arranged marriage to a cricketer

wedding ritual

I forgot to mention both priya and karthik are tamil brahmin so the rituals will be as per iyer marriage.

Pre-wedding rituals

'Nischyadaartham': In case of most Iyer weddings, matching of the horoscopes of the boy and the girl is an important step. Once the marriage is fixed, the 'nischayadaartham' ceremony (engagement ceremony) is held on an auspicious day. Following a pooja invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesha to remove all obstacles, an exchange of 'nalikera' (coconut) and 'thamboola' (betel leaves and areca nuts) is done in the presence of elderly members of both families. This ritual is also known as 'vaang nischaya' (giving commitment by word). The reading of the 'lagna patrika' giving details about the date, day, time (muhurtham) and place of the wedding along with family details of the bride and the groom, which is then signed by representatives of both the families, is a later addition to the 'nischyadaartham' and has now become a part of this ceremony, over a period of time.

'Sumangali prarthanai': This is a prayer done by the married women invoking the blessings of female ancestors, who would have passed away as 'sumangalis' (died before their husbands). 'Sumangalis', who are invited from among known circles, are supposed to represent the ancestral 'sumangalis' and are worshipped and fed as per the customs and practices prevalent in individual families. Along with the 'sumangalis', a 'kanya' is also worshipped and partakes of this feast. Usually, the 'sumangali prarthanai' in the bride's family is done before the wedding so that the daughter, who will be getting married, can be a part of the ceremony and receive blessings. In case of the groom, it is done immediately after the wedding so that the new daughter-in-law can participate as a 'sumangali' in this ritual.

'Yatra daanam': The groom and his family travel to the bride's place of residence (or the venue of the wedding) after praying to Lord Ganesha and giving 'daana' to Brahmins to ward off evils. It is also considered auspicious to break a coconut before commencing the trip.
A typical Iyer wedding in earlier times was generally celebrated over a period of four days. Nowadays, it is customary to have a two-day wedding schedule. Prior to these two-days, smaller ceremonies are held at the bride's and the groom's residences respectively, which involves praying to 'kula-devatas' (family deities), erecting a 'panda kaal' or bamboo pole with plantain covered decoration outside their homes after special prayers for the smooth conduct of the wedding and applying mehendi for the bride and other ladies of both the families (the groom also has to apply some mehendi symbolically). Traditional songs are sung, while family members joyously come together to prepare for the subsequent wedding ceremonies.
These days, though, elaborate 'mehendi' and 'sangeet' ceremonies are part of many Iyer weddings including curated performances on popular Bollywood and regional movie songs. Since most of the wedding preparations are now taken care of by event managers and caterers, families today are a bit more relieved and have some additional time to let their hair down and enjoy the festivities.

Key rituals that are done on the first day of the two-day wedding ceremonies include:

Receiving the groom's party: In country-side weddings in the olden times, the groom's party used to be welcomed at the boundary of the bride's village with the 'nadaswaram' being played. Nowadays, the groom's party is ceremonially received at the entrance of the wedding venue by the bride's parents and relatives. They are received with coconuts, flowers and thamboola with two decorated conical structures called 'paruppu thengai kutti' (traditionally made out of jaggery, lentils and coconut).

'Vratham': This Vedic ritual involves the groom taking permission from his father (Guru) to end his 'Brahmacharya Vratha' and get married to lead the life of a 'Grihastha'. Both the bride and the groom are made to perform certain 'samskaras' and a sacred string of protection called 'Kaapu' or 'raksha' is tied to the wrists of the bride and the groom after chanting of Vedic mantras to protect them from all evil spirits.