Usha & Alexander

Western Ceremony: Kat Soutar - It’s Beautiful here

How was your experience as a Forever Soles bride?

I had a very simple and stress free experience, after discovering you through instagram to visiting the website and purchasing the shoes, everything was easy to find and straightforward.

Which shoes did you wear for your wedding?

I bought the gold Mazi Barefoot Sandals first. This was for the Indian ceremony as I knew that at the alter I wasn’t able to wear shoes.

For the western ceremony - I purchased the Passion Ruby Tall Heel. I also used these heels for the Indian ceremony when walking around greeting guests.

What was your favourite thing about your shoes?

The colour and comfort of the shoes is what really sold me. I loved the shade of red and the extra bonus was that I didn’t have to compromise too much on hight as I am not so tall, I loved that I could still stand tall next to my future husband. I knew I’d be on my feet for a long time as we did two ceremonies on the same day and I love to dance so the comfort factor played a big role.

How did you and your husband meet?

We met on the dance floor! Both my husband and i love Latin dance and met at a Latin dance night in Melbourne (salsa and bachata)

He approached me and asked me for a dance (which is fairly common at these events) we had lovely chemistry and we both complimented each other’s smile after we danced, we thanked each other and parted ways, enjoying the rest of the evening with our own friends. We happened to meet again at another dance night not long after, we had the opportunity to connect; he asked for my number and as they say, the rest is history.

How long have you been together and how did he propose?

We have been together for 4 years. He proposed in the third year, it was June 2020 and winter/autumn weather. It was also when we were still trying to grasp the reality of Covid. We had initially planned a trip to Hawaii, which we had to cancel. It was hard to come up with ‘romantic’ date night ideas. One day he asked if I wanted to do a couple ‘winter-esque’ photoshoot in the Fitzroy gardens - as an alternative date idea - rather than to going to a Restaurant for food. (Which was difficult to do anyway due to covid). I said - sounds like fun! Sure! (We had a mutual photographer friend who we had previously helped, as her “engaged” couple models - so the idea wasn’t as far fetched as it sounds!) It also happened very quickly, we planned for the shot with the same photographer friend only a day later so I wasn’t expecting anything. We set up a time and place, had outfit changes and were lucky enough to managed to squeeze the adventure in between Melbourne lockdowns. We were amongst beautiful rows of trees, when our photographer friend ‘set up’ a shot that required Alex to start behind me and then I would turn around and she would shot it from the other side. I turned and Alex was down on one knee. He had the ring for a while and I had no idea! It was perfect.

What is the most amazing thing about your man?

Everything! … I may be a bit biased.

Alex has a lot of qualities that I could spend hours listing. I think regarding our wedding though, his ability to connect with my family, make everyone smile all the time and also be so willing to embrace and be involved in the all the rituals and meanings behind the Indian wedding in particular is something I’ll always cherish.

How would you describe your wedding in one word?

“Hin-ju” - We used this term as we combined elements of and Hindu (Indian wedding) and his Jewish heritage into our western wedding.

Also referring to it as our ‘Wedding Weekend’ as we had 3 days filled with 5 events for people to attend! (Combing the Indian and western ceremonial event)

What is your favourite memory from your wedding?

The first event we held was apart of the Indian culture and customs - the Sangeet - which roughly translates to “Sung together” its a night that brings both sides of the family together (like a pre-wedding icebreaker for both family and friends to get to know one another) and help get people comfortable with others and their is a lot of singing, dancing and being merry! Both Alex and were fortunate enough to get all our friends and family to join in on group dances, spontaneous flash mobs and let all our hair down and just celebrate being amongst loved ones (something that was becoming rarer at the time) that would be my favourite memory and feeling - followed by our first dance.

Where was your wedding located? What made you choose this location?

Our Indian ceremony was at Project 3488 in Warburton. We chose this location mostly because it was one of the very few venues that would allow for a Indian ceremonial fire both indoors and outdoors but the fact that it was so unique and beautiful definitely helped seal the deal. It had lots of greenery but also a quirkiness about it, a lot of areas for our guests to explore and had wonderful owners who were as excited as we were and willing to help bring our vision to life.

Our Western wedding venue was Stones of the Yarra Valley in Coldstream. I found this venue when I attended as a plus one of a friend and fell in LOVE with it. The beautiful scenery, classic and simple vibe but the best part was the Chapel. It was sophisticated, clean and simple, adding an element of beauty without being overwhelming.

The best thing about both venues was that they were both neutral - neither my husband and I are overly religious. We have beliefs and values that align as well as a sense of tradition and culture so it was important for us to find venues that provided a open book and blank canvas for us to express our love.

Any advice for our brides-to-be?

Be sure to allocate alone time for yourself on your wedding day! A lot is happening and a lot of people are surrounding you all of the time and most likely a lot is on your mind (Especially if you plan and organise the whole thing yourself as I did) let your maid of honour or your close and trusted person whoever that may be aware about the importance of allowing you to have a private moment to yourself to soak it all in before walking down that aisle. Give yourself time to take in the moment of realisation that you are about to be married to the love of your life. Enjoy it.

And don’t sweat the small stuff!

Who created your gorgeous gown?

My Indian outfit: Chamee and Palak.

My Western gown and veil: Amaline Vitale.

You're a wife now! How does it feel to finally tie the knot?

Great! A lot and not a lot has changed. It’s a lovely realisation to know I have someone who will be my confidant, strength, love and laughter buddy for life and it is also super strange!

It’s the start of another chapter and I’m looking forward to working it out with Alex. We have to figure out what it means for us to be husband and wife and share our journey and future together. It’s new and exciting and familiar and mundane all at the same time.