Bahrain continues to grow as a leading global wedding destination and has already hosted its latest ‘Big Indian Wedding’ to kick off this year’s Hindu matrimonial season in style.
And, it appears to be rising above its rivals thanks to its perfect pastries ... proving there is a little bliss in every bite on this island.
Last weekend, more than 500 guests and crew flew into Bahrain for the wedding of handsome groom Siddharth Reddy Anagandula and his beautiful bride Susmitha Reddy Thadisina at the luxurious Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort and Spa in Zallaq.
“Bahrain is a beautiful destination with some amazing properties and we’re excited to be back,” wedding planner Jueta Hemdev told the GDN. “The kingdom’s proximity suits Indian families and, what sets it apart from most other destinations in the region, is the support that we get from the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA).
“Additionally, the people – from the vendors to the hotel staff and chefs – everybody understands the pulse of an Indian wedding, which makes planning a lot easier.”
The Indian Hindu wedding season traditionally runs from November, after Diwali, to March the following year.
The Anagandula-Thadisina event was spread across four days, from November 6 to 9, during which the entire five-star property was fully booked with relatives and friends of both families staying at the hotel.
The Anagandula family, headed by Tirupathi Reddy Anagandula and his wife Manjula Reddy Anagandula, and the Thadisina family, headed by Prashanth Reddy Thadisina and Saritha Reddy Thadisina, are both from Hyderabad in South India and are ‘influential’ in the real estate and poultry business sectors.
The ‘fairy tale’ ceremony was staged by Ms Hemdev, who has brought more than 200 bespoke event ideas to life including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones over the last 15 years.
The creative entrepreneur from Mumbai highlighted the ease of working with the BTEA to secure visas, declaration of jewellery or concierge services, and recommending local vendors.
“The officials have been available round the clock, even in the middle of the night when we needed them. They have guided and hand-held us through each and every process,” she noted.
Her business partner and brother Pratik Hemdev expressed his happiness to be in Bahrain and keen interest to stage more events in the kingdom.
“It is one of the most trusted and best destinations that we can recommend to our clients,” he explained.
And yet, the bride’s final decision of which hotel to stage the event at, ultimately came after she got a taste of more than Bahrain’s hospitality... it was the croissants at the hotel that finally convinced her.
“The bride chose Jumeirah based on the croissants because they are freshly-baked and tasted incredibly good,” Ms Hemdev explained.
“She was here on a pre-wedding visit and fell in love with them. She said ‘if the croissants are freshly-baked and served to me, then I love the hotel’.”
The four-day celebrations included traditional Indian rituals like the Sangeet (a pre-wedding musical evening with dances by both sides of the wedding), Haldi (a ceremony in which the betrothed are cleansed with turmeric) and Mehendi (a henna ritual), albeit with modern twists.
“We have given the traditional barat (‘procession’) a fun spin, for instance,” Ms Hemdev explained.
“We have changed it into a ‘party on wheels’. Instead of having it before the ceremony, we have kept it for after, where we will go into a party that will be led by a convoy comprising a DJ truck, a vintage car and all the guests in tow.”
A barat is the festive procession around the boy’s family arriving at the girl’s home with dance and pomp.
In addition, guests enjoyed mixing blue and pink coloured sand on the beach during the henna ritual, celebrating the union of the two families. The wedding itself took place on the private island at the property.
Local experiences during the wedding included Arabic perfumes, personalised seashell calligraphy souvenirs, a falconry experience, Arabic style henna and much-needed gahwa (Arabic coffee).
“These were part of BTEA’s offerings and we are including them in the ceremonies as we genuinely believe in bringing a local touch by working with local people wherever we go – go global but live local!” Ms Hemdev added.
Over the past several years, the BTEA has highlighted Bahrain’s advanced infrastructure, modern facilities, rich heritage sites and picturesque natural landscapes for destination weddings in particular.
Earlier this year, the kingdom was awarded the title of ‘Leading Destination for Events and Celebrations’ at the 16th edition of the WOW Asia 2025 Awards Ceremony, held in India.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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