Janitri and Praveen’s Traditional Tamil Hindu Wedding in Rochester, NY

Janitri and Praveen’s traditional Tamil Hindu ceremony was unlike anything I had ever been to. It was on a Wednesday, it started around nine in the morning, and it went on through hours of ritual — the mandap hung with marigold and jasmine, brass vessels and offerings laid out, family close in on every side. It was intimate, cozy and sweet, and I’d bet everyone there remembers it forever.

Read more about the ceremony

Janitri and Praveen stand together in an open field after their traditional Tamil Hindu wedding in Rochester, NY
The couple sit surrounded by family and ceremonial offerings during the Tamil Hindu rites
A decorated parasol is raised over the wedding party during the outdoor ceremony
Janitri leans in to kiss Praveen beneath a shade tree near the gazebo
Guests watch from white folding chairs as the procession moves toward the ceremony
Elders lead the rituals at the mandap, brass vessels and offerings spread before them
The bride receives a blessing from family members during the outdoor ceremony
The bride's foot is placed on the ceremonial grinding stone during the wedding rites
Janitri and Praveen beneath the mandap, framed by marigold and jasmine garlands
The couple share a meal at their reception, still wearing their wedding garlands
The bride raises an arm in celebration under the flower-hung mandap
Janitri and Praveen walk together across a sandy hillside
The couple rest their foreheads together, jasmine strung through the bride's hair
Janitri and Praveen walk hand in hand through a green field
Family carry offerings alongside the bride during the wedding procession
A portrait of Janitri and Praveen in the field, her hand resting on his chest
Praveen kisses Janitri's cheek as they stand together on the sand
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