There’s something so Melbourne about Owen and Divya’s wedding. Maybe it’s the iconic backdrops they picked out (hello Degraves Street, Flinders Street Station, reception at Gimlet, and the free trams!), or the incredible Treasury Building where they had their registry ceremony. We personally think it’s the cool vibe they both give off. Every shot has Leo Farrell‘s signature love of Melbourne’s architecture and documentary style, which we know and absolutely love.

The first time Divya and Owen met was completely by chance. In the summer of 2010, Divya, wearing a Liverpool jersey, and Owen, wearing an England cricket shirt, crossed paths in the corridors of the University of Sydney’s School of Pharmacy. It took a few weeks of corridor conversation to plan their first date. “After witnessing England secure the Ashes, Owen departed, but both kept each other in their hearts and in their Facebook messages. We then reconnected in February 2012 for a whirlwind romance, during the first of Divya’s many European adventures,” they shared.

“This ended in heartbreak when the reality of forging careers on opposite sides of the world hit home. The odd, random messages were nervously and fleetingly exchanged over the years that passed before Owen visited Melbourne whilst touring Australia and New Zealand in 2023. A night in Fitzroy and a day in Daylesford ignited feelings from 11 years earlier. The stars aligned and Owen took the plunge, moving to Australia in early 2024. The rest, as they say, is history!”

A year after moving to Australia, Owen and Divya took a trip down to Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula. “We had decided to go for a walk, but it ended up being quite a bitterly cold day. We still went down to a secluded beach near Pulpit Rock to get some pictures. We were the only ones on the beach. I was taking pictures of the beach and Pulpit Rock when I heard Owen come up behind me and stop. I made a joke at this time, saying, “Is this where you push me into the water?” and he said nothing behind me, so I turned around. He was down on one knee with the gorgeous ring, and he said: “No, this is where I ask you to marry me…” We then huddled away from the wind and had champagne to celebrate,” Divya explained.

“The beach started to get a little more busy, and a very kind lady came up to us and asked if  ‘something special just happened.’ She congratulated us and very kindly took some pictures of us. It was a very special day.”

The only non-negotiable for Divya when it came to her wedding look was these stunning Dior J’Adior white lace slingbacks. “As soon as we got engaged, I went into the Dior store to try them on, but I soon found out that I could not walk in the 10cm high heels. I had almost let go of this hope when I was told the last pair of white lace kitten-heel slingbacks were in Melbourne and in my exact size. I took this as a sign and purchased them immediately,” she explained.

“So in the end I found the dress to match the shoes. It felt like a waste to have a long dress to cover the shoes in the end that I had invested in, and so I wanted a midi dress to show them off.”

She wore an elegant Rachel Gilbert dress, with a beautiful simple design that perfectly complemented the shoes. “As soon as we had decided that we were getting married at the registry, getting a big gown felt like it was not going to fit the location. I’m pretty minimalist when it comes to my attire normally, and I prefer a classic look. I also wore a bracelet given by Owen’s mother, Maggie, in addition to traditional Indian earrings and bangles from my mother.”

Yellow is Divya’s favourite colour, and since it’s such a happy colour, she wanted it included in their registry wedding. “Our flowers, buttonholes and table flowers were put together by Flowers Vasette. I didn’t have too many instructions – just to make it yellow/ white and happy.”

As they wanted their intimate wedding to feel relaxed and focus more on the celebration than rules, Divya and Owen weren’t too fussed about what their wedding party wore. Maid of Honour Anjali wore a cobalt blue Aje dress, and Best Man Theo wore chinos and a green blazer.

Owen wore a classic merino wool suit from Peter Jackson, in a cool blue-grey tone that beautifully complemented the yellow florals. “I was unaware of how much there is to consider when choosing a suit. Demses at Peter Jackson South Yarra was amazing and very helpful. I wore RM Williams boots for an Aussie touch,” he shared.

For this intimate wedding, Divya and Owen chose two classic Melbourne locations to celebrate. The registry ceremony was at the Old Treasury building, surrounded by the beautiful architecture. And their reception was at the Melbourne institution: Gimlet! “We had their private dining area, which maintained the intimacy of the event. Melbourne was more than the backdrop to our wedding; it was a character in the story – from the architecture to the laneways to the trams.”

Divya walked into the Thomas Hyde room for their ceremony as an acoustic rendition of “Somebody” by Dagny filled the space.

With just eight guests in attendance, Owen and Divya had an intimate ceremony that was uncomplicated, sincere, and full of only the best emotions. “Somewhere we could be ourselves and not feel the pressure of being in a large room with lots of people. We had a reading by Anjali (MOH) that was adapted from “Everything I Know About Love” by Dolly Alderton,” Divya shared.

Penguins are a bit of a relationship mascot for Owen and Divya, so including them in the celebrations mattered to the couple. “We say we are each other’s penguin as they mate for life. We brought along our little penguin plushies in a little basket (guarded by my mother, Rama). We follow a little Instagram cartoon couple @pudgypenguins, and these are representations of them.”

Divya had been following Leo Farrell‘s portfolio for years before she and Owen got together, because she just loved his documentary style. “We never wanted posed shots. We don’t love being put on the spot like that, and I don’t think we would have looked natural. We definitely wanted someone who would capture the day as it happened and wasn’t too prescriptive about what we needed to do. Leo just understood that and let us be,” she explained.

The top five things that made Owen and Divya’s intimate wedding so incredibly special to them included:

“1. Intimacy of guest list. Having the people who mattered to us and wholeheartedly supported us, rather than a long list of people we ‘should’ invite.

2. Photoshoot experience with Leo – the street photography vibe came through.

3. That everything felt so ‘us’ and we were able to express our personality. From the penguins to mum wearing a Sari. We embraced being a family and a unit, and included friends in that.

4. Having moments – just the two of us – Not feeling rushed by needing to be following a schedule.

5. That we had awesome food – Gimlet was sensational, and we love to eat, so having an exceptional meal was so important to us.”

Pulling together this celebration was really special for Divya and Owen, but the best part of the process was that they did it together. “Owen put so much thought into all the small details and completely surprised me with lovely things like making the programs,” Divya shared.

“I feel like I had ideas about the big stuff, but then Owen really filled in the little bits that made it special. We complemented each other well.”

While Divya loves all of Leo’s photos, this shot of the couple getting off the tram is one of her favourites! “The light is lovely, and the people who are waiting to get on the tram appear to be looking at us, but you don’t necessarily get drawn to us first. It’s a really lovely photo.”

The best piece of advice Divya and Owen want to leave you with is this: “We are still learning! And you will keep learning about each other. Stay curious and learn not to shut that process down.”

Congratulations to Divya and Owen on this beautiful celebration of your love! And thanks to Leo Farrell Photography for capturing everything in your incredible style.