Wedding | Riley & Kishor

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met at uni through mutual friends many moons ago at a party just metres from where we would eventually get married. Years later, we reconnected after Riley slid into Kishor's DMs, something Kishor was far too much of a chicken to do.

On our first dates, we bonded over our culturally-confused backgrounds (Riley is half Lebanese, Kishor is half Indian), and a shared appreciation of good food, film, literature, music and the finer things in life.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Having spent so many of our formative years, including the early days of our romance, in Sydney's Inner West, it felt like the natural place to get married.

We also knew we wanted to eschew the traditional, cookie-cutter wedding venue in favour of something that felt true to us. We landed on Ester Spirits because it felt like the kind of place we'd stop in for a drink on any given Saturday, with a funky aesthetic, friendly vibes and perfect cocktails. We also wanted our guests to have a very good time, and we knew the Ester team would be able to pull it off.

For the daytime ceremony, we needed somewhere chill about us having an indoor fire (an essential for Hindu weddings). But what struck us most about Temple on the Park was the beautiful natural light, which really brought out the vibrancy of the ceremony.

How many guests did you have?

100-ish.

What was your budget?

Approx 35K (attire included)

Tell us about your outfits.

For the Hindu ceremony, we chose designers that put an avant garde twist on classic Indian formalwear.

For the reception, Riley wanted to swerve away from the traditional white wedding dress and go for something sparkly, bright and pulsing with mirror ball, Diana Ross 70s disco energy.

Kishor opted for a double-breasted vintage suit in dark navy, giving a classic, relaxed fit.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

It was very important for there to be (a) martinis; and (b) good food. In no particular order. Once those ingredients are taken care of, it is impossible for anybody to have a bad night. The team at Ester put together a very exciting (and mildly dangerous) drinks list and antipasto spread, while our caterers had a dosa truck out the front.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We had a movie projector playing La Dolce Vita and All About Eve in the background, two of our old childhood favourites, which we thought gave the event a beautiful nostalgic vibe.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Be yourself. Have a wedding that reflects your personality and not somebody else's. Cut out the stuff that you think you need to have but don't really care for.

Photographer: Damien Milan @damienmilan_photographer  | Ceremony Location: Temple on the Park | Reception Location & Flora: Ester Spirits Gin Distillery @esterspirits | Celebrant: Rami Sivan | MUA: Angelica Fortunato @angelicamarie_makeup | Catering & Beverages: Kavitha Jeevan (Indian Food); Ester Spirits (Reception Catering & Drinks) @esterspirits | Cake: Javi Bakes @javi.bakes | Entertainment: Jackie Brown Jr @jackiebrownjrband | Ceremony Sari: House of Masaba @houseofmasaba | Reception Dress: Rachel Gilbert @rachelgilbertau | Ceremony Kurta: Rohit Doshi @houseofrohitdoshi | Reception Suit: YSL (Vintage) @ysl @vestiaireco | Engagement Ring: Waldemar Jewellers @waldemarjewellers | Wedding Rings: Mejuri @mejuri | Riley's Shoes: Jimmy Choo @jimmychoo; Roger Vivier @rogervivier | Kishor's Shoes: Brador @bradorshoes; Vinny's @vinnysthevibe | Handbag: Staud @staud.clothing | Tie: Ferragamo @ferragamo | Necklace: Jennifer Behr @jenniferbehr | Custom Match Boxes: CoCreative Design @cocreative_design