Were it not for Tinder, Govi and I would never have met! We both struggled to meet someone special in the past, and there was no way either of us would have agreed to letting our parents play matchmaker! We wouldn’t have bumped into each other and we didn’t share any mutual friends who could have introduced us. So thank you Tinder! Who knew downloading an app would lead to the love of your life?
The attraction was mutually instant the minute we saw each other’s profile pictures, and after a few days of non-stop messaging, we progressed (in a typically 21st century way) by WhatsApping, FaceTiming and then finally, meeting up face-to-face.
Our first date was in Graphic Bar in Soho over Christmas 2013, and from that moment on, we were rarely apart. Amazingly, it was only nine months later that we were engaged. It seems like a whirlwind romance, but when you know, you know. We didn’t see any point in hanging around when we knew we wanted to be with each other for the rest of our lives. Govi proposed in Soho’s Golden Square, the ground strewn with flowers and candles and John?Legend singing in the background from a hidden speaker. I was gobsmacked with the effort, and of course, said yes!
The bride: Dilveen Maini, 28
The groom: Govindan Thathal, 28
Married: 7th, 29th & 30th August 2015
Venue: Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London
Photography: Aiya Media, +44(0)7751 694 289
The Registry
Govi and I wanted something timelessly elegant for our civil ceremony, and discovered a brilliant venue in Ealing Town Hall which was perfect. Full of character and illuminated with gorgeous chandeliers, it was exactly what we pictured. I wore a Vera Wang gown while Govi chose a grey Ted Baker suit, which was dotted with confetti by the time we left!
The Wedding Outfits
For the Asian wedding ceremony, Govi’s father bought his a traditional embellished sherwani while on a visit to India, fitted expertly by Manoj Makwana. One of my mum’s closest friends, Sabbi, designed my bridal lehenga, which was a beautiful deep maroon with antique gold threadwork and embroidery. I finished my look with a custom-made traditonal jewellery set including a jhoomer and tikka from Deeya. For the reception, Govi was adamant he wanted a navy tux with black lapels while I found the perfect gown at Este Couture.
The Details
We wanted our guests to really remember our wedding, and knew The Globe Theatre in Southwark would be an unforgettable reception venue. We decided to honour the history of The Globe through our décor. Blooming Events was given full artistic control of our event, and they picked A Midsummer Night’s Dream as the theme. Our cake was designed by Sweet Hollywood, who continued the theme to create the most gorgeous wedding cake.
Reception
Our DJ’s, Finesse Music, did a fantastic job of creating a sleek entertainment set-up, which blended in perfectly with the venue and helped us celebrate in style. I've known Hubs from Finesse for nearly a decade and always promised him that he would DJ at my wedding. So when the day finally came, I kept my promise and in return, he spun the most amazing soundtrack to our Big Day. There was never a single dip in the music and that dancefloor just kept going and going! Forget reception - that reception party turned into a rave. The last guest went to bed at 7am the next morning!