The Bride Wore Danielle Frankel to Say Her Vows Under a Maldivian Sunset
Suthita “Nics” Bhirombhakdi and Naiyanobh “Toy” Bhirombhakdi first met 10 years ago, when their mutual friend set up a dinner with the underlying goal of having them connect. “Though none of our friends are smokers, they took many ‘smoke breaks’ that evening so that Toy and I could get to know each other,” Nics, who is a marketing director and executive, remembers.
After eight years of dating and building a friendship that eventually evolved into a romantic relationship, Toy—who is the only son of Chutinant Bhirombhakdi, the former president and CEO of the brewery behind Singha beer, where the groom is the senior VP of corporate finance and administration—got down on one knee and proposed in New York’s Central Park in the fall of 2021.
Nics and Toy started planning their dream wedding shortly after the engagement and were married on February 3, 2024, at Saii Lagoon Resort in the Maldives. The planning process was “easy breezy” for this bride. “It all started when Toy’s mom came up with this amazing idea of having a destination wedding in the Maldives,” Nics explains. “Saii Lagoon Maldives at the Crossroads project was unquestionably the perfect choice. We all loved the idea from the start, especially Toy’s dad who was super excited about it.” While researching what she envisioned for the look and feel of the wedding weekend, the bride found herself scrolling through event planner Jesse Tombs’s profile and completely fell in love with his work—so much so that she reached out immediately. “I was actually on vacation when I contacted Jesse and set up our first meeting via Zoom,” Nics says. “We just clicked right away. I really love how he embraces nature and seamlessly blends the aesthetics and local culture and community into his styling.”
Nics and Toy knew very early on in the planning process that they wanted to have their wedding ceremony and dinner in the Maldives. “We wanted all of our friends and family to be able to kick back and enjoy the sea breeze, the sounds of the waves, majestic sunset, and sand between their toes,” Nics explains. That said, after Jesse arrived in the Maldives, it only took him one day to come back with his first proposal, which the couple loved. “Some of the styling inspiration he used was pulled from our personal Instagram accounts,” Nics explains. “Which made the vision so unique as it reflected our individual and collective styles—simple but detailed.”
In the months leading up to the wedding, Nics ran around New York in search of the perfect wedding dress. After exhausting a lot of her options, Nics made one final stop at Danielle Frankel’s atelier. “As soon as I stepped into the studio, I immediately fell in love with the brand,” Nics says. “Everything there was so beautiful—from the exquisite interior design to the stunning array of dresses. Danielle herself personally came out to meet me for my fitting when I ended up selecting one of her favorite dresses. I adore her creations so much—they really are works of art.”
To kick off the weekend, Nics wore a dress custom-crafted by Patarasiri, a heritage brand by a family of Thai designers for the welcome dinner. “This stunning look initially took form when Khun New, the eldest sister of Patarasiri, brought out an amazing piece of hand-cut leather fabric,” Nics remembers. “Both the designers and I agreed that this piece would represent my style and personality very well.”
As the dinner drew to a close, Nics changed into another floral look by Pipatchara, a Thai fashion label with a focus on sustainability. Each leather flower on the dress had been cut and sewn by hand, adding a touch of artistry. “In addition, the inclusion of materials recycled from plastic bestowed an extra layer of significance, making the dress even more special and unique,” Nics says.
On the wedding day, Nics’ Danielle Frankel dress was quintessentially romantic, but also sculptural in feel and effortlessly chic, with its corset details and the flowy sheer skirt and scarf. “To me, it was the clear winner for my semi-formal wedding on the beach,” Nics says.
For jewelry, the bride wore her heart-shaped diamond engagement ring. “It had once been used by Toy’s father to propose to his mother, making its value immeasurable to my heart,” Nics notes. “For my pre-wedding shoot, where I also wore Danielle Frankel, I chose to wear heart-shaped diamond drop earrings as I wanted to go for a feminine look with my hair down.”
Toy, for his part, went for a more relaxed style throughout the weekend. His go-to look for the events leading up to the wedding was a J.Crew white shirt paired with Tom Ford cream trousers. On the wedding day, he wore a linen cream suit by the Thai designer Vvon Sugunnasil.
From the very beginning, Nics and Toy knew they wanted their wedding weekend to be very intimate. “Starting with the welcome dinner, Jesse and the team worked wonders, transforming the venue into a strikingly beautiful dining setting blanketed with a cozy ambiance,” Nics says. “The vivid yellow and green hues illuminated the monochromatic room, giving it an aura of warmth. Our ‘white party’ dress code added a touch of lightheartedness to the dinner.”
“[On the day of the wedding], I was teary-eyed when I first saw the setting and the flowers,” Nics admits. Jenya and Kelsey of Jenya Flowers and Nuude Botanica worked their magic, covering the beach with an array of beautiful blooms including amaryllis, eremurus, and salix golden curls that exuded romance, simplicity, and understated elegance.
For the ceremony itself, the couple decided to keep things in the family. “My father escorted me down the aisle, my best friend officiated the ceremony, and Toy’s dearest cousin recited the most beautiful love quote for us,” Nics remembers. “The presence of our loved ones made it feel like a dream, making it one of the most meaningful moments in our lives.” The couple exchanged their vows under the Maldivian sunset, and afterwards, guests gathered for dinner and to listen to heartfelt speeches from family and friends. While white was the predominant color scheme, accents of yellow, light green, and peach created a beautiful palette. The incorporation of local elements such as plates, bowls, and seashells further enhanced the Maldivian vibe.
“At the end of the night, I changed into my final dress by Patarasiri for the after-party,” Nics says. “I had given the designers the directive to create a beachy look that would allow me to dance with ease. Their final creation turned out so wonderfully and beautifully, and I had the most fun dancing the night away.”
Sophie Lin Berard Photography1/51Adorned in a Danielle Frankel dress and holding Nerine Bowdernii White Charms, facing the radiant light of the sunset. The flowing waves of the dress almost seem to mimic the ebb and flow of the sea and wind.
