Marriage is the union of two hearts, where a couple becomes one in flesh, purpose and in interest.
This was the brand of unity Nikita Raj and Kavi Kumar experienced when they exchange vows in front of close family members and friends in October last year.
Nikita,29, is from Sigatoka and Kavi is from Melbourne, Australia where they now both reside.
They were introduced by a good friend of Nikita who was also Kavi’s cousin. “He added me on Facebook and we started to message each other daily,” Nikita shared.
“Kavi then made a trip to Fiji where we first met for a coffee date at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.”
Nikita was a bunch of nerves but once the pair began talking, they realised how similar they were in terms of what they wanted from life.
“Kavi had decided to pick me up from my flat and as I got into the car I saw him in shorts and a round-neck T-shirt. He was very casually dressed.
“I on the other hand was in a dress, heels and hair well done.
“He came off as a very down-to-earth and genuine person.”
After their first meet, the two spent with endless moment calling and texting each other about how their day went and other random topics.
“While the saying ‘opposites attract’ may be true for some, in our case it was the similarities that brought us closer together.
“Nonetheless, we are certainly different in many ways, which I believe helped us to overcome each other’s shortfalls.”
The couple were in a long-distance relationship for one and a half years. During that period Kavi made multiple trips to Fiji.
“During one of his trips he asked me if we should make it official. Our intentions from the beginning were to have a serious relationship that would eventually turn into a happy and loving marriage.
“Our relationship progressed with the inclusion of our families so eventually we wanted to have each other’s family meet each other.”
This led to their marriage dates set around October 2023.
“We both knew that we wanted this so there was no formal proposal, however, Kavi did plan many romantic surprises throughout our journey.
“One of which was him writing a love letter to me and getting down on his knees with a rose in his hand during the dance rehearsal of our engagement.”
Their big traditional Hindu wedding went on for five days which included various pre-wedding rituals such as tilak, mehendi, haldi, bhatwaan and the reception.
The groom had his pre-wedding rituals done at the Blue Ligh Hotel in Nadi and arrived on the day of the wedding at the bride’s home in Sigatoka.
“I travelled to Melbourne in December 2022 where we both bought our engagement rings and outfits,” Nikita said. The planning process was a roller coaster ride for the couple.
“We had to take time daily from our busy work lives to plan and prepare for our engagement and wedding ceremonies.
“However, we were blessed to have the support of our famil members who went above and beyond to make our event a successful one.”
Nikita felt mixed emotions on the day of the wedding, from the excitement of getting married to the sadness of leaving her family and beginning a new life in Australia.
“There are so many details and things to attend to, however, once it’s all over, you will realise how fast it all happened.
“So as you go along do not forget to enjoy all the moments. That is what matters the most.
“When you look back, all you will want to remember are the laughs, dances, and the love you received on your special day.”
