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Preethi and Mani’s Wedding at Fox Chase Manor

Sunny Mathur — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:26:29 +0000

Less than seven months ago; Mani was nervous, praying that he could keep his girlfriend occupied and that an all important package would come in on time. It was New Years eve and for the first time in their relationship, Preethi was early and Mani was stressing out. He planned out his speech, how to knell down on one knee and how to look into Preethi’s eyes and tell her from his heart the one question that would change his life; yet without the ring; without the all important package all this would be mute. He sent Preethi on errands, on fools runs and basically tried to get her out of his apartment, she WAS fuming, mad that she left work early to spend time with Mani and all he wanted to do was finish up chores. And as the final Fedex truck pulled up to Mani’s apartment, he sprinted downstairs hoping that the custom designed, hand picked Diamond ring that he created was on the FedEx truck. Thankfully fate worked in Mani’s favor and he was able to propose to Preethi over champagne and chocolate making her new years dream come true.

And less than seven months later Mani and Preethi were ready to tie the knot. The endless planning of the intricate details, table cards, floral arrangements, dance practices and time line revisions would all come together to create the vision that Preethi had months ago thus creating a gorgeous traditional South Indian Wedding. Families and friends flew in from all over the world to attend their wedding. Everything from the beautiful bright blue skies and the cool breeze to the immaculate décor was perfect on that auspicious Sunday.

Mani and Preethi’s extravagant wedding ceremony and reception took place at Fox Chase Manor in Manassas, Virginia. Everything from Preethi’s gorgeous sari to the hand-made floral mandap was breath taking. The ceremony was traditional in nature harmonizing both families wishes to include a Brahman ceremony which emphasized the bond a husband and wife share, the roles of each, and the merging of two families. Their ceremony was enjoyed by over 700 guests who were all ecstatic when Mani and Preethi officially became Husband and Wife.

Prior to the start of the cocktail hour we were able to take Preethi and Mani out and around the grounds of Fox Chase Manor to capture a few image of just the two of them. We laughed, joked and watched as the two of them truly in love never let go of each other.

As the cocktail hour came to a close the two fabulous MCs entertained the guests and kept everyone laughing poking fun at the couple every chance they got. We were all enertained as everyone got a better insight into their relationship, love of sleeping in cars, Kobe Bryant and singing. A few heartfelt speeches and upbeat dances entertained their guests and allowed them to gain a better understanding of their love and devotion to each other. Mani even surprised Preethi by being the star performer in one of the choreographed dances! The AMAZING décor was provided by Sachi Sood at Partyland Flowers and Event Décor. Mani and Preethi’s custom made mandap was dripping in crystals and beautiful orchid flowers. Their delicious cake was lovingly made by Preethi’s Uncle. The DJ kept friends and family on the dance floor all night. To say it was a memorable night would be an understatement. .

Mani and Preethi, we could not be happier for you! We wish you all the happiness in the world and cannot wait to see what the next chapter of your lives will bring.

Venue: Fox Chase Manor
Flowers and Decor: Partyland Flowers and Event Decor
DJ: DJ Mast

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The tying of the “Thalli” (below) is what signifies that they are officially married and the throwing of flower pedals signifies good luck.

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Preethi and Mani’s Janavasam and Nischyadhartam In Gaithersburg Maryland

Sunny Mathur — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:42:57 +0000

Day two of Preethi and Mani’s wedding festivities kicked off with their Janavasam celebration at the JSS Spiritual mission in Gaithersburg, Maryland. During the Janavasam celebration the immediate family on both sides gather for a puja and a formal welcoming. Preethi’s family and close relatives welcomed the groom’s family with garlands. The bride’s family also presented the groom with traditional Indian clothing and jewelry to wear during ceremonies the next day. After an intimate puja, Mani’s family assisted him on a tall beautifully decorated white horse and they made their way to the Nischyadhartam. The objective of this procession is to announce to the public that the groom is getting married and to seek their approval.

Mani was impeccably dressed traditionally in a red sherwani and saafa. The Nischyadhartam ceremony is similar to the engagement ceremony. Traditionally, the engagement occurs days before the wedding, Preethi and Mani kept with this tradition. Mani’s parade to this ceremony included a live dhol player, traditional South Indian songs and plenty of dancing and fan fair! Once the procession arrived at their destination, Mani and his family was greeted by the bride’s parents and members of her family in the milni ceremony. Preethi was beautifully dressed in an ornate sari. Delicate jasmine flowers elegantly adorned her braided hair as she looked fabulous!

Preethi and Mani’s mandap for the Nischyadhartam ceremony was beautifully decorated in colorful fabrics and sashes. After the formal puja on the mandap the guests danced around Mani and Preethi and then feasted on scrumptious food including fresh dosas! Everyone was excited for what the next day, Mani and Preethi’s wedding ceremony and reception would bring!

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Preethi and Mani Mendhi in Potomac, MD

Sunny Mathur — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:27:53 +0000

You may remember our awesome couple, Mani and Preethi from their Engagement Session at the Gaylord National Hotel or from their Engagement Ceremony at the Murugan Temple in Lanham, Maryland. We had a blast photographing every one of their events and we were eagerly counting down the days until we were able to photograph their wedding! Mani and Preethi’s fabulous wedding festivities began with the traditional Mendhi ceremony. As per tradition, this ceremony is usually hosted by the bride’s side of the family a few days prior to the wedding ceremony. Preethi’s uncle hosted this beautiful ceremony at his home in Potomac, Maryland.

Preethi’s mendhi party was a colorful affair filled with beautiful décor that was beautiful with splashes of vivid colors, lush pillows, gorgeous churris and elegant lights everywhere. There wasn’t an inch of white wall in sight as Sachi from Partyland Flowers & Event Decor did a wonderful job transforming the space! From their mandap and the lanterns to the details on the table, no detail was left unnoticed.

Preethi looked gorgeous! She was dressed in an ornate lengha with beautiful coordinating jewelry and an intoxicating smile that rubbed off on everyone who attended this wonderful affair. Family from all over the world flew in to attend Preethi and Mani’s wedding and Day 1 went amazing, with great food, loads of laughs and wodnerful dances.

Preethi’s mendhi (henna) was intricate and heavily detailed with traditional patterns. On average it takes upwards of six hours to apply bridal mendhi and it was no different for Preethi. It is said that once the mendhi is dry and set, the darker and deeper the henna stains the more the husband and the in-laws will love her bride (have to wait till the wedding to see). The ritual of mendhi traditionally signifies the strength and power of love in a marriage so it is regarded as a good omen for the would-be bride. It is also believed that the long the bride retains the mendhi, the more auspicious would be her future. Preethi’s mendhi was a very dark maroon and simply gorgeous just a few hours into it setting! Mani’s name was brilliantly hidden in the designs!

Preethi’s family and friends entertained the guest with well choreographed dances and sang traditional songs. The atmosphere was pure excitement and anticipation as they eagerly awaited the Janavasam, ceremony and reception in the days to come! There were multiple mendhi artists present and applied her beautiful designs on all those who were interested.

A night filled with great company, fun dances and amazing food-what better a way to kickoff Mani and Preethi’s wedding festivities!

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Preethi and Mani | National Harbor Engagement Session

Sunny Mathur — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:39:22 +0000

When we began batting around locations with Preethi and Mani; thinking about a unique Engagement Session location, the glorious National Harbor came to mind for their picturesque harbor, the gorgeous Gaylord Hotel and for the plethora of restaurants! Preethi wore an elegant designer peach colored sari detailed with gorgeous golden embroidery that sparked wonderfully in the evening sunlight. Everything from her delicate jewelry to her fabulous shoes matched her sari perfectly. What made her Engagement Session ensemble even more meaningful was that everything was hand-picked by Preethi’s sister. Preethi, your sister has a fantastic sense of style!

When Preethi asked her fiancé to wear a tie to match her sari things got a bit complicated. Like many men, Mani despised the mall. Despite his feelings, Mani sauntered into Nordstrom to ensure a happy bride and set off on a mission to find the perfect tie. After picking up two ties he thought matched perfectly to Preethi’s sari, he snapped pictures of both ties and sent them to Preethi so she could make the final decision. To her horror she was quickly reminded that her fiance like most men had no idea what the color peach actually is. Most men do not know anything beyond the ROYGBV we learn as children-to most men peach might as well be blue. Preethi looked at the first image of a pink tie and then a second of an orange tie, neither were peach! With the help of her sister, Preethi was able to quickly ameliorate the situation and remotely assisted Mani to find the perfect peach colored tie (If you still don’t know what peach looks like…look at the pictures).

Mani and Preethi’s Photographick Engagement Session took place at the National Harbor and the Gaylord Hotel. Under the beautiful D.C. sunset Preethi’s glamorous sari sparkled almost as much a Mani’s contagious smile. We love photographing this couple because they are fun, carefree and easy going. Despite wearing a heavy sari and open toe shoes, Preethi happily pranced in the sand and marched up and down a path of rocks. This engagement session was so much fun! Mani and Preethi, we cannot wait until your wedding events begin!

To view Mani and Preethi’s images from all of their wedding related events, please visit their personal Photographick page, http://preethiandmani.photographick.com

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Preethi and Mani Engagement | Murugan Temple Lanham MD

Sunny Mathur — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:00:04 +0000

So we’ve known Preethi and Mani for a very long time … like middle school long time. From quadruple dates at top golf always followed by watching basketball to late night movies and random trips. Over the years we have all become good friends, basketball rivals and football trash talkers. So when this lovely couple asked us to photograph their engagement and wedding, we were over the moon excited! You may remember them from our trip to the Barboursville Vineyards in October (Check it here).

Preethi and Mani’s engagement was pure traditional elegance. From Mani’s royal sherwani to the beautiful jasmine accented parandi in Preethi’s hair, their engagement puja at the Murugan Temple in Lanham, MD was very detailed and was performed traditionally. We started our day early (waking Mani up in the process) to ensure we captured great shots of them both getting ready. Dressed and excited we made our way to the temple and the action began! The stage was graciously covered with plates of mithai (read: candy) and dry fruits for the shagun ceremony.

Both families came together exchanging gifts and mutual promises of marriage while the pandit (priest) performed the engagement puja. Even a power outage (thankfully we had our alien bee lights and a backup battery source) couldn’t stop this engagement from happening as the pandit thoroughly explained all the terms, meanings and conditions for marriage! Four hours later, it was confirmed, Mani and Preethi were officially engaged!

Mani and Preethi, we could not be happier for you two! We are so excited and cannot wait to photograph your wedding! We hope you enjoy your images!

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