Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa Wedding: Love was in the Air at This Beach Wedding

Karan and Disha got married in Chennai in a Sindhi style wedding by the beach. The couple exchanged their vows in a romantic beach ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa Wedding, with the Bay of Bengal as the backdrop. The razzle-dazzle of the Sindhi wedding rituals was a sight to behold, and we could not but capture those moments with our lenses.

Sindhis are known for their extravagant lifestyle, and the same is visible in their weddings, too. Their weddings are all about music, dance, rich rituals and good food! And when a Sindhi wedding happens by the seaside, nothing can match the extravaganza.

Fun, Games And Party

The celebrations started with a carnival, and the pastel-hued décor was simple yet stunning. There were floral archway decorations, festoons, lanterns and romantic lights on the tables.

And what is a beach wedding without games? There were plenty of games. While the bride and groom arrived with balloons and smoke bombs, games like shooting, hoop, and dart kept the air lively, and we had fun shooting those playful moments.

The engagement-cum-sangeet was a colourful affair, with the couple making a grand entry to the accompaniment of pyro. The bride looked gorgeous in a red sequined dress. Soon after the entry, they went to the stage and mesmerised everyone with a couple dance.

At the sangeet, everyone, irrespective of age, let their hair down and danced till they dropped. The guests also utilised the time to know each other and exchange pleasantries.

Amidst all the fun and frolic, we did capture some of the lovey-dovey moments of the couple! The guests, too, joined the merriment, and we clicked plentiful candid shots!

Dreamy Wedding

The gracefully decorated mandap on the beach looked breathtakingly beautiful with the moon shining behind. The baarat arrived by a vintage car to the accompaniment of dhol and live music by musicians. The guests danced to the energetic beats of the dhol, and all of them had absolute fun.

The handsome groom, Karan, was wearing ethnic wedding wear to go with the Sindhi wedding rituals, along with a decorated headgear and dagger. Bride Disha was charmingly attired in a pink lehenga with the uncut diamonds adding to the dazzle. Her hands were decorated with deep red mehndi, and the faces of the bride and groom were drawn using Mehendi on her arms. The bride was guided to the mandap with a phoolon ki chaadar. 

At the venue, the bride’s parents extended a formal welcome to the groom and his family.  The members of the families introduced themselves and embraced each other. The bride, too, came out to welcome her future husband. As the groom placed his foot on the bride as part of the Sindhi wedding rituals, the family members washed the bride's feet and the groom in milk and led them to the venue.

At the mandap, the bride and groom stood facing each other, and the Jai mala, exchanging garlands, took place. Rose petals were showered on the couple as a symbol of blessing as the duo became man and wife!

Sindhi Wedding Rituals

A Sindhi wedding is based on Vedic traditions, and holy fire or yagna is a part of it. Prayers were first offered to Lord Ganesha, and the priest recited verses from Holy Scriptures invoking Gods to bless the newly married couple. The groom had carried a pink cloth with him, and it was tied to a white cloth held by the bride and both their right hands were tied with a holy red thread. This custom is known as hathialo.

The pheras are at the heart of the Sindhi wedding rituals, and they follow four pheras instead of the commonly observed seven pheras. While the groom led the first three pheras, the bride led the fourth phera. This was followed by the Kanyadaan ceremony in which Disha’s father handed over his daughter to her husband and poured holy water on the hands of his son-in-law.

The wedding was followed by a grand reception at Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, where every guest got to enjoy the best of wines and plentiful good food with a DJ spinning some lively music. The hashtag, #Kaisha (abbreviation to Karan & Disha), with the wordings Gift of God, felt appropriate as the couple looked into each other’s eyes with love and admiration throughout.

The scenic venue and the gorgeous couple offered us abundant opportunities to capture, from classy, romantic poses to cute candid poses from their beach wedding!

Click here for our Destination Wedding Locations in India Guide.

Weligama Bay Marriott - A Sun-kissed Destination Wedding On The Beaches Of Sri Lanka

Santosh had always dreamt of a beautiful, serene wedding by the beach. When she grew up and fell in love, her dream actually came true. 

Hailing from Bangalore, Santosh's parents introduced her to the dashing Kishan from Chennai, and the couple fell in love. After a year-long courtship, Santosh and Kishan were wed in an elegant destination wedding on the sun-kissed beaches of Sri Lanka. 

The wedding comprised three days of festivities. A curated guest list of 300 guests was flown into Sri Lanka for the wedding party hosted at the stunning Weligama Bay Marriott. 

This stunning beach-facing property in Weligama, Sri Lanka, was the perfect venue for a romantic wedding, and some soul-stirring destination wedding photography! 

Click here for our Marwari Wedding Guide.

Exploring The Streets Of Galle 

Day 1 was a fun, relaxed day dedicated entirely to the couple, who were keen to explore the streets of Galle, Sri Lanka. We got to shadow them in a subtle way, capturing candid moments of the couple as they indulged in simple everyday activities - sharing an intimate lunch, walking the streets of Galle, and soaking in each others' company.

Both Santosh and Kishan were sure that candid wedding photography was the way to go, and that set the tone for us to capture some moving wedding memories through the next two days. 

A Modern-Day Mehendi Ceremony 

In the evening, a Mehendi event was hosted on the glamorous rooftop of the Weligama Bay Marriott. The event had a relaxed vibe, with the couple and family, engaging with guests as they nestled their drinks, and smoked some flavoured hookah to spice things up. 

As the night grew young, the DJ pumped up the base, and guests began moving and grooving on the dance floor. The dance party was followed by a live performance by a beloved family member. 

The Big, Big Surprise By The Pool

Day 2 was a big blow-up pool party with music and party games like Jenga. We managed to get some great shots, as the couple and the guests had tons of fun. 

But the best surprise was yet to come!

The unsuspecting bridal couple got to experience a real treat as their parents, and senior members of the family burst into a flash mob dedicated to the couple at the pool party! 

A Magical Day

Day 3, the most important day, started off auspiciously with a puja for the bride and groom, held separately. It was the perfect day for some immersive Indian wedding photography as each moment unfolded! 

As the bride got ready for her special day, we captured some stunning visuals of her looking absolutely radiant in her exquisite lehenga. As her mother helped her get ready, we were able to take candid pictures of the care with which her mother decked her daughter for the special moment.

We also captured shots of the groom as his brother helped him get ready for the big day. 

The intricate wedding invitation was designed by none other than the bride, and we managed to capture some wonderful shots of that as well!

Vintage Chic 

The wedding was hosted in a traditional Sindhi-style ceremony. The dashing groom arrived along with the baraat in a vintage car. He was carried off to the mandap by the bride's uncles and was welcomed warmly by the bride's parents. 

The stunning bride dressed in a red and gold lehenga arrived in a white vintage car. The red and gold, juxtaposed against the white, was a sight to behold. What followed was a traditional phoolon ki chadar entry, with Santosh's brothers carrying her on the chaddar along with her parents and sister by her side. 

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A Visual Treat In The Making 

The wedding photography for Santosh and Kishan's was exciting for so many reasons. The bride's family was perfectly colour-coordinated, just as the bride planned and that added a great visual aesthetic to the ceremony! 

Many beautiful moments unravelled during the ceremony, as we captured the essence of traditional rituals like the Kanyaadan, pheras, and the wearing of sindhoor and mangalsutra. 

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The reception was a warm, lively affair with activities like the bridal cake cutting, the quintessential shoe game and some amazing performances. The couple raised a toast, and this was followed by several affectionate, and good-humoured speeches by friends and family. 

As the emotionally-charged vidhai concluded, family members dotted the bridal path holding sparkles, and the bridal couple sped off into the sunset in their vintage car, the start of the rest of their lives together!  

Scroll down to see the complete wedding!