Kanakavalli Bride : Prethee

Prethee weds Ram

Prethee has always been a very pragmatic and introverted person, so it came as a surprise to her when she first spoke to Ram and felt as though she'd known him for years! Prethee and Ram's journey was a series of missed opportunities, right from the time they studied in the same college - except he left the year she joined.

They both had studied in the US at the same time, living just streets away from each other. They'd vacationed at the same places at the same time, and even attended the same conferences! They finally bumped into each other in Coimbatore, and Prethee says they instantly hit it off.

Prethee and Ram spent the lockdown together, and she never thought she would actually enjoy being stuck at home with one person. One morning, Ram woke up and asked why they weren't married yet and to Prethee, it made perfect sense. She joked that they didn't need an official proposal, but Ram did it anyway.

He took her to her hometown of Pondicherry, to the place they'd had a first date in, and played her favourite song. One by one, Prethee's friends appeared with photographs of her parents, his parents, their friends, and also her cat - all asking her to marry him. Finally, he went down on one knee with a ring, and popped the question.

The couple had a pandemic wedding and Prethee says having Ram by her side right through was the best part of planning. They had a Christian wedding in her hometown of Pondicherry and a Hindu wedding in his hometown of Madurai. They had zero waste events, following pandemic protocol with a guestlist of 50 people.

The Madurai wedding was rooted in Tamil culture, with a mandap designed in homage to the Meenakshi Amman temple gopuram, decorated with flowers from the Madurai flower market in brilliant shades of a gorgeous sunset.

Prethee says much of her bridal inspiration came from her mother, whose love for saris has grown over the years. She collects them and constantly pushes boundaries in what she wears. At a single glance, Prethee's mother can identify the state, the type of fabric and the craft of a sari. Thanks to her mum, Prethee has grown to appreciate the beauty and skill that goes into the weaving of a sari.

Kanakavalli has always been Prethee's mother's go-to sari store, as she enjoyes the curated shopping experience. It was while doing her wedding shopping at Kanakavalli that Prethee understood the craftsmanship and beauty of the kanjivaram.

Over multiple trips and video calls to view numerous saris, Prethee picked two saris for the wedding. One was an unusual deep sky blue, and the second was a classic crimson kanjivaram shot with rust orange. Prethee says she will always treasure these kanjivarams, and hopes to pass them on to her own children someday.

Prethee says it is always a pleasure to visit Kanakavalli - from the curated saris and the tranquil space, to the thoughtful team who know her and her family by name and understand their tastes. Prethee once went alone to buy a sari for her mother, and one of the members of the Kanakavalli team was sure her mother wouldn't like the one she picked. He recommended another one - one that her mother absolutely loved!

A big thank you to Prethee for being a beautiful Kanakavalli Bride and for sharing the story of her wedding with us. We wish her and Ram a lifetime of friendship, love and laughter.

Wedding Credits -