A swirl of vibrant colour and the blending of century-old traditions is just one way we can describe the rich nuptials of Reena and Andrew. Speaking to Wedded Wonderland, the happy couple talk us through the mesmerising details of their special day.
The story of these newlyweds starts amidst COVID-19, with an orchestrated romantic wedding proposal! Bride Reena tells Wedded Wonderland, “What started as a Harbour Bridge romance, soon turned into a whirlwind relationship due to the pandemic as we both had to quarantine because of interstate lockdown”.
The proposal took place in the heart of Sydney, where Andrew got down on one knee and asked Reena that all-important question.
“Of course, I said yes and as they say, the rest is history. Andrew is of Australian descent and I was raised in India. Even though Andrew and I grew up in different parts of the world, our shared core values and principles unite us. Our relationship is a melting pot of cultures and traditions, rooted in a deep understanding of each other”.
Groom Andrew was born and raised in Canberra while Bride Reena is from Sydney. So the decision to get married in the most impressive of venues in Australia’s capital was a no brainer for the pair. It also happened to be the first wedding to ever be hosted at the Australian Parliament House.
Spanning over four days, the wedding celebration was a perfect blend of two worlds – with the festivities featuring traditional Henna and Turmeric ceremonies, a sangeet musical extravaganza as well as classic Catholic and Indian ceremonies.
“The multi-day affair was a typical big fat wedding, bringing together elements of our respective cultures, while also reflecting our fun-loving personalities”, tells Reena.
“We took beautiful traditions that we both grew up with and personalised them in a way that made sense for us. It’s been incredible to find the commonalities between our beliefs and figuring out how to blend them in a respectful and meaningful way”.
“Each event and ceremony holds so much significance for us. One of the most special things that our relationship has given us is the merging of families who love and respect each other’s faiths and cultures. And our wedding with an amalgamation of both was so amazing. My most special moment was when my dad got emotional on the morning of the wedding as he knew he was close to giving away his daughter”, she said.
Bride Reena Koak chose to wear her favourite Indian designer Sabyasachi’s detailed Indian wear called ‘Lehenga’ featuring a hand-woven silk with fine tilla work and embroidered revival zardozi borders in velvet.
“My wedding wardrobe was meticulously planned. I’m all about vivid colours and vibrant prints. So I decided to wear each colour of the rainbow throughout my wedding week. I wore a multi-coloured Banarasi silk lehenga sketched and designed personally by Neeru’s India for my sangeet. I wore an elaborate white outfit with a customised 10-metre long veil for my white wedding”.
“It was a perfect outfit to pay homage to my Indian roots”, she told Wedded Wonderland.
Bride Reena offers brides-to-be her words of wisdom, “Create a new email address for all wedding-related admin. There’s so much back-and-forth communication that clogs up your personal inbox. Plus, it means that you and your partner can both be across all the wedding correspondence – because typically suppliers will only email the bride even if you supply both of your contact details”.
Did you have a destination wedding and want an editorial feature on Wedded Wonderland? Send us an email with a little about your day alongside your wedding album to:
content@weddedwonderland.com
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