Having that perfect wedding... in Chennai...

Traditional decor at the entrance..

Contemporary decor at the entrance...

Traditional lunch at a South indian wedding..

A wedding is a day to remember, to cherish and start a new journey from. It is also a day filled with excitement, a splash of madness and plenty of drama.. well atleast in most families...  That is probably why we find everyone, especially the bride & groom fairly stressed out once they do decide there is a wedding to be planned. Imagine the amount of things to be organised, coordinated and set in place? Phew, mind boggling right? 

To make life easy, today we have wedding planners, event companies and other freelancers who will swoop in take over and let you rest while they do all the work, and take on the craziness and stress. Something like what we saw in the movie "Aaha Kalyanam" [remake of the Hindi "Band Baaja Baaraat"]... All you need to do is hand over your book of dreams, ideas and wants, and they will make them happen, well almost all of them. 

But then there is one element that falls on the bride & groom or their families. And that involves finalising the wedding hall. Back in the days, it was pretty straight forward, weddings were held only at halls dedicated for weddings or churches, but things have changed over time. Gone are the days when it was either x or y hall, today people are spoilt for choice. They can choose to have it at a wedding hall, or a convention centre or at a hotel banquet hall or at an outdoor farm kind of place. It all depends on the ideas and dreams held by the bride and groom. Infact, parents have taken a back seat giving the kids a chance to plan things and involve them only to approve the same. It is quite nice and a welcome change, after all one needs to go with the times, right?! 

One of the main aspects to take into consideration when finalising one of the Marriage halls in Chennai would be your "Budget". The others include Capacity, the location, the amenities offered [including parking facility], nearby hotels and so on .... 

In many cases, the immediate family or even friends and visiting guests tend to stay at the rooms provided in the hall or at nearby hotels. It makes it easy for them to be at the venue on time, with no hassles or worries. This also extends for the make up artist, photographer and others involved in the wedding, who need to be there on time! Other guests will stream in within the mentioned time and that is not something the bride or groom worry too much about. Another thing they note is ensuring there are welcome drinks, bags/small token gift given when the guests leave the wedding venue and of course breakfast/lunch/dinner.... 

With wedding celebrations going on for 2-3 days, it is always good to have one single venue, making it easy for not just the main families but guests to plan their schedule as well. A mehendi ceremony, the cocktail evening, wedding reception and then the main wedding event itself - each could be distinguished with different decor, seating arrangement and this would in itself leave quite the impression. There can also be a fun photo booth in a corner, a space for selfies and a separate space in the dining room for those who are elderly or need extra help moving around. This will give them the feeling that they are cared for and enjoy the celebration more... 

If you were to look at the Wedding halls in Chennai, you will have options ranging from traditional conventional to modern contemporary ones to choose from. Fairly spoilt for choice and sometimes even overwhelming, these halls offer a range of amenities and services, some come with certain restrictions [ mainly on the food- some might insist on using a particular caterer while others might permit only vegetarian fare], giving you the power to decide based on your needs and wants... Oh and you need to make a beeline for the ones that catch your eye well in advance, else you might not have too many options.. 

These days with couples eager to have offbeat weddings, or ones that are breaking away from the traditional mould, we find that the Convention centres work best. They are aesthetically done up spaces that come with a hall that serves as the Dining hall, couple of rooms for the immediate families to stay in and are located within driving distance [ or take a cab] from anywhere in the city. 

When it comes time to plan your wedding, you know what to do right? Congrats in advance....Here's to new beginnings....