This bride opted for a classic Kanjeevaram sari for her coastal wedding in Sri Lanka

19 January 2025

Movie'ing Moments

Sonia Parulekar shares why she chose to step away from celebrity-inspired trends for her bridal look

Culture plays the starring role in Sydney-based couple, Sonia Parulekar and Varan Perananthan’s love story. It served as the backdrop for his surprise helicopter proposal over the ancient monolith of Uluru, a landmark steeped in Australian history. Her joyous acceptance was followed by the pilot radioing the control tower, “She said yes, over.” A bubble of applause burst over the airwaves at their happy news.

Culture, again, served as the guiding point of their search for the perfect wedding venue. Having spent one year in Sri Lanka for his PhD, Perananthan found himself pulled by the allure of his ancestral roots. The coastal town of Weligama Bay, then, emerged as the ideal choice for them to formalise their union. Ahead, the couple takes us into their decision to eschew popular destinations in favour of immersing their celebration in the coastal charms of Sri Lanka.

Planning a wedding across continents meant that Parulekar and Perananthan were faced with the challenge of incorporating their distinct cultural identities with the traditions of India, Sri Lanka and Australia. They struck a happy compromise with a Sri Lankan Tamil priest who conducted the wedding ceremony as per Tamil traditions, but was willing to incorporate key Maharashtrian aspects that held significance to the bride.

Parulekar would also find her decision to maintain allegiance to her culture tested with the sudden influx of celebrity-inspired ivory and blush hues in the bridal aisle. “As a Maharashtrian bride marrying a Tamil groom, I made the conscious decision to not wear a lehenga for my ceremony and instead, opt for a traditional Kanjeevaram silk sari. I’ve always pictured myself getting married in a sari—a garment that holds significance to my Maharastrian heritage—and I didn’t want to deviate from this decision based on current trends,” she shares. Not wanting to confine herself to traditional reds, she instead found a winner in a dual-toned peach drape.

The festivities started with almost one hundred guests from Australia heading to the beachside haven of Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa. Determined to make the most of the idyllic views of the coastline tucked around every corner, the wedding kicked off with a haldi event next to the beach. Themed gazebos, designed to evoke a traditional Hindustani garden party vibe, beckoned guests for relaxed lounging and sipping on freshly cut coconuts. The happy couple, meanwhile, twirled merrily in yellow ensembles from House of Masaba—a raw silk lehenga emblazoned with autumnal bouquets for her and a floral kurta for him.

For the mehendi ceremony, the bride pulled off a chameleonic change by eschewing traditional ensembles in favour of a sleek sequinned number. The bottle green hue fit the bill for the conventional hues of the event, while the strappy silhouette allowed her to go hands-free.

As day turned to dusk, the wedding party dialled up the energy with a sangeet event themed as a starry night in the forest. Having always admired Rahul Mishra’s creations for their earthy motifs and hand embroidery, Parulekar wasn’t surprised when she found the lehenga of her dreams at his Mumbai outpost. In keeping with the theme, she opted for the starry hues of midnight blue for her floral lehenga teamed with a metallic blouse doused in 3D embroidery. By her side, Perananthan beamed happily in a coordinated bundi layered over a navy chanderi kurta.

For the big day, the couple chose the picturesque vistas of the Indian Ocean as the backdrop for their rooftop ceremony. In a bid to reflect the coastal essence of the town, vibrant flowers snaked their way across the wooden pillars of the mandap, culminating with a canopy laden with sunset-hued blooms.

After a riotous baarat ceremony, the groom stood at the end of the flower-strewn aisle in an ivory sherwani for his bride. His wait wasn’t for long, as she soon made her entry as the vision of a quintessential Maharashtrian bride. For Parulekar, knowing that she wanted to marry the man of her dreams in a traditional Kanjeevaram silk sari was the easy part. But finding the drape meant a hectic race against time within a limited schedule of two days. The House of Angadi rose to the challenge and she blitzed her way across their Bengaluru outpost, finally falling for a peach drape with intricate gold zari embroidery. Layered gold necklaces rounded out the look, while traditional Maharashtrian bangles that her mother had worn for her own wedding added a sentimental touch.

After the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds headed for Ukhane, a traditional Maharashtrian lunch which has the couple reciting poetry with each other’s names. Perananthan took this moment to surprise her with a leather-bound book filled with the poems he’d written over the course of their relationship. “It was an incredibly heartfelt gesture that summed up our journey as a couple,” she reminisces fondly.

For the last leg of the wedding celebrations, the couple opted for a classic black-tie reception dinner. In honour of the destination, guests were greeted with a box set of Dilmah teas as well as luxury soaps from Sri Lankan retailer, Spa Ceylon.

The bride took to the monogrammed dancefloor in a Seema Gujral lehenga, while her husband looked dapper by her side in a bespoke tuxedo. Having found herself drawn towards the elegance of a long-sleeved silhouette, Parulekar knew her search had ended when she stumbled upon a glittery lehenga with pink undertones at Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop in Mumbai. Basking in the warm glow of fairy lights, the couple danced their way till after hours.