Ashwin Suniil Wadwani & Maya Kaur Batra

13-16 February 2023
Avani+ Riverside Resort

In a luxe property nestled by the magnificent River of Kings, Ashwin Suniil Wadwani and Maya Kaur Batra tied the knot with several vibrant days of celebration, choosing to start their married journey in Thailand because of their love for Thai culture and mutual desire to have a destination wedding where their loved ones could fly in from all over the world, bond, and celebrate their love together. Maya, who had always dreamt of marrying her best friend, looked radiant as she tied the knot in yellow, another wish of hers from years past, with a special Valentine’s Day sangeet held in a dreamy, rose-coloured ballroom. They both give us a peek into the most important days of their lives.

Ashwin and Maya, you’re Australian and American, respectively, and you both flew in from abroad for this wedding. What made Thailand such an attractive wedding destination?

Thailand is known to be an Indian wedding-friendly country, the hotel was super accommodating, the food is incredible, and the hospitality is unmatched. Our wedding planners, Niramit Creations, went above and beyond for us. Honestly, any vision can become a reality in Thailand. The food and catering opportunities are extremely unique, and will have your guests dreaming of coming back. To celebrate Thai culture, which we both love, and to start the festivies strong, we incorporated Thai food stations and Thai dancers at our welcome dinner. We also had Thai massage stations in our hospitality suite available for our guests to use throughout the four days.

In all four days of festivities, what memory stands out to you the most?

Ashwin: Maya walking down the aisle for the Anand Karaj (Sikh ceremony) to a special version of the Mool Mantar that she sang and produced was a huge highlight. Every single person in the room was silent, and everyone had goosebumps. That feeling carried forward into the rest of the ceremonies and was so special. 

Maya: It’s so hard to choose, but for me it would have to be the actual wedding ceremonies. Walking down the aisle for the Hindu ceremony to Goldie Sohel singing “Aaj Sajeya” live, and Ashwin crying when he saw me, is something I will cherish forever. Even though the song is a viral hit, it was Goldie’s first time performing the song live. No one saw that coming and it was so special.

Which bridal designers did you pick, and why?

I grew up in my family’s beauty salon, Ziba Beauty in Artesia, which is the ‘little India’ of Southern California. The boutique owners have seen me grow up, so it was important for me to represent them when choosing my wedding looks. I wore Manshaa The Designer Studio for the janya, Frontier Heritage for my sangeet, Hindu ceremony and reception, and Varun Nidhika for my Sikh ceremony. I always dreamt of getting married in yellow, and almost didn’t find anything, but big thanks to Yasmin Boutique for styling me and making that happen only 10 days before the wedding!

On a trip to India, I came across a gem of a store called Delhi Vintage and there I bought my mehendi outfit. The work in every panel was hand done, the fabric of the top had been custom dyed, and the skirt was just above my ankles so you could see my mehendi. It was so unique, and I knew it had to be one of my wedding looks. My welcome dinner/couple’s photoshoot was also a copper and beige lehenga from Delhi Vintage. It was so comfortable and light, and it had pockets which is a huge win. 

Now that you’ve been through the whole big, fat, wedding, what are your tips for other couples?

– Don’t sweat the small stuff 
– Write your speech before all the occasions start 
– Make sure you eat at every event, or assign someone you trust to put a plate of food together for you
– Ask your bridal party for help or support when you need it. They can’t read your mind, and it’s okay to ask for support!

What was a surprising element or what was the most creative thing that you did at your wedding (e.g. a personalised drink, unusual dish, etc.)

Maya is a singer-songwriter and producer, so she and her company, The Love Note Studio, wrote us a personalised first dance song, “Saawariya”, which means ‘soulmate’ or ‘beloved.’ The song told our story with such a unique blend of Hindi and English, and created a once-in-a-lifetime moment for us. After the intimate slow dance, we switched up into a Bhangra routine choreographed by Sapnay Entertainment, that had our guests going wild. 

Wedding Makers
Wedding Planner: Niramit Creations
Venue: Avani+ Riverside Resort

4 days of festivities – 6 events – 400 guests