Weddings at Neelambari
An unhurried, green wedding in the heart of Keralam
An Unhurried Wedding, as we call it, should sit lightly on its surroundings, and the job of the decoration is to add to them without covering them. The idea originated from our endeavour to give our customers the choice of a simple, elegant, environmentally responsible and hassle-free wedding experience, especially those who do not reside in or around Thrissur and find it difficult to coordinate remotely.
So we use living plants in place of short-lived décor, and draw as much as possible on plants, pots, food and craftspeople from Thrissur and its suburbs. There is no single-use plastic at an Unhurried Wedding. The plants return to use after the ceremony, and water is served in steel tumblers and reusable jugs.
Neelambari is a venue for intimate, green weddings, and the weddings we hold stand on the following important principles.
Four things we hold to
1. Unhurried
The venue, the decoration, the sadya and the local arrangements all come through one person at Neelambari. We go through the setting, the menu, the guest count and the details of the day with you. That leaves the bride, the groom and their families with fewer calls to make, fewer people to chase and less to worry about.
2. Keralam
Keralam is in the details. The living plants include chethi (ixora) and chemparathy (hibiscus). From the famous Arattupuzha Temple in our backyard, we take objects such as the nettipattam (the decorative headpiece of a temple elephant) and the aalavattam (the ceremonial fan of peacock feathers), and use them judiciously on the stage and in the venue, as a tribute to the famous Poorams in and around Thrissur, which are feasts for one's eyes and soul. We use all of these with restraint, so that the timber, the murals and the gardens stay visible.
3. Green
Living plants make up much of the decoration, and they go back into use after the wedding. They take the place of cut decoration that would be thrown away the next morning. There is no single-use plastic at an Unhurried Wedding, including in the stage and venue decoration. We do not use plastic bottles or disposable cups. We arrange for excess food items not to be thrown away, and we manage the sadya waste in-house, in line with prevailing sustainable practices.
4. Ultralocal
Our kitchen is run by women from the villages around us. The plants, the pots, the craftspeople, the service staff and most of what we hire come from Thrissur and its suburbs, so much of what you see at the wedding was made, grown or cooked within a short distance of where it is used. Our use of temple festival elements from the local temple, our Thrissur-style sadya, and our use of artisans and products from in and around Thrissur are all part of our endeavour to ensure that the wedding is in line with the concepts of sustainability and ultralocal.
The sadya
The sadya (the traditional Kerala feast, served on a banana leaf) is a Thrissur-style one, with dishes and flavours that are typical of Thrissur. It is served on banana leaves, with cloth napkins and steel bowls for the payasam. Water comes in steel tumblers from reusable jugs, with no plastic bottles and no disposable glasses. We have a classical sadya that adheres to the traditional menu, style and flavours.
We also offer a Neelambari Signature sadya that ventures outside the traditional lines, with fusion dishes and broader menu options but the same authentic Kerala flavours. This can be interesting if you are expecting guests from outside the state, or if you simply want to surprise your local guests! We hold a lot of cross-cultural weddings at Neelambari, so this option can also be used to blend dishes from different cultures into a single sadya experience.
Decoration and sadya can be booked with us, together or separately.
Where a small, green wedding sits
A green wedding does not need to be small, but the setting suits an intimate one. The Koothambalam seats about 100, with the Nalukettu (the courtyard) next to it for the sadya. Puzhayoram, on the bank of the Karuvannur river, suits a smaller ceremony still. For a larger one, the Jaalam, covered and open to the garden, takes 500 to 600 guests.
We usually keep the decoration simple and minimal, so as to bring out the natural beauty of the venue and location — be it the traditional Koothambalam, Jaalam or Puzhayoram.
Getting everyone here
Many families who celebrate here have travelled from outside Kerala, and the logistics are part of what we take on, through the same single contact.
- Kochi International Airport is 42 km away, usually about an hour's drive. We can arrange airport and railway station transfers.
- Thrissur is 13 km away, and so is the railway station. Kerala's cultural capital is close enough for guests to visit between functions, and we can arrange sightseeing in Thrissur, or further to Athirappilly.
- Guruvayur temple is about an hour away, 40 km by NH 66. Each year a number of couples marry at the temple in the morning and then come to us, to a quiet place by a river in place of a crowded hotel near the temple. We are south of Guruvayur, so when the bride's family, the groom's family, or both are from the southern side, the logistics are easier.
- Rooms. Nine rooms on the property and two tree houses by the river, for the families closest to the wedding. Additional rooms at properties nearby can be arranged for the extended family and friends. Transfers, transport and extra rooms are charged separately.
Planning a green wedding with us
Message us on WhatsApp, call +91 94005 25150, or use the enquiry form. We will take it from there.