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Rithu and Abhay, Hyatt Regency Chennai

From a Church wedding in Chennai to vibrant Punjabi celebrations at Tamarind Tree, Bangalore, Rithu and Abhay doubled their joy with their dual wedding ceremonies incorporating each other's rituals.

Rithu and Abhay had not one but two weddings to honor the traditions of each other’s families. Rithu shares, “Our wedding was a blend of Punjabi and Malayali cultures, and I was amazed to see how everyone enjoyed every function thoroughly regardless of which side they were from.” WeddingSutra Favorite House On The Clouds deftly captured every special moment of their big day, which the beautiful bride shares with us, along with some memories of the dual celebrations.

Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore

How We Met
“Abhay and I are engineers working in the Silicon Valley, California, US. We met each other at the University of Southern California when we were pursuing our higher education. If you ask Abhay, he’ll say it was love at first sight, but it was a slightly different story for me. He asked me out within a week of knowing me, in a super romantic way, by writing me a poem. However, I declined because it was too soon. Six months later he asked me out again, this time with a stop-motion film, and that’s when I knew he completed me in every way. This time the ‘No’ turned into an eager ‘Yes!’ Three years down the line we decided it was time that we started thinking about marriage. However, as we all know, in India it’s not enough for the boy and girl to decide for themselves, so we needed to get our families on board. This meant we had to convince his Hindu Punjabi mom and dad, and my Malayali Christian Amma and Appa to agree with our decision. It took some time, but our parents did come around and that too in full support!”

Proposal
“Once our parents had warmed up to the idea of both of us tying the knot, Abhay asked my parents officially for my hand in marriage. After they showed him the green light, he surprised me with a grand proposal on February 25, 2017. The Huddart Park in San Mateo, California, has a beautiful gazebo. Abhay had arranged for decorations there and created the perfect setup with white drapes, flowers, lamps and signage that read ‘Will you marry me?’ This was certainly the most beautiful surprise I have ever got!”

Wedding Venue
“We got married twice – once as per the Christian traditions, and the second time with Punjabi rituals. Our white wedding took place at St. George’s Cathedral, Chennai, with a reception at Hyatt Regency Chennai, while the Punjabi ceremony was held at The Tamarind Tree in Bangalore.”

Wedding Function 

White Wedding
“The revelries of our wedding started with a Christian wedding that took place in a church for which I wore a white gown by Helen Miller. Abhay and I took our vows at St. George’s Cathedral, and once we had exchanged our rings, the party moved to the ballroom at Hyatt Regency Chennai for the reception. We decorated the venue with drapes and flowers. Large frames with floral borders made for the backdrop of the stage, and we made use of lights strategically to add to the festive mood of the setup. One of the highlights of our function was our cake where the wedding topper depicted Abhay and me in our wedding attires wearing Batman masks!”

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Cocktail Party
“After the formal events, it was time for us to have a function where all our loved ones could relax and have some fun. So, we hosted a cocktail party for which I wore a jewel tone lehenga by Payal Singhal that was paired with a white blouse and dupatta, and Abhay opted for a sherwani. We had also created a photo booth that featured large white paper flowers that were accented with some fresh red blooms and fairy lights.”

Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore

Haldi and Chooda
“With this function, we began the Punjabi festivities. The ceremony was fairly simple, and Abhay and I were wore matching yellow ensembles. I wore a saree and Abhay opted for a bandi jacket in the same color.”

Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore

Sangeet
“No North Indian wedding can be complete without the sangeet! Our loved ones put up the most adorable performances to express their joy on our union. The night was alive with lots of dancing and music. For this function, I wore a rather colorful outfit by Anju Modi which included a yellow skirt, red dupatta, and a green blouse. Abhay picked a black and white ensemble for this function.”

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Punjabi Wedding
“We had our Punjabi wedding ceremony in the day in an open-air setting. We combined rustic and Indian themes into the decor for this event. The mandap was created using large logs of wood which were decorated using orange drapes and marigolds, and a blanket of white flowers formed the roof. A red lehenga by Jayanti Reddy was my outfit of choice while Abhay opted for a golden sherwani.”

Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore Rithu and Abhay, Chennai and Bangalore

The Wedding Makers
Venues: St. George’s Cathedral, Chennai (White Wedding); Hyatt Regency Chennai (Reception); The Tamarind Tree, Bangalore (Punjabi Wedding)
Wedding Planner: Crimson And Cherry
Bride’s Outfits: Helen Miller (White Wedding), Payal Singhal (Cocktail Party), Anju Modi (Sangeet), Jayanti Reddy (Wedding)
Groom’s Outfits: Jivjeet Singh – House of Couture
Makeup: PrakatWork (White Wedding and Cocktail Party), Vydurya Lokesh (Haldi and Chooda, Sangeet, Punjabi Wedding)

Photography and Videography: House On The Clouds

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