Merlyn Romit, the creative force behind Desi Wed Australia, has led the charge to develop the country’s first immersive South Asian wedding expo. A vibrant, natural setting The event enjoyed a beautiful, waterfront, natural setting on Sydney’s North Shore. The first event brought in more than 100 attendees. Enthralled engaged couples and community members were immersed in the exciting culture and traditions of South Asian weddings.
Romit only conceived of the event three months ago. He needed a space that catered specifically to multicultural couples and black couples looking for vendors that understood and celebrated their cultural heritage. Guests contributed $90 – $109 to come celebrate with us. This low pricing meant that it was affordable for anyone who wanted to be on the cutting edge of South Asian wedding traditions.
The venue also featured an entrance of towering limestone elephant statues, carved by Balinese master artisans. This is significant as an auspicious symbol of power. Attendees played an old-school game of musical chairs, providing a fun shout-out to this year’s 30th Anniversary. They had the opportunity to hop into a giant glass photo booth that transported them onto a Vogue magazine cover. It was such a great place to remember all the fun of the day!
More than 350 businesses exhibited at the show, displaying their wares to brides- and grooms-to-be. One of the vendors had a massive pavlova, where each newlywed could write a message on their dessert for their wedding guests to enjoy. This amazing variety of services is a testament to the colorful beauty of South Asian marriages. These celebrations typically last over five days and involve several ceremonies which unite the couple’s rich cultural heritage.
According to Maree Whitlock of Zest Waterfront Venues, these events are vital. Lastly, they serve as an integral component in educating the wider community about South Asian culture and heritage. She stated, “I obviously don’t come from [a South Asian] background so, for me culturally, it’s so exciting to see something that’s a little bit different that I kind of haven’t been immersed in before.”
To put that into perspective, according to avid wedding planner Poonam Gururajan, the average cost of a wedding in Australia is over $36,000. Gururajan noted that smaller South Asian weddings still require significant budgets, stating, “The smallest wedding I’ve ever worked on, I think it was around $45,000 to $50,000. That was just for the one day.” She added that for multi-day celebrations costs can easily range from $150,000 to $500,000. On the higher end of the spectrum, destination weddings may even fly up to $800,000.
“Romit reflected on the concept she wanted to bring to Australia: The concept of immersive weddings and actually enjoying them for what they are, without the fuss of it, was actually done in India first, and then Ireland and London. I wanted to be one of the first to bring it to Australia.”
Both attendees and organizers alike were giddy at the success of the event and its importance for building connections in their community. Rahul noted the rarity of meeting such a diverse group within their own community: “It’s so rare to meet such a diverse group of people within our own community. So, for me, that’s what’s important about it.”
Romit described her vision further: “We’re bold, we’re different, we’re challenging the norm.” This concept struck a chord among attendees who believe that modern commemorations are more about having a good time. Abhijit remarked on this shift, stating, “I think for a long time they were like very traditional, family orientated. Now people let loose and actually have a good time.”
Shoraye Khatter added that many people are missing out on attending weddings due to various factors and emphasized the importance of creating inclusive spaces. “We’re at an age right now where people are missing out [on attending weddings].”
