Telugu Wedding, ITC Gardenia, Bangalore: A Traditional Wedding With A Contemporary Twist

Young and vibrant couple Shreyas and Sreehitha's Telugu wedding was traditional but with a contemporary touch. The celebration comprised of three ceremonies, each hosted with a character and vibe of its own. 

Click here for our complete Telugu Wedding Guide.

A Burst of Colours

The celebrations kicked off with a colourful Mehendi ceremony. The bride wore tiny white flowers on her hair and looked absolutely stunning in a signature Anita Dongre designer lehenga. Her look complemented the glorious vibe and mood of the decor.

A bangle stall, puppets and colourful hanging lanterns added to the appeal of the venue, making it an absolute delight for any wedding photographer to capture.

As a gesture of love, the groom fed his bride, as she patiently got her Mehendi done. We did a post-Mehendi photoshoot, capturing the bride and groom in a playful mood, and in high spirits. 

An Evening of Song & Dance 

The second leg of the celebrations - the Sangeet ceremony - was hosted at the stunning ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru. The couple was colour-coordinated in yellow, looking perfectly matched and glamourous, all set for a fun night out. The bride looked stunning in a designer Mrunalini Rao lehenga.

The occasion saw friends and family come together to showcase their talent. A live band, made up of cousins and friends, put up their own performances, and the sister of the groom sang her heart out. 

The bridal parents swayed in a couple-dance, while the bridal couple showed off their vigorous dance moves. It was a fun-filled evening for all, including us. Through some very candid wedding photography, we were able to capture the energy, authenticity, raw talent and joy of the evening.  

Tying the Knot 

The wedding ceremony took place on the grand and green terrace lawns of the ITC Gardenia. The backdrop was the perfect setting for the wedding. The pink and white floral decor was tasteful, elegant, and lent an air of royalty. The bride and groom's wedding ensembles complemented this vibe.

If matches are made in heaven, this was definitely one of them! The groom entered with his parents while the bride arrived in style - on a floral decorated palanquin.

Hosted in Telugu-style, the Jeelakarra Bellam ceremony was held to signify the union of the bride and groom. The customary thick paste was made from jeelakarra (cumin) and bellam (jaggery) and placed on a tamalapaku (betel leaf).

The bride and the groom proceeded to put it on each other's heads, while the purohit chanted mantras from the Vedas. This was followed by a loud round of happy cheering from the guests.

Showers of Blessings 

We then experienced the most most fun part of the wedding - the traditional Talambralu ritual - where the bride and groom shower each other with talambralu (a burst of pearls, thermocol balls, or rice coloured with turmeric paste). The couple seemed to thoroughly enjoy this part of the ceremony, and their playful smiles in the photographs said it all!

The wedding concluded with the Arundhati Nakshatra. Again, our favourite part was indulging in some candid wedding photography of the bridal couple, post the ceremony, away from the guests and in the lovely gardens of the ITC Gardenia.

Their playfulness and loving smiles spoke greatly of their love, and it gave us great joy to be able to capture those moments of love and joy, for eternity. 

Jayamahal Palace Hotel, Bangalore: A Gorgeous Telugu Wedding

The wedding is a very precious event for every couple. For Vinisha and Arjun, it was the day they had been dreaming about since they started dating. Every couple wants to feel special on their wedding day, and a special occasion deserves a memorable location. In this case, it was The Royal Jayamahal Palace in Bangalore. 

Vinisha met Arjun at college. Their relationship started as a friendship. It became stronger when they both moved to the US for higher studies and jobs. They wanted their wedding to be a traditional affair that will bring both the families closer. 

Since Vinisha is from Bangalore and Arjun is from Hyderabad, the festivities took place in both cities with the wedding taking place in Bangalore.

Click here for our complete Telugu Wedding Guide.

The wedding festivities were spread over five days and they included all the traditional ceremonies and rituals associated with a Telugu wedding. 

Mehendi

Vinisha had a lovely Mehendi function where she and her girl gang hung out for the last time before she tied the knot. Vinisha chose a classic red pavadai with zari work and gave it a contemporary twist by pairing it with a spaghetti crop top. Young and old, everyone participated in making the Mehendi a memorable one. The music and the crowd were one and it was a jolly time!

Pellikoduku & Pellikuturu

The Pellikoduku and Pellikoturu are also known as Mangala Snanam. Arjun's Pellikoduku took place at his home in Hyderabad whereas Vinisha's Pellikuturu took place in Bangalore. 

It was a fun ceremony where the relatives of the bride and groom applied turmeric to the couple. They were then given a shower in turmeric water. The ritual is supposed to purify the bride and groom before the wedding. Vinisha and Arjun's families clearly added some playfulness to applying the turmeric. 

It was an excellent start to the traditional wedding festivities on both sides.

Sangeet

Vinisha and Arjun hadn't met each other for 20 days before the Sangeet. The Mehendi, Pellikoduku and Pellikuturu took place in their respective homes. Both of them were excited to see each other after the long wait. 

Vinisha and Arjun greeted each other with absolute adoration. Vinisha looked grace-personified in a gorgeous red lehenga while Arjun looked regal in a blue bandhgala. They had the time of their lives at the Sangeet as friends and family performed to some grooving numbers.  

Arjun, who is not a dancer, made an extra effort and danced with his sweetheart. Vinisha let all inhibitions go as she danced to her favourite Bollywood songs. The Sangeet was a party that had the bride, the groom and their respective families dancing the night away.

Telugu Wedding

The wedding itself was a very traditional affair. Despite having lived in the US for the past couple of years, Vinisha and Arjun are traditional at heart. They performed all the wedding rituals of a traditional Telugu wedding. Vinisha's wedding ensemble reflected her impeccable fashion sense. She complimented the rani pink saree with all over zari work with exquisite Kundan jewellery. Arjun too looked like a prince in a sherwani and dhoti.

A prince commands a royal entrance, and Arjun's entrance was nothing short of spectacular with a group playing the Chanda. Vinisha's entrance was equally as regal as she entered with the 'Phoolon ka chadar' and Chanda. In a traditional Telugu wedding, the bride and groom are separated by a curtain while they perform the pujas. The veil is lifted after the Jilakkara Bellam ceremony. It so happens that this was Vinisha's favourite part of the wedding. The bride and groom placed a paste made of jaggery and cumin on each other's heads while simultaneously moving the curtain. 

The joy of seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day was reflected in both Vinisha's and Arjun's eyes and smiles. When Arjun tied the mangalsutra around Vinisha's neck, it was a defining moment that overwhelmed Vinisha with joy. While the traditional Telugu wedding has a lot of pujas, it has its equal share of fun rituals such as the rice throwing, finding the ring and putting a hypothetical baby to sleep. These rituals let the couple and their relatives have a lot of fun.

The beautiful open-air mandap was the perfect venue for such a fun yet traditional function. 

Reception

The last leg of the wedding festivities was the reception. The reception was an elegant affair that saw the bride and groom's families getting together one last time. 

While Vinisha chose an ivory lehenga, Arjun went with a classic suit with a bow tie. The pink flowers set against the white curtains were the perfect background that brought out the best in the couple.

One can clearly see all the emotions the couple had during their five day Telugu wedding ceremony thanks to the candid wedding photography. Our effort was always to ensure that the couple can relive the most special few days of their life through their Telugu wedding photos, for years and years to come.  

Below is the complete set of pictures :)