Embracing elegance and tradition at The McCallum Residence

A visual feast of colour and culture, Astha and Muny were wed at the idyllic McCallum nestled in the heart Clevedon. Filled with love, tradition, and natural beauty their ceremony effortlessly fused cultural grandeur with enchanting elegance. The reception held in an impressive white marquee, was filled with crisp white linen and lush floral, which offered a stunning contrast to the jewelled tones of the ocean backdrop.

This beautiful seaside wedding was captured by Nisha Ravji.

How did you meet and how long have you been together?

We met at a flat party back in 2017. Muny was feeling confident about his newly acquired salsa skills after a three month stint in South America and played it like a Casanova despite the frat house around us. He approached me from the other end of the room for a dance. Six years later and we are both pretty happy with ourselves. We recently celebrated one year of marriage which could not have flown by faster!

Tell us a little bit about the proposal and your engagement?

The proposal was memorable for many reasons – but mainly because it is the only time Muny has ever successfully surprised me. It involved getting our lovely ring consultant Ainslie from Naveya and Sloane to send a fake email saying the ring we had selected together was being delayed to completely throw me off the scent. I was with all of my closest girlfriends on Waiheke Island, vineyard hopping. Of course at the last vineyard, Tantalus Estate, which was also my favourite – Muny was waiting for all of us, down on one knee. All my girlfriends were in shock and were a blubbering mess and I was weeping – and absolutely stunned.

Tell us about your wedding style. What influenced your planning for the day?

We wanted the essence of our wedding to feel like a celebration of those who have been an important part of our lives. We felt so grateful to have received so much support from our family and friends over the years both individually and as a couple so it felt like the perfect time to say thank you. We wanted the whole day to feel like a big party where everyone was being taken care of and let loose. Our styling and theme matched that, using a bit of modern romantic monochrome for structure and depth from the cream and white flowers. Our guests brought the colours with many in traditional indian outfits. It really let the natural beauty of the venue playfully shine.

Why did you choose your destination?

We wanted an Auckland based wedding as we have both grown up here and most of our guests were from Auckland. We fell in love with the McCallum Residence in Clevedon from our first visit. It felt like you were miles away from Auckland but conveniently only actually 30 minutes from the city. We loved the idea of whisking our guests away to a location where they would be with us for the day- right next to beautiful rolling hills and the water.

What was your favourite detail from the day?

Our favourite detail from the day would have to be the Marquee, especially at sunset. It was 45m long and full of the most amazing lights which looked sensational against the water backdrop. With music blaring and all our guests having a good time, it was so surreal to see it all come together.

Did you have a stand out vendor from your Wedding?

Standout vendor was definitely both Oh!SuchStyle our lovely wedding planners that pulled the circus all together and Patty Lagera our videographer who made the most beautiful cinematic record of our day that we still watch over and over again.

What was your favourite moment from the day?

My favourite moment (Astha) would have to be sitting in the manor with all my bridesmaids, listening to the loud drums and cheering that welcomed Muny and his baraat. It gave me goosebumps. Muny’s favorite moment was seeing me come down the aisle, of course.

What does marriage mean to you?

A quote from our wonderful celebrant and dear friend Michael Robinson (Mac) probably summarises what marriage means to us quite well – ‘Remember this most simple and beautiful of facts, Muny said one thing, Astha said another, and before too long; you both wanted to spend the rest of your lives in the middle of that conversation.’