I thought it would be awesome to share some behind the scenes with you and take a candid look at my engagement dinner that took place just a few months ago. I and the other half hosted the dinner with our immediate family at London Soho’s Masala Zone in their gorgeous private area. We thought the combination of an intimate family dinner and a separate party for friends at a rustic bar (blog post coming soon) would be the best combination.

First, the venue, finding a sophisticated yet budget-friendly and tasty Indian dinner to host in London was indeed a challenge. We only found 2 we really liked that fit our budget and felt Masala Zone was the best, as their food is pretty delicious and their private area was perfect. Plus it had the look and feel we were going for!

Next, the outfit, that was a toughie, as with an engagement dinner, it is ideal to wear something which is comfortable and easy to walk around in. I know one brand I could rely on had to be Nysa London. Known for being friendly as well as budget-friendly, their range of attire is quality and just STUNNING! I headed down to their home-based boutique in North London, and you are always welcomed with the biggest smile and seriously I was spoilt for choice!!! But as soon as I put on their blush pink anarkali, I LOVED IT (as you can tell by the grin on my face in the photo above!). The anarkali had a gracious drama to it with and was a breeze to stroll around in and best of all, it had the best of both worlds with gold and silver thread work, and a beautiful net dupatta to go with it.

Next, the jewellery, I wanted something traditional and knock out to compliment my Nysa London anarkali as I was to take a modern stride for my engagement party look. Who better than Toraan to turn to! I’m a HUGE fan of their jewellery and was delighted to find the perfect pairing for my anarkali. I knew it was the one as soon as I saw it, so much so that I didn’t try it with the outfit until I got home that very night! Here is that very shot of the jewellery I tried on below that night ❤

For the make-up and hair, I kept it very simple and natural, which my sister did for me. No false lashes, just some nude lipstick and some blush and good old eyeliner and mascara. I am not huge on heavy-looking make-up on myself, so this look was PERFECT for the occasion.

With the decor for the evening, we kept the table and additional decor understated, as we felt the setting did not need any further adorning, as it already was quite a pretty backdrop. We had two long tables for up to twenty guests which were laid with red rose petals, multi-coloured tealight lamps (from TIGER) and table name place cards which me and sister made at home ourselves. We also added some heart balloons (from Paperchase) and a lightbox in the centre of the room to set the scene.

We had such a beautiful and unforgettable evening with our family and a delectable meal too. I hope you liked reading the planning of my engagement dinner. I will be sharing some more snippets of my wedding journey soon, so do keep your eyes peeled on my social for updates.

My Look

Anarkali: Nysa London

Kundan Choker & Earring Set: Toraan Jewellery

Make-Up: My Sister

 

Would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Puja from Nysa London and Purti/Shlok from Toraan for their help for my special occasion! Can’t recommend them enough!

If you have any questions on wedding planning do feel free to get in touch here. Follow me on Insta > www.instagram.com/londonkiladki or like on Facebook > www.facebook.com/londonkiladki