How did you both meet?

We met in high school! We were in the same English class & debating team in Year 10 (2008), became really good friends and very regularly chatted on MSN back in the day! Eventually our friendship progressed into something further and the rest is history

Who popped the question & how?

We were living together for quite some time as if we were already a married couple! We would talk a lot about the future together, so it was no surprise that both of us eventually wanted to marry each other. We always had conversations of when we would like to be engaged and married, so we were both very much involved in the process of picking out an engagement ring, planning the wedding, etc. We picked up the engagement ring when it was ready, went for a stroll in the city and took some pictures to capture the special moment. Technically, neither of us have “popped the question”! 

Where did you hold your ceremony?

We held our ceremony at the cannons in Wollongong, adjacent to City Beach Function Centre. Thank you to the team at City Beach Function Centre for making it happen!

Why did you choose City Beach?

We always wanted a beachfront wedding and saw that the venue was able to accommodate for and host Indian weddings! We are from Sydney and we liked how the venue was in Wollongong, it was a nice weekend away and not too far for guests to travel! Also had a great time viewing the venue and hit it off straightaway with the Wedding Coordinator Michele!

What was it like dealing with Wedding Coordinators, Melissa & Michele?

The City Beach Function Centre team are absolutely amazing! We primarily dealt with Michele who was incredible. Planning a wedding is daunting enough as it is, and Michele made the entire process so seamless and easy. Planning the wedding day during COVID lockdown was just as easy as Michele was so accommodating and understanding throughout the entire time of working with her. We were so incredibly grateful to have her as our wedding coordinator!

What’s your No 1 go to song that HAD to be included in your playlist?

We never really have our own special song (not so romantic). But, we both immediately agreed on having “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons as our entrance song for the reception! Oh, and you can’t have a wedding without “Forever” by Chris Brown (which was our exit song) 

What was your most memorable moment from the day?

Besides the ceremony, our favourite and memorable moment of the day was the time in between the wedding and reception – We were both able to finally catch up as husband and wife and chat about the ceremony and all that went down! That was the cherry on the cake as we were able to immediately bond over the special moment we just experienced. The wedding day is an absolute whirlwind (in the best way) but the times where you can pause and unwind with your life partner is just as special.

Any advice for couples about to tie the knot?

Not everything will go to plan so make sure you relax, let it slide and just enjoy the experience! A lot of the things that did not go to plan for us ended up being funny memories that we love to share with our friends and family.

Remember that the overall objective is to officially unite with your forever-partner, and everything else that comes with the wedding (photos, decorations, outfits, the experience, etc.) are amazing things that just make the day even more special! Social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest etc. are great places to reference for wedding ideas, and some of these photos may capture extravagant weddings, but remember to not be daunted by this – do what YOU want for your wedding and what resonates with you and your partner. Everyone’s wedding day is different!

And last but not least, your bridal party (if you have one) is there for you to be your #1 support throughout the entire experience, don’t be afraid to lean on them!

What was the funniest thing that happened?

The photographer initially thought that one of the groomsmen was the groom and spent and unusual amount of time taking photos of him…Eventually the groom caught on and told the photographer that he was the groom! They had to delete the photos and start again 

Ceremony Location: City Beach Function Centre

Celebrant: Pandit Rami Sivan

Venue: City Beach Function Centre

Photographer: Rolling Canvas 

Ceremony Dress: Payal & Pasand

Reception Dress: A & N Luxe 

Florals: Flowers by Maziah

Cake: Subha @Sunnybakehouse 

Hair & Make-up: Nikki Arora @nikkia roraofficial

Henna: Maziah @hennabymaziah

Bridal & bridesmaids jewellery: Taur Shop