58 Years Later, This Couple Gets A Wedding Photoshoot

During our conversations with people from the previous generation, you hear a lot of them say, “Times were simpler back in the day”. Falling in love, being one among those. When Ammachi met Chachan for the first time in life, she was all of 23 years. Getting married at that age was practically unheard of in Kerala back then, but when she met Chachan, she knew that her life would be one helluva roller coaster ride. But little did the couple know that they would finally have a wedding photoshoot 58 years down the lane with the help of their grandson.

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This mother of three, and grandma of six, narrated her arranged love story on Humans of Bombay. She talks about love at first sight and recalls her wedding day in 1962.

“IT was a traditional Malayali Kalyanam in Kerala. I wore a Set Mundu saree & Chachan was dressed in a 3 piece suit. It was a small wedding, but everything was perfect apart from the fact that there was no one to capture it! In the 60s, owning a camera was a luxury.”

Chachan, being a travel enthusiast, exposed his wife to the world outside her bubble, and she was more than enthusiastic to explore the unknown.

“Chachan’s love for travel became a part of me as well.”

Since Chahchan worked as an event manager, they always had the opportunity to travel. They have covered the whole of South India, but their ultimate wish is to travel to New York as Chachan loves the whole tall building vibe and the American culture.

One fine day, when the grandmother was narrating their love story to their grandson, he had an idea of re-creating their wedding day by doing a wedding shoot for them. The idea seemed absurd at first, but the couple was up for it. So, 58 years later after their wedding, they donned a set saree and a 3-piece suit, and got their wedding shoot done in the backyard of their house. They wished for a wedding photoshoot when they got married, but couldn’t afford one. But, their wish got fulfilled close to six decades later.

Maybe, this is what love is all about. Sharing each other’s love and dreams, and living life to the fullest. Read the entire post here!

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“Chachan & I met at a wedding where we were introduced by our parents–I was 23. Back then, being 23 & unmarried was unheard of; my parents were aggressively looking for a suitable boy. We were sent for a walk. I was shy; but he spoke enough for the 2 of us. He told me about his love for travel & cinema. We walked for 30 mins & by the end of it, he somehow didn’t seem like a stranger anymore. So when we got back, I said ‘yes’. 2 months later, on the first day of 1962, we got married. It was a traditional Malayali Kalyanam in Kerala. I wore a Set Mundu saree & Chachan was dressed in a 3 piece suit. It was a small wedding, but everything was perfect apart from the fact that there was no one to capture it! In the 60s, owning a camera was a luxury. But we danced all evening; the next day, we left for our honeymoon in Munnar. It was my first time traveling out of town–I loved it. Chachan’s love for travel became a part of me as well. He was an event manager, so our life was a little party. He’d take me for all his events, even the out of town ones. After the event wrapped up, we’d stay for a few more days & explore the place, doing all sorts of touristy things. We’ve covered all of South India & next on our wishlist is New York. Chachan loves tall buildings & the American culture, especially their breakfast; but his favourite food is my fish curry. So every Sunday our entire family–3 kids & 6 grandkids, get together for fish curry. During the lockdown, we got even more time together. We’d all sit together & reminisce about simpler days. So when I was narrating our wedding story, my photographer grandson suggested a wedding photoshoot for us! It felt silly at first–playing bride & groom & getting a photoshoot done at 80? People would laugh. Even I laughed–but the kids had made up their minds & Chachan was also excited. So, 58 years after our wedding, I again adorned a white Set Mundu saree as Chachan got into his three piece suit, & we got our wedding photoshoot done in the backyard of our house. We may have been 80, but that day, we felt like those 23 year olds who met at a wedding & within half an hour decided to spend the rest of their lives together.”

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) on Oct 28, 2020 at 5:32am PDT