CHENNAI: The happiness in the eyes of a couple while exchanging their wedding vows, the ease in dancing with your loved ones, the nervousness of a bride before her big day — all these are moments that pass in a blink.
Mathangi Srinivasamurti of Weddings and Marigolds Studio has been trying to make these moments as special as possible through her work in the field of wedding curation and event planning for more than 12 years.
Anji and Pete Martin of Potok’s World Photography, Washington DC, on the other hand, have been capturing this moment in unique ways. Their latest collaboration is a joint venture that was launched on Saturday at The Leela Palace, offering Chennaiites a full wedding package that promises to bring dreams to reality.
“When I interacted with Anji and Pete during the vow renewal function last July, they told me that they have been getting enquiries from NRIs who wanted to conduct destination weddings in India. I found it as an opportunity to collaborate and offer our services as a package,” shares Mathangi.
Into the industry
It was a chance that Mathangi took in 2010 to plan a wedding for a friend that made all the changes. “I was doing a retail business, Crafts and Weaves, years ago, and wedding planning came as a natural progression.”
She has curated weddings for companies like the Murugappa Group, Apollo, AVT and TVS. Speaking about the evolution of the wedding scenario, Mathangi says, “I have covered weddings of almost all religions following different traditions. Everything is dependent on what the bride and the groom want. Earlier, the family used to intervene. Nowadays, most parents leave everything to their children so that they can sit and enjoy the wedding. Most of my clients are also clear about their preferences since they are exposed to ideas on Instagram and Pinterest.”
Anji and Pete started their couple photography venture in 2014. Branching out to Chennai where they both have a personal connection, they hope to make their mark with their style.
Anji and Pete share, “We are documentary photographers. We don’t capture anything staged. We only stage portraits. Our style of work is an interactive process. We deal directly with the couple. We try to understand what exactly they are looking for. We also educate them about how we approach a wedding.”
The collaboration intends to embrace the differences between Indian weddings and weddings in the West. Anji shares, “A typical wedding in India lasts three to four days while a wedding in the West would only last eight to 12 hours. For us, it has been a challenge and also a pleasure to see how vibrant and colourful weddings are in India and to capture the emotions and the moments between family members.”
Mathangi hopes that this initiative doesn’t confine only to Chennai and they can conduct more weddings all around India and the world.
For details, visit: www.weddingsandmarigold. com and www. potoksworldphotos. com