Real Weddings: Love, Actually

Not one for traditional ceremonies, Mahima and Reinier decided to ensure their wedding celebrated their personalities and love for nature. Their diverse background made the wedding a stunning affair, with Reinier saying, “At the baraat, I came to grips with the fact that my friends and family had travelled all the way to Kerala for the wedding. Looking around me, seeing my Dutch baraatis on their bikes, proudly wearing their turbans, I felt so grateful to have them by my side. I also loved that I had this opportunity to merge all my amazing people with all of Mahima’s amazing people.”

Even though Mahima’s family is originally from Kashmir, they have a home in Kumarakom in Kerala, so they decided to host the wedding there.

In Hague, Reinier’s hometown, the two were out on a long run, and once they reached the beach, Reinier proposed with a ring. “I didn’t believe him at first, thought it was one of his silly jokes, but was finally convinced it was a real proposal when he pulled a ring out of his exercise gear! He had been carrying this ring around everywhere for a few weeks, waiting for the right moment,” reminisces Mahima.

“Despite barely knowing each other, we both remember thinking immediately that this was it: we had found ‘the one’,” smiles Mahima.

They planned to meet again the next day, but a text message failed to go through, and Reinier left for Amsterdam. A year later, they met again, and with the chemistry still alive, the two embarked on a long distance relationship.

Mahima and Reinier met the usual way, through a friend, but were kept apart by a technological glitch. They met at a bar via a mutual friend, Fatima, and sparks instantly flew.