Malimi and Benjamin’s wedding was effortlessly beautiful. They opted for a modern romantic monochrome theme with a clean aesthetic and some seriously stylish outfits.
Their day highlights their shared Sinhalese background, complete with fresh flowers and gorgeous ceremonies at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Treasury Gardens. They certainly pulled it off as it looked as though everyone had such a blast.
Where did you get married?
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Treasury Gardens, and the National Gallery of Victoria
Why did you choose to get married at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Treasury Gardens, and the National Gallery of Victoria?
We wanted to celebrate the fact that Ben is from a Catholic family and Malmi is from a Buddhist family. Additionally, we wanted to acknowledge our shared Sinhalese background.
Following the church ceremony, we provided a modern-Sri Lankan cocktail-style lunch to our guests at the Treasury Gardens. Our traditional Sri Lankan poruwa ceremony then took place in front of the beautiful water fountains in the gardens.
For the reception, as we were both born and raised in Melbourne, we wanted a venue that reflected the charisma and vibrancy of this incredible city. We also both love going to museums and art galleries when we travel, so for the reception, the NGV was easily the right choice for us! The stained glass ceiling of the NGV Great Hall was also a feature that we loved so much, we incorporated it into our wedding invitation!
What was the most memorable part of your wedding day?
For us, the highlight was definitely our first look. The day started for both of us at 3am! We had been separated the whole morning whilst getting ready and taking photos. At around 8am, Ben and his groomsmen were then driven to Plane Tree Walk in Fitzroy Gardens from the hotel they were getting ready in. Malmi then arrived with her bridesmaids.
Our photographer managed to beautifully capture this emotional moment. The tears started flowing before we even saw each other! The realisation that our relationship has been leading up to all of this was surreal.
Malmi, paint us a picture. What was the theme, style, colors, and overall vibe of your wedding day?
The vibe was modern romantic monochrome with touches of beige. We wanted to create a timeless look which we would be able to fondly look back upon for many years. The details consisted of white florals and black accents with our bridal party in white!
What was your favorite part of planning your wedding?
Honestly, everything! I loved seeing each detail come together and it’s amazing to look back on early plans of our wedding to see how much it evolved over the 18 months of planning.
What was the best investment you made for your wedding?
Definitely our photographer and videographer- Shevan J Photography and Pixel360. The captured the most incredible day of our lives so beautifully, so we can re-live it over and over again for years to come.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Not really! Perhaps some super minor negligible things but it honestly all went so so smoothly!
What was your favorite part of using WedSites for your wedding?
Our stationery had a very specific beige colour and font and it was great that WedSites had the level of customisation available to incorporate both our stationary colour and fonts into our website. The RSVP system was very user friendly and the guest filter feature where you could filter by country and age was so useful!
Wedding planning is notoriously stressful. Now that you’ve gone through the process, do you have any advice or words of wisdom for couples who are currently in the midst of planning theirs?
Only plan it yourself if you enjoy planning, otherwise, hire a planner! I absolutely loved the planning process but it was still the hardest thing I have ever accomplished!
The amazing team of vendors involved with this wedding
Venue: St. Patrick’s Cathedral – Church Ceremony
Venue: Treasury Gardens – Poruwa Ceremony (Sri Lankan Buddhist Ceremony)
Reception: National Gallery of Victoria
Photographer: Shevan J Photography
Caterer: Lankan Feast
Entertainment: Enigmatic Entertainment
Hair Stylist: Hair by JC
Makeup Artist: Make Up By Imasha
Wedding Dress Lehenga (Reception): Surabhi Chopra Label
Wedding Saree Dress (Poruwa Ceremony): Aslam Hussein
Wedding Dress: Raffaele Ciuca
Bridesmaid Dresses: White Runway
Stationery: With Love Muse
Transportation: Kombihaus
Videographer: Pixel 360 Studio
Stylist: John and Caroline of JCAU
Coordinator: Vanessa of Valure Events
Wedding Website: WedSites
