Sharon and Rahul’s love story began in a very modern way—online, through Tinder. After chatting for a full month before their first date, Rahul planned an evening to impress, bravely taking Sharon to a sushi restaurant despite never having eaten sushi before, followed by five unforgettable hours talking under the Harbour Bridge.
Their next milestone came during their first overseas holiday together in March 2024, when Rahul surprised Sharon with a romantic proposal at the Marriott Momi Bay in Fiji. He led her to a quiet lookout where a photographer captured the intimate moment, making it a deeply personal and emotional memory shared by just the two of them—tears, laughter, and all.
The Planning
Choosing Fiji for our wedding felt completely natural. I was born in Fiji, Rahul was born in Sydney, and we also got engaged in Fiji, so it made perfect sense to return for such a meaningful celebration. We wanted something intimate and planning it in Sydney felt like it would have been overwhelming.
We chose The Pearl because we have family in the area and felt it was the perfect place to comfortably host around 100 guests over four days. Once the venue was locked in, planning became much easier. While organising everything from overseas was stressful at times, we quickly realised we needed support to coordinate multiple events. That’s when we found The Wedding Shop—Dan and Kelcey were incredible, making the entire experience seamless and ensuring the focus stayed on Rahul and me. They also styled our reception, bringing our vision to life perfectly.
With guidance from Amelia at The Pearl, ZIB Events, and inspiration from Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram, everything came together beautifully. As the wedding approached, we realised the team had it all under control and that we had been stressing about nothing.
The Looks
For our Mehndi Night and Haldi ceremony, I kept things personal and meaningful by doing my own makeup, with my sister taking care of my hair. For the wedding day and reception, my hair and makeup were done by Sydney-based HMUA Aditi Makeovers, while my bridesmaids were looked after by Lodoviko and team.
My wedding dress was custom-made by Abhishek & Radhika Gupta in Sydney and inspired by multiple Pinterest mood boards. We blended traditional elements with a strong Fijian influence, creating something truly unique—my reception dress even featured palm tree detailing. The bridesmaids’ dresses for both the wedding and reception were custom-ordered from Roop Darshan in Liverpool, Sydney.
Rahul’s wedding outfit was also custom-made by Abhishek & Radhika Gupta, with his reception look sourced from a boutique in Sydney. The groomsmen wore coordinated outfits ordered from Roop Darshan, tying everything together beautifully.
The Ceremonies
Our wedding ceremony was held at The Pearl Resort, at the stunning MantaRae venue. We chose this location for its incredible atmosphere and sweeping ocean views overlooking the resort. Timing the ceremony with sunset made the moment even more spectacular, and the venue’s neutral, “blank canvas” feel allowed us to truly bring our vision to life—something ZIB Events executed flawlessly.
ZIB Events looked after all of the décor across our Mehndi, Haldi, and wedding ceremony, and we honestly couldn’t recommend them highly enough. Every detail was thoughtfully considered and beautifully delivered.
Each event was designed to feel distinct while still flowing together as one cohesive celebration. For the Mehndi, we asked Zelman to go all out—bold, colourful, and very much a “go big or go home” vibe. It was vibrant, playful, and set the perfect tone for the celebrations to come.
The Haldi ceremony took on a more traditional feel, with a classic yellow and white palette that felt fresh, meaningful, and full of warmth. It created such a joyful and uplifting atmosphere.
For the wedding ceremony, we envisioned timeless elegance. A white and gold colour palette gave the space an ethereal feel, while the mirrored walkway added an unforgettable wow factor. Walking down it felt truly magical and brought our entire ceremony vision together.
The Photography
We chose Adarsh Bala and his team for both our photography and videography, and it was one of the best decisions we made. We were drawn to his unique style — his work feels intimate, emotional, and full of depth. To this day, I love everything he has created for us.
We trusted Adarsh completely and were open to anything he felt worked creatively. The only request we made was to capture plenty of moments of Rahul and me — and he delivered beautifully. One of my favourite moments was the first look with my parents and siblings; the emotion in those photos is so powerful, and I still get teary looking at them.
He also captured incredible moments with our bridal party, which became some of our favourites. Looking back at our photos fills me with so much happiness — beyond being photographers, Adarsh and his team truly felt like friends. They made us feel completely at ease, and the images themselves transport us right back into those moments every time we see them.
The Reception
We hosted our reception at The Pearl, in the ballroom venue, choosing it for its more formal feel and as a beautiful contrast to our other event spaces. It allowed the evening to feel elevated and distinct, perfectly suited to a black-tie celebration.
The décor was styled by The Wedding Shop, and our vision was candlelit romance with a timeless, elegant atmosphere. We kept the look refined and warm, leaning into a western aesthetic that felt classic rather than overdone. One of our favourite features was the dance floor with custom decals — it truly became the heart of the room and set the tone for the night. We also added a photobooth, which blended seamlessly into the décor while giving guests a fun, relaxed way to create memories.
Food and beverage were a standout across the entire wedding. For the Mehndi, Haldi, and Wedding Ceremony, we chose buffet-style catering with an incredible mix of traditional and western dishes, plus a pani puri station that guests absolutely loved. Each day felt different and exciting. For the reception, we opted for an à la carte western menu along with custom cocktails and a beautiful canapé hour, which perfectly set the mood for the evening. Huge credit to Amelia and The Pearl team — the food and service were genuinely one of the highlights of our wedding.
Our wedding cake was organised through The Wedding Shop using one of their vendors. We chose a tiered design, and it was beautifully made, presented exactly as we envisioned, and enjoyed by everyone.
The Entertainment
All of our music, DJ, MC services, and entertainment were provided by DJWorks, and they were outstanding from start to finish. They looked after everything across both the wedding ceremony and the reception, executing each moment seamlessly and truly understanding the vibe we wanted — elegant and meaningful during the ceremony, then high-energy and fun once the party began.
They kept the dance floor alive all night and did an incredible job with the lighting, which added so much atmosphere and really elevated each space. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to read the room made the entire experience completely stress-free for us, and the entertainment ended up being one of the biggest highlights of our wedding.
To finish the night, DJWorks organised a sparkler exit, which was such a sweet and memorable way to wrap up the celebration — the perfect ending to an unforgettable day.
Overall Highlights
Our overall highlights from our Fiji wedding truly came down to The Pearl Resort. From the moment we arrived, we were completely blown away by the level of care, effort, and attention that went into making our entire week feel so special. Amelia and the entire team handled everything with such passion and genuine interest in our experience, which made being there feel even more meaningful. Nothing ever felt transactional — it was clear that they truly cared about creating the best possible memories for us and our guests. The food, the resort itself, and the overall atmosphere exceeded all our expectations and became such cherished parts of our celebration.
We were also incredibly grateful for the amazing vendors who brought our vision to life. The Wedding Shop coordinators made the planning process seamless, ZIB Events executed the décor flawlessly, and our photographer captured every moment so beautifully. DJ Works kept the energy exactly right throughout the celebrations and helped create unforgettable moments on the dance floor. Collectively, these incredible teams worked together so effortlessly, making our Fiji wedding not only stress‑free but truly unforgettable. Looking back, every detail and every moment reinforced how special the entire experience was for us.
