Yes, I did a section on this on the travel page. For guests with other citizenships please check with the requirements for India on an official government website as AI overviews are often very wrong.
Chennai is on the south east coast of India. Especially at the wedding there will be ocean breeze but it can also be humid. In the end of October temperatures range from highs during the day of 85-90F to nighttime temperatures of 70-75F . So think Florida weather and please pack accordingly. Both our Saturday reception and Sunday ceremony will be indoor/ outdoor with an air conditioned space.
Yes, if we invited your children they're invited! If we forgot to include your children in the invite then let us know and we'll try and correct that. Feel free to make a family vacation out of our wedding
This is our most faq'd faq. Our wedding will be a semi-traditional south Indian Tamil wedding. For both the reception and the wedding same guidelines apply. Western formal/semi-formal beach attire ( cuz it'll be warm) is fine or Indian wedding attire depending on your preference. Colors: No white or black dresses, any other color is acceptable. White is for funerals in India. And you can have accents of black but not solid black. Note that its culturally not typical to wear cocktail-length dresses to a wedding or reception in India, but wear what you're comfortable in. In south India, sarees of silk (or silk cotton if you're anti-silk) are the most typical, but any style of saree is acceptable. You might also opt for a lehenga or kurta set Where can I buy sarees? There are stores in US cities of course, though typically they're not south Indian depending on where you live. If you have time your most cost-effective option is to get a premade saree once you get to India ie one with a finished hem & a premade blouse. If you buy a silk saree you’ll likely need the blouse made which allow at least a few days for. Sizing is different in India. It’s not consistent at all across stores & runs smaller, so if you're concerned about finding a good lehenga or saree blouse, perhaps buy a saree blouse in the US or get one made in the US & then get your saree in India. Footwear: the venue is indoor but also on a grass lawn so wear what is comfortable Jewelry: once again whatever you want! Bracelets or bangles, necklaces. Any earrings Jhimki . Nethi Chutti/ Maang Tikka are also fun to wear! I can recommend some good fashion jewelry stores in Chennai that take foreign credit cards. Just ask :)
Western suit w/or without tie is fine but it’s going to be warm. Indian festive wear: • Kurta set – long tunic with pajama trousers in cotton linen or some other breathable material • Dhoti / Veshti – traditional South Indian a white/ivory garment with gold trim (usually worn with a kurta or button-up shirt) . These are easier to size since it’s one long piece of fabric , but once again can be purchased online, in the US at a store or upon arrival in India if you have time.
Tamil weddings are usually strictly vegetarian as many Hindus are vegetarian and we are sticking to that. For those concerned: South Indian cuisine & especially Tamil cuisine is flavorful and delicious but not hot like the north Indian dishes you typically find in US Indian restaurants. Far fewer hot chiles are used in the base sauces of South Indian curries. Most dishes are served with rice but we'll also have wheat-based carbs. We will do our best to accommodate food allergies so please list any serious allergies in your rsvp. For those that like spicy food , like the bride, additional spice mixes and chutneys will be available.
As of January 15th, 2026 we’re still working on this, but will update soon!
Yes, there will be tons of parking available at Samaaya Beachside Celebrations. Once we get a headcount of guests staying at which hotels we’ll be scheduling some shuttles to/from the reception & wedding , but Uber is also an option. Once again we don’t recommend those without experience driving in India to rent a car.
We plan to have a simplified vedic wedding ceremony (Arya samaj) thats 60-90 minutes long. Having a wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen) isn't a part of this ceremony. While we don't have an official wedding party, there will be opportunities to participate in some of the wedding rituals.
Nope, not at the moment :)
Based on our March 2026 trip. Most major stores, big brands & uber all take card. However smaller shops & restaurants , private drivers, museum tickets , any tipping etc all need to be paid in cash because tap to pay in India is linked directly to bank accounts. I’d recommend bringing USD in cash & exchanging it to rupees at the airport. You can always get more USD exchanged later via courier from the hotels. But it’s all much easier if you have cash as they have a minimum amount if you want to exchange using debit / credit card and may make you use an atm instead of the exchange booth which can be hard to find.