After that first date we both knew that we wanted to get to know each other more but we were surprised by how much our feelings grew for each other in such a short period of time!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Whilst we both work long hours during the week and too often on weekends, we absolutely love to get out in nature and go on hikes or to the beach when we can. Louise grew up in Noosa, so we often head up to Noosa for a weekend to spend time at the beach and national park with family. We spent our first year or so of dating, exploring all of Brisbane’s best restaurants and bars, and have a love of great food, red wine, and ice cream! Another huge passion of ours is travelling, and we can’t wait for all the adventures we will have!
Raja works as a medical registrar in a busy Brisbane Hospital. When not working in the hospital, Raja is often studying for upcoming exams, completing a master’s degree, or conducting research. Louise was a physiotherapist in her former life; however, she is now studying to be a Doctor of Medicine in Sydney. Whilst there are considerable challenges associated with being in a long-distance relationship/marriage, we are both so passionate about what we do, which makes the distance a bit easier!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met on Tinder in June of 2019. Louise swiped right on Raja because he was so incredibly handsome and had the most gorgeous smile. Raja swiped right on Louise because she looked ‘pretty’. Our first date was on the 30th of June 2019. Raja took Louise to Messina for ice cream. An ice cream store he claimed gave Massimo’s (an ice cream shop in Noosa that Louise used to work in during university) a run for its money. What was supposed to be a quick ice-cream date turned into drinks at the cocktail bar Maker, which then further turned into dinner at Maeve, a fancy restaurant in Southbank in which Louise, in her short shorts, crop top and Converse, felt very underdressed!
There was definitely a strong mutual attraction when we both first met. Conversation flowed so freely and we had a lot of fun together. After that first date we both knew that we wanted to get to know each other more but we were surprised by how much our feelings grew for each other in such a short period of time!
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Raja: I think it took time for me to come to the realisation that Louise was the one. But admittedly, we had our own unique challenges to overcome when we first started dating, and much of the time we spent getting to know each other was during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Spending so much time together during this period probably intensified our feelings for one another and allowed us to really get to know one another. Certainly, the way she loved and supported me during this time made it clear that she was the person I wanted to spend my life with. Since then, she has continued to develop into the confident, impressive and intelligent woman that we all know her to be, all the while validating my desire to be with her.
Louise: I don’t know if there was a single moment that I realised I could suddenly spend the rest of my life with Raja. Rather, I think it was a combination of all the ways he would make me feel so special and loved. Raja was by far the most considerate and chivalrous guy that I had ever dated. One example of this is when we were 6 or so months into dating, he bought me a memory foam pillow… On the date prior, I had mentioned how I have neck and shoulder pain when I sleep. Whilst dropping me off after a date one night, he brought this memory foam pillow out of the boot of his car, which I was told is supposed to be really great for neck pain. Though this was a seemingly small gesture, it showed to me how much he cared for me and would go out of his way to make me more comfortable.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Raja gave Louise the most thoughtful, romantic and meaningful proposal. Raja took Louise up on a helicopter ride over Brisbane in the morning where he pointed out places they had lived, been on dates, and shared memories. This was followed by a couples massage at Louise’s favourite massage parlour. Following this, while Louise napped, Raja then went to set up a beautiful picnic on the Southbank with roses, candles, charcuterie boards and, of course, champagne. Raja proposed at sunset on the river Southbank, where we ate ice cream on our first date. It was incredibly romantic!
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
As soon as I saw our venue, The Bower Estate, I fell in love, and I knew it was the venue for us. Photos do not do this venue’s scenery justice. We saw a couple more wedding venues but nothing compared! Our ceremony was conducted under a big fig tree surrounded by an intimate rainforest and views of Springbrook mountains. The reception was held under a clear marquee sprinkled with fairy lights which was absolutely stunning when the sun was setting.
I wanted a whimsical and romantic garden party theme to match the natural beauty of the venue. I struggled immensely envisioning the colour scheme, however I did like the idea of my bridesmaids wearing a light blue. Emilia from Bloodwood Botanica helped with forming a colour scheme and ended up creating a floralscape beyond what I could have ever imagined myself. We decided to spend a large portion of our flower budget on the ceremony flowers and decided to have a minimalist reception set up with single-stem vases and candles. I was also obsessed with the idea of fruit as part of the reception set-up, and it did not disappoint! Our wedding stylist complimented Emilia’s florals effortlessly.
We also wanted to create a light-hearted and relaxed mood and ultimately just wanted people to have fun!
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
My husband and I had different priorities of elements we wanted to splurge on. I was very keen on an amazing photographer and florist, and my husband was all about the band! Of course, we compromised and splurged on all 3. Beck was the most amazing photographer. She made us feel so confident on our wedding day and captured the most incredible photos. Our florist brought the beauty to our wedding, and the band brought the vibes. It all worked out so perfectly.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
We were actually so so lucky on our wedding day and in the lead up and had no major stressors or hiccups! The only thing we were worried about was the weather and potential rain. Louise checked the weather forecast multiple times a day in the lead-up to the wedding, and even on the wedding day, she couldn’t help but get worried if she saw a cloud in the sky. We ended up being blessed with no rain but instead had 33-degree heat! There was a lot of sweat…
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Lou: I was set on my dress being strapless and A-line. I went dress shopping with my mum and one of my grandmas. The first dress I tried on ended up being the one. Even though it was not what I had originally pictured, as soon as I stepped into it and saw myself in the mirror, I could suddenly see myself walking down the aisle to my husband. Even though this dress was a clear front runner, I had a couple of other dresses I also absolutely adored and had differing opinions from friends and family about which dress they preferred. I ended up trying the dresses on again by myself in Sydney and was sure that the romantic ball gown dress with the drop shoulders was for me. It is always hard having different people expressing strong opinions about which dress you should or shouldn’t choose. However, in the end, I went with what I felt most beautiful in and what I could envision myself marrying my husband in!
Raja: I was particularly eager to have a very traditional aesthetic. I wanted to wear a black tux and went to many made-to-measure suiting stores until eventually deciding to work with Oscar Hunt. I went with a classical Barathea fabric for the tuxedo with wide satin peak lapels, a ventless jacket and pants with side adjusters and a single gallon. Being very particular with my outfit I spent many hours researching stud sets, watches and cufflinks with gold as the metal. My self-tie bowtie was from Oscar Hunt, and my shoes were patent leather from Aquila. As one of the few things entirely in my control as the groom, I thoroughly enjoyed planning my outfit, knowing that I would be able to enjoy wearing my wedding accessories and tuxedo for many years to come.
CEREMONY & RECEPTION The Bower Estate, Natural Bridge, Gold Coast, Australia, @thebowerestate PHOTOGRAPHER Beck Rocchi, @beckrocchiphotography VIDEOGRAPHER Simao Luz, @sunnydayfilms STYLIST & PLANNER Olivia Morrow, @theromanticsweddings FLORIST Emilia Spencer-Brown, @bloodwoodbotanica CELEBRANT Paul Redfern, @paulredferncelebrant ENTERTAINMENT McGee Entertainment music featuring Angie Narayan, @mcgeeentertainment HIRE Champagne Tower: Tahlia Dixon, Champagne Walls Gold Coast, @champagnewalls_goldcoast CATERING Ridgeway Catering, @ridgeway_catering CAKE Sammy, Hello Little Crumb, @hellolittlecrumb STATIONERY Mila & May, @milaandmay RINGS Trewarne, @trewarnediamonds EARRINGS Tiffany Duliege, @tiffany.duliege.studio BRIDAL DRESS Davis Dress by Chosen by Kyha, @chosenbykyha BRIDE’S SHOES Badgley Mischka, @badgleymischka MAKEUP Xenia Elise, @xenia.elise HAIR Isabella Jane, @isabellajanehairmakeup FRAGRANCE Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb SUIT Oscar Hunt, @oscarhunttailors GROOM’S SHOES Aquila, @aquila_est1958 ACCESSORIES Watch – Tissot, @tissot_official; Cufflinks – Cudworth, @cudworth.1918; Self-tie Bowtie – Oscar Hunt, @oscarhunttailors; Pocket Square – Drake’s FRAGRANCE Made by the Groom – Miller Road Fragrances RECEPTION DRESS Shona Joy, @shonajoy BRIDE’S RECEPTION SHOES Loeffler Randall, @loefflerrandall BRIDESMAID DRESSES Bec and Bridge, @becandbridge
