Todays couple feature is from the opposite side of the world (well at least from where we are), Singapore. These two had the chance to develop their mutual feelings for each other ( after meeting at the same institute)  through their similar interests and hobbies. Keep reading to find out more about the couple and about marriage traditions in Singapore. 

GETTING TO KNOW THE COUPLE

Jaga and I are both from the same tertiary institute. Through our co-curricular activities we had many chances to interact and develop a fun relationship. We are both from Singapore.

WHERE THEY GOT MARRIED

We tied the knot legally on 8^th June 2017 with just our immediate family and a couple of friends. It was a very intimate event of all the various events an Indian wedding holds and we really loved the simplicity of it. Our temple wedding was on 11^th June 2017 and our wedding party took place the week after to celebrate our marriage with close friends, family and colleagues.

HOW THEY MET

We met 10 years ago and have had a lot of time to learn and understand each other. Jaga is Ceylonese Tamil and some of his practices are naturally different from mine, a Tamilian. It was very fun and exciting learning about them and incorporate them in our wedding.

WEDDING PLANNING

Wedding planning certainly requires ample time and thorough research. We made sure we organised our time and planned our wedding to our liking. This took us close to 1.5 years from the time he proposed to when we partied the night away at our wedding party.

In Singapore in particular, temple wedding halls get booked really fast and so that was the first order of operations to sort out. After that, I made my choices for the videographer, photographer and make-up artist. I was very happy to have booked those I have been following for a while. Their style and final product never fail to impress. It was also amazing to have talented friends who could be part of my wedding such as Hema and Daryl from Bloomen for their splendid bouquets and Nanthini from Exquisite Henna for perfectly drawing the design that I had requested for.

My family and I had not been to India in a long while and what better time to go then for wedding shopping? I had to endure a little more than others when I went to India in December 2016. A devastating cyclone hit Chennai while we were there and we had to deal with the aftermath. Our shopping was delayed and power failures around the city required us to make alternative plans to complete our purchases.

I designed my wedding invites and got them printed at the reliable Menaka Cards. I like to add my own touch to everything and personalise them. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the journey should be as enjoyable as much as the actual day. Despite the lack of communication with their factories due to the cyclone, Menaka Cards managed to expedite my order and have my wedding invites ready for collection, in time for my flight back to Singapore.

Shopping was not an easy task because of the plethora of choices presented to you in Chennai. I was spoilt for choices! Nonetheless, one of my trusted bridesmaids came along with me on my trip and we completed all our purchases. Finally, I was beginning to picture how everyone was going to look on that day:

Groom in white veshti and shirt, bride in a must-have, classic maroon wedding saree, bridesmaids in royal blue sarees and groomsmen in light-coloured mustard shirt. It was finally coming together.

After my India trip, the remaining six months had us all involved in various tasks leading up to the wedding. Sending out invites, confirming every last detail, assigning roles for our amazing bridesmaids and groomsmen to carry out, etc.

By the South-Indian Tamil tradition, a bangle ceremony takes place a few days before the wedding day. Aunts and friends of the bride bless her with sandalwood, flowers and kumkum and adorn her with the bangles to be worn for the wedding ceremony. It was a lovely event at home with my family and bridesmaids.

Finally, on our temple wedding day we certainly had tonnes of fun. Our trusted bridesmaids and groomsmen were truly a blessing to us. We would not have been able to enjoy our big if not for them working tirelessly behind the scenes.

To those reading this post, do remember that this day is about YOU and your significant other. It is very easy to get lost in all the mayhem that happens around you but don’t forget to look at each other and revel in the moment where you celebrate your love for each other. For all the planning and time invested in preparing, the ceremony itself will be over before you know it. So remember to enjoy the process, eat to your heart’s content and take lots of pictures.

Wedding Highlights

Featured Vendors

Videographer – JC Studios
Photographer – Subra Govinda Photography
Make-up artist – Looks Studio
Henna Artist – Exquisite Henna
Bouquets – Bloomen

Tie • The • Thali would like to thank Manju and Jaga for allowing us to share their wedding events and experiences with our readers. We wish them nothing but the best for their married life.