A quintessential North meets South Indian wedding, the union between Akanksha Mohanty and Jayram Pillai, was a celebration of the blending of traditional customs and rituals from both cultures. This wedding extravaganza was held over two days at Taj Malabar, Kochi. Typical of North Indian weddings, with elaborate rituals that can last for several days instead all the pre-wedding ceremonies like Haldi, Mehndi and Sangeet, were held back to back in one day. The following day the couple had their nuptials, which was a typical Nair-style South Indian ceremony. Along with blending cultures, names were combined to get a quirky wedding hashtag #Ak47GotHerJaygerbomb

Haldi Ceremony

The Haldi ceremony, an important pre-wedding ritual, was hosted at the Dolphin Point Area at Taj Malabar. The haldi venue was held in the afternoon overlooking the panoramic view of the tranquil, lush backwater and the natural harbour in the backdrop. The Haldi ceremony was a joyous occasion, as the family and friends gathered to celebrate and bless the couple. It was an opportunity for the bride and groom to bond with their families and have fun together. The colour theme for the ceremony was yellow and lavender, using a customised arch-shaped Haldi backdrop decorated with flowers like lavender, lilac and yellow coloured orchids. Colour bombs were popped as the couple entered. Beautiful choreography by the friends of the bride entertained everyone with great moves and performances. Akansha wore an elegant pale green lehenga by Seema Gujral which was customised by her best friend. Seema Gujral’s designs are traditional yet contemporary, they incorporate intricate details and luxurious fabrics.

Seating for the bride and groom is customised with a white couch and customised lavender-coloured pillow, the decor was chosen in line with the colour theme.
The bridesmaids were in charge of games and they entertained the guests with many challenges. The seating for the guest was a cluster style of seating made to be cosy and intimate. The table centrepieces had jugs with flowers.

Mehendi

The Mehendi ceremony was decorated with lotus-themed decorations.
The lotus hangings used (Tube rose flowers and Pink lotus) for the tree hangings near the backwater area. The resplendent rani pink bridal costume was the highlight and the bride looked like a stunner. Two urulis were placed under the lotus hangings. The mehendi ceremony for the bride with her family and friends enjoyed themselves and had a lot of fun during the event.

 

Sangeet

The Sangeet was a fun cocktail party, the couple’s entry cocktail was very unique and friends and families welcomed them using sparklers as they walked in together. During the Sangeet, it was emotional for the couple, family and friends alike, especially during the wedding presentation which had so many friends wishing the couple. They toasted the couple with wine, cut cake and exchanged rings as they celebrated Akanksha and Jayram. LED wall was used for the stage decor with the couples seated with the silver crystal hangings. The welcome board used acrylic board and the couple took advantage of the moment to take photos.

 

An Elegant South Indian Nair Wedding

The wedding day especially for couples from different cultural backgrounds can be a unique and meaningful celebration that brings together different traditions and customs. The wedding rituals followed the traditional South Indian Nair customs and culture The ceremony was a white-themed wedding, with the mandap having round arches set up with the backwater view in the background. The mandap had a silver acrylic ramp leading up to it. The seating area was covered with white overlapped drapes, creating a tent. The groom was welcomed by the bride’s family as he entered with an Olakudda. The bride came in like a dream in an off-white-themed saree with white pearl and stone under the phool ka chaadhar with a bridal bouquet. All the other guests wore South Indian-style traditional costumes.
The bride’s makeup was done by the Makeup Studio & Academy by Kinjal Mehta. The photography for the wedding was undertaken by Crew 6 Projects