Sheetal and Andrew, Carousel, Melbourne
After a proposal involving multiple clues, Andrew and Sheetal wed at a lakeside venue which was perfect for their bright and beautiful daytime wedding.
After knowing each other for four years, Sheetal and Andrew fell in love and decided to tie the knot. Here, bride Sheetal shares how they planned their intimate and charming wedding celebrations in Melbourne.
How We Met
“Andrew and I first became friends when we both worked together at Telstra in 2014. We started dating a while later after we hit it off one night at some drinks. Before we went on our first date, neither of us expected it to be anything serious, but before we even realized what was going on, we were both smitten!”
The Proposal
“What seemed like just a normal lazy Sunday turned into an elaborate scavenger hunt proposal! Following brunch at our local cafe and a massage, Andrew surprised me with a letter at our front door. What followed was a series of letters spread out throughout our home, and an Uber ride around Melbourne to all the places that were significant to us. Through 10 different locations and letters, Andrew articulated why he wanted to marry me and the future that he saw for us together. The scavenger hunt ultimately led me to the Royal Botanic Gardens which is one of our favorite places in the world. It is situated just across the road from our home where Andrew was waiting for me on one knee! The meticulous attention to detail that he had taken to make sure the proposal was ‘us’ – from the stickers that he used to seal each letter to the music playing in the Uber to the hot Milos he had waiting for us when I arrived – it was us to a tee and just perfect!”
Wedding Venue
“Our wedding was held at Carousel which is located in Albert Park, Melbourne. We wanted a space that is filled with natural light as it was a daytime ceremony but also minimal in its decor so we could use it as a canvas to bring our vision to life – Carousel was the perfect mix of both! The venue is located on a lake with incredible views of the Melbourne skyline. It was also big enough to accommodate all our guests and the catering team was extremely flexible in helping to provide for an Indian menu!”
Wedding Functions
Haldi
“The haldi was held at my parents’ home. Typically, the haldi is done separately by each side however given Andrew is not of Indian origin, we thought we would make it a lot of fun and involve him and his family and friends in one big event – this way they could see what our Indian culture is all about. It was an intimate and fun event with approximately 50 of our closest family and friends and a great way to kick off the wedding festivities. Our theme was yellow and to make the event as fun and joyous as possible, we had a large balloon feature wall which brought a lot of fun and added even more color to the day.”
Mehndi
“The mehndi was held at West Beach Bathers’ Pavilion which is located right on the beach in St. Kilda, Melbourne. The venue is a historic pavilion which has been restored. It has a lovely rustic, beach-side charm to it. The theme for the event was bright and colorful, and we incorporated lots of bright pink accents. We had a multicolored streamer wall which was the perfect backdrop for all the fun dancing, Rajasthani-style umbrellas hanging from the roof, a photo booth with customized props, and a fun rickshaw which was very popular with the guests! We served street-style food including chaat, and for many of our guests, this was the first time they had tried this type of food, so it was a big hit. The night ended up being a bit of a party with everyone getting on the dance floor and a ‘dhol’ (traditional Punjabi drummer) player to keep us going!”
Wedding
“The theme for the wedding ceremony was chic and simplistic, accentuated with florals. The main feature for the decor was our beautiful mandap which had hundreds of flowers in red and yellow set amidst lush foliage. We wanted our mandap to be as natural as possible with the focus on the actual ceremony. The best thing about our wedding celebrations was seeing how much Andrew and his family and friends embraced our culture and how warm and welcoming my family was! It was truly a union of families and cultures and was such a fun and special occasion for everyone involved. We even managed to convince Andrew to do a Bollywood dance, which he ended up loving in the end! We also took some family photos in our wedding outfits separately at The George Ballroom in St Kilda, Melbourne. I loved this idea because it allowed us not to worry about photos on the day and let us enjoy the moments. The George Ballroom is another beautiful historic venue and the beautiful backdrop made for the most memorable family photos.”
Advice for Couple
“There are so many little aspects to a wedding, and so many people involved that it can be difficult to please everyone while getting what you want as well. My suggestion would be to make a list of the things that are important to you and your partner and explain this to your family or the other key members who want to be involved in the process. Outside of this key priority list, where possible, try and accommodate the first preference of others who care about other aspects – this way everyone feels like they have their say and can feel part of the process. Importantly, weddings can be a stressful time but keep in mind that everyone ultimately wants what they believe is best for you and that they are there to celebrate your love!”
The Wedding Makers
Venues: West Beach Bathers Pavilion (Mehndi); Carousel, Melbourne (Wedding)
Caterers: Food & Desire
Bride’s Outfits: Raw Mango (Haldi), AUM Ashima and Asit (Mehndi), Frontier Raas and Sabyasachi (Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Mayank Modi (Haldi), Amaare (Haldi and Wedding)
Jewellery: Aprajita Toor, Riana Jewellery, Amrapali Jewels, Hazoorilal Jewellers
Florist: Cecilia Fox
Stationery : Beyond Design
Make-up artist: Zara Hair and Makeup
Photography: Shevan J. Photography
Videography: Moon & Back Co
