It's not always easy to make grand gestures feel intimate. But Janik and Aseka Jayasuriya struck the perfect balance. With a proposal in the hills and a wedding featuring superstar entertainment (and superstar clothing to match), this interview shows it's possible to bring the warmth and a personal touch to your celebration. 

Janik: We were actually introduced to each other by a mutual family friend. Aseka apparently wasn't interested in anything beyond a friendship. I, on the other hand wanted to get to know her and explore a relationship from the first day. 

 

Aseka: Even when he said, “I love you” for the first time I thought we were still just friends…

Janik: Not at all! I was planning it for almost six months because I wanted to do something special and unique. I made a song and recorded it for her (there was a lot of voice training and AutoTune involved). We went to Nuwara Eliya supposedly on a family trip and on our last day, I asked her to come pick me up at The Little England Cottages via helicopter. As she was flying over she turned to my brother and said, “Oh I think something's happening down there." She had no idea what was going on until they landed and her best friend opened the door with a bouquet. She turned around to see me waiting to sing and propose. 

 

Aseka: I was not expecting it at all! I saw Janik, who was looking super cute (in a LOVI outfit no less). But I was quite in shock.

Aseka & Janik's proposal video featuring his orginal song

Janik: The music, unplanned dances and all the entertainment. We wanted to show our culture at the wedding through the different types of food, dances, dress codes. As Aseka is in the entertainment industry, she pretty much grew up with everyone who performed so for them it didn't feel like another gig—it was personalised and done out of love for her. We had a drum troupe called NAADRO playing. Artists who we had a close connection to kept coming up on stage and performing their signature songs. Even today we talk about how the entertainment felt so genuine. 

Janik: First of all I'm a massive fan of the LOVI brand because they bring a unique touch to traditional clothing. I wanted something simple and elegant which Asanka completely understood. He said, ‘Trust me, I have an idea.’ I loved how my outfit looked on the day and a big thank you to everyone for being so supportive and making sure I looked awesome.

Aseka: I also wanted to stick to traditional with a twist. I didn’t want a flashy sari with lots of jewelry because that's what I wear all the time as an entertainer. But it was hard to pick a bridal sari as they're quite over-embellished so this was a normal sari reworked with beads and embroidery by Dananjaya Bandara. He made it into an absolute Kandyan masterpiece. 

A + J : Remember, the wedding is about the two of you. We wanted to make sure our families were happy so we respected every tradition. But there were some things we said no to. For example, having a backdrop for photos would have meant being confined to one place and not being able to enjoy the wedding. Even the whole tradition of the couple eating first and everybody else following—we wanted guests to eat at whatever time. We were lucky everyone understood this and the entire night was spent enjoying it with our friends. We felt very free.