'Wedding Wednesday' calls for a very special post. Our bestie Harish found his soulmate, Janani, in the most romantic way ever (aw), fell head over heels in love with her, and tied the knot in December last year in Chennai, India. We knew the wedding would have all the beautiful traditional vibes of a Tamil Brahmin (Tam Bram) wedding, but we were floored by all the lovely details of their earthy rustic wedding in a unique venue. The love and good spirit of their families and dear ones only made the event more special. Enough said already. The amazing images below will tell their beautiful story!
Venue: DakshinaChitra
The couple wanted to tie the knot in a venue that was unique, but had a traditional touch. They chose DakshinaChitra, a heritage museum that depicts the arts and culture of South India, in contrast to a wedding hall, which is the usual site for weddings down South. The sandy pathways, brick walls, open courtyards, and vibrant marigold decor created a magical ambience at DakshinaChitra!
The two day wedding affair was a mix of traditional rituals and fun events including a Mehendi, baaraat (wedding procession) and reception. The bride visualized a theme-based wedding with a different concept for each event. Her vision was brought to life by Athithi Wedding Planners. They did a fantastic job at overseeing all the details to ensure a smooth flow of all events. The venue decor was stunning to say the least:)
Mehendi
With a theme of colors, the entire venue popped with vibrant hues of pink, yellow and orange. The bride wore colors to match the venue color theme and the groom dressed in tones to complement!
The couple wanted their families and friends to break the ice at this colorful event. They happily reminisced how everyone mixed and mingled while grooving to the beat, jigging with their iconic dance moves.
Don't miss to check out the bride's happy glow as she shows off her pretty pink lehenga and traditional gold jewellery. And this picture of her with her father is a definite keeper. I'm in love with his trendy floral waistcoat. Yaasss!
Their friends and family definitely brought their personal charm to their event! It's moments like these that leave a long-lasting smile on our faces!
Baraat/Janavasam- Groom's Procession
The groom came in with a big bang along with a lively Dhol band. The groom’s side definitely brought their A game to the dance floor as they matched the energy of the dhol music. Special mention to the brother of the groom. He wins the 'BEST EXPRESSION' award for the night, although our groom has a highly specialized skill in that department as well (bestie secrets best kept a secret) :)
A traditional engagement ceremony followed to provide a great segway into their early morning wedding ceremony on day two. The bride joked around telling me that she is not a morning person at all. And lucky for the couple, their auspicious wedding time was super early in the morning. Kudos to the couple for keeping their spirits up high and smiling throughout their lengthy traditional ceremony that started at 6 am.
The theme for the wedding ceremony "had to be flowers", the bride recounts. "Flowers are both traditional and beautiful". On a personal note, I'm absolutely in love with the bride's fuschia pink kanchipuram saree, the big lotus motif, in sync with the floral theme of the ceremony, and her traditional temple jewellery! 10 brownie points for the attention to detail:) The groom sported a traditional garb with his ivory white and gold outfit accentuating the bride's vibrant pink!
I am truly biased toward Tam Bram weddings (my Tamil routes can't help it!). There's so many symbolic rituals that are so beautiful. The couple wanted to incorporate all the traditional elements into their ceremony. They kick started their wedding with the dramatic Kashi Yatra. With fun and frolic, they exchanged their floral garlands. They then did the Oonjal (swing) ceremony; the ups and downs of the floral swing depicting the ups and downs of life, with the couple balancing each other through good times and bad.
The bride insisted that all her girls on her bride squad wear traditional Kanchipuram sarees. The men wore a veshtis (lungis) and shirts. Everyone blended in well with their traditional theme and looked their part. By the way, I'm swooning over their floral entrance!
Three cheers to the bride for wearing a traditional 9 yard saree mid-ceremony that is so iconic of Tam Bram weddings:)
The ceremony had many special and emotional moments as the bride and groom took their vows for a lifetime of togetherness. Their families and loved ones blessed the clouple as they shared in their joys.
You can only imagine how pleased the couple were after their long five hour ceremony! Their expression says it all:)
Reception/Sangeet
Everyone was ready to let lose and get the party started. The guests brought their glitz. The bride and groom sparkled with their glamour at the 'lights' themed event.
The bride admired her groom in his "dashing navy blue Jodhpuri suit" that she matched with her elegant royal blue lehenga. The entire venue for the evening was decked in gorgeous fairy lights. The surrounding amphitheater filled with eager guests awaiting the performances of the night. The dances by both the bride and groom's side were loads of fun.
Everyone got to the dance floor to celebrate the new Mr. and Mrs. :)
As promised, we bet you are overwhelmed with all this beauty! Too much for those oggling eyes to handle! We feel truly blessed to have such special people in our lives! These moments cannot go undocumented :) Check out some happy Yin-Yang moments below!
Wedding Vendor Credits
Wedding Venue: DakshinaChitra, Chennai, India
Wedding Planners and Decorators: Athithi Wedding Planners and Caterers
Photography and Videography: JK Creatives, India
Hair and Make Up: Beauty Begins by Leimi, India
Outfits
- Bride: Sarees- Kanchipuram; Other outfits- Mrunal's Boutique, Muscat
- Groom: Benzerworld, Mumbai