Nepalese earthquakes and visa uncertainty, even a snowstorm days before their big day couldn’t keep these two apart. It was meant to be. As Kate says “these obstacles served to put things into perspective…we really couldn’t worry too much about little details”. The couple met whilst working for an NGO in Nepal, were simply grateful they could celebrate their wedding with friends and family.
Bijaya arrived 3 days before the wedding due to earthquake relief effort. He didn’t have time to get his only suit dry-cleaned and after they begged and borrowed suits for the groomsmen they all looked spiffy.
The ceremony was a blending of cultures with a Christian service and Nepali readings. Kate’s friends courageously sang a Nepali song for them. The bridesmaids wore handmade Nepali saris and groomsmen wore dhaka topes (traditional hats) all sourced from a local dress shop, Koh Kaine in Kathmandu, along with Kate’s bridal gown. A Nepali feast lovingly made by Liverpool Anglican Church fellowship was coupled with the quintessential billy tea ceremony to an Aussie bush backdrop.
Gratitude was the flagship for this wedding. Tealily Photography blessed the lucky couple with their service as winners of their ‘story to tell’ competition. Trish from Tealily said “it really came about as we pondered how to be thankful in what we do. Thankfulness is a feeling, but it can also take a little bit of conscious effort.” Like a rolling stone gathers momentum, Merci Bouquet got on board gifting their floral creations; Three Sunbeams blessed Kate with an extraordinary bridal headpiece and Form over Function donated their ‘style in a box’ to decorate the reception space.
Nauthe’s Jewellers (Springwood) a locally owned business gave personal service like no other, lent Bijaya a ring for the wedding as there wasn’t enough time. They also sensitively crafted Kate’s ring from her grandmother’s heirloom ring.
And as if there was any doubt about the generosity of spirit of this couple, Kate and Bijaya gifted the money they saved from the above gifts to the International Fellowship Fund to build a much needed hospital in an earthquake devastated area of Nepal.
This wedding captures the authenticity of what marriage is about for the long haul: the love, the struggle and the faith, not purely pretty details.
As Kate and BJ share their life in Nepal working for Asal Chhimekee Nepal, the rebuilding work continues. The images above give some insight into the ongoing humanitarian relief work. Kate describes the shortages of gas and electricity, making winter unthinkably hard for those affected, she reflects “We are back in Nepal and though there continue to be challenges, being married to Bijaya is a joy”.
