Finding love at the mall
“Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favourite. It’s amazing how a person who was once just a stranger, can suddenly mean the world to you,”
An excursion to the mall opened up the door to love for Ranjana Ramsahaye and Marius Smith.
Meeting
“Initially, Marius informally met me at the local mall where he watched me go crazy with my family in the optometrist’s shop. We were later introduced by his cousin, Cyarene,” Ranjana said.
Knowing they were destined for each other
Ranjana said Marius’s simplicity and humbleness stood out and captivated her. “His nature reminded me a lot of my dad. He was the first guy I met who was just comfortable with being himself and that was what I fell in love with, apart from him loving me to bits,” she told.
Marius felt his very heart sang when he met Ranjana. “I could feel it in my heart when I first met her that she was the one for me. She’s a beautiful person inside and out and that captivated my heart,” Marius explained.
Marriage proposal
The couple had been together for six months when Marius proposed.
“We were celebrating his mum’s 50th birthday on 13 November 2013 and Marius asked if he could say something. He whipped out a ring, went on his knee and proposed. Of course I was in tears,” Ranjana recalled.
Wedding
Ranjana described the wedding planning as hectic. “It wasn’t just the preparations for the wedding itself, but also the traditional pre-wedding ceremonies that had to performed.”
After the extensive planning, Marius and Ranjana were married in front of 400 guests at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church on 13 December 2014.
The colour scheme was black, white, silver and yellow.
On their special day, Marius wore a black suit and an embossed white waistcoat and a necktie. He later changed into traditional Indian attire for the reception, when he wore a deep red and gold sherwani.
Ranjana wore a white bridal gown, embellished with antique lace, beads, rhinestones and sequins. “The trail was about a metre long. Over the dress, I wore a jacket with antique lace on the sleeves and back. Very stunning indeed,” Ranjana said.
At the reception, Ranjana wore a white, silver, gold and deep red lengha.
Wedding invitations
With just a hint of bling, the invitations did not to give away too much about what was to be expected on the actual wedding day.
The cards were handmade, with a pocket of ice-gold metal board with silver beading with gold card inserts, tied with black and silver ribbon.
Wedding rings
Ranjana’s wedding ring has four 48 diamonds and four sapphires, set in antique white gold. “Only two of these rings were designed in South Africa,” she claimed.
Marius’s ring is a white gold and gold band embellished with six diamonds.
Food at the wedding
Cocktails and canapes were served to the guests prior to the main meal consisting of mutton masala breyani, roast chicken in tomato sauce, roasted leg of mutton, paneer chutney, curried green beans, traditional spiced potatoes, steamed veggies and savoury rice. Mince and chicken macaroni was served to the children.
For dessert, guests enjoyed almond caramel tart, pineapple delight served with ice cream, milk tart, Cremora tarts, biscuits and Indian sweetmeats.
Guest souvenirs
Women received a Chinese hand fan and each guest was further treated to an individual mini fruit cake.
Wedding cake
Fruit, black forest and carrot cakes were traditionally presented in three tiers.
Settling down
The couple made their home in Newcastle.
Marius’s message to Ranjana
“Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favourite. It’s amazing how a person who was once just a stranger, can suddenly mean the world to you,” Marius said.
His message of love went further when he described how being someone’s first love was great, but being someone’s last love was beyond perfect.
“Life has become very special since you entered my life. I am incredibly glad to have bumped into you at the mall. I love you babe,” he concluded.
Ranjana’s message to Marius
“I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness and to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share the silence when they are not and to live within the warmth of your heart and always call it home,” Ranjana, declared her love to Marius.
She added that every woman deserved to have a man who was proud to willingly tell the whole world: “Yeah, she’s my one and only. She is beautiful and she’s mine”.
“That’s what you are to me. I couldn’t have found a better soul mate. Love you forever,” Ranjana concluded.
