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Wedding Venue Hot Spots: Akshara Recommends Rina’s Venue, Chennai
Wedding Planning - Feb 13, 2014
In our new series we get Real Couples to tell us about their search for the perfect venue and share tips for to-be-weds getting married in the same city.
Akshara and Ravi tied the knot in their home town Chennai in February last year. The wedding was held at a family friend’s farmhouse; interestingly the farmhouse located near the ISKCON Temple is now a popular venue for couples looking for an alternative to the traditional marriage halls (Kalyana Mandapams). Akshara, who lives and works in Mumbai talks about her journey in finding her dream wedding venue and shares her experiences with us:
“You know you’re a dreamer when all you’ve only always wanted is to get married outdoors. For a girl who has grown up in Madras all along, it wasn’t easy to find a location that has a perfect mix of everything that I wanted– open spaces, greenery, tradition and still personal. When my boyfriend proposed to me on our one year anniversary, I had no idea that we would fix a date six months from then. Working almost 12 hours a day left me no time to scout for the perfect location. The fact that I lived in Mumbai didn’t help either. With a heavy use of dropbox and e-mail utilization, our parents started sharing budgets, menus, locations and décor ideas.
October 19: My mother sends me photographs of a magnificent red-brick Kerala style farmhouse that can accommodate over 300 guests in the garden area. I was heading to Chennai 15 days later, so visiting the place was the first thing on my agenda. When I saw the house, I knew this was the place I wanted to get married. It had an absolutely positive vibe. As we walked around, I could picture myself getting married here. It was settled. One thing my father and me were clear about was that we would not have the typical stage ‘set up’ with guests queuing up to greet us. We wanted it to be more ‘personal’, guests come and be seated and we greet them at each table.
February 13th: My special day had arrived. I was definitely a bit nervous, but seeing Ravi enter the house as our ‘Maplai’ (groom) made me realize that I made the perfect choice. The house was bubbling with energy and laughter. We had a small function in the morning before the Mehndi at 4:30 pm. In the meanwhile, my grandmother’s sister sourced various quirky wall hangings to decorate the courtyard. The sangeet that spilled into the reception was an eventful night of dancing, greeting and celebrating. My amazing friends and cousins put together a personalized dance of our love story through different songs on stage.
February 14th: I may have been fairly unconventional about the location choice, but when it comes to other things I would like to believe I am fairly traditional- I love my TamBrahm food, temple jewellery, the pattu (Kanjeevaram silk) sarees, hair pieces and fresh flowers on my hair and the entire significance of an Iyer wedding. The day started off at 6 am with perfect weather– overcast sky, cool breeze, a myriad of vibrant colors all around and everyone I love under one roof – everything I wanted it to be. From the Kasi Yatra, Malai Mathal (garland exchange) to the Oonjal (Swing) to the Muhurtham where my thali was tied, every moment was beautiful. The ceremony ended with us eating various South Indian delicacies for lunch. As we packed and left the venue at 5 pm, I turned back to look at the house one last time and smiled. This was my dream, my perfect wedding. Nothing else mattered.”
Our blog post series ‘Wedding Venue Hot Spots’ features Real Couples and their search for the perfect venue. If you got married recently and would like to be featured here please email us a few wedding photos along with the details below. Our Editors will review the same and get in touch with you for a more detailed interview:
– Your Names and where you live
– The Wedding Functions, Date(s) and Venue & City–
Wedding Details:
Venue & Decor: Rina’s Venue
Photographs by: Vinay Aravind Images
Wedding Invite: Pink Cheese Designs
Bride’s Wear: Neela Krishnamurti (neelakparvati@gmail.com)
