Modern Sri Lankan ‘Poruwa’ Wedding Ceremony at Gunners Barracks: Erandi & Daniel
If you’ve been following our journey for some time now, you probably know how strongly we feel about diversity and how much we adore cross-cultural weddings too.
Today’s real wedding is no exception, with beautiful Sri Lankan bride, Erandi marrying the love of her life, Daniel in an intimate and modern Sri Lankan Poruwa wedding ceremony, at the picturesque Sydney venue, Gunners Barracks.
Crazy Little thing Called Love
Erandi and Daniel’s love story began unexpectedly in Sydney when he asked her nervously to attend his ‘Super Mario’ themed birthday party.
The two of them bonded soon after traveling the world, attending more costume parties and eventually planning a wedding together.
For bride, Erandi, the proposal was purely magical.
“Daniel organised a surprise proposal at our local park in Kirribilli overlooking Sydney Harbour. There were candles, champagne and our best friends, which made it perfect!”
A Modern Sri Lankan Poruwa Wedding Ceremony
Out of respect for her late father, Erandi wanted to acknowledge her rich cultural Sri Lankan heritage and background.
The two of them opted to combine traditions, with a modern Sri Lankan Poruwa ceremony and civil wedding at Gunners Barracks.
The wedding had a natural Australian flair, paying homage to their now home country, with native florals and local produce. The couple were keen on the idea of supporting local wedding suppliers.
“We wanted an understated, elegant and contemporary Sri Lankan wedding with an Australian flair. We supported local emerging businesses as much as possible. The stunning Australian native flowers and incredible local produce were big hits with our guests. Also, the venue in Sydney Harbour National Park, has a spectacular sunset view, with surrounding Kookaburras, which entertained all of our overseas guests.”
The wedding celebration felt extra special with both families being heavily involved in the planning.
“The Sri Lankan Poruwa ceremony got both families involved on the day, which was special especially for Daniel’s Irish family who hadn’t experienced it before.”
The couple had friends attend from all over the world, including US, Canada and Kenya.
“My best friends from school flew over from the US, Canada and Kenya for the wedding. Daniel and my family from New Zealand, UK, Sri Lanka and all over Australia. It’s rare and very special to have all the people you love in one place.”
Wedding guests were treated to a beautiful and private ceremony in the courtyard of Gunners Barracks, with white hanging wisteria flowers and an arched door backdrop (“Poruwa”) beautifully adorned with orchids, peonies and eucalyptus flowers.
Daniel was led down the path to the ceremony by traditional Kandyan dancers, followed soon by Erandi and her mother and bridesmaids.
The modern Sri Lankan Poruwa wedding ceremony was followed by a lovely indoor reception, which soon flowed back into the courtyard again with Erandi and Daniel treating their guests to their first dance as official newlyweds.
Saree Not Sorry
Both bride and her bridal party were dressed in stunning contemporary sarees which were custom made in Sri Lanka.
Bride, Erandi looked ethereal in a diamond embellished, white contemporary saree. She kept her hair and makeup natural with free-flowing hair.
“I wanted it to feel as natural as possible, to reflect the theme and natural surroundings too.
My saree and bridesmaids’ outfits were custom made in Sri Lanka so it was a challenge to get the sizing right from Sydney! Luckily, I had my mother and sister-in-law in Sri Lanka to assist. In comparison, Daniel’s shopping experience was a breeze.”
A Tony Maticevski Gown for the Reception
Erandi has been a longtime admirer of Tony Maticevski’s bridal ensembles, so she couldn’t miss the opportunity to wear one of his statement gowns for her wedding reception. She paired the gown with the most glamorous pair of Louboutin heels.
“I’ve long admired Toni Maticevski’s structured, strong yet fun pieces, which was where I chose my dress from. I chose statement shoes and no jewellery for the reception to balance the look.”
Equally groom, Daniel and his groomsmen looked so dapper in their tailor made suits as they posed for photographs.
Memorable Moments
Erandi and Daniel’s entire wedding planning process was seamless and expressed gratitude to the staff at Gunners Barracks in particular.
Another special mention went to Oh That Be Good for create not one, but two special wedding cakes in their favourite flavours.
Thankfully, there were no particular challenges for the couple, but Erandi did make special mention of the kookaburra’s who attempted to steal her guests’ food. This provided some light-hearted moments during the wedding function.
Safari Adventures
Prior to the wedding festivities, Erandi and Daniel actually had a chance to squeeze in an African safari adventure in Kenya. The main priority for them after the wedding, was to ensure that they could spend as much time with their overseas guests.
Soon after their wedding though, the two jetted off to Italy for a European summer vacation.
Advice for the Future Couple
“Accept that it will get stressful and you will bicker over little things but enjoy every moment! It goes by so fast.”
Thank you Erandi for sharing your stunning wedding celebration with us.
Remember, if you would like to share your wedding with The Maharani Diaries, email us at info@themaharanidiaries.com
SUPPLIERS
Photography – MILENKO WEDDINGS // Venue – GUNNERS BARRACKS // Décor and florals – GATHERED FLORAL (Décor) // Cake – OH THAT BE GOOD // DJ/Entertainment – IMPRESSION DJs // Celebrant – PRABHATI MILTON // Bride’s outfits and accessories – TONY MATICEVSKI and Sri Lanka // Bride’s shoes – LOUBOUTIN // Hair and Makeup – MARIE FRANCE GROUP // Groom’s outfits – HARROLDS // Groom’s shoes – PAUL SMITH // Rings – TIFFANY and FAIRFAX & ROBERTS // Bridesmaids outfits – MICHAEL WIJESURIYA // Groomsmens outfits – IN STITCHU
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