Garden of love
FOR Joewesh Taituraga and Karishma Mudaliar Taituraga it unfolded in the middle of the harrowing COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, when the time was right, Karishma started craving for the love of a husband and lifetime partner.
Little did she know that the writings were on the wall and love was on its way.
“In December 2020 wedding bells were ringing for my dearest cousin. We rehearsed a dance to perform as part of the wedding proper,” she said.
“As the preparations kicked off one afternoon my cousin’s best friend came home to decide on the songs and choreography.
Joewesh and Karishma never knew, that as they were paired up as dance partners during rehearsal, cupid was ready to shoot them with his arrows.
Months passed but Joewesh and Karishma kept in touch with each other on social media as love was in the air.
“When COVID-19 locked down the world in 2020 and 2021, I wondered how I would meet someone if I was not going out,” Karishma reminisced.
“Little did I know that my love would walk up my stairs, knock on my door and dance his way into my life and make the rest of it history.
“We dated for one and a half years before finally deciding to get married.”
Joewesh proposed to Karishma on her birthday this year and what he planned was a dreamy romantic date at sunbreak on the beach.
“To celebrate her birthday and pop the big question, my nervousness was rising and so too was my temperature ,” Joewesh said.
He literally felt warmth, but he didn’t know he was COVID-19 positive.
“We both had to isolate and the entire proposal became the most intimate, with just the two of us.”
“I poured my heart out and every fiber of my being knew she was and would always be the one for me.”
The theme of their wedding celebrated both their traditional cultures which reflected on their outfits and the liberal floral code for guests who were dressed in colourful gleaming sarees, suits, bula dresses, shirts and sulu.
“Our vision was to bring the iTaukei element from his side and infuse it with my south Indian style,” Karishma explained.
“It all became possible through Lavalani Design who poured her heart and soul into crafting our attire.
The couple’s stunning wedding attire paid tribute to their respective cultures.
“And we were thrilled to be draped in these beautiful pieces of art as we started our lives together.
“I feel it elegantly depicted our acceptance of each other’s culture and shows we were still Fijian.”
Joewesh’s parents also had a similar union where his dad is an iTaukei and his mom of South Indian descent.
“It is baffling that to this day we still attach stigma to interracial marriage yet we were absolutely blessed that we faced zero challenges despite our cultu3ral differences. “With every single relationship comes doubt and questions which is completely normal but love always conquers.
“Our love is built on the foundation of eternal grace and the love of God. That keeps us both striving every day.”