Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Karan works in IT, and I’m an events planner. He’s super laid back, and I’m a details person. So safe to say opposites attract. We have a mutual love of travelling and spicy food. Most of our spare time involves trying new dishes that we share with friends and family, reminiscing about travels across Asia – and planning for the next trip, and doing projects on our new old home that we love.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We first met through my older brother as him and Karan were university friends, however we did have a lot of mutual friends. My first impression of Karan was that he was shy, mysterious and sweet. And he overlooked me at first as I was his friend’s sister (haha). I had to make the first move! As I said in our wedding speech, my brother lost a friend but gained another brother.. so I think it worked out ok!
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
There wasn’t a particular moment.. our relationship grew so organically that we just knew we would be married one day. We have been together for 11 years, and didn’t get engaged until 9 years in, but we both knew that it was a matter of when and not if.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Karan had booked us to go glamping one weekend and used the excuse of our anniversary as the reason to go away. I was outside exploring the property, and when I came back inside he had set up the place with candles and was down on one knee. The full story was a little more dramatic! Karan had booked for us to go away a few weeks prior and intended to propose then, but the morning we were supposed to leave he got a call to say the accommodation was double booked!! It all worked out in the end and he still managed to completely catch me off guard when it did happen.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
Our original wedding set for early 2021 was meant to be a fairly large afternoon wedding and evening reception. Due to Covid and so many family and friends unable to travel to be there, we ended up changing the date and the format entirely. In the end we decided to hold a midday ceremony followed by lunch, and then a bbq evening with friends. It was perfect and really felt like us.
As it was a daytime Summer event, we really wanted to capitalise on this. We had the ceremony in the Garden Nook, canapes on the front lawn, and lunch in the dining hall – which was so light and bright it felt as though you were outside. We had a DJ playing soft summer tunes which set the tone. We really wanted our guests to feel relaxed and enjoy themselves.
We were keen to keep our styling classic with a modern spin so that we could look back in 20/30/40 years and still love everything about our day. To reflect the daytime nature we went with a soft colour palette of pale blue, lilac and white. My bridesmaids wore champagne gowns which tied in beautifully. Our focus was on thoughtful styling, a great venue and great food. Luckily the great weather brought it all together!
I wanted the flowers to be a feature and play a role in creating the atmosphere and Yvette did such an incredible job. She used a combination of blue and white hydrangeas, tweedia and bella donna. There was something truly magical about the whispy arch, petal aisle and the sun pouring into the Garden Nook. I’ll never forget how I felt in that moment. During the ceremony I had a dragonfly come and perch on my bouquet. When my bridesmaids told me afterwards that dragonflies were good luck I knew there was some kind of magic in the air. It was a real Disney princess moment. My favourite flower in my bouquet was even shaped like a dragonfly!
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
The food for sure. In Indian culture it’s hospitable to provide copious amounts of food, so we wanted to make sure there was plenty to go around.
We worked with Rose & Smith’s resident chef, Dale who helped us design a 4 course menu with multiple sharing platters suitable for lunch. We were keen to have a long lazy style lunch with delicious food and drinks. Dale helped us create dishes that are true to his style, but included an Indian spin. Signature dishes included Prawn and Asparagus Skewers that were cooked on the outdoor firepit, Tandoori Chicken with Quinoa, Chickpea & Pomegranate Salad and Spit Roasted Lamb with Beetroot Borani. To finish we had wedding cake and soft serve icecream that could be enjoyed outside after the formalities.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
The only thing that still makes me laugh (and makes Karan cringe) was during the ceremony when the celebrant, my uncle, was doing the declaration of intention. My uncle likes to speak slowly and with intention and during a pause Karan nervously jumped in (about 2 sentences too early) and exclaimed “I do”! It was such a cute funny moment!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
I visited a few boutiques in Wellington and Auckland and Vinka Design was among them. The Deor gown was the last dress I tried on at the store and it immediately gave me butterflies. I knew it was the dress for me. Going with the theme of modern classic, I wanted a dress that ticked both boxes and one that I’d still love in years to come. The Deor gown was elegant and simple. It sat off the shoulder which I loved, and I decided to add the ¾ sleeves to give it that something extra.
For a bit of drama I wanted a two tiered veil that I could wear over my face during the ceremony. Anita helped me create a custom veil to suit my gown that was tulle and scalloped lace. It was elegant, classic and feminine, and complemented the simplicity of the gown so well. I will treasure my gown forever and I feel like I could definitely pass my veil down in future.
In terms of accessories, I bought a pair of drop gold and pearl statement earrings. For the ceremony I wore a pair of practical strappy block heels. For lunch, I ditched my veil and swapped out my shoes for sparkly Cinderella slippers.
My something borrowed was a lipstick from one of my bridesmaids and my something old was a gold flower of my great grandmother’s which I pinned to my bouquet. Both things were so special to me.
Karan knew he wanted to wear a blue suit. We worked with Clare at Mandatory to pick out the perfect dark navy fabric that was made to measure into a 3-piece. He picked a silver and black floral silk tie and a cream pocket square that his best man virtually helped him style on the day.
Ceremony + Reception: Rose & Smith at Tauherenikau | Photographer: Shot by Nadine Ellen, edited by Nisha Ravji | Celebrant: Bride’s uncle | Entertainment: DJ Luke | Flora: Yvette Edwards | Catering + Beverages: Rose & Smith Chef | Cake: Finom Kitchen | Stationery: Girish Parbhu | Brides Attire: Bespoke Deor gown from Vinka Design | Grooms Attire: Mandatory | Ring/s: Partridge Jewellers | Shoes: The Iconic | Bride’s earrings: Coco Wellington | Makeup: Kate Keogh | Hair: Miss Dom Styling | Brides Fragrance: Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt from Lonely Wellington | Grooms: Jo Malone London 154 Cologne | Bridesmaid Attire: Show me your Mumu
