Inside the destination wedding of Melbourne writer and content creator, Ruchi Page

Here at Fashion Journal, we make no secret of our love of weddings. We’re suckers for a bit of romance, and have a soft spot for weddings that are a little different, whether it’s a Las Vegas elopement or a huge, debaucherous party.

It’s fitting that Melbourne-based writer, inclusivity advocate and content creator Ruchi Page and her now-husband Kostas Moutsoulas met backstage at a musical he was performing in. Almost a decade later, the pair’s wedding day was full of theatrical wonder and wholehearted emotion.

An extravagant and joyous fairytale affair awaited the 120 guests who traversed to Kalamata, Greece for the duo’s nuptials. It was a celebration of love and culture, of Kostas’ Greek heritage and Ruchi’s Indian roots and Australian upbringing. “We had both of our families and friends in one spot, which most likely won’t happen again. Seeing my family and friends dance, laugh and cry with my now husband’s family and friends on the other side of the world, has [strengthened] what already seemed to be whole,” Ruchi says.

Read on to hear about Ruchi’s custom-made gown crafted by her oldest friend, why she chose to apply her own wedding makeup and how the pair danced the night away (with the help of Beyoncé, of course).

How did you meet your partner?

Given our birth origins being India and Greece, and the fact we grew up on different sides of the world, we’ve always found our ‘beginning’ to be hard to comprehend. In 2015, we simply met backstage at a musical in my hometown. He was performing, I was congratulating friends and we were introduced. With just a Facebook request later that evening, he slid into the Messenger DMs and asked me on our first date.

How did the proposal happen?

In 2022 we were finally able to travel after a post-lockdown world. We visited my now husband’s family in Greece and decided to take a trip to the island, Zakynthos. We took the last operating boat to Navagio Beach to see the iconic shipwreck parked between the crystal blue water and white sand; it was one of our bucket list beaches to visit.

While we were filming content, I was whisked away to get ‘the shot’ behind the shipwreck. As I was peaking through one of the cracks on the rusted wreck, I turned back around to the camera and I was looking at a little blue box. That’s when the tears started flowing and he asked me to marry him.

What venue did you choose for your wedding and why?

We chose the Monastery of Ieros Naos Evaggelismo tis Theotokou Kato Vergas and Ktima Lygeri for our reception in Kalamata, Greece. It wasn’t just the mountains towering over each venue that sold us, it was the fairytale-esque greenery and secluded location that made us say ‘yes’.

The scenic drive up the mountain was one thing, but marrying my best friend in a sacred monastery overlooking his hometown and the Mediterranean Sea was another. The entrance of our reception boasted a fantasy-like tree growing out of a pool and it was spacious enough to have both an indoor and outdoor option. Its isolated location meant we could have Beyoncé and traditional Greek music playlist blasting until 4am.

How many guests did you have?

We had 120 guests attend (very small for Greek wedding standards, but perfect for us).

Where was your dress from and what was the process of sourcing it like?

My dress was a custom piece from Naidu Designs. My longest friend of 20 years recently opened a design business and it was the most culturally connecting experience. She is a Fijian-Indian woman who has generously educated me on my roots and the dress was a vivid reflection of all that is me.

I was born in India and adopted into an Australian family. [They] love to learn about my heritage but we have found accessing my cultural roots has been difficult and limited at times. The fabric from the lehenga-inspired skirt, bodice and veil blend traditional and modern Indian garments; a consider[ation] that this wedding would be a celebration of three cultures intertwining to become one. Each fabric and trim were sourced from multiple Indian-based markets and stores. The bodice lace is from Rajasthan and the glitter leaf lace for the veil is from Bombay.

How about your shoes and accessories?

My tikka, jhumkas and necklace set were from Modern Day Rani, an Indian woman-owned business from Perth. My heels were the Billie heels in Platino Vinyl Glitter from Nina.

What about your partner’s outfit?

My partner wore a custom InStitchu suit. He opted for an all-black exterior with a classic white shirt popping through his blazer. My partner had the date of our wedding stitched into the interior of his suit in addition to [an] Indian-inspired pattern, all to ensure my heritage was being celebrated by both of us for our Greek wedding.

In terms of beauty, tell us about the look you went for on the day and your inspiration.

I opted to do my own makeup for my wedding day. In full transparency, as a sweater and cryer, I just needed my makeup to last a 35-degree, highly emotional day. That was the priority. I was inspired by Camila Cabello’s Met Gala ’24 glam, it offered the natural, bronze goddess vibes which allowed me to approach my face with ‘less is more’. I wanted my eyes to be bronze/gold-ified with a touch of smudged (waterproof) liner on the outer corners. [I achieved] semi-matte, ethereal honey skin, with a brown skin-friendly nude, glossy lip.

What did you do to celebrate after the wedding?

Post-wedding, we met with all our family and friends at a castle bar in the mountain called Kastraki. We cocktail-ed, reminisced and admired the sunset falling into the ocean while getting every photo op in the castle architecture. It couldn’t have been more perfect having all of our people in the same place for one last time before they all departed on their personal Euro travels.

What kind of food and entertainment did you have on the day?

Our guests were fed. The menu was traditional Greek food so think entrees which seemed like the main. We had pasta, salads and bread to start, traditional oven-roasted pork and lemon potatoes for mains and wedding cake for dessert. Traditional Greek dancing was our main source of entertainment because the passion, history and generational love for culture and dance is something to [behold].

We had [a] smoke machine and fireworks to conclude our first dance to ‘XO’ by Beyoncé and Greek traditions of being fed honey (to inspire the sweet life of a newly married couple) and a Kouloura wedding bread tug of war between us in front of our guests. It’s a totally unserious tradition that symbolises whoever wins holds more strength within the marriage and household. It also recognises the unity, solidarity and happiness of the newly married couple. My friend who made my dress generously surprised us by gifting our guests Mehndi (henna) throughout the evening.

Any other special touches you’d like to share? Perhaps something sentimental or something that set your day apart?

Our wedding day was a celebration of our love and bond, sure. But it was surreal and magical because we had both of our families and friends in one spot, which most likely won’t happen again. Seeing my family and friends dance, laugh and cry with my now husband’s family and friends on the other side of the world, has [strengthened] what already seemed to be whole. Somehow, our love and connection grew. On 22 June, 2024, we brought three cultures together. What seemed impossible or a dream, became our reality. And for me, I felt the highs of our love to be unexplainable.