Throwin’ it back to one of our fave weddings from within the pages of our mag today, friends, with Archee and Pat’s bright, bold and beautiful nups. We love how much this couple loves the LOLs. Case in point? For the bride, marriage means guaranteed coffee in bed every morning – “That was in thevows, right?” she quips – while groom Pat’s just glad that “legally, Archee can’t run away”. Ha!
These folks had plenty of laughs on their vibrant big day, despite a few hiccups on the way, such as Pat’s intended outfit change… “We had planned for Pat to change into Indian clothes for the reception,” shares Archee. “I sent his measurements to a family friend in India who is a fashion designer. Somehow, when the clothes arrived, they only went to his belly button!”
All of the fun and epic colour was captured by the talented Rikki Lancaster and we highly recommend you take a peek at these pics because they are a total joy!
THE VENUE “We’d been to a wedding at Gabbinbar Homestead previously and my friend sang praises of their planning team, who made every effort to support us through a chaotic multicultural wedding. The chef made a huge effort to customise the menu for us with a ‘mecca and mandir’ live cooking station. The offer of mulled wine circulating in winter sealed the deal.”
FAVE DETAILS “The moment I heard the dhol drums in the baraat (the arrival of the groom – one of the most important parts of an Indian wedding. It’s pretty much a dance-off between families). I love the energy it brings and it got everyone dancing! It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves. I also adored the flowers on the mandap, but I was honestly blown away by the table arrangements by Kate Dawes Flower Design!“
DIY “We had so many DIY projects! I designed the stationery myself on Adobe, using features from my lehenga. I’m a crazy garden lady and was so taken with the florals in the print that I used the motif in all of the stationery. We also wanted unique but practical wedding favours. My mum is incredible in the kitchen (although I’m sure everyone says that) and she says the key is all in the spice mix. My family lingers expectantly for the week she hand roasts, grinds and mixes her masala. Nothing happens in our household without chai (tea) and so it seemed like a no brainer to have that as our favours! And I made the boutonnieres – I really wanted to utilise some of the Australian strawflowers that we’d grown at home, and to bring that piece of home with us.”
THE DRESS “The dress was the easiest part. Most Indian bridal lehenga are so heavily sequinned that it’s impossible to look up and I knew that wasn’t for me. I knew that it would be difficult to find anything in store because of lockdown, so I looked online and found it within the week at iV by Divya Snigdha. I took my own measurements and sent them to the vendor, and luckily the process was straightforward. My wedding and reception jewellery are all heirloom diamond pieces from my mum, who I think has been secretly planning this event for the last 20 years. It’s almost as if she predicted that there would be a pandemic and we would be unable to go to India to get traditional jewellery, as has previously been done.”
TAKE ON TRADITION “We both had dreamed of getting married in India, but as the year progressed, it rapidly became clear that wasn’t an option, so we decided to bring Indian aspects here. We were able to combine the Hindu and civil ceremonies into one – the best of both worlds. We were also lucky to have such a talented priest who made sure that the meaning of each aspect of the religious ceremony was conveyed to the crowd.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “The team at Gabbinbar Homestead were incredible. We cannot fault the staff on every level and their attention to detail. Kate Dawes Flower Design is an inspiration! We had a meeting early on to discuss ideas for the mandap, which I wanted to be the focal point of the wedding. She really got into the mood. Finally, our photographer, Rikki Lancaster (and her number 2, Courtney) were both phenomenal. We were so impressed by their enthusiasm for every part of the event and their professionalism when it came to ensuring we were able to capture the special moments.”
We might be biased, but Gabbinbar Homestead is honestly the dreamiest spot to hold your big day celebrations. Get in touch with them over on our directory, and hit up Kate Dawes Flower Design while you’re there – this gal knows her way around blooms!
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Rikki Lancaster Cinematographer Hello Sunflower Florist Kate Dawes Flower Design Stationery & Signage DIY Printer Vistaprint Ceremony, Reception & Catering Gabbinbar Homestead Cake Celebration Cakes by Jess B Wedding favours DIY, Lala Ribbon (custom ribbon) Hire Items Shivam Wedding Decorators (Indian chairs/items, groom’s umbrella, rickshaw and mandap) Entertainment Bindi via BhangraNights Roadshow Priest Dr Kaveri Achari (family friend) Celebrant Jacki G Celebrations THE BRIDE Dress iV by Divya Snigdha (ceremony lehenga), Rachel Gilbert (reception) Veil iV by Divya Snigdha Shoes Bared (ceremony), Nine West (reception) Hair The Hair Artist Collective Makeup Carolyn Ding (friend) Perfume Creed Acqua Fiorentina via Libertine Parfumerie Henna Henna by Azra THE GROOM Suit Hockerty Shirt Proper Cloth Bow tie Camellucci Shoes Aquila