Akanksha and Krishna, Bangalore

North and South came together at this wedding that was exemplary in every way – from the happy, inclusive families to the open spaces to party into the fact that they cherry picked the nature of their ceremonies and celebrations from both cultures. And amongst the hundreds of decisions they had to make in the run-up to their wedding, Akanksha and Krishna’s choice of photographer was the easiest. Krishna says giving KnotsbyAMP the responsibility of documenting their most important day was a no-brainer. Anupam, his senior in college, has an excellent reputation as a wedding photographer that is well earned.

The groom tells us about everything that went into making their big day a memorable one and shares pictures of the celebrations.

How We Met
Akanksha and I met as colleagues in Noida and were very good friends for quite some time. Gradually we became closer and soon we were committed. When we shifted to Bangalore for professional reasons we were lucky to be able to make the switch together. Before we knew it, we reached a point where we were ready to spend the rest of our lives together.

Although we come from vastly different cultures, our families accepted us and welcomed our love with open hearts. We are blessed to have such mature and understanding people in our lives.

Wedding Venue
Bangalore was the perfect place for our wedding because it was convenient for both families and all our friends. Also, this was the city where we would be able to execute a wedding that would be just the right blend of north and south Indian cultures.

We didn’t want a typical banquet, convention center or hotel so we went looking for a venue with open spaces and a soul of its own. Something so versatile it would be ideal for both, a jazzy North Indian sangeet as well as a classy south wedding.

And fortunately, we found and finalized Templetree Leisure! Given its magnificence and the fact that it fit our budget, we were thrilled with its location within the city. Their staff was very professional and their management, impeccable. People they’d referred and recommended to help us put our wedding together were great too. As for the lighting and sound, their in-house team did a fabulous job.

Wedding Planning
With us in Bangalore without our families, Akanksha and I decided to do the research, meetings, and legwork ourselves. When our families did visit, all that was left was to take the final decisions and of course, help us with the shopping! It was very efficient.

Mr. Venkatesh, Manager of Templetree Leisure, was very helpful and suggested a few decorators. We finalized Wedding Solutions who were an absolute pleasure to work with. Not only did they give us beautiful ideas, they were proactive event planners. And they assisted us with information even in areas not related to decor. They owned it and our interactions were pleasantly and refreshingly non-transactional.

When it came to finalizing our photographer it had to be KnotsbyAMP. I’ve known Anupam from my days in BITS where he was my senior. His work was already very famous in BITSian inner circles. Anupam and his team were super professional and creative throughout the wedding. While we had faith in the team and their work right from the start, our experience just reinforced the fact that they are one of the best teams to have at your wedding!

Mr. Debasish Das was the makeup artist recommended to us by Wedding Solutions. Deb insisted on natural looks and relatively minimal makeup. He dealt with the tricky problem of making the bride stand out on her wedding day despite the subtle makeup with finesse.

Wedding Functions

Haldi and Mehndi
This was a fairly intimate function because of which the need for a bigger venue was eliminated. We decided to have the rituals at Akanksha’s home. Wedding Solutions created a beautiful backdrop with green and pink drapes and orange flowers.

EduruKolu
Just before the sangeet, we had a Telugu ceremony where the bride welcomes the bridegroom and his parents. Akanksha wore a pink kanjivaram saree and I wore an Indo-Western outfit by Manayvar.

Sangeet
Our sangeet was held at night. Peach drapes adorned with daisies, carnations and baby’s breath created a pretty backdrop. Fairy lights were used to create a glowing curtain at the entrance as well as on stage that looked magical.

Akanksha wore a multicolored lehenga designed by Fulki and created using exquisite Benarasi silk. I opted for a custom-made suit by The Shirt Studio.

Wedding
Our wedding was conducted in the morning, in accordance with South Indian rituals. Akanksha was rather thrilled about being a South Indian bride. The venue was decorated in yellow and orange marigolds which were all things bright, beautiful and traditional.

I wore a cotton dhoti-shella for the Kashi yatra and silk dhoti-shella for the wedding. Akanksha entered the venue under a phoolon ki chaddar wearing a green and yellow saree and changed into a white saree paired with a red blouse later.

Post Wedding Functions
After the wedding, we exchanged garlands and played a few fun games designed for newly weds. We also changed into new clothes. I wore a golden kurta with a jacket while she opted for a red saree.

Advice For Couples
Cliché but important – it’s never too early to start the wedding prep. The sooner you begin, the better will you’ll be able to plan and bring to life the dreams you have for your special day. Referrals are one of the most reliable ways of finding good vendors and it worked out pretty well in our case.

Wedding Makers
Venue: Templetree Leisure, Bengaluru
Decor: Wedding Solutions
Bride’s Outfits: Fulki (Sangeet), Kancheepuram Varamahalakshmi, Vijayalakshmi Silks & Sarees
Groom’s Outfits: Manayvar (EnduruKolu), The Shirt Studio (Sangeet)
Engagement Rings: Joyalukkas
Makeup artists: Debasish Das

Photography: KnotsbyAMP

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