Real Wedding – Ishani & Geoffry, Monbulk VIC

For Ishani, a huge romantic and OG Swiftie, it was inevitable that her wedding to Geoffry would be filled with timeless tradition, everlasting elegance and delicately beautiful details. From the moment they first caught sight of one another at their traditional Poruwa ceremony to their gorgeously candid portrait session, this is a love story written in genuine emotion and stunning style.

A colour palette of hazy nudes, sweet caramel and pops of vermillion is curated around Ishani’s exquisite saree and bejewelled headpiece. Alongside his glowing goddess of a bride, Geoffry cut a sharp silhouette in a classic black suit.

As the sun dipped and the afterglow set in, Ishani changed into an ethereal Shona Joy number, giving pure contemporary chic as the newlyweds hit the dance floor.

Every sweet nothing of this dream day is captured to perfection by photographer Evia Zachariah Photography, creating memories Ishani and Geoffry will relish forever more.

Scroll on to see all the sweet nothings unfold.

The meeting.

We met whilst working together over five years ago.

The ‘one’.

There wasn’t a single moment. It was something that was felt by both of us and grew over time.

The proposal.

We went to the Dandenong Ranges over a weekend and went on the Sherbrooke Falls walk. We started walking late, and night began to fall. It was cold, dark and raining when we got to the bridge overpass, where Geoffry knelt down in a puddle of mud and popped the question!

Planning process.

We did a little bit every day and paced our planning. Bigger things were done very early, and luckily, only smaller touches were left closer to our big day. We didn’t mind having a longer engagement, and we secured our date one and a half years in advance to be safe from any potential COVID delays. Our vendors were all outstanding, and each of them was found after careful consideration and hunting; however, starting early was what enabled us to secure all of them who ended up being our dream and/or first choice.

I might mention here that the music that was to be played on our day meant so much to me, and as a result, I had started compiling my dream playlist long before our engagement! I had separate playlists for canapes and the reception. Choosing music cannot be done overnight. It takes time, and I wanted each song to have a meaning for both of us and tell our story.

Style inspiration. 

I am a huge romantic and a massive Taylor Swift fan. I drew inspiration from Taylor’s dreamy lyrics: painting a wedding in my head that was going to be traditional yet tradition-defying and full of romance, with subtle but emphatic touches of elegance. The word fairytale, as cliché as it sounds, was always in the back of my mind during the planning process and probably dictated a lot of the styling choices I made.

Some of my favourite styling elements would have to be Geoffry’s uncle’s Holden Kingswood which was a real show stopper and became our sexy, vintage “Getaway Car” for the day, our brilliant Nina roses (which were an ode to Taylor! and our everlasting love) and our candlelit reception brought to life by The Small Things Co.

For inspiration, I found myself scouring Instagram and Pinterest and found that pinned stories on pages (whether that be a vendor sharing video snippets featuring their work OR a real event with footage that showcased styling elements, for example) were the most helpful. Exploring “tags” on Instagram images would often lead me to gold mines too. I also visited a lot of international Instagram pages to find inspiration for my saree. I have to say that it can be hard to find representation and variety in a lot of local blogs and pages, so being featured here is an absolute dream come true. I truly feel so privileged to be able to share my Kandyan saree (which was handmade), our Poruwa Ceremony and our love story here on the pages of Ivory Tribe!

The ceremony.

We were both very intent and excited to be having a traditional Sri Lankan Poruwa Ceremony. We worked with our celebrant Prabhati to include the customs that we wanted to honour specifically and constructed a personalised ceremony that included traditional wedding vows as well. The Poruwa Ceremony places a huge focus on the closest family members partaking throughout,  and the coming together of two families and cultures could not have been any more solidified than in this moment. It was truly a beautiful occasion and a real treat to our guests, many of whom had never witnessed such a ceremony before.

We also chose not to have a “first look” until the ceremony,  so there was a lot building up to this moment, bundled with the anticipation and emotion felt by all of our family and guests. When we were finally together on the Poruwa, it felt like time was stopping just for the two of us. Evia has captured our love so beautifully, in its most natural and raw state, with all the emotions of the day screaming from every image taken. The ceremony photos have to be some of my favourites from the whole day.

The look. 

The suit: We tried on different coloured suits for Geoffry, but our hearts eventually came back to the traditional, sexy and classic black. Our priority was to design a suit that Geoffry could wear again and again long after the wedding, and InStitchu were so good to work with to help us achieve this.

My saree: I chose a non-conventional, darker-coloured saree to match my complexion and used this to paint the rest of my colour palette for the day, incorporating browns, nudes, and rusts alongside the black. My saree was draped “full Kandyan” with minimal modern touches, and I gathered whatever inspiration I could find through Instagram.

My evening gown: I wanted something ethereal, goddess-like, comfortable and simple but eye-catching. My Saree was technically my wedding dress, and I found Shona Joy to be the perfect choice for something stunning but affordable that ticked all my boxes and still enabled me to have my white dress moment.

Favourite moments.

Geoffry: Of course, the cop-out answer is seeing Ishani walk down the aisle, where all my emotions hit at once. In addition to that, though, it would have to be the lead-up to the ceremony, and seeing and talking to all our family and friends.

Ishani: The ceremony, being walked down the aisle by my parents, and seeing Geoffry at the end standing by our Prouwa. I also recall, with a smile on my face, that quick moment when Evia took us both outside to take some night shots. This was a distinct memory of the day for me when we were finally together and actually felt alone. It was so much fun, and these photos are amazing!

Meaning of marriage.

Respect, commitment, trust, the ability to compromise, communication and an everlasting love for one another.

Wedding soundtrack.

Aisle: a piano cover of Taylor Swift’s Love Story with Canon in D

Reception entry: Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler

First dance: Jack River’s cover of Truly Madly Deeply

Funny stories or near disasters.

Geoffry and I got ready in two different locations, with my location only minutes from the winery. We were ready to leave 20 minutes before the ceremony start time when one of the cars got stuck in the gravel driveway! Both the bridal cars were stuck behind this car, and we had no way out. It was so stressful and took 10-15 minutes of revving, reversing and pushing until the car was freed! I was late to our ceremony as a result, but it was all forgotten minutes after stepping out of the bridal car!

Planning surprises.

I thought I wouldn’t get stressed as I started planning our wedding so early, but I certainly had my moments, especially in the few weeks out from the wedding. Geoffry’s reassurance, concern, easygoing nature and humour are what brought me back down to earth every time and helped me stay focused and stress-free. It really reiterated to me how important it is for both individuals to keep one another sane and on top of the whole process!

Words of wisdom.

It isn’t a one-man show: work together and support one another because it can and will be a very stressful process.

Instagram is amazing but can be unhealthy. Know when to step back.

Just chill out on the big day. Accept early on that things will go wrong. You’re both there together, and nothing else matters.

For a dream day also encapsulating classic style underpinned by modern romance, check out Milla and Aaron’s stunning soiree, here on the blog.

ISHANI & GEOFFRY’S VENDORS

Ceremony & reception venue: Yarra Ranges Estate, Monbulk Vic. When we started looking for venues early on, many had restrictions and were not flexible (no drinks to be taken down to the ceremony and setting up a Poruwa on site, to name a few ). Anna and Anton, the winery owners, were incredible, though. Their priority was to make the day ours and accommodate exactly what we wanted, and we cannot thank them enough.

Celebrant/Officiant: We are so fortunate to have had Prabhati Milton conduct both our Poruwa and Civil Ceremonies. Prabhati was respectful, entertaining and highly professional in her delivery and carrying out of our ceremonies, which were beautifully tailored to be understood and enjoyed by all present. Our date depended entirely on her availability!

Photography: Evia Zachariah Photography. Evia’s photography has a “realness” to them. They are fresh, crisp and wholeheartedly natural. We spent a lot of time looking for our photographer, and Evia was so patient with all our questions and shared so many portfolios of her work until we knew we had found the one.

Videography: Prism Cinema. Ash has a beautiful personality and was so comfortable to work with on the day. The entire team were so professional and accommodating.

Styling: The Small Things Co & Honesty Flora

Florist: Honesty Flora. Tegan was the first vendor I booked and the vendor I must have spent the most time with. Real flowers were a non-negotiable for me. I had been looking at florals for as long as I can remember and knew that my flowers were going to set the tone for our day and be the pillar of everything we wanted our guests to see and feel: love, romance, beauty and uniqueness. Tegan’s florals really brought our look together, and all styling elements and colour selections were centred around our flowers. I cannot thank Tegan enough for her talent, patience and attention to detail in curating the exact look I wanted for the day:  unstructured, organic, stunning and eye-catching- with hints of colour, fun and love.

Hair: Vicky Bridal Hair & Makeup: Vicky has a beautiful personality and warmth to her, and she is so talented

Make-up: Make-up Jane: I was incredibly lucky to secure Jane, who is always booked quite far in advance. Jane’s makeup is flawless and so natural. It lasted all day and night. Jane is so kind and patient and made me feel very relaxed on the day. Jane was assisted by the gorgeous, bubbly and equally as talented Jen from JedaVu Makeup Artistry.

Kandyan Saree & veil / headwear: Saree Material from Inakshi Wijaya’s Threads ‘n’ Drapes Bridal Saree and Jewellery. Kandyan saree designed and made by Suds Kreations: Bridal Couture, Saree Blouse and Dressmaking. Saree draped by Indi De Hoedt, Hairdresser and Beautician.

Evening dress: Shona Joy

Shoes: Saree heels from Wittner and evening heels from Nine West.

Rings: Deliqa Gems’ Sahsa helped create our stunning bespoke engagement and wedding rings (and was the source of my stunning lilac Ceylon Sapphire for my engagement ring). Sasha was so professional and easy to work with.

Bridesmaid’s dresses: Sarees made by Suds Kreations: Bridal Couture, Saree Blouse and Dressmaking, evening dresses by Chancery

Suits: InStitchu 

Bow ties / ties: Connor

Groom’s shoes: Hush Puppies

Catering: Food and Beverages provided by Yarra Ranges Estate

Favours: Sri Lankan Wedding cake made with love by a family friend. Boxes off Etsy. Ribbon from Spotlight.

Cake: Sylv’s Sweet Sensations – the most divine butter cake! Sylvia is so talented and crafted this beauty of a wedding cake from one picture.

Stationery / Signage: With Love Muse. Reception placards by Amanda from Amaura Designs Creative.

Entertainment: Enigmatic Entertainment 

Hire: Easles, stands, and clear ghost plinths featured in our ceremony are from Always Eventive. Reception Candles and matching glassware from The Small Things Co.

Honeymoon: New Zealand – 10-day adventure of the North and South Islands, complete with skiing, black water rafting, hiking, exploring, catching Ballpark Music live in Auckland, and taking in all the scenery of one the most peaceful and beautiful places on earth. The best place to unplug and disconnect!