Darshen & Serey
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLACK CURL FILMS
Some relationships feel easy from the beginning.
For Darshen and Serey, what started as a long-overdue introduction through a mutual friend became exactly that, effortless, familiar, and lasting.
Nearly a decade later, the pair celebrated their wedding surrounded by family and friends who travelled from around the world, at a venue tied to one of their favourite early memories together.
ABOUT THEM.
Serey works as a medical scientist researching neurological diseases - a role that demands precision and quiet dedication. Outside the lab, she's most content with a book or experimenting in the kitchen.
Darshen is an IT consultant with a passion for technology and sport, currently deep into a golf obsession. Together, much of their life revolves around the things they love most: travelling, trying new food, and just being together.
“We’re both pretty homebody people at heart, but we also love travelling and experiencing new places together.”
— SEREY
HOW THEY MET.
D & S met in 2017 through a mutual friend, despite having lived down the road from one another for years and sharing a wide circle of friends. Somehow, their paths had never crossed, until one friend finally made the introduction.
After that, there was no keeping them apart. They spent almost every day together from the start.
“From the moment I met Serey, I knew she was different. After our first date, things just felt natural.”
— DARSHEN
WHEN THEY KNEW.
For Serey, there was no single decisive moment, just a quiet accumulation of small ones. Seeing Darshen's kindness, his steadiness, the ease of life alongside him. Her best friend, however, she says it took Serey all of twelve days to admit he was the one she'd marry.
For Darshen, it came early. He'd never met anyone as kind, loving, and supportive. She made his life better from the very beginning, and he knew he wanted her beside him for the rest of his life.
“It felt like the right moment. Simple, just the two of us, and something we’ll always remember.”
— DARSHEN
THE PROPOSAL.
The couple had long planned a trip through Singapore and Japan, and Darshen had quietly been carrying a ring the whole time, waiting for the right moment. He couldn't make it to Japan.
Before a dinner reservation in Singapore, the two were walking along the Marina Bay Promenade, tucked beneath city lights and towering buildings. Serey had noticed Darshen was quieter than usual, a little anxious as the weather interrupted his carefully arranged plans. Then, in a rare moment of quiet amid the bustle, he got down on one knee.
THE VENUE.
After visiting a number of venues, Orakei Bay was the only one both Darshen and Serey agreed on completely. From the first visit they were met by warm, attentive staff, a ceremony backdrop over the basin, a beautiful Waterside Bar, and food that, after the tasting, left them with no doubts whatsoever.
“It was the only venue we both completely agreed on. The space is beautiful, but it also felt warm and relaxed at the same time”
— SEREY
The choice carried personal meaning, too. One of their favourite early dates together had been at Orakei Basin. Returning there to get married felt full circle.
THE DAY.
After eight years together, Serey wasn't expecting to be caught off guard. But hearing Darshen's vows, and saying her own, was something she couldn't have prepared for. The day moved from there, and she wouldn't have had it any other way.
“So many of our family and friends travelled a long way to be there. Having everyone together at once was pretty surreal.”
— DARSHEN
Guests arrived from across the world to celebrate. As much as the day was about the two of them, it felt like a dream to be with their family and friends in such happiness both in, the quiet moments at the ceremony and the not-so-quiet ones on the dancefloor.
SUPPLIERS.
VENUE: Orakei Bay
FLORALS: Bloom in Krazy
CELEBRANT: DJ AV Baby
PHOTOGRAPHY: Black Curl Films
DRESS: Jessica Couture
HAIR & MAKE-UP: Glow & Co Weddings
CATERING: Collective Hospitality
