Often times, people tell you to “brave the storm”, and in this couple’s case – braving the storm is what brought them together, literally. Meet Amudhinie and Pirakash, a couple from Ontario, Canada who share with us how they met and images from their stunning wedding.

THE FIRST MEETING

Pirakash and I met at a mutual family friend’s wedding on November 23, 2013. He apparently noticed me two years prior to that at the same couple’s engagement party. When he saw me again at the wedding, he wanted to speak to me but could not as I was with my family. Fortunately for us, the reception was restricted to the younger crowd.

We both almost did not make it to the reception that night as there was a snow storm and the driving conditions were treacherous. I slipped and slid across the highway on my way to the venue and almost doubled back home – but something kept me going that night (I usually flop on social events as I am quite shy and I did not know anyone other than the wedded couple for this event). Little did I know that I will soon come to know more than half the guests at the event and one day become family to them.

I somehow managed to make it there in one piece and sat as the third wheel to this sweet couple at an isolated table. My first recollection of Pirakash was when he humorously phone-called the groom as he was reading out his speech from his phone, causing the room and the couple to erupt into laughter. I remember feeling amused and scanning the room to see who this ingenious person was as I could have never imagined doing such a thing.

The reception was amazing but since I did not know anyone there, I decided to head out as soon as the dance floor opened. The lights dimmed and the music started, and I was just about to leave when Pirakash came into my view and introduced himself. I could barely hear him over the music, but anyone who knows Pirakash can attest to how charming and eloquent he can be. My night changed in the blink of an eye. All of a sudden, I had met almost everyone at the reception (more than half the people present were his cousins) and I was having the time of my life. We stayed on the phone with each other until 5:30 in the morning, and the rest is history!

We are both Sri Lankan by ethnicity. Pirakash was born in Germany and moved to Canada when he was seven. I was born in Sri Lanka but spent my childhood in Maldives and moved to Canada when I was thirteen. I work as a family physician and Pirakash works as a strategy consultant. We got married in Toronto at the Estate Banquet & Event Centre on August 21, 2016.

FIRST DATE

Although I was fascinated by Pirakash and I did not want to miss the opportunity of getting to know him better, I was also somewhat anxious and hesitant as he was a total stranger to me. I was on my way to see him when I saw a car go up in flames on the highway. I almost cancelled the date thinking it was a bad omen (even though my work is all about science and evidence-based medicine, I can be quite superstitious at times). However, since he was already waiting for me, I decided to go through with the date and let the chips fall where they may. He took me to Main’s Mansion in Markham and I had steak for the first time in my life. That was the first of many firsts, as I now realize that he has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and try numerous things that I would have never tried otherwise – I even got over my phobia of dogs thanks to him. The thing that stood out to me the most about Pirakash on our first date was how sociable and nice he was to not just the waitress serving us, but everyone else working there. I have learned over the years that he is one of the most kind-hearted and helpful people one can ever meet. We had a beautiful first date and I was definitely glad I had not let the burning car stand in my way.

Amudhinie + Pirakash – Save The Date from PhotoPlay Media on Vimeo.

MEETING THE PARENTS

I met Pirakash’s parents quite early in our relationship. He told me within our first five dates that he wanted to marry me someday and wasted no time in introducing me to his parents. One of the reasons I fell more in love with him was because of his family. Having grown up with very little family here, I absolutely loved spending time with his huge family, especially all his cousins, as it reminded me of my family back home. Pirakash met my brother early in our relationship, but only met my parents over a year after. My father is quite strict and traditional; therefore, my parents only met Pirakash after I had completed residency training and was ready to get married. At their first meeting, my father took him aside from my mother and I and “interviewed” him for a good half hour. Looking back, I now have fond memories of that time but I remember feeling very anxious as I sat with my mom waiting for the verdict. My father started laughing when he realized how worried I was, reassuring me that we have his full blessings and he just wanted to have a heart-to-heart with his future son-in-law.

Amudhinie + Pirakash – Engagement Shoot from PhotoPlay Media on Vimeo.

 

WEDDING EXPERIENCE

I have a Type A personality, and as a result, wedding planning was torturous for us! I had a difficult time trusting others with tasks but also had a difficult time making decisions. I would keep asking Pirakash for his opinion, but being a typical guy, he wanted nothing to do with wedding planning. This in turn would drive me insane. As most couples can attest, wedding planning is stressful and it truly tests the strength of the relationship, but it also makes the relationship stronger. We were so lucky for having each other as well as such supportive and loving families.

We also had the best vendors who made the experience that much more enjoyable. Our wedding and reception would not have gone as smoothly as it did if it were not for our wedding planners, Pragash and Aranee from Elegance Event Planning. Lalith (one of Pirakash’s closest friends) was the manager at The Estate Banquet and Event Centre and he stayed up the whole night before our wedding to ensure everything went as planned. Our photographer was Impressions by Annuj, who has now become one of our closest friends and we could not be happier with our pictures, which we will always treasure. Our wedding videographer was Photoplay Media, one of the nicest people you can meet. We were completely in love with our manavarai and wedding decor done by Beyond the Limits Decor. Overall, our wedding and reception went far better than we had hoped for. My only regret is that I wish I had taken the time to stress less and enjoy more.

WEDDING HIGHLIGHTS

They say opposites attract and it couldn’t be more true for us; from our personalities, to our families, to our jobs – we are total opposites. I am a total introvert and socially shy whereas Pirakash is an extrovert who is almost always the centre of attention at social gatherings. Most of my family lives outside of Canada or in another province in Canada. Thus, before I met Pirakash, my world revolved mostly around my parents, my brother, and a few close relatives and friends. Pirakash, on the other hand, has almost all his extended family here and also has more friends than I ever had throughout my entire life. I work in the medical field whereas Pirakash works in business/sales. I think our differences are partly what drew us to each other and still keep us intrigued with each other. However, we are very similar souls when it comes to things in life that truly matter such as our beliefs, values, and principals – and that is ultimately what keeps our relationship stable and strong.

Amudhinie & Pirakash’s Wedding Highlight from PhotoPlay Media on Vimeo.

 

Featured Vendors

Impressions By Annuj: http://www.impressionsbyannuj.com/
PhotoPlay Media: http://www.photoplaymedia.ca/
Beyond the Limits: https://www.facebook.com/BeyondTheLimitsDecor/
Elegance Event Planning: http://eleganceeventplanning.squarespace.com/

Tie • The • Thali would like to congratulate Amudhinie & Pirakash for sharing their story and experience with planning their wedding. We would like to wish this couple a happy married life!