The show ‘Marry Me Marry My Family’ has gained a lot of praise since it aired on SBS on January 7th, 2020.
It follows the lives of six cross-cultural couples who are bravely acknowledging the challenges of pursuing a multi-religious/cross-cultural wedding.
Tonight, the show will introduce the couple George, a Greek Australian Orthodox, and Ranmeet, a Malaysian Sikh Punjabi.
George, who grew up in a traditional Greek Orthodox household in Melbourne, always thought he would follow in the footsteps of his parents, grandparents and the generations before him by marrying a “good Greek girl”.
“I am a Greek Australian Orthodox, and my family and prior generations are pure Greek,” explains George.
It wasn’t until he met Malaysian-Indian doctor, Ranmeet, that he reconsidered the pathway of his future.
“When I met Ranmeet, a Malaysian Sikh Punjabi, I knew we were in for a big wedding. With both ethnicities rich in culture and what most would consider ‘staunch’ religions, neither of us were willing to give up our wedding traditions,” said George.
Ranmeet also grew up devoted to Sikhism, and always dreamed of a traditional wedding in a Sikh temple.
The couple are both largely empathetic to each other’s desire for a religious wedding, so they decided to have two weddings, in two countries.
How will this be possible? Ranmeet must convert to Greek Orthodox in order to be married in the Greek Orthodox Church in Melbourne, and George must adopt a new Sikh name if he is to be married in a Malaysian Sikh temple.
“After lots of research and phone calls to almost all the Greek Orthodox churches in Melbourne, Ranmeet and I finally found a way to ensure the Greek Orthodox wedding was secured. We cannot thank Father Antonio enough for his in-depth orthodox lessons, Ranmeet’s baptism and for the wedding,” said George.
Ranmeet also found a Sikh temple in Malaysia that was willing to do a last minute conversion, so that she too can fulfil her dream of being married in a traditional Sikh temple.
“Regardless of how difficult it was to have both weddings and the hurdles we had to jump over in order to cross the line, I feel it was only possible because Ranmeet and I were willing do whatever was needed. Without this attitude both weddings would have been near impossible and it would have been a very taxing journey on our relationship. In the end, our story was very successful and I feel it needs to be shared with others to prove that nothing is impossible if you truly love your partner, and if you are willing to ‘pull your sleeves up’ miracles can happen,” said George.
Marry Me Marry My Family has been a very moving and encapsulating series for Australian audiences. SBS Head of Documentaries, Joseph Maxwell, said: “SBS commissions documentaries that explore Australia’s diversity. ‘Marry Me Marry My Family’ provides a unique insight into the lives of Australians who are facing one of the most important events of their lives. It captures intimate and heart-warming moments and explores the realities of navigating family expectations, traditions and values in modern multicultural Australia.”
Marry Me Marry My Family S2 airs over three weeks, premiering Tuesday 7 January at 8.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
