Girish and Reshma's Kerala Style wedding was an absolute dream! The bride and groom were absolutely radiant, and the photos captured by DreamLight Photography are truly stunning. Every little detail of the day was caught on camera, from the beautiful decor to the emotional moments shared between the newlyweds. We are so thrilled to have been a part of this special day and wish Sai Krishna and Manasa all the best in their new life together!
Planning your own wedding can be an exhausting, expensive, and stressful task. You’ll have to coordinate with your parents, talk to the various vendors who will be involved in your special day, and wrangle together all of the items you’ll need to make your dream wedding come true. It can feel like you’re juggling multiple tasks at once that are all spiraling out of control! But, if you follow these tips on planning a Kerala-style wedding in Chennai, you can have your dream wedding without breaking the bank or making yourself crazy along the way!
The day before:
The couple’s relatives were all staying at a hotel close to ours. The next day was Sunday, which meant we had to vacate our rooms by 10 AM. We planned for our bridal party to pick up their outfits from Girish’s relatives’ room before everyone met at Reshma’s place around 12.30 PM. We didn’t have any professional assistance, so it took us several hours to get ready – mostly because I insisted on doing my own makeup! Everyone else had their hair and makeup done professionally but I couldn't bring myself to spend money on something that wasn't going anywhere once we stepped out of our house!
The groom:
Girish is an electrical engineer by profession. He is a complete animal lover who adores his two dogs, Sunil & Praveen. A die-hard sports fan, Girish is passionate about cricket & soccer. Recently, he has even started learning skateboarding! It’s clear that Girish is a simple guy with simple interests – he doesn’t care much for materialistic things and enjoys reading a good book more than hanging out at parties or watching movies. He also dreams of starting his own business one day but for now, prefers to focus on his career.
Mehendi ceremony:
Just as every wedding is a unique celebration of love, each one carries with it certain rites of passage that get observed. For a south Indian wedding, Abhishekam is considered to be an important pre-wedding ritual. The ceremony involves worshipping Lord Vishnu by applying sandalwood paste all over his body (face, chest, etc). Traditionally held at a Pandal which is erected close to the venue of the marriage ceremony. The marriage pandal where Kalyanam will be performed will be adjacent to Abhishekam Pandal. It’s common for only female members to perform Abhishekam for the bridegroom on behalf of the bride’s family.
Pre-wedding rituals - Chandanabhishekam (Abhishekam with sandalwood paste)
Before making a visit to Brindavan, Girish took a dip in River Ganga. He performed Chandanabhishekam (Abhishekam with sandalwood paste) on his forehead which signified that he was going to get married. The priest gave them a ‘talisman’. They tied seven knots on each other’s necks which meant that they will be together for seven births and till then no one can separate them from each other. This ritual signifies that both of them are now one soul-one body.
Bridal make up:
I researched at home about the best bridal makeup artists in Chennai. I followed some of their tips to enhance my makeup for a beautiful bride look. My makeup was done by my friend Sowmya Sharmaji, who is a professional makeup artist with years of experience. She helped me to bring out my most beautiful side by applying false eyelashes on my naturally curled eyelashes and also did some other touch-ups like bridal shading on eyes lips etc. which enhanced my looks many times more than before.
Getting Ready for the wedding by bride and bridesmaids:
Reshma Andhra Pradesh, Kerala-style wedding living in Chennai with Girish Kerala. Reshma, who works as a physician from Apollo Hospitals attended an all-girls school but she has always been a boy’s girl. That meant that her closest friends were her cousins, who are like brothers to her. On Wednesday evening during one of their usual phone calls, Girish told her about his plans to propose on Valentine’s Day. Though she had a feeling it was coming (he had already hinted he was planning something), she was shocked at how fast it came!
Ceremony (Ceremony on New Moon Day)
Some people think that dowry is an old tradition that has no place in modern times. But even now, they do exist. Thali Swayamvaram, a matrimonial practice introduced by Kerala Government to reduce dowry, offers grooms-to-be another way of choosing their brides. Instead of selecting their bride from a catalog provided by the marriage bureau or directly approaching her family members, they can try out six different thalis and see which one suits them best!
