Chennai Wedding With Fabulous Decor & Offbeat Themes
BY Sakshi | 13 Jan, 2023 | 4364 views | 3 min read
Now here is a wedding which was very special in the truest sense! Every element in this wedding was thoroughly thought of, right from the themes to the decor to the couple's outfits. Sneha and Ethan had a cross-culture wedding in Chennai, but the bride wanted the groom and his family to experience an Indian wedding in its full glory, and this one was definitely glorious. The decor had a unique charm, and we loved how everything came together. The wedding, designed and planned by The Wedding Experience is definitely one to check out!
Meet Sneha and Ethan
The couple met at University of Chicago where they were pursuing their respective courses.
Mehendi
The Mehendi at the Hilton Chennai was done in an authentic Rajasthani style. Every single element be it the centerpieces or the carpets or the cabana fabric was sourced made-to-order by artisans from across Rajasthan. A unique concept of a haat was implemented at the Q-Bar Hilton which featured stalls like perfume bars, tarot reading, bangle making, rice engraving, and goodies in potli bags to name a few. The mood of the evening was to recreate the beauty of the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur with the bridal corner having multi-colored stained glasses and hand-painted arches.
Wedding
The Wedding was held at Sneha’s ancestral family temple. To continue the thematic feel of the previous evening, red patola print fabrics flanked a 100-feet pillared walkway we’d created at the temple and intertwined with floral chandeliers and motif fabric danglers to segue into the South Indian feel for the wedding. The Mandap was built with Chettinad pillars and a backdrop of a completely floral Meenakshi Sundareshwar artwork.
Reception
The couple wanted an informal walkaround reception hence the theme was based on Pushkarini - the concept of a waterbody in the center of any temple in India (Theppa Kulam). These are filled with lotuses by day and diyas by night. We created a massive 40 ft x 30 ft pond filled with water, lotuses, rose petals, and diyas with all seating planned around this pond.
About The Wedding:
Sneha is an NRI and Ethan, an American. This meant a sizable chunk of guests haven’t experienced India and her weddings in the truest sense. Consequently, Sneha wanted to give all invitees a sense of belonging to India’s diverse traditional roots, and for Ethan’s family and friends in particular, a lifetime’s worth of Indian culture.
This thought evolved into four carefully curated elements: the Invite, Mehendi, Wedding, and the Reception, each bringing in its own unique touch to India’s heritage and customs. While aspects from both the North and South of India were used in each of the events, the running theme across all elements was Shri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar, to signify the marriage and marital unity of the gods Parvathi and Shiva. Sneha hailed from South India and their family also wanted to incorporate Meenakshi Sundareshwar deity as a significant part of Wedding Stationery and theme, since Meenakshi Sundareshwar is considered a very auspicious union of two Gods.
Vendors: Wedding Design, Decor, Planning: The Wedding Experience
Makeup Artist: Prakruti Ananth; Venues: Mehendi - Hilton, Wedding - Temple, Reception - Intercontinental Beach Resort, Mahabalipuram; Photographer: Weva Photography ; Invitation: The Wedding Experience; Furniture : The Rental Station, Hyderabad and Prophouse, Chennai; Artist : Abhijit Nair and Rajesh Vaidhya; Sound : TDC Productions, Chennai; Bridal Outfits: Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Reception), Anita Dongre (Mehendi), Tarun Tahiliani (Pre Wedding Shoot), Kanakavalli (Wedding); Bridal Jewelry: Amrapali Jewels (Reception)
