Pastel Summer Wedding at Gunner Barracks

A love story began with a simple swipe and led to a connection that was anything but ordinary. What started with bonding over biryani quickly blossomed into a shared journey of love and learning. Their shared passions for life set the stage for their pastel summer wedding at Gunners Barracks. Each and every detail, from the fusion of cultural traditions to the pastel florals, was captured by their photographer, Alanis K!

Dhwani and David met on the Coffee Meets Bagel app, and while their first date wasn’t extravagant – it was unforgettable! “We bonded over a shared love for Indian biryani. Although we came from such different backgrounds [Dhwani, a Kiwi Indian, and David, an Australian of Korean heritage], we soon discovered that beneath our cultural differences were shared values and ideals that brought us closer.”

After a super busy period at work, David planned a staycation in Sydney for him and Dhwani to kick back and relax… or at least that’s what he told Dhwani! “He curated our entire day’s itinerary around the things we love most — starting with grabbing our favourite coffee in the city, followed by a visit to the Art Gallery of NSW. The day ended with a romantic dinner at Lumi. But no, he didn’t propose there,” she explained. “Little did I know, David had enlisted some secret helpers to set up our hotel balcony. When we returned, it was beautifully arranged with our favourite bottle of wine and a scrapbook David had meticulously put together, capturing all our special moments — from the first month of dating to when we met each other’s families. On the last page of the scrapbook, read, “What’s next in our chapter?” That’s when he got down on one knee to propose. I was in complete disbelief, but it was the most perfect moment.”

Dhwani wore a beautiful orange lehenga from Asopala – something she’d always dreamed about as an Indian bride! “Not a very traditional colour or style, but I’ve always dreamed of being an Indian bride, so there were no two ways about it.”

Her wedding party consisted of two bridesmaids who wore soft pink lehenga to contrast her own tangerine-toned one.

Their venue for this pastel summer wedding was the beautiful Gunners Barracks, with their ceremony was held in the open-air courtyard. “And the fact that our overseas guests could really enjoy Sydney’s iconic harbour views!”

Last October, David and Dhwani visited India to celebrate their engagement, and while there, they picked out their wedding outfits. Knowing it was going to be a summer wedding, they picked a tangerine tone for her lehenga and a matching coloured tie for David and his custom dark green suit by Jade Blue.

Dhwani walked down the aisle, with her mum joining her halfway through. They walked to soft, sweet instrumental music that added a touch of whimsy as it floated through the summer air.

The flowers were an element that Dhwani was very passionate about, and was very excited to work with Wendy from Best Buds! She picked out a selection of pastels with a few bursts of colours throughout. Think peach, pink, orange, purple and pops of blue!

David’s parents are Christian, so they included prayers and readings from the Bible that felt the most secular. “For context, David and I are agnostic, but our families follow different religions, so we aimed to keep the ceremony as secular as possible. When it came to our vows, we chose to write our own, as we wanted them to be deeply personal and reflect the commitments we truly believe in.”

The night before their gorgeous summer wedding, David and Dhwani hosted a Korean wedding ceremony, followed by an Indian mehandi ceremony surrounded by their closest friends and family.

Their photographer for the day was the talented Alanis K Photography, with whom Dhwani instantly connected. “She was everything we were looking for. When we met, I learned that she was Korean and had lived in India for some time. I couldn’t have imagined a better person to capture the fusion elements of our wedding. I also loved her style—fun, relaxed, and soft. I know for sure that Alanis will be the one to capture all of my future events. From the start, she felt like part of the family!”

One of Dhwani’s favourite parts of planning was fitting everything to their summer pastel theme – from the colour palette to the venue and what lehenga she was going to wear!

The top five things that made their summer wedding so special were:

“1. Our families, especially those who travelled from India and the US.

2. Our beautiful friends who helped us put together some many different elements of the wedding.

3. Our amazing wedding photos and particularly the video. I can watch that end a number of times.

4. Our wedding speeches left me in tears every single time, and then our very end night of just dancing away with our guests!

5. Oh, and my husband’s keen involvement in the entire wedding planning process.”

They also included a small sangeet segment after they cut their beautiful pastel cake from Dainty Jane Cakes. This Indian tradition is where the bride and groom sides put on surprise performances for each other. “David and his groomsmen danced to a mix of Hindi, Gujarati, and Korean songs, while my bridesmaids and I performed to Hindi, English, and a Korean song.”