Linae and Vishal

It’s a funny story—one of those “right place, right time” moments that we didn’t see coming but, looking back, feels like it was meant to be. Vish and I met through my brother, who was one of his close friends. At the time, we were both students, caught up in code, exams, and the general chaos of university life.

I remember our every interaction, the way he made me laugh matched with his warm kind heartedness – it’s a combo very difficult to forget. And then, one day, it just clicked. No grand gestures, no dramatic confessions — just this quiet realization that whatever this was, it was life changing.” – Linae

There were a few honourable mentions throughout our time together, like our first date at the zoo, our first family holiday with both our parents and Vish’s outdoor romantic proposal.

The most special feeling was waking up as a married couple on Sunday morning after most of the wedding festivities had ended, and looking at each other with massive smiles across our faces and both saying “Wow, that was amazing, I would do it again!”

The biggest reason is the overwhelming sense of love and support that you feel on your wedding day, which makes it feel like the entire world is on your side. Seeing our families, from different countries and backgrounds come together for us is something we are extremely grateful for, bringing all the love, smiles and blessings is all we could have ever wanted and so much more.

“We first flirted over text, where her quick wit and sense of humor instantly captivated me—she could dish it out and make me laugh. Pair that with her beautiful eyes, her unwavering support, and the rare balance of independence with just enough vulnerability shared only with me, I knew I had found someone who was my perfect counterpart, someone I could truly be myself around.” – Vishal

We decided right at the start of the wedding planning that we want to enjoy our wedding; we want it to reflect us and our story. Our wedding celebration was not simply a marriage of two people, but of two cultures, the best of both worlds if we may say?

Our family and friends were taking the time to come from all parts of the world, and we wanted to ensure we were able to spend time with them, which is what lead us to having our functions in this order:

Wednesday (public holiday) was a combined Mehndi night
Thursday morning was individual nelengus
Thursday evening was a combined Haldi night, a typical Hurdee jol
Friday was a recovery day to cure all handovers and head over to Muldersdrift. We managed to have an early dinner together before the big day
Saturday we were fresh and ready for the big day! This took many many meetings with the guru and families. We planned every ritual and what we wanted to do from both Tamil & Telugu traditions.
Fast forward a couple months and we had a reception in India for all the family and friends who could not attend the reception in South Africa

Planning our wedding was one of the most significant aspects of our journey to our big day. What made it truly special was the involvement of our loved ones. We would have not done it without them.

We believe that a wedding is not just about a single day of celebration but a beautiful joining together of families, even through moments leading up to the wedding.

It was important for us to infuse our personalities into every aspect of the day. From choosing songs for our couple’s dance and coordinating a family group performance to designing playful, pun-inspired menu and creating our “Wall of Love,” every detail reflected who we are. However, the most meaningful and personal touch was the handwritten thank-you notes we prepared for each of our guests—an expression of our immense gratitude for their love, presence and roles they have all played in making us the people we are today.