Jasmyne & Sam

may817
Jul 14
5 min read

Jasmyne & Sam got married in the beautiful Galle, Sri Lanka. Read on to hear more about their South Sri Lanka wedding and golden advice from Jasmyne!

Where did you get married and why did you choose this place?

We got married at Tamarind Hill, Galle in the south of Sri Lanka. We chose Sri Lanka as this has always been our shared special place. It was where we first vacationed together when we’d been dating a few months. For about 8-10 years, I’ve had a little Pinterest board going of my dream wedding and I had a photo of a colonial style building with the terracotta tiled roof, a gorgeous courtyard with a huge tree and pond in the middle, it was certainly South Asia, but where I didn’t know. I just liked the picture and had pinned it to my board. Eventually when we were planning our actual wedding, I had contacted a few hotels in the Galle area as well as Hikkaduwa with only one getting back to us with the facilities and package we needed, that being Tamarind Hill.

Later, I was going through my Pinterest and had a closer look at that picture I’d pinned years ago. I clicked on the picture to take me to the source, and the location was Tamarind Hill. The same hotel we were talking to and were preparing to book. The moment and realisation sent a shiver down my spine and told Sam the story. We came to the conclusion that it was just meant to be!

Do you have an engagement story?

Yes! We were on a bit of a family style holiday with Sam’s Dad and his partner, his Aunty and his younger brother and partner - deciding to meet in Sri Lanka of all places. Sam had been acting funny the first few days and the lead up to the trip but I was busy with work so wasn’t looking into it too deeply.

We decided to head down to Galle for the day and walk around the fort to show his Dad. I’d had a silly work problem pop up that I was trying to help sort out so I was quite distracted and agitated - not in the best mood to say the least.

In the heat and humidity we walked from bastion to bastion, with Sam following me everywhere. Except for one bastion, where he scrambled up the side and was taking pictures of the reef from above. Everybody kept walking but I decided to wait below for him.

Eventually, he appeared asking if I wanted to come see the sharks in the reef, so I did. I was looking out onto the reef but couldn’t see any reef sharks. I turned around to ask where he’d seen them and there he was on one knee apologising that it had taken 10 years but would I marry him haha.

When I turned around, I could see his brother and partner hiding whilst filming the whole thing, it was lovely to share that moment with family, I feel like it prolonged the lovely engagement bubble.

How was your experience dress shopping and how was it specifically at Ginger & Poppy?

Throughout the whole wedding planning journey, I’ve been very relaxed - I didn’t go into dress shopping thinking I’d feel nervous or anything, but on the day of my first appointment I began feeling a little nervous just because it dawned on me that this would be THE dress I’d been dreaming of wearing forever, so there was some self imposed pressure.

I initially booked into three different boutiques, two I booked for the same day, with Ginger & Poppy being the first one I visited.

It turns out, the girls at Ginger & Poppy set that bar so high that though I did go to the appointment at the second boutique, I opted to go through my journey with Ginger & Poppy. I ended up cancelling the third boutique’s appointment.

As soon as you enter the Ginger & Poppy shop, the smell is calming, the energy from the girls is welcoming and comforting. They allow you to navigate the appointment at your pace which for someone like me who likes to process things a little slower was much appreciated.

I ended up making a fair few visits to try on the dresses, and then retry my favorites to decide. Nothing was ever too much trouble and I’m so thankful for their patience.

How did you know when you found the dress?

I had gone in with a very rough idea of what I wanted to try, they were two very different styles and I tried on several in-between. It wasn’t until I had my second dress appointment that I had one more look through the dresses and came across Valley by Made with Love. Something about the design struck me and as soon and I tried her on, I just knew I loved her. The fitted, chic front with the beautiful sheer, low back with the buttons and lace train. It was love at first sight.

What was your most treasured/memorable moment from the wedding?

I had such a beautiful day from the very beginning to the end. I had a gorgeous morning with all of the girls who stayed in the wedding location with us getting glammed and listening to music. The buzz in the suite was fantastic.

Feeling the butterflies as I walked down the aisle with my Dad and seeing Sam waiting for me. We had fireworks and traditional dancers which everyone loved. Dancing until the wee hours of the morning with all my beloved family and friends was just unmatched. I loved every single minute.

What advice would you give to future brides?

Try not to sweat it and trust the process. Things are going to work out, and you’re going to have a better time if you accept you can’t control how every little thing pans out. Guests are there for you and your husband, not the cutlery or glassware, or the colour theme or if you have specific kinds of flowers. Nothing like that matters, just enjoy the feeling of togetherness, soak up the love and let yourself be in the now because thats what you’ll remember.

P.S if you’re getting married in a humid climate, seriously consider having an updo 😅