By Shobha Rao Smilemaker
Feb 1: When our family friends Sudhir Amin and Preethi told us that their daughter Dr Manthana got married in the court with Dr.Shrihari, we gave them all our blessings!
After that, their parents wanted to have a simple traditional Indian ceremony of tying the mangalsutra with mantras by a priest too and this turned out to be a very unique experience!
Everything was organized by the couple themselves. They had sourced everything from small vendors.
The guests were welcomed with tender coconut water, cut open fresh by an old man. The home made snacks were served on eco friendly plates by friends of the couple.
The outdoor mantap was made locally, with banana and mango leaves and it looked beautiful.
The bride herself was radiantly dressed up in a very unique bright yellow cotton saree and pranced about happily around the place with the groom, both ensuring that all the guests received personal attention.
The vetinary doctors love for animals was shown clearly, as the VIP guests in the wedding were the numerous pet dogs in fancy coats who were permitted to freely walk around the natural open air exteriors, in the mantap and the indoor dining hall too! The 100+ guests of family and close friends experienced a personal homely bonding with the host families throughout the event.
The food was from a home cook, served with love by the friends and the bridal couple too! It was delicious,everyone enjoyed the food. They cut a delicious cake which was filled with coloured dogs, cat and even a yarn of wool that is such a favourite with the pets.
The take away gifts were a coconut, and a ceramic agarbatti stand made by the bride's sister Kabini. Also a bunch of palak and capsicum, which they had grown themselves, all placed in a basket made by an old lady, also a hand made tag with the name of every guest.
The couple also refused to let the parents spend for the function. All expenses were taken care of by them. This was really a proud moment for any Indian parent. Many of the guests admired this cozy wedding with absolutely no waste and minimal expenses.
In this day and age where the big fat indian wedding spread over many days has become the norm, this vetinarary doctor couple, lovingly called Melu and Hari have boldly set an example of a unique practical, and cozy wedding that will be surely be remembered by us with extra blessings to them.
Shobha Rao Smilemaker has a vision of living in a world where people use their ability to find and make smiles in any situation. She is a lawyer by qualification, a soft skills trainer by passion, a motivational speaker, a freelance journalist, a bestselling author, an avid traveler and founder of 'Smilemakers Trainings'. She can be contacted at www.shobhasmilemaker.com.