Kathryn + Ranjeet by Maja Tsolo - Together Journal

On surface we have quite different personalities and interests, but I realised very quickly that we complemented each other and that he was my person.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Kathryn: I’m a Kiwi expat living in London for the last 9 years and have now become a dual citizen. I work in Change management for a retail business in London, I love all the challenging moments and the success once a project is complete. I love l London for all the amazing food and the culture that comes with living in such a dynamic city.

Ranjeet: I am a born and raised Londoner. I have flirted with moving away for many years but home is where the heart is! I work in the city as a disputes lawyer. I love London for the atmosphere and the incredible variety in cultures and choice of cuisines.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Kathryn: We met spontaneously at a pub between our offices in October 2018. I was there for after work drinks with colleagues and spotted a very handsome Ranjeet across the way. After a few drinks Ranjeet asked for my number and upon receiving a text from him, I immediately pointed out that he had spelt my name wrong.

Ranjeet: The rest is history.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

Ranjeet: I proposed whilst we were on a romantic getaway in Dubrovnik, Croatia. After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, I suggested to Kathryn that we go for a walk to explore. We took a path, which led us to a cliff overlooking the Adriatic sea. When Kathryn turned to take a photo of the view, I slipped the ring from out of my pocket and got down on one knee.

Kathryn: I was so surprised! I was sure he didn’t have a ring with him on the trip as he hadn’t needed to use the safe when I put our passports away. It turned out that he had sneakily asked my parents in New Zealand over Facetime a few weeks before, which was very special as due to Covid they had never met in real life. The first time Ranjeet met my family was when they travelled over for our wedding.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…

Kathryn: We both wanted a small, intimate wedding, which would allow us to spend as much time as possible with the people closest to us. Ideally, I would have loved to get married in New Zealand on Waihike Island but due to Covid-19, and the restrictions on travel, sadly this wasn’t possible. Elmley Nature Reserve allowed us to have a taste of New Zealand in England. Having the wedding over the weekend allowed us to have a relaxed Friday night with our friends and family. Ranjeet is of Indian origin and so we wanted to celebrate his heritage. We ordered food and snacks from our favourite local restaurants and Elmley provided a fusion Indian dinner. Drinks were supplied by KS Spirits, a family-run, Indian-themed, UK drinks start-up.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

Kathryn: I wanted to incorporate parts of home in the wedding, so finding a dress from a New Zealand brand Hera Couture made it extra special. I loved the dress and it made me feel beautiful but I knew that I wanted to wear something different for the evening that I was easily able to dance in, without having to bustle my gown. I opted for the Aje Amour Ruffle dress in bright pink. Most guests didn’t know I was changing outfits, so it was fun appearing in it when the party started. It was a fabulous dress to wear and perfect to dance the night away in.