MEMORY FILMING®
Tamil weddings by Memory Filming

Tamil weddings

On the almanac's clock.

The thali goes on at a time your priest sets, often before sunrise, so that is when we are ready, not when the venue opens.

12 weddings

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The muhurtham decides everything

A Tamil wedding does not run on the venue's timetable. The auspicious window for tying the thali is fixed by the almanac, and the entire morning is built to land the couple at that exact minute.

Turn up on a normal wedding schedule and you have already missed it. We plan the morning backwards from the muhurtham and are in position well before it, which, for a lot of the weddings we film in Croydon, Tooting and Wembley, means arriving in the dark.

And we know where the weight sits. For a Tamil wedding the thali tying is what the vows are to a Western one: everything leads to it. The first two knots are the groom's, the third is his sister's, a detail a crew new to Thirumanam misses completely.

The rest of the ceremony is long and specific, and we staff for that too. A full Thirumanam with every ritual can run well past two hours.

What we cover

From the threads to the reception.

  • 01

    Vrutham

    The kaappu, the yellow protective thread, tied on the couple's wrists in the days before. The quiet commitment ahead of the noise.

  • 02

    Mangala Snanam

    The ritual purification with oil and paste, often before dawn. The still, private start to the day.

  • 03

    Kashi Yatra

    The groom's mock departure for Kashi until the bride's father talks him out of it. Genuinely funny, and a family favourite.

  • 04

    Kanyadanam

    The bride's parents placing her hand in the groom's. Covered on the parents' faces as much as the couple's.

  • 05

    Thali & Kumkumam

    The moment. The groom's two knots, his sister's third, and the kumkumam that follows. All locked on in advance.

  • 06

    The reception

    The meal, the greetings and the celebration once the muhurtham has passed and everyone can breathe.

Coverage

Long ceremonies with several things happening at once set the crew size.

We don't publish prices, because no two of these weddings are the same. Tell us the date, the venue and how many events you are running, and we will send an itemised quote with nothing to decode.

Twenty-five years in the room

Why Tamil families book us

The details that say this is not a North Indian crew turning up.

  • We arrive on the muhurtham

    The thali tying is fixed to a window your priest sets, often before dawn. We plan the whole morning backwards from that minute rather than catching up to a ceremony that started without us.

  • We know the thali is the moment

    It is the Tamil equivalent of the vows and there is no second take. We are locked on it in advance, the groom's hands, the bride's face, and his sister tying the third knot.

  • We use Tamil terms

    Thirumanam, not Vivaah. Thali, not mangalsutra. Kumkumam, not sindoor. Small, but to a Tamil family it is the difference between a crew that knows their wedding and one that has filmed someone else's.

Questions

Before you ask.

Our muhurtham is before sunrise. Can you start that early?

Yes, and we expect to. The thali tying is fixed to the auspicious window your priest sets and it is often before dawn. We plan around that time and arrive well ahead of it.

Will the thali tying be captured clearly?

It is the moment we build the entire coverage around, locked on in advance, including the groom's sister tying the third knot, which is the detail most crews miss.

Do you know the Tamil ceremony specifically?

Yes. Thirumanam differs from a North Indian ceremony in sequence, terminology and which moment is the binding one, the thali rather than the saptapadi. We confirm your exact order of service with your priest beforehand.

The ceremony is very long. Will you cover all of it?

Yes, and we staff for it. A full Thirumanam can run well over two hours, so we bring more than one camera and the stamina to hold the detail from the Mangala Snanam through to the blessings.

Can you film at our temple?

Almost certainly. We have worked across London's Tamil temples for years. Some restrict flash or positioning, so we confirm with yours in advance and plan around whatever they permit.

Will you film the Kashi Yatra?

Gladly. It is one of the most enjoyable moments of the day, and we cover it for the comedy of it as well as its place in the ritual.

4 awards for our work, including from Pakistan Achievement Awards International. Rated 5 out of 5 from 18 reviews on Bridebook. See them.

Enquire

Is your datestill free?

Tell us the date and the venue and we will come back within one working day with availability, a crew size and a straight price.

Start the conversationOr call 07446 580004