Even the thought of getting married at a place that is said to be haunted sounds crazy, right? Well, you’ll change your mind after looking at the pictures that follow. Mukesh Mills near Colaba is a broken, haunted and decaying property that Aashna Singh from Aash Studio turned into a dreamy sea-kissing wedding venue in the most unique and rustic way. She turned this ‘Beautiful Mess’ into a memory of a lifetime for Sarah and Mustala. Check out the pictures by Sam & Ekta Photography and all that Aashna has to share about transforming this haunted place!
The Vision…
A Beautiful Mess. Unlike the ‘naturally beautiful’ beach or something typical like a banquet or lawns, this mill had so much more to offer that I felt I had to respect and not overwhelm. My vision was to stay true to the incredible and unique location I had at hand. So, I made sure to accentuate it rather than change or hide it because I like to play with the flaws!
Water & electricity was a major challenge…
This was the first ever wedding here so, I was really excited. The location was special but that also meant it was a difficult space. Forget ramping it up, first, we needed to figure out basics – everything from water to electricity – from scratch.
The bride wanted a desi twist…
Sarah Sham, the bride, is a very creative interior designer herself. Her family runs one of the oldest antique stores (Essajee’s) in Bombay. Her colours were simple, whites and greens (botanical is a big trend this year!) but she asked for a desi twist instead of going the vintage English way. So, the white flowers were replaced by lots of mogra, loose mogra, rajnigandha, tuberoses and orchids.
Transforming the place…
We had to play with the lighting. We didn’t want the decor to overshadow the space and its ethos. We used mirrors and brass and gold elements to cover up the huge space. We treated each event differently. For the Nikkah, the Arabian sea was the backdrop while for the traditional Bohri thaal dinner, we covered up the ceiling with chandeliers to bring a rustic sense to the setup.
Images: Sam & Ekta
