
Bride Sheena had always envisioned herself and her partner having an Indian wedding with harbour views. Thankfully for her, the beautiful and elegant venue of Seargents Mess provided the perfect backdrop for their elegant outdoor Hindu wedding.
This couple had a lot of love for not just each other, but everyone involved in making their Indian wedding, a memorable event.
Sheena has been stalking our Instagram for a while now (thank you lovely) and it gives me so much pleasure to finally present her stunning Autumn wedding on the blog today.
The Proposal
The couple had known each other for 7 years before sealing the deal.
“Jon and I met 7 years ago. We worked together in the same team, however we never exchanged words back then. Turns out we were both very much attracted to each other. We had both gone our separate ways until a few years later when I was in search for a good tattoo artist and I consulted Jon for recommendations.”
Dream Wedding
Indian weddings have definitely evolved over the years and brides are choosing to host more intimate, personal affairs. Sheena’s first choice of the waterfront venue of Seargents Mess helped her plan the dream wedding she wanted from the beginning.
She expresses her love for her wedding venue and the harbour views of course.
“I wanted a very elegant and royal themed wedding. Ever since i was a little girl, I pictured having my wedding hosted outdoors. Jon and I visited a few venues, but when I walked into Sergeants Mess I just knew that we had to get married here. The venue took my breath away and we fell in love with the harbour views as the backdrop.”
Autumn turned out to be the ideal climate to have an elegant outdoor Indian wedding in the courtyard entrance of the venue.
Epic Bollywood magnum-opus, “Jodhaa Akhbar” was a huge source of inspiration for bride, Sheena.
“I wanted a very elegant and royal themed wedding, with lots of gold and red, a touch of Mughal, Jodha Akbar style. A celebration of colour.”
The Maharani Bride
When it came to selecting their wedding trousseau, Sheena and Jon faced a few slight challenges. This included being totally undecided about what she wanted to wear on her big day. We hear you Sheena!
“I lived on Instagram for the past year trying to source inspiration, but I changed my mind so many times! I had an outfit customized, which I liked but not loved. I had told Jon to get his outfits and the groomsmen outfits created by the same boutique. At the time I had already purchased my outfits elsewhere and I missed out on the chance.
With two weeks out from the wedding, my mother told me to look at the bridal lehengas from Payal Pasand. Jasmine was so lovely. She helped me to try on one particular lehenga, and I fell in love! I had to make the switch. Jasmine helped us out with everything, including Jon’s and his groomsmen outfits. I had the tailoring completed in a short time by Altaf.”
The search for the perfect bridal lehenga in Sydney was a battle for this maharani bride.
“You really need to do your research before you choose a merchant for your outfit. If you’re having your outfits customized, I would recommend that you do the research on their level of customer service.”
Thank Yous
Despite the challenges though, Sheena shared a lot of praise for all her wedding suppliers.
They hired the services of Dee from Shagun Events to plan their wedding as well as assist with décor.
“For the wedding décor, I really wanted someone who was easy going, that I could freely message at any time, keeping me at ease. Dee from Shagun Events guided me in the right direction of bringing my vision to life. She did an amazing job and we felt so comfortable around her.”
On the morning of the wedding, Sheena felt the bridal jitters, but her fabulous hair and makeup artist came to the rescue.
“My hair and makeup artist, Fareha was so patient on the morning of the wedding. I was super nervous and even felt a bit ill, but she was so gentle and lovely. She calmed my nerves and did a wonderful job on the day.”
Memorable Moments
Sheena had a great support system around her throughout her entire wedding festivities.
“I had four bridesmaids Shani, Riha, Raina, and Jess. It meant a lot for me to have them by my side. I grew up with these girls and they did so much for me from running errands to last minute designing of cover booklets and just being there for me, never leaving my side. I am forever grateful and so lucky to have them in my life.”
Despite the one or two challenges she faced, Sheena had nothing but gratitude for her everyone involved. Especially her family and her pundit too! Just one week before the wedding, the couple’s pundit had cancelled their booking and Sheena was panicking.
“No pundit no wedding! I was contacting everyone and trying to find a replacement. I contacted Sidd Rishi and he was so helpful! He referred me to Pundit Narendra Dave who literally saved my wedding day. Narendra is the most peaceful and humble person I have met.”
Advice For The Future Couple
At the end of the day you have to enjoy the moments of your wedding and that’s the exact advice that Sheena and Jon wanted to share with future couples.
“Stay in the moment and enjoy and absorb every moment and minute.”
After the festivities, they travelled to the tropical coastal town of Playa Del Carmen in Mexico for their honeymoon.
Thank you Sheena and Jon for sharing your beautiful and elegant outdoor Indian wedding with The Maharani Diaries. Wishing you all the best for the future.
If you need help planning your wedding day, we can help you achieve that by connecting you to the finest wedding suppliers in Australia and the world. Drop us an email at info@themaharanidiaries.com
SUPPLIERS
Photography – XTRAORDINARY SYDNEY // Videography – SIDD RISHI // Venues – SEARGENTS MESS // Décor and florals – SHAGUN EVENTS // Floral garlands – SAI GARLANDS // Stationery – SHUBHANKAR WEDDING INVITATIONS and YOUR EVENT SIGNAGE // Catering – MANJITS // DJ/Entertainment – DJ BTRIX (DJ), JACOB HACKLANY (MC), 2 STIX ENTERTAINMENT (Dhol), SK BOLLYWOOD DANCE COMPANY (Bollywood dancers) // Transport – FABULOUS LIMOUSINES // Priest – NARENDRA DAVE // Bride’s outfits and Jewellery – PAYAL PASAND // Bride’s shoes – BADGLEY MISCHKA // Hair and Makeup – FAREHA // Mehndi – ARORA MEHNDI // Groom’s outfits and Jewellery – PAYAL PASAND // Rings – ATLAS JEWELLERS // Bridesmaids outfits and Jewellery – UTSAV // Groomsmen outfits and Jewellery – PAYAL PASAND

Poonam is the founder and director of The Maharani Diaries. She has a passion for South Asian fashion and weddings. Drinking coffee is one of her favourite pastimes and she also enjoys donating her time for charity. You’ll often find her volunteering on the side for various community events.
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