couples currently planning their wedding.

This week, we are looking at the gorgeous wedding of highschool sweethearts Komal & Shanil. The couple definitely had love at first sight in sixth form, and have been together since!

After using Eternity UK for wedding inspiration, Komal & Shanil planned their dream wedding in Portugal. It runs in her blood – as Komal is the owner of the wedding planning company: Everything Weddings. Have a closer look.

All photography by Didar Virdi and videography by Empire Cinematic.

ABOUT THE COUPLE

How would you describe your wedding planning process in a few words?

Rewarding, memorable, chaotic, overwhelming.

How did you meet?

We are actually high school sweethearts! We met at school and started dating in 6th form. From then on we never looked back, it was (without being too cheesy), a true love at first sight story!

How did you / he propose?

Shan proposed in April 2022 on the beaches of Antalya, Turkey. It was a truly picturesque set-up. He had a cabana fully decorated with rose petals, and stocked up with chocolate covered strawberries and pink champagne. After hinting for many years, he pulled of my dream proposal!

What was your favourite part of the wedding planning process?

Food tasting, cake tasting and the glorious feeling when we found our perfect venue!

What was one thing you wish you did differently during your wedding / planning process?

Shan – deciding on a fixed budget from the outset!

Komal – honestly, I wouldn’t have done anything differently! I was so happy with the end result and it was everything I could have imagined and more!

What was the trickiest part of your wedding planning process?

Managing differing opinions and trying to keep everyone happy was definitely tricky.

Would you have benefitted from a platform like Eternity UK, whilst planning?

I actually did use Eternity UK for inspo ideas, I found it incredibly useful as there were frequent posts on Instagram with every topic on weddings.

Tell us more about your supplier dream team

Didar Virdi, Photographer – Didar Virdi & Empire Cinematic were an absolute dream team. We were in close contact with them both and all worked so well together. They were open to hearing our ideas and we absolutely loved working with them.

Empire Cinematic, Videographer – Didar Virdi & Empire Cinematic were an absolute dream team. We were in close contact with them both and all worked so well together. They were open to hearing our ideas and we absolutely loved working with them.

Claudia De Mota, Decorator – Claudia definitely did not have an easy job. I (Komal) presented her with multiple moodboards and powerpoint presentations with my decor ideas, as that was a super important aspect for me. She took on board my vision and pulled off the most beautiful decor for each event, she honestly went above and beyond.

Passage to India, Wedding Planner

Drumologist Official, Dhol

DJ Dips, DJ

Bespoke Turbans, Pagh

Henna By Antara, Mehndi

Claudia Agua, Makeup

Raquel, Hair Stylist

Outfits:

Bride Mehndi outfit: Sabyasachi

Bride Wedding outfit: Rimple & Harpreet

Bride Reception outfit: Manish Malhotra

Groom wedding outfit: Qbik

Groom reception outfit: Kashket & Partners of London

Your piece of advice to brides & grooms?

Breathe and try and enjoy the process! It can be super stressful and overwhelming, but remember to listen to eachothers views and work as a team thoughout the planning process. Everything always comes together in the end!

The Mehndi, sangeet & jago

To kick off their celebrations, Komal & Shanil combined their Mehndi, Sangeet & Jago into one beautiful daytime celebration. As we always say, the decor sets the vibe, and in their case: it was super chilled, colourful & full of love. We are obsessed with the muted green outfits, especially Komal’s stunning floral Sabyasachi lehenga, which Shanil complemented so well.

The Maiyan & Haldi

For the Maiyan / Haldi, Komal & Shanil had the most relaxed ceremony, with some of our favourite trends: a lotus pool, floral jewellery, & floral petals – obsessed.

the wedding

When we think destination desi wedding, it’s this vibe that comes to mind. Komal, Shanil & their decorators truly bought their entire vision to life in this stunning pastel-themed ceremony. From the baby-breath mandap decor, to the gorgeous seating setup, this wedding truly looked like a fairytale.

The RECEPTION

Last, but definitely not least, the fairytale continued through into the reception. From the hanging decor to Komal’s gown, everything about this reception was the perfect mix to end their week-long celebration.