Karen and Sunny, Sydney

The colourful traditional wedding of Karen and Sunny in Australia’s capital included the exuberant essence of Punjab, elegance of a glamorous urban soiree, and enchanting decor that included lots of beautiful flowers. Here, bride Karen shares how they conceptualized their wedding celebrations with the help of online wedding boards and social media channels. Take a look at some of the highlights below.

How They Met
Family friends since childhood, Sunny and Karen started dating when she started university. Karen shares, “From the moment we went on our first date, I knew this was the man I’d marry, and now the rest is history”. They bonded over their love for travel, movies, and food, and love to go on random adventures with each other!

The Proposal
Four years into the relationship, Sunny decided to sweep Karen off her feet with an elaborately thought out proposal that took him five months to plan! Leading her on to believe that they were going to attend his fancy Annual Ball, he took her to select the perfect dress, and even get her hair and makeup and nails done. On a private yacht over the Sydney Harbour, Sunny went down on one knee and popped the question to a surprised and delighted Karen. A photographer and cinematographer were present to capture the beautiful emotions of the moment.

Wedding Planning
“We planned our wedding largely by ourselves and relied heavily on inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest boards. We wanted a regal wedding with timeless aesthetics and our vision was brought to life by event stylists Decor-A-Shaan. All our precious moments were captured by the talented Rolling Canvas team.”

Wedding Functions

Sangeet
The festivities kicked off with a merry sangeet full of upbeat Punjabi beats and energy. Shimmering drapes, traditional swings, cots, kites and lamps added an essence of Punjab. The highlight of this function was the recreation of the couple’s proposal in the form of a skit. Karen wore a peplum sharara in vivid orange and blue with gota work, and paired it with a choker set, forehead ornament and ethnic shoes. She walked under a floral canopy that was adorned with dangling bridal bangle ornaments. Sunny looked regal in his navy sherwani from Manyavar Mohey and complemented his bride by matching his turban and pocket square with her outfit.

Haldi & Jaggo
The vibrant Haldi and jaggo ceremonies were held at home, and the decor included cheerful elements like pom poms, flowers and drapes in vivid colours. Karen sported a green Banarasi suit with red floral ornaments, and let her hair down for the Haldi ceremony. For her jaggo, she wore a quirky lemon and turquoise suit with bright embroidery, traditional gold lotan earrings, and a parandi. Sunny sported a mauve kurta with a floral printed bandi jacket.

Mehndi
The daytime mehndi ceremony was a profusion of pastels in pretty hues of lavender and blush. The standout element of the decor was a stunning chandelier made of cascading purple flowers. Karen was resplendent in an intricately embroidered pink and ivory lehenga by Anita Dongre which she paired with pearl and ruby jewellery. She had her hair styled in soft, wavy tresses and adorned her locks with sprigs of baby’s breath.

Beautiful henna designs were traced on Karen and Sunny’s hands by Henna by Payal.

Chooda Ceremony
Karen wore a simple yet beautiful mauve anarkali suit with gold embroidery which she complemented with light makeup for the intimate chooda ceremony. Karen was seen sporting a pair of pearl stringed kaleerein with gold petals from Ra Abta by Rahul.

Wedding
Karen had a delightful start to her day with surprise gifts from Sunny which included a bouquet of 50 fresh roses, a love letter, and a pair of customized Jimmy Choo shoes. Now isn’t that every girl’s dream?

The traditional Anand Karaj ceremony took place at the serene environs of Gurdwara Sahib, in Glenwood. The minimalist decor was done in shades of white and gold with pink and red blooms. Karen looked gorgeous in a red Sabyasachi Mukherjee lehenga which she teamed up with Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla juttis from Needledust. Her bridal jewellery was a stunning polka set, and she kept her makeup soft and dewy with light smokey eyes. Sunny wore a classy cream and gold sherwani from Study by Janak with a red turban and stole to match Karen’s ensemble. He amped up the look with a multi-string pearl necklace and shoes by Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

Reception
The sophisticated final soiree was hosted at Hyatt Regency Sydney. Crystal chandeliers, shimmering drapes, and gilded floral centerpieces created a romantic atmosphere for the evening. The bride wore an embellished champagne gold lehenga by Dabka Dori available at Ogaan, which she paired with diamond jewellery and Jimmy Choo shoes that Sunny gave her as a surprise gift before the wedding. He opted for three-piece black tuxedo for this swish event.

Advice for Couples
“Sort out all your outfits, jewellery, and shoes prior to each event to avoid last-minute stress. It’s also handy to have a portable steamer. Make sure you do a full trial of your wedding makeup and hair with your makeup artist. Even though you might have been dreaming of wearing that special outfit from your favourite designer, keep an open mind till you try it out. You may be surprised at how outfits actually look when you try them on”.

The Wedding Makers
Venue: Bowman Hall, Blacktown (Sangeet), Bivianos (Mehndi), Hyatt Regency Sydney (Reception)
Wedding Planner: Décor-A-Shaan
Groom’s Outfits: Manyavar (Groom), Study by Janak (Wedding), InStitchu (Reception)
Groom’s Shoes: Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding)
Bride’s Outfits: Intricado by Shivani (Sangeet), Anita Dongre (Mehndi), Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Wedding), Dabka Dori (Reception)
Bride’s Shoes: Needledust (Sangeet, Haldi, Jaggo and Wedding), Jimmy Choo (Reception)
Jewellery: Suhana Art & Jewels (Sangeet & Mehndi), Ra Abta by Rahul (Kaleerein)
Floral Jewellery: Prune India
Makeup: Fareha Bridal Studio (Sangeet, Mehndi, Wedding, Reception), Gather & Stitch Beauty (Jaggo)
Mehndi Artist: Henna by Payal

Photography: Rolling Canvas Presentations

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