Set against the lush gardens of Markovina Vineyard Estate, Dhakshayani and Shaneez’ Fijian-Indian fusion wedding combined vibrant Hindu traditions with a whimsical, floral-filled aesthetic. It was a deeply personal celebration that honoured both family heritage and a special birthday milestone, creating a day that felt truly magical. Dhakshayani tells us more…

Our wedding felt utterly unique, like a fairytale come true. Given our different religious backgrounds, Shaneez and I never imagined we could date, let alone marry. But there we were, living a moment we once thought impossible! ***Photography by Twin Souls Photos***

Our wedding day felt like something straight out of a dream — romantic, deeply meaningful and filled with love at every turn. Set among the lush gardens and vineyard at Markovina Vineyard Estate, Shaneez and I celebrated our marriage with a beautiful Hindu ceremony that honoured our cultures, our families and the journey that brought us together. Adding an extra layer of magic, the day also happened to fall on my birthday — a detail that made the celebration feel even more special.

Shaneez and I were introduced by my cousin, and what began as a strong friendship soon blossomed into love. From the very beginning, our bond transcended cultural and religious differences — with Shaneez a proud Muslim and me a Hindu — and we embraced both traditions wholeheartedly. Our wedding became a true reflection of that commitment, not just to each other, but to our families and shared values.

From the moment we began planning, I envisioned a romantic, whimsical wedding style — overflowing florals, twinkling lights, soft draping and elegant chandeliers. The inspiration came instantly when I stumbled across a Pinterest image featuring cascading flowers wrapped around glowing lights, and I knew that feeling was exactly what I wanted for our day. Markovina Vineyard Estate was the perfect canvas for that vision. Its expansive gardens, mature trees and vineyard backdrop gave us a sense of intimacy while still feeling incredibly grand.

Our celebrations unfolded across multiple ceremonies, blending Fijian warmth with Indian elegance. From rhythmic dances and vibrant rituals to heartfelt, emotional moments shared with loved ones, each event celebrated unity, diversity, and togetherness. The fusion of cultures created unforgettable memories — a true tapestry of our shared love story.

It warmed my heart to see everyone truly enjoying themselves, and I felt immense gratitude for how warmly Shaneez’s family embraced and honoured our traditions.

Celebrations before the big day
Before the wedding itself, we held our Mehndi, Haldi and Sangeet celebrations to mark the beginning of our festivities. Filled with colour, laughter, music and dance, these joyous pre-wedding traditions allowed us to spend meaningful time with our families and friends. The Haldi ceremony, centred on purification, involved applying turmeric paste for glowing skin and protection, while the Sangeet — meaning “sung together” — was a high-energy celebration of choreographed dances, music and togetherness, setting the perfect tone for the joy that followed.

Wedding Morning

On the morning of the wedding, I got ready at my sister’s house, surrounded by my bridal party, mum and aunts. It was the calmest morning I could have imagined. We started early, sipped coffee and shared heartfelt conversations while getting ready. There was no rush — just time for hair, makeup and photos with my loved ones.

Shaneez had an equally relaxed start to his day with his family and bridal squad. There was no nervousness — everything felt like it was unfolding exactly as it was meant to.

First Look
At Markovina Vineyard Estate, we chose to do a first look and portrait photos before the ceremony, giving us a quiet, private moment together before the celebrations unfolded. Away from the crowd, we were able to truly take each other in, calm our nerves, and soak up the significance of the day. It set a relaxed, intimate tone for everything that followed and allowed us to capture some of our favourite photos — filled with emotion, connection, and excitement for what was about to begin.

Wedding looks

Shaneez and I travelled to India to find our wedding outfits, and it was an experience I’ll cherish forever. I fell in love with my bridal lehenga the very moment I tried it on — it was the first one I saw, and I instantly knew it was the one.

Shaneez’s sherwani was custom-made to match my lehenga perfectly, creating a look that felt cohesive, elegant and deeply personal.

Despite the intense heat and humidity, India was absolutely breathtaking. We managed to source not only our own outfits, but much of the bridal party’s attire as well — making the trip more than worth it.

Ceremony

Just as the ceremony was about to begin, a light rain fell over the venue. It passed as quickly as it arrived, and the Markovina team were incredible — calmly drying everything and restoring the space with such care. We embraced it as a blessing; after all, a wet knot is said to be harder to untie.

Music played a huge role throughout our day, setting the tone for every key moment. Shaneez, my sister Shiuvani, and I spent hours carefully curating playlists that reflected both our cultures and our journey together. Shaneez made his entrance in full Baraat style, complete with music, dancing, and classic Bollywood energy — a joyful, high-spirited beginning to the ceremony. When it came time for our aisle moments, every choice felt deeply personal. Shaneez walked down to Mahiye Jinna Sohna, a song he had envisioned for that moment for a long time. I hadn’t been completely sure of my song until a moment in Jaipur changed everything. While touring a fort, a group of singers stopped us and dedicated Afreen Afreen to me — the very song I had been considering. It felt like the universe quietly confirming my choice.

Our wedding was incredibly personal, and we made sure to include our loved ones every step of the way. From our bridal party to our parents walking down the aisle, each procession was carefully planned to honour family and tradition. Having Shaneez’s brother and my sister stand as witnesses during the ceremony made it even more meaningful.

We then shared the most beautiful Hindu ceremony, honouring our cultures, our families, and the journey that brought us together. Set within the lush garden setting, beneath perfect post-rain skies, the ceremony felt both meaningful and serene. Our mandap, framed by abundant florals and softly glowing chandeliers beneath the trees, created an intimate and romantic atmosphere that made the moment unforgettable.

My favourite moment captured — our recessional, petals falling all around us, and Shaneez dipping me for our first kiss. Pure magic and the perfect end to our ceremony. It felt cinematic, joyful and completely us. Our wedding was beautifully captured by Kushal from Twin Souls Photography, who documented every special look, cultural moment and décor detail with such care.

One of the biggest labours of love for our wedding was the amount of DIY involved. We had a very clear vision for our mandap, but custom options were incredibly expensive. Instead, we travelled from India to China sourcing faux florals ourselves. Then, my parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew, Shaneez and I spent countless weekends hand-assembling floral arrangements together. I’m so grateful to NZ Mandap for taking our DIY pieces and integrating them into a professional setup — they truly brought our vision to life. My mum and aunt also handcrafted rose and baby’s breath garlands, adding another deeply personal touch.

After the ceremony, Shaneez and I spent time mingling with our guests during cocktail hour, soaking up the love and celebration before preparing for our grand entrance into the reception — still glowing from the magic of the ceremony that had just unfolded.

Reception

We kicked off the reception with a fun, choreographed dance entrance alongside our bridal squad, which instantly set the mood for the night. The evening was filled with heartfelt speeches, laughter, games and incredible energy from our guests.

Our MC, Pritesh, kicked off a hilarious game that had guests racing to grab items and sprint back to their seats — turning friendly competition into absolute chaos, everyone in nonstop laughter, and one very dramatic chair steal!

Because it was also my birthday, everyone surprised me by singing Happy Birthday during the cake cutting — a moment that completely caught me off guard and meant so much to me. From there, we shared our father-daughter dance and first dance as a couple — quiet, emotional moments that led seamlessly into the opening of the dance floor and a night of pure celebration.

For the father-daughter dance, we chose Give Me Away by Riley Roth — a deeply emotional song that captured the moment perfectly. Our first dance was a melody of Duniya, Love Me Like You Do, and other meaningful songs woven together.