Wedding Party
Tara Raghavan
Bride
Paras Kinariwala
Groom
T.E.S. Raghavan
Father of the Bride
Usha Raghavan
Mother of the Bride
The Late Girish Kinariwala
Father of the Groom
Bhamini Kinariwala
Mother of the Groom
Deepa Kumar
Matron of Honor
Deepa is Tara’s older and wiser sister and she has been stuck with Tara since well Tara was born. Imagine having to share Sesame Street sheets in their shared bedroom up until you are a teen! Deepa is the first person Tara calls in a crisis (and given Tara’s dramatic nature) there are a lot of calls. Leaving that side, Tara can always always always count on her big sister because she is right 95% of the time (the other 5% she is horribly wrong).
Dipa McGee
Matron of Honor
Jaymon McGee
Groomsman
Dakarai Brown
Groomsman
Dakarai, otherwise known as Dak, is Paras' oldest friend, starting from the 6th grade at Greenville Middle School. They lost touch for a short period until they got back together at Eastside High School. After Graduation, both Paras and Dak went to different colleges until Junior year at the University of South Carolina, where they happen to be roommates at Bates West. It was at that time that their friendship became stronger and closer. Dak has been there for Paras through some tough times but many happy memories hold them together. Paras was even a Groomsmen at Dak's wedding a few years ago. (The picture from his wedding is what made Tara swipe right! -- Thank You Dak and Laura!!!) Paras and Dak may live far apart but are as close as thieves ;)
Wesley Burton
Groomsman
Paras met Wes when the US Forest Service started to go through a massive reduction in the workforce. The two connected very quickly first in DC then in Albuquerque, NM, where they were the only single guys there and were both learning a new city. Paras and Wes became like brothers doing everything in ABQ together until Paras got transferred to Asheville, NC. Even three moves later Paras and Wes have always stayed in touch. Wes was one of the first to congratulate Paras on finding the love of his life!
Manu Raghavan
Groomsman
Manu is Tara’s baby brother and Paras’s soon to be brother in law. Tara met Manu at Hinsdale Hospital where he surprised the family when he was a boy. Manu has tortured Tara by hitting her with a mallet at age 2, preventing Tara from going to Disney on Ice when he was 3, and teasing her endlessly. He has been known to spend an inordinate amount of time taking about politics and the state of the economy. A scientist by trade, Manu is smart, hilarious and a generally a good person. But don’t trust him with a mallet (just sayin).
Vani Vedam
Bridesmaid
Tara met Vani literally decades ago through their parents. Not only is Vani a long time family friend, she also went to UIC with the Bride. They both share a lot of the same interests. They are attorneys, part of the same SABA organizations, Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam cheerleaders, and generally at most social events together. Tara’s most fond memory of Vani is when Tara had to help Vani pass a music class during college that she had no right to take. Vani is zany, boisterous, hilarious and an extraordinary pusher of Ketones, Crock Pots, and extreme exercising!
Nithya Sunder
Bridesmaid
Tara has known Nithya since 3rd Grade. Back then Tara’s dad was known to leave his daughter at the Sunder household and forget about her. They have traveled all over the place together, from Hawaii to Tenerife. They have experienced life’s many good and bad times together. Tara’s most fond memory of Nithya was when they accidentally met each other at a nightclub in Champaign, IL. Each was shocked that the other was a regular person and not a super dork (actually they are still dorks). Nithya is a pediatrician, cat-lover, baby stealer (literally she will take baby’s off your hand at any party), and a huge bootie shaker!
Shuba Bindra
Bridesmaid
Tara has known a Shuba for decades. She was the little sister that Tara did not have growing up and was known to refuse to wear pants at family parties (she is actually very girly). Despite the fact that Shuba is 5 years younger than Tara, they both share similar obsessions, namely Beyoncé, makeup, gossip and figuring out who is a frenemy. Shuba is sweet, obsesses over teeth (she cannot help it because of her profession), loyal, looks like Jasmine from the cartoon Aladdin and is the terrific mom of two “Gremlins” as she calls them.
Addie Gabriel
Bridesmaid
Tara met Addie in law school at Orientation in August 2000. When they met, Tara never expected to form a lifelong friendship with such a smart and chic blond. Turns out that Addie’s love of music, pop culture and eating at restaurants brought them close together. They have traveled together, cried together, and frankly acted stupidly together. Tara was even one of Addie’s bridesmaids at her 2005 wedding! Addie is beautiful, loyal, smart, a lover of dogs, a devoted mother of two beautiful girls and should be an Anthropologie model!
Uma Chandrasekaran
Bridesmaid
Tara met Uma at Law School orientation in August 2000. Apparently, Uma thought Tara was some sort of FOB and super nerd given her giant backpack. Despite initial reluctance, Uma let Tara into her circle. Through good times and bad, Uma has always been there for Tara. She even let Tara store all her stuff in her place one summer. They have traveled the world together including a 3 week trip through Europe where Uma had to deal with Tara pulling the emergency brake on a train. Uma and Tara are known to make up Hindi words, be morons about getting TSA Precheck, and often end up in a fit of laughter. Uma is smart, cool, beautiful, loyal and frankly hilarious!
Shama Patari
Bridesmaid
Tara met Shama at a dance recital in 2001. Shama gave a stranger (namely Tara) a ride back to Champaign as they were both at U of I for different reasons. Little did they know at that time that they would become close friends years later. Back in 2010, Shama and Tara reconnected through mutual friends Nithya and Vani. While Tara had known Shama was smart and sweet, she did not realize that she was also delightfully sarcastic. A lifelong friendship was born! Shama and Tara have spent many long conversations discussing their law careers, families, friendships and Cloud Security (okay Tara is obsessed with that last topic). Shama is the sweetest person anybody could ever know, fun, pretty and the mom of her mini-me Arjun!
Jyoti Raval
Bridesmaid
Tara Met Jyoti several years ago at the Apna Ghar Stride for Life Walk. While they strode, Tara found out that Jyoti does not consider herself a typical Indian. That proved true when Jyoti first met up with Tara for dinner. This proud Indo-Canadian convinced Tara to join East Bank Club, check out three beauty blogs, and really consider better back support before appetizers were even served. Being only 3 blocks apart for a few years, Jyoti and Tara could not help but spend a ridiculous amount of time together. They have been known to lounge around Devon, meet up with Nordstrom and lust over Kendra Scott earrings together. Jyoti is known to be a lawyer extraordinaire, very into the Kardashians, and a truly creative genius who deserves a YouTube Channel!
Laxmi Sarathy
Bridesmaid
Tara met Lax at a Saba Chicago Installation Ceremony in 2015. After a night of conversation and dinner with Vani at Gaylord Indian, Tara and Vani like to say that Lax’s life changed forever! Lax decided being a frump was not working for her and became a siren. A year later at Vani’s installation, Lax met the love of her life, Atul. With Tara (and Jyoti’s) meddling, Lax and Atul got together on their first date and the rest is history. Lax is a loyal friend. She even helped Tara by sitting with her at Northwestern Hospital during a non-cardiac heart palpitation (read in a panic attack). Lax is a lawyer, a dancer, dreams about math, is the mom of the talented Srinidhi and is always late to and is the life of the party!
Neeraja Kumar
Junior Bridesmaid
Neeraja is Tara’s niece. Neeru is known to steal vegetarian chalupas from her aunt. She also claims that she is going to steal all of Tara’s jewelry when Tara is old (which according to Neeru is already happening). Neeru is smart, known to want to participate in all of life’s everything (seriously, the kid is overbooked), and is the most dramatic person anyone could know!
Aubri McGee
Junior Bridesmaid
Aubri is Paras’s first niece and the one who stole his heart first! At 9, she is a bookworm and a talented gymnast. Paras and Tara can count on Aubri to tease the two of them endlessly!
Amiya McGee
Flower Girl
Amiya is Paras’s second niece and his heart. His Amu is a serious talker and is expected to be a debate team captain one day. Amiya is smart, cute and also adorable!
Jasiri McGee
Flower Girl
Jasiri is Paras’s third niece and the apple of his eye. She is smart, strong willed, and knows she is adorable. At 3, Paras and Tara are convinced she can certainly take on the world.
Simran Bindra
Flower Girl
Simran is the daughter of Tara’s friend and bridesmaid Shuba. At 6, she is the older and sweeter Gremlin of Shuba’s herd who loves to hug people and show and tell.
Kareena Bindra
Flower Girl
Kareena (or Kiki) is the daughter of Tara’s friend and bridesmaid Shuba. At 2, she is the younger and more aggressive Gremlin of Shuba’s herd who is known to commit minor crimes in her parents’ home.