When we walk down memory-lane, we have the tendency to wonder if the people we cross paths with are a coincidence or destiny. We wonder if they come into our life to teach us lessons or if they come into our life to change it for the better. But when two people who grew up in the same neighborhood, who share extended family had to fly to the other side of the world to meet each other, and fall in love, then there is no doubt that it was destiny.
Vybhavi and Gopi met at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, during Diwali celebrations. She hadn’t met many Indians at that time, let alone someone from her hometown, Coimbatore, so she was looking forward to making new friends. It must have been destiny when he ended up on the same table where she was sitting for dinner, and there began their journey… Their wedding was fixed unexpectedly. Vybhavi and Gopi had flown down to Coimbatore in December for the holidays. Somehow the conversations between them and their respective parents rolled towards their wedding. So the parents met each other and finally the families met and the wedding was set!
The wedding dates were confirmed for August and they had 8 months to plan. They wanted an ideal wedding and they were particular about incorporating an aesthetic sense in every aspect. They wanted it simple and classic. Their parents booked the wedding hall, caterers and decorators. Meanwhile, Vybhavi looked up make-up artists and photographers’ portfolios on various wedding blogs and booked them early on.
All the vendors did a commendable job and if she had to go back, she would choose the same group of people for their wedding. They went beyond their expectations and made their wedding a beautiful and memorable affair. Kavya, Coimbatore, was their Florist. Vybhavi wanted a baby’s breath wreath for her hair for Nalangu and they made it work. They could recreate everything that was asked and went out of their way to meet their needs. Make–up was done by Lekha, Bangalore. And Vybhavi found it amazing to work with her. The bride kept sending her ideas from Pinterest and went for a trial to Bangalore one month before the wedding. She listened to the bride’s requests and developed her looks for Nalangu and Muhurtham. Vybhavi got rave reviews for her makeup. Lekha is prompt and impeccable at her work – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by the bride. @saangyas-decorator# (Sabitha and Divya) were their decorators. They sent them some ideas (again from Pinterest) and they used this as inspiration to develop designs that would work best at the venue. They delivered as promised. The couple wanted subtle décor with neutral shades to compliment both their Nalangu and Muhurtham looks. Hence, they chose gold and cream. They incorporated tree of life into the décor to break the monotony and add some color. Photography was done by Manoj Sasidharan from @manoj-sasidharan#, and Studio Blossoms. Manoj was the main photographer for candid shots and Studio Blossoms took care of traditional photography and videography for all the events. They were very approachable and accommodating to any last minute requests. The pictures were indeed magical. Manoj made them and the wedding look even more beautiful through his lens. Farhana from Salem did Vybhavi’s Mehendi. She wanted to depict their story through the Mehendi and Farhana could replicate every detail. She is super talented and easy to work with. If you want to tell a story through your Mehendi, she is the GO TO person. Just show her a picture and she will draw it on our hand. Hari, Parvathy Catering, were their caterers. The food was appreciated by all the guests. They offered an extensive and varied menu for all the events and everything tasted delicious. For the Mehendi/Sangeet, Vybhavi ordered a lehenga online from Simaaya. Their service was good and while it was risky to order based on pictures online, the lehenga, Vybhavi got turned out to be pretty. The bride decided to do her saree shopping in Coimbatore because she only had a month to go for the wedding and she didn’t want the hassle of travelling back and forth. She was particular about her choice of simple yet unique sarees that can be worn, down the line. The sarees for smaller events were from @mahaveers-the-silk-peopleclothing# and @shresht-coimbatoreclothing#. Muhurtham saree was from Kanakavalli and Nalangu Saree from @shresht-coimbatoreclothing#. Kanakavalli and @shresht-coimbatoreclothing# have limited but exquisite collection of Kanchivarams but it made her life much easier when it was time to decide. All her blouses were designed at @mantra-the-design-studioclothing#. She chose minimalistic designs. Designers at Mantra understood her preferences and managed to give different looks for all the events. Their quality of work and fit is noteworthy. All her jewelry were from Kirtilals. Karthik from Kirtilals worked with them to get some of the jewelry customized for the wedding on a relatively tight deadline.
The bride picked the matha patti and nose ring from Queens. She shopped for bangles and other jewelry items for Mehendi function in Commercial Street, Bangalore.
Gopi got his Mehendi and Nalangu outfit from Benzer, Mumbai. Everyone loved his contemporary Sherwani for Nalangu. The silk Dothi and shirts were purchased at Ramaraj and Chennai Silks. The turbans were done by Shanmugam. He perfectly replicated the styles that the groom wanted.
As for pre-wedding beauty regime, Vybhavi decided to do it herself. She kept herself hydrated with coconut water, carrot juice and plain water. She also did a face pack of besan, honey, lemon, yoghurt and turmeric every day for a month and it did wonders to her skin. It gave a natural glow and removed any tan lines. Both of them being away made the wedding prep stressful, but in the end, it turned out to be amazing.
Besides booking the vendors early on, much of the wedding prep took place in the last month including finalizing décor, menu, makeup trials, shopping for jewels and sarees etc. And it was more than sufficient. Everything fell into place in the last few days and it was like their very own little fairytale wedding.
