As summer turned to autumn in Victoria, Manisha and Nick celebrated their love with a romantic, timeless wedding. After swiping right on each other five years ago (another win for Tinder!), the rest is history.

With the help of their photographer, Ashley, they can now look back on this stunning wedding for years to come and see those beaming smiles. Including both Catholic and Sri Lankan elements in their day, it was a beautiful blend of dreamy romanticism and fun vibrancy (thanks to their puppy Lenny!).

“Nick proposed to me right when we were coming out of lockdown. I think it was frustrating for him because he had tried to plan it multiple times before but had to reschedule it because of covid. He planned an amazing weekend away in the city and a day of pampering for me, dinner at Attica and then finally had our hotel room decorated with candles, flowers and photos of us. It was such a special moment and an amazing day. He put so much thought and effort into surprising me.”

Manisha and Nick chose the incredibly talented AJR Films to capture their stunning day.

Nick and his wedding party wore classic, custom suits from YSG Tailors. They wore contrasting black and white jackets, with Nick wearing a white one to match Manisha and his groomsmen wearing black. “One of Nick’s groomsmen was from interstate, so it was great that YSG Tailors made the process really seamless and easy for all of them.”

Lenny, their 14-month-old puppy, held the title of honorary best dog. “We were so glad we could have him with us for a few hours on the day and be part of our photos.”

Manisha looked ethereal in her timeless gown, which elegantly flowed off her figure. “When I was trying to choose my dress, I remember feeling so overwhelmed. I had tried on many dresses but nothing really felt like me, and I couldn’t find the exact dress I had envisioned,” Manisha recalled. “I never thought I would have a dress custom made but I found Holly Butler and loved her work. It was such an incredible experience being able to work with her to bring my ideas and vision to life. She was able to skilfully guide me through the process and create exactly what I had in mind.”

Their wedding party was small overall, only including their closest friends and family. “I had my best friends from high school, Nick had his best friends from uni and my niece and nephew as my flower girl and page boy. I wanted a dark green dress for the girls, which still felt formal,” She detailed. “My maid of honour was pregnant at the time; we were so lucky that the dress fit perfectly around her bump. They both looked stunning.”

“I was also able to add little details like a piece of my grandmother’s sari as my ‘something blue’,” She described. “Because both my maternal grandparents are no longer with us, I had little charms made with their photos that I could hang on my bouquet so they were with me in spirit on the day.”

Once the wedding party was ready, everyone headed to Sacred Heart Church in Kew for the ceremony. “I could not have imagined a more magical wedding day for us. I woke up early that morning as I could not sleep with anticipation,” Nick remembered. “I recall messaging Manisha at the same time as she could not sleep either. My most memorable moment on the day was seeing Manisha for the first time. I could see glimpses of her through the church’s front double door and I already knew how amazing she looked.”

With her parents on either arm, Manisha walked down the aisle to “The Vow” by Ruthanne. “It holds so much meaning for us, and I loved the words. It made us both very emotional.”

Their local parish priest ran the ceremony, leading their guests through readings and vows. “We wanted to try and include as many friends and family as we could because they are so important to us. One of the readings we had was the “Love is Patient, Love is Kind” verse which my parents also had at their wedding. We also lit candles to symbolise us creating our own family.” Once the formalities of their ceremony concluded, the rest of the guests headed over to the reception location while Nick, Manisha and their wedding party stayed at a garden near the church for their portraits.

Manisha’s favourite photograph [hint: it’s right above!]? “The one of Nick and I looking at each other which was taken at a garden near the church. The moment was just so special as we were finally married and we were so happy in that moment, it was finally realising that our day was here and we now got to enjoy all the hard work, effort and planning that lead up to the day,” and then added: “Also any photos with our puppy Lenny because he has the cutest face!”

Ashley K Photography was the photographer for this beautiful couple, and they haven’t stopped singing her praises since! “Our photographer, Ashley, was the best! She made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera on the day. She also kept things moving and made sure we were running on time. She was able to capture so many special moments for us which we’re so grateful for. She is the ultimate professional.”

For the reception, Nick and Manisha chose Zonzo Estate in the Yarra Valley of Victoria. “We had looked at quite a few venues, but we went with Zonzo because they were just so incredible to work with from the moment we had our first meeting all the way to the wedding day,” she recalled. “Emma and her team were so professional, accommodating and so incredibly helpful. On the day, they made us feel so special. They looked after everything and we did not have to worry about a thing. I couldn’t speak more highly of them! They went out of their way to make sure our day was everything we had imagined.”

All the flowers you can see throughout the day were created by Juliet from Little Stag Floral Couture. “Flowers were such an important part of the day because they add to the whole ambience of any room. Our florist Juliet from Little Stag Floral Couture, was so lovely to work with. I wanted the room to feel warm and inviting with lots of flowers and candles and she was able to do just that.”

As many of their friends and family had to travel interstate or internationally to attend the wedding, it was a very special day for both Manisha and Nick. “My favourite part of wedding planning was being able to share so many moments with my friends and family, from trying on dresses with my cousins to dress fittings with my bridesmaids and making our wedding favours with family,” She explained. “Just being able to share it with all our friends and family and celebrate with so many people that had come from interstate and overseas. It’s a rare opportunity that you get to have all your friends and family in the same room.”

Once speeches and most other formalities had finished, Nick and Manisha prepared for their first dance. They chose the song “Someone Like You” by Van Morrison, as it was a significant song to their relationship. “We had dance lessons in the lead-up to our wedding, which made us feel so much better on the day. It was also a really great way to unwind in the lead-up to the wedding which is always busy and stressful.”

The only element they DIY’d for the day was the wedding guest favours – for everyone to enjoy later on. “We had a traditional Sri Lankan wedding cake that was made by my aunt and the boxes were all made and decorated by my aunties and cousins. Because we have many nieces and nephews attending the wedding, I made little activity books to keep them all entertained during the speeches at our reception.”

With so many wonderful vendors helping to create this classic, gorgeous wedding, it was important to the couple that they thanked them all. “We have to shout out to our videographers AJR, Anthony and Gracie who were equally incredible. I highly recommend them. We were so nervous about being filmed and they made us feel so comfortable on the day. Also, Baker Boys Band and DJ Emily Gracie were the best, they kept our party going and made the night a party! Elise from We Are Paper Hearts was our soloist at the ceremony and she has such a beautiful voice. We were so happy with all our vendors they did such an incredible job.”

The piece of advice Manisha and Nick want to leave you with? “My advice for future couples is to focus on what you and your partner want and remember that this day is about you and your love. The rest will fall into place.”

A huge congratulations to Manisha and Nick on your romantic, timeless wedding – it was truly beautiful to look through. And thanks to Ashley K Photography for capturing this beauty, and sending it over to us!