Bright & Festive | Shruti Mallya & Hersh Khokha {Real Wedding Story}

WEDDING DATE: August 22nd, 2021

LOCATION: Chinmaya Mission (www.chinmayalondon.org) London, ON

PHOTOGRAPHY: HRM Photography (♥) (www.hrmphotography.com) London, ON “We found HRM online. Heather was our main photographer, with Niki assisting. Heather was very accommodating, always promptly answering our questions and helping us throughout the whole process for both the engagement shoot and the wedding day. Despite COVID causing havoc on her schedule, she was still always on top of communication and dates with us. She did a great job being very direct with instructions and efficient during all of the photo sessions, all while being funny and keeping constant tabs on how we were doing. Trust us, you NEED a photographer with those skills to get through it all. The photos we have seen so far have turned out beautifully, our favourite part being how vibrantly the florals and outfits were captured.” – H

GUEST #: 90

COLOUR PALETTE/THEME: Yellow, Pink, Orange, White & Green. “Our theme was bright and festive florals and Indian décor, with the natural open field as a backdrop. We made sure there were many colourful flowers, ‘sunny’ décor, and mini-pepper arrangements present at the focal points of the wedding venue. We also used actual Sarees to decorate the main wedding tent. Our wedding outfits were custom-made to match the theme and complement each other using subtle accents borrowed from the other’s outfit.” – H

BRIDE ATTIRE: Handmade in India

GROOM ATTIRE: Silhouettes by Amit Arora (www.silhouettesbyamitarora.com) Brampton, ON

HAIR & MAKEUP: Ty Wilson Artistry (www.tywilsonartistry.com) London, ON

FLORAL: Sugar Bloom Floral (www.sugarbloom.ca) Woodstock, ON

CATERING: Bubba’s Diner (www.bubbasdiner.ca) London, ON, Punjabi Rasoi (www.punjabirasoilondon.com) London, ON & Karby’s Caterers London, ON

TELL US YOUR STORY: “We met online almost 3 years ago. The first year of dating was idyllic; we spent a lot of time discovering different parts of the GTA, trying new foods, and enjoying all of the sites and sounds (outside and in movie theaters!). Then March 2020 hit. A few months into the pandemic, I decided to move back home to Ottawa so I could help out my parents, while Hersh stayed in the GTA. We took every opportunity to stay connected and feel together – chatted in the evenings, streamed a lot of reality TV shows, and cherished the times I could visit. In January 2021, we decided to upgrade from long-distance dating to long-distance wedding planning! We both have family in London and needed an outdoor wedding venue so we could maximize the guest list within COVID restrictions. My sister lived near the Chinmaya Mission grounds and thought the backyard could make a lovely wedding venue. She was right! In the presence of close friends and family in August 2021, we were the first couple to get married there. There were many ups and downs during the planning process, but it brought us together as a couple and gave us the opportunity to make even more lasting memories together.” – S