Sarada & Louis' Wedding
Schedule
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Mehendi
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Lake View Road, Chennai, TN 603112, India
Attire suggestions: Any Indian attire or Cocktail attire
The Mehendi marks the beginning of our 3-day celebration in India! Mehendi, also known as henna, is a herbal paste prepared from the leaves of the henna tree. This paste is used to apply intricate designs on the bride’s hands and feet as a way of wishing her good health and prosperity in marriage. Professional mehendi artists will be present to apply mehendi on all the guests that would like to get in on the fun! Once the mehendi dries, it turns the designs into a reddish-orange colour that will remain for around 5 days. The evening will end with a dinner by the beach to honour all our guests that are traveling from across the oceans to enrich our special day.
Sunday, November 2, 2025
Haldi
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thiruvidanthai, TN 603112, India
Attire suggestions: Yellow “salwar kameez” for women; yellow “kurta pyjama” for men
The Haldi ceremony is a traditional and auspicious way of beginning the wedding ceremonies in Indian culture. The ceremony also serves as a moment of joy and bonding, as all the guests bless the bride and groom by applying a turmeric (called “haldi” in Hindi) paste on the bride and groom’s face, neck, hands, and feet. The application of the paste is believed to signify new beginnings and bring radiance to the couple before their wedding. Everyone is typically dressed in yellow/orange— the colors associated with turmeric and new beginnings. After the ceremony, we’ll continue the celebrations over a relaxed and traditional lunch.
Nichyathartham and Jaanavasam
4:15 pm - 11:30 pm
Thiruvidanthai, TN 603112, India
Attire suggestions: Sarees or Lehengas for women; Kurta Pyjamas for men
The Nichyathartham is the formal engagement ceremony, which symbolizes the union of not just two individuals, but of two families. A priest officiates over a short ritual where both families publicly affirm the couple’s intention to marry, confirm the wedding date, and present the bride and groom with wedding clothes and jewellery. Immediately afterwards, the mood shifts to celebration with the Jaanavasam— a festive procession of the groom, along with family and friends, from the wedding venue to the nearby Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple and back. Historically, this tradition allowed the local community to see and approve of the groom, but today it’s a fun procession with live dhol music, as family and friends cheer alongside the groom’s car and dance their way to the nearby temple. After returning to the wedding venue from the temple, the revelry continues with dinner and dancing!
Monday, November 3, 2025
Wedding— Kasi Yatra
10:00 am - 11:45 am
Thiruvidanthai, TN 603112, India
Attire suggestions: Sarees for women; kurtas or dhotis for men
And finally, we come to the wedding day, which spans multiple ceremonies: — Kasi Yatra: The wedding day begins with a playful ritual, in which the groom symbolically renounces worldly life and declares that he is leaving to become a monk. Before he can depart, the bride’s father intervenes and reminds him of the meaningful path that can be found in shared life, which the groom acknowledges and returns. — Maalai Maatral: As he returns, the bride meets him halfway and they exchange garlands, representing mutual acceptance. Family and friends often lift them up to make it harder for the other to reach, creating a fun challenge! — Oonjal: During this ceremony, the couple sit together on a swing (called “oonjal” in Tamil), representing the balance and harmony in married life. Elders from both families take turns blessing the couple by offering a mixture of banana and milk that signifies the union of two different things, while friends and family sing in the background.
Wedding— Muhurtam
11:45 am - 12:45 pm
Thiruvidanthai, TN 603112, India
— Mangalya Dharanam: The most important ritual, formally marking the moment the couple become husband and wife, is when the groom ties a sacred yellow thread (maangalyam), around the bride’s neck. As the maangalyam is tied in three knots, each knot symbolises the spiritual, emotional, and physical ties that now unite the couple. — Saptapadi: The bride and groom then circle the holy fire together seven times, corresponding to the seven vows they are taking for life: May the Lord lead us to sustenance May the Lord lead us to strength May the Lord lead us to prosperity May the Lord lead us to good progeny May the Lord lead us to longevity May the Lord lead us to union, devotion, and companionship. — Pradhaana Homam: Lastly, the couple pay homage to Agni, the fire god, by feeding it with ghee and twigs. Fire, the mightiest power in the cosmos, is deemed as a witness to the marriage. Following the homam, all the guests shower the couple with turmeric coated rice grains, as benediction.
Nalangu
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Thiruvidanthai, TN 603112, India
After the solemnity and tradition of the wedding ceremony, the Nalangu offers a chance for the newlyweds to relax, laugh, and enjoy some lighthearted fun surrounded by their family and friends. The newlyweds play traditional games such as finding a ring in a pot of colored water, rolling a turmeric-coated coconut between them, and trying to crack pappadams over each other’s heads. This concludes our wedding celebrations, following which the newlyweds leave the wedding venue.