Inglewood Estate · Yarra Valley
The Traditions Kseniya & Josh Made Their Own
Kseniya and Josh’s Inglewood Estate wedding in the Yarra Valley blended Russian and Indian traditions, family tears and a year-long dance.
Kseniya and Josh’s wedding was built around a generous idea: if two cultures were coming together, neither should sit quietly in the background. Their celebration at Inglewood Estate in the Yarra Valley made room for Russian and Indian traditions with real intention, and invited their families and friends to be part of the meaning — and the mischief — of it all.
What stayed with me was how much of the wedding had been prepared for, held close, or kept secret until precisely the right moment. There were family rituals, a song chosen for Kseniya’s parents, and one ambitious surprise that had been quietly rehearsed for an entire year.
A song her parents didn’t know was coming
Kseniya walked down the aisle to her parents’ song, *Белый снег* by Vladimir Presnyakov. She had not told them beforehand.
Her mum heard it from outside the chapel and burst into tears. It was one of those decisions that sounds simple when written down, but carried the weight of years of family history in the moment. The song was not simply part of the ceremony; it was a private gift made public, and a way of bringing Kseniya’s parents directly into the heart of it.
The Russian customs carried that same sense of participation. There was bread and salt with a Korovai, the smashing of a glass, and the couple stepping onto a traditional Russian Orthodox Rushnyk. These were not traditions included for form’s sake. They gave the people closest to Kseniya and Josh familiar ways to recognise themselves in the celebration.
Three days, one very good excuse to dance
Kseniya and Josh embraced the Indian tradition of a three-day wedding, which meant the energy was never confined to one formal occasion.
On the Indian cultural day, the group eventually found themselves at Daughter In Law in the city. There was a belly dancer, plenty of willing participants, and a restaurant full of diners who had not necessarily expected a wedding party to arrive and begin taking turns on the dance floor.
When Bruno Mars’ *Marry You* came on, the restaurant put silly hats on Kseniya and Josh and the pair danced through the room while other people continued with dinner. It was exactly the sort of story that makes sense for them: a wedding celebration with enough room in it for tradition, but also enough room for a completely unplanned-looking restaurant dance that nobody could take too seriously.
The surprise they practised for a year
The standout moment for Kseniya and Josh was the Indian dance they performed after changing into lehengas and kurtas. It had been practised with friends and family for a full year.
That long preparation gave the performance its real force. It was a surprise for their guests, but it also involved a whole group of people who had committed time and effort to making it happen. Kseniya and Josh remembered the energy, the colour and the fact that everyone did so well when it counted. After a year of rehearsals, it came together exactly as they had hoped.
Even the food became a family moment. It was so good that the family members visiting from India went into the kitchen themselves to thank the chef. That is about as clear a review as any caterer could ask for.
Making sure everyone counted
One small request from Kseniya and Josh said a lot about the way they included their people. They wanted an individual photograph of every guest for a group collage, so we made time for it.
It was a practical idea, but also a thoughtful one. With a wedding spread across several traditions, events and dance floors, they still wanted every person who had shown up for them to have a place in the final record.
People will remember the tears when Kseniya’s parents heard their song. They will remember the restaurant hats, the kitchen thank-you and the dance that had been a year in the making. More than anything, they will remember a couple who made space for both sides of their story — then got everyone moving to the same beat.
Wedding Team
- Dress
- @madilanebridal
- Makeup
- @makeupwith_tash
- Accessories
- @atoleajewelry
- Shoes
- @baredfootwear
- Suits
- @peterjacksonau
- Florist
- @studioalyssum
- Cake
- @cafemonparis
- Entertainment
- @mercuryentertainmentgroup
- Celebrant
- @standupcelebrant
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