No Big Fat Indian Wedding – This Mixed-Race Couple’s Ceremony Was A Breath Of Fresh Air

No Big Fat Indian Wedding – This Mixed-Race Couple’s Ceremony Was A Breath Of Fresh Air

On the sunny waters of Kumarakom, Mahima and Reiner metaphorically tied the knot at their incredibly creative wedding. They combined the values they both cherish into a memorable event, surrounded by family and friends who flew into Kerala from over 40 countries.

Photographed by 1plus1 studio

The kind of people who go off the beaten track, they wanted to do away with cumbersome wedding rituals which they couldn’t relate to, and instead hold an intimate vow-exchanging ceremony. The ceremony was anything but usual, the Baraatis arrived on a hoard of bicycles, and Mahima was rowed on a boat by her father, where both parties met at the shores of Zuri lagoon to exchange vows.

Photographed by 1plus1 studio

“We are skeptical of anything done ‘for the sake of it’: for us, the idea of sitting around a mandap with a priest we didn’t know, reciting lines we didn’t understand, following religious norms we didn’t associate with, seemed strange - inauthentic even. We decided instead to design our own vows ceremony. We agreed that it was important for us to lay out our commitments to each other and to our relationship, surrounded by our closest family and friends,” the couple tell 1 Plus 1 Studio.

The bride and groom curated events that represented their multiculturalist outlook. There was a high-spirited Bollywood-themed ‘Masala Night’ as well as a Tot Ziens brunch, a goodbye meal with a sweet Dutch tradition of writing well-wishes for the newly-weds and hanging them on an ornate tree. They even had a boat race between the families! The couple was ecstatic on how these events harmoniously brought different groups of people together from different countries, and Mahima notes that friendships made during the wedding continue to last even after it.

Photographed by 1plus1studio

The couple also took steps to be environmentally friendly, by being in sync with the natural setting of their location and not using any plastic. Their decor was also made of organic materials, like a bar made out of palm leaves or animals made out of tender coconut leaves.

In the era of big fat Indian weddings, where we see couples go through the motions of rituals and ceremonies for the sake of it, it’s refreshing to see a pair who have chosen to step away from it all and go about their marriage in a way that is personal and relevant to them.

You can see more beautiful pictures captured by 1 plus 1 studio of their wedding here.

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