A Harmony of Culture & Design

Forever inspired by our bride's creativity! For Nilofer & Hugh's Australian-Indian fusion wedding, she curated a stunning ensemble with Seema Gujral's Emilia Skirt & the Nessa Lehenga's blouse! The KYNAH team was pleased to hear how enjoyable her online shopping experience was with us! Congrats to the beautiful couple, we wish them all the best on their future endeavors! As said by Nilofer:

How was your experience shopping with Team KYNAH?

I had an incredible experience working with Aisha and Team KYNAH. Given the pandemic, I did all my consultations, measurements & design conversations virtually which was nerve-wracking - you don't really imagine you'll be buying your wedding dress over e-mail but Aisha made it such an easy, happy and manageable process. She even helped me mix and match a skirt and blouse from two different outfits, along with a custom dupatta, to create the exact look I was going for. As we neared the end of the design process, I found myself getting increasingly indecisive but the KYNAH team were incredibly patient with my (many!) questions, triple-checked my measurements, and were very prompt on communicating progress & photos as the outfit was going through final checks. I am so thrilled with how it turned out - I absolutely adore the final product! 

What was it about your custom Seema Gujral lehenga that you were drawn to? What made you say "Yes!"?

I knew I wanted to stay true to traditional red & gold bridal colours but was having trouble finding a style that felt like "me". I first came across the Emilia Skirt on KYNAH's website and was immediately drawn to the textured skirt covered in 3D florals - I'd never seen anything like it before! Combined with the beautiful mirror work on the Nessa blouse, the look felt like the ideal combination of traditional & modern that I was going for. The outfit perfectly complemented our fusion Indian-Australian wedding. 

What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme/aesthetic?

It was really important to us that we thoughtfully brought together elements from both our cultures and that all our guests felt welcome throughout the weekend. Hugh is Australian-born & raised while my family is Indian and have lived across Canada, Cyprus & Dubai, so we really wanted each event to feel like it belonged to both of us. We kicked off the weekend with a Welcome Party / Henna Event with henna artists, and it was so lovely to see so many of our guests of all genders get henna done before the big day. With food being such a central part of Indian culture, we served traditional Indian food throughout with a fusion dessert table of gulab jamun, baklava and Tim Tams for the Australians (as well as a surprise McDonalds delivery at midnight!). For the ceremony and reception, I wanted the space to feel warm & welcoming - our wonderful florist used greenery throughout the venue to bring the outside in, and our florals had pops of bright red, orange & blue interspersed with tall green candles. Alongside orange glassware, orange menus & gold-tinted chairs, the room really had the warm "secret garden" feel I was hoping for! And my floral-covered skirt fit right in with the Secret Garden theme!

How did you meet your husband? Tell us a little bit about your relationship?

I had just moved to Sydney, Australia for work and 5 weeks later, I met Hugh at our office holiday party (at the Sydney Opera House - a true Australian love story!). We knew that I'd be moving back to the US soon so had to very quickly make a decision on what we'd do next - within 3 months of dating, Hugh had decided to move back to the US with me. We're still a little shocked by how quickly we took that big step - I guess you just know when it feels right! Hugh and I complement each other well and this really came through during the wedding planning process - Hugh was an active participant with strong opinions throughout, but also let me be and make final decisions when I got characteristically neurotic!

If you could've invited one celebrity to your wedding, who would it have been & why?

No celebrities needed - we love our family & friends too much! But if we could've, we would have invited Elton John - our first dance was to "Your Song" by Elton John - what an incredible performer & I'm sure he would have been a firecracker of a guest too!