The Desi Destination Wedding Of Your Dreams In Bangalore: From Britain To Australia

The Desi Destination Wedding Of Your Dreams In Bangalore: From Britain To Australia - Eternity

The Desi Destination Wedding Of Your Dreams In Bangalore: From Britain To Australia

17th September 2023

Welcome to Real Weddings: where we speak to real couples about their wedding planning process, the lead up to the big day, and any advice they have for couples currently planning their wedding.

There’s something that’s extremely beautiful about Fusion weddings, it’s a gorgeous reminder of how each culture is so unique & rich; and when combined, it truly creates something beautiful. We are absolutely obsessed with Diya & Joe’s incredible wedding, set in Bangalore. The couple have had the most unique love story, tied together by fate, bringing them together from the UK & Australia.

Keep reading to see how they merged both cultures in the most unique & respectful way.

All photography by The Candid Theory.

ABOUT DIYA

Diya is the co-host of Everybody Somebody, alongside her best friend Amie. Here’s a little bit more about her podcast:

Everybody Somebody

Hosted by besties and self-proclaimed clowns, Amie and Diya (me), the podcast is on a mission to unearth life stories that aren’t just inspiring and intriguing, but also unhinged and downright sidesplitting. Coming from different cultures and walks of life, the duo offer listeners an unparalleled opportunity to learn about remarkable guests through their diverse lenses. Unlike existing, often whitewashed podcasts, Everybody Somebody is produced by multicultural women (Indian and Australian) who discuss race, identity, privilege and bring underrepresented and interesting voices to curious ears. Listen to the podcast here.

ABOUT THE COUPLE

How would you describe your wedding planning process in a few words?

Dynamic, collaborative, stressful, rewarding and overwhelming

How did you meet?

Fate brought us together 9 years ago – we were from 2 different countries, different cultures and walks of life, so us meeting is nothing short of a miracle haha.

My husband who is British, was backpacking around Australia and I was finishing uni. We matched on a dating app and went from there! His working visa expired 6 months into dating and his only option was to do farm work in rural Australia to extend his Visa. He told me he really liked me and asked if I wanted him to stay on and pursue a relationship. I got overwhelmed at the idea of someone staying in a country just for me so I stupidly said – ‘Only stay if you want to, don’t do it for me’.

Joe then left Australia and I realised that I had lost something really great. I messaged him and told him I missed him and he borrowed money from his Dad and came back to Australia for 2 weeks to visit me. These 2 weeks changed everything – we both fell in love and decided to commit 🙂

We did long distance for about 8 months and then I quit my job and left for Europe a few months later, settling in London and seeing Joe for the best part of two years. When my visa expired we had a decision to make; Australia or England? The Australian weather came out on top and Joe moved to Sydney, Australia for me. We’ve been happy here for the last 6 years. We try to travel back to the UK at least once a year to see family.

Diya spoke more about her experience with interracial dating in the first episode of their podcast. Want to know more? Check it out here.

How did you / he propose?

I once jokingly expressed to Joe how romantic a seaplane proposal would be. This of course should have made it impossible for him to organise without me getting suspicious, but he did just that!

A couple years later, his sister told me they had bought us both a Sydney sea plane experience for his 30th birthday, and I was to keep it a secret until the big day. After the sea plane tour (breathtaking) he turned the tables on me and proposed at our private picnic on Shark Island with the Harbour Bridge as the back drop! He’d booked the whole thing himself, used his own 30th as a decoy and I still got my surprise seaplane proposal!

@diyaing White boys left no crumbs 🥵 #desiweddings #southasianweddings #sangeet #destinationwedding #interracialcouple #indianweddingoutfits #desiweddingseason #desiweddingtiktok #desibride ♬ original sound - Diya Ing

What was your favourite part of the wedding planning process?

I loved everything to do with the decor and styling! I also loved practicing all the dances and this really paid off as my wedding TikToks have gone viral.

What was one thing you wish you did differently during your wedding / planning process?

I would get an ‘all in one’ wedding planning and styling company.

I got a wedding planner first and then hired a stylist / decor company which made things more expensive and time consuming. I would also make sure I take some time to rest and really go into the wedding as calm as possible!

What was the trickiest part of your wedding planning process?

There were so many as we did a destination wedding in Bangalore India.

International time zones/ zoom calls/ different business etiquette in India/ not being able to visit venues ourselves (we had to trust our wedding planner). The one that really stands out is mixing two different cultures and traditions, for example in western weddings there is a seating plan for the reception but at Indian weddings in India this is unheard of. Also in western cultures it’s normal to have alcohol at all wedding events, whereas at Indian weddings in my family we don’t typically have alcohol at the Haldi and Mehendi – but for ours we did. We wanted to make sure both our wedding cultural traditions were respected so we mixed the ones we liked together and made the wedding our own!

Would you have benefitted from a platform like Eternity UK, whilst planning?

Yep 100% it would have been so much easier! I had a list of suppliers from everywhere and times it was a scramble.

Tell us more about your supplier dream team

I really liked Tales of Marigold for styling and decor – they nailed the brief and were great to work with. Loved DJ Ashwin Bhatia – the music at our wedding slapped – people were yelling ENCORE haha.

Divya Vithika Wedding planners were very clear and efficient from the moment we hired her. She knew a lot about western weddings as well as Indian weddings so she understood our multicultural vibe. She found us the best, most intimate and beautiful venue in Bangalore (in my opinion) called Villa Kasu and we will forever be grateful for that.

Photographer: The Candid Theory

Styling & Decor: Tales of Marigold

Outfits: Tulsi Studio & Tasva Fashion

Hair & Makeup: Makeup Studio By Suu

Wedding Planner: Divya Vithika

Venue: Villa Kasu

Music: Ashwin Bhatia

Your piece of advice to brides & grooms?

ELOPE – haha joking! We really recommend having a great wedding website with a Q&A section so guests know all the details. Esp. if it’s a destination wedding. It will really save you the headache of answering all last minute questions – you can just direct people to the website! Oh and also ask your wedding planner (if you have one), how they will help you on the day and be super clear about what you want help with e.g keeping time, getting the MC ready to go on stage, making sure your entrance music is on cue etc.

@diyaing Big fat interracial wedding❤️‍🔥#indianweddings #southasianweddings #desitiktok #sangeetdance #weddingseason #schmidtandcece #bride2023 #interracialcouple #browngirl #southasiantiktok #weddingceremony ♬ Calm Down X Love Nwantiti - DJ Drek

The SANGEET

We first experienced Diya & Joe’s Sangeet ceremony through their VIRAL TikTok’s, and became absolutely obsessed with wanting to see more! The evening was filled with incredible dances from both sides of the family, and it was extremely beautiful to see everyone singing and dancing in their stunning desi outfits radiating excitement for the big day.

The MEHNDI

You will definitely learn to see why we are in love with the different themes, outfits, and attention to detail in Diya & Joe’s wedding; but the standout moment for us has to be Diya’s mehndi outfit & jewellery. It’s the most perfect lightweight & fun destination wedding vibe, as well as, being a stunning traditional lehenga.