Vasundhara and Sundar, InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort
Sundar and Vasundhara's wedding in Chennai included many sacred Tamil rituals that honored their culture and rich traditions.
Packed with meaningful rituals and vibrant colors, Sundar and Vasundhara’s wedding was a joyful affair for their parents who were close family friends and had planned for the kids to get married before the couple even had an inkling about it. Their wedding held at InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort was a celebration of rich traditions and their lifelong commitment.
How We Met
Sundar and Vasundhara’s love story seems right out of a Bollywood film. They met for the first time as kids and were unaware that their childish friendship would transform into a lifelong bond through marriage. Being close family friends, their parents had fixed their wedding for an undefined future date. Growing up, Sundar and Vasundhara maintained a friendly relationship but grew closer only after their engagement years later.
Wedding Planning
The couple’s families took charge of planning the nuptials. They ensured that the prep checked off all the boxes of a traditional wedding and included colorful ceremonies and honoring of rituals passed down for generations.
Wedding Venue
The wedding was hosted in Kanchipuram while the reception was held at the sprawling InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort which is a symbol of world-class luxury and serves up spellbinding views and top-notch hospitality. The hotel has become one of the most sought-after locations for Indian destination weddings.
Wedding Functions
‘Pandakal’ Ceremony
The pre-wedding festivities began early in the morning with the ‘pandakal’ (erecting the mandap) ceremony where a couple along with their families seek blessings from their family deity and it usually begins with a prayer. This ceremony is done a day before the wedding to ward off any evil and welcome positive and happy vibes for the to-be-married couple. This auspicious ceremony was followed by the engagement where Vasundhara and Sundar exchanged rings.
‘Sumangali’ Pooja
This is another traditional ritual performed by the bride’s side before the wedding. It is done to invoke the blessings of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati so that the groom may have a long and healthy life.
Baarat
Sundar arrived on a horse and the wedding party gave him a grand welcome with music. Sundar looked every bit like a regal groom who couldn’t wait to see his beautiful bride.
Wedding
The traditional wedding ceremony followed by the ‘muhurtham’ (where the groom ties the ethnic thread around the bride’s neck denoting their marriage) took place in Kanchipuram. It was an emotional and moving affair as Sundar and Vasundhara became partners for life. The couple looked like a match made in heaven in all the photos. The ladies from the bride’s family dressed in matching turmeric yellow sarees adding more color to the celebrations.
Reception
For the reception, the bride wore a traditional Kanjeevaram saree in orange, and the groom chose a textured cream suit. Surrounded by lights, flowers, and twinkling chandeliers, the couple happily posed for photos as husband and wife. The reception was followed by the ‘maruvidu varudal’ ceremony (where newlyweds visit the bride’s parents for a meal) which is traditionally the last ritual that completes a wedding ceremony. The bride recalls, “From the ‘pandakal’ to the wedding, to the ‘maruvidu varudal’ ceremony, everything was one big gala of lovely celebrations that saw our friends and family come together.”
Advice For Couples
Vasundhara shares, “Last minute preparations don’t work! For instance, we had everything in place one month in advance. So, on the big day, we only had to enjoy the flow and relish the moments.”
The Wedding Makers
Venue: Sri Lakshmi Govindaraju Mahal, Kanchipuram (Wedding), InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort (Reception)
Groom’s Outfits: Kora, Chennai
Bride’s Outfits: Prakash Silks, Kanchipuram (Wedding, Reception)
Makeup: Noor Mohammed
Photography: Studio A
