Chic Indian DIY Engagement

PLANNING: We started planning for the engagement party about two months before deciding on the date and type of party. We always knew we wanted to use my parents’ amazing backyard, so that was one less thing to organize. After making sure our closest friends were available on the date we chose, it was full steam ahead.

The organizing of the food, drinks, set up and invitations all took about 6 weeks. We both have such an eye for detail that we just couldn’t help but plan every little thing. From the fairy lights to the cocktail dispensers and everything in-between, we took a lot of inspiration from Pinterest.

VISION: We wanted something classy, yet casual enough for people to have a good time and relax.

PHOTOGRAPHY: We chose Ian from I.C. Captured Photography for our event. We have seen a lot of his work in the past and knew he did a great job. We were really happy with him on night. He managed to capture every moment of the event with professionalism and creativity.

I did a lot of research on Etsy.com for ideas for the invitations. We came across a supplier called White Willow Paper, which is based in Melbourne. We loved her simple yet classy designs and chose a black and white theme with featured fairy lights.

This then became the theme of the party and we decorated the whole back yard with fairy lights. She also made us some signs with our social media hashtag in the same design, which we were then able to display around the house. Her service was great and I would certainly recommend them for a simple and fun invitation.

It was so great to see everyone have such a great time at the party. We had lots of compliments on the food, set up, drinks and dessert bar, which made me realize that all our hard work and attention to detail paid off. It was so great to spend time and celebrate with all our friends (even those that flew in from interstate just for the occasion). The night just went by so fast, I look back at the photos and wish we could relive it all over again.

For music, I chose to have some background music, however, didn’t feel the need to hire a DJ. Nakul made a playlist that we could connect to the surround sound outdoor speakers at my parents’ place. The songs mainly consisted of the old and new R&B tunes to keep the crowd entertained.

Catering was always going to be tricky, as I love cooking and had to resist the urge to do it all myself. In the end, we stuck to a cocktail style catering – offering around 10 savory items, followed by an epic dessert bar and cake.

Savoury Menu: The savory items were a combination of both our wonderful mums’ hard work and by a catering company called Oasis Bakery. By doing half catered and half homemade, we were able to save a bit of money too. Then we had the lovely mums serve the food around on platters, so each item was served hot.

Cocktail Bar: Finally, a lot of time and thought went into the set up of the bar. I wanted something different, not just beer and champagne, so I opted for a selection of cocktails. I had a couple of drink dispensers which made displaying the cocktails perfectly. And I chose a few of our favorites – Pimms and Sangria. We made >12L of each in the morning, to allow the flavors to settle in. We served them in cute mason jars with straws. They not only looked good but tasted great! One of the things that helped the most, was having a few boys on the bar for the evening. They were able to serve everyone, open bottles, make a trip to Dan Murphy’s when things were running low and generally keep everyone’s glasses filled.

Cupcake Tree: Instead of the traditional cake, we opted for a ‘cupcake tree’ which meant we didn’t have to slice it up and serve it, and we could have as many flavors as we liked. The more variety, the better! We chose Ab Fab Cakes to make our cupcakes for us, and they added a small cake on top, just for the purpose of cutting. The cake was flavored chocolate raspberry, their specialty. And the cupcakes were a variety of white chocolate mud and red velvet. They were all just delicious. In fact, they were such an efficient, organized and friendly company, we plan to use them for our wedding cake too.

We decided to add a few little details, to make the event something special:

• Instagram board – made by Lifesize Standups was accompanied with a Polaroid camera and a frame to hang the photos on for our collection
• Signs & buntings – from Typo to decorate the house and garden
• A storyboard – to share with others our love story, including dates of when all our milestones have occurred (a big thanks to Louise for putting it all together)
• A photo wall – with photos of us from over the years for everyone to share in our journey.

NIKITA’S OUTFIT: Nakul actually picked my engagement party dress! He has such an eye for fashion. We both knew we wanted to stick to black and white, so he found the black and gold dress online at Selfridges, as I’m a big fan of London shopping.

HAIR & MAKEUP: I did my own makeup but for hair, I couldn’t look past my hairdresser of 15 years – Natt from Francapelli Academy, Hawthorn. He always knows what to do and how much volume I love! Not only did he come to my place with all his tools and charge me mates-rates on a Sunday, but he also helped taste-test the cocktails! I would most certainly recommend him for not just his wonderful styling, but also his great service. I had countless compliments on my hair during the evening, which is a credit to him.

NAKUL’S OUTFIT: Nakul bought his suit and shoes from Jack London in Melbourne.

1. Be organized and use your precious time wisely
2. Utilize the skills and expertise of your friends and family
3. Don’t forget to relax and enjoy the moment. After all, it’s a once in a lifetime experience!