Mehendi (Henna)
The beautiful art of henna, symbolizing love, joy, and the beautiful bond. Includes dinner
Days of love, laughter, family & tradition
December 1 - 3, 2026 | Aurora, IL
✦ RSVPWelcome
Whether you are joining us in person or celebrating from afar, having your love and support means the world to us. As we honor our traditions and begin this new chapter together, we hope this site helps with all your travel and event planning! We are so excited to celebrate this next chapter with you!
See you there!02 · The Invitation
Come celebrate the beginning of our next chapter with us.
Together with their families
Mani Garikipati
&
Becca Snedeker-Meier
Joyfully invite you to attend their auspicious wedding celebration
THURSDAY · DECEMBER 3, 2026
9:02 AM
Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple
Aurora, Illinois
Traditional Indian or Western Cocktail Attire Welcome
RSVP Now03 · Events
There is more than one reason to get dressed up, gather together, and celebrate.
The beautiful art of henna, symbolizing love, joy, and the beautiful bond. Includes dinner
A colorful and joyful celebration with turmeric, laughter, family and friends. Includes lunch
Join us for the traditional Hindu ceremony. Includes breakfast and lunch
04 · Traditions
If this is your first Hindu wedding, don't worry — we've got you.
Honors the groom as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu arriving to wed the bride, who represents Lakshmi, as her family entrusts him with her lifelong well-being.
At the exact auspicious moment (sumuhurtham), the couple places a cumin-jaggery paste on each other to symbolize remaining inseparable through life's bitter and sweet moments before lowering the curtain for the "first look."
The groom ties the mangalsutra around the bride's neck with three knots, marking an unbreakable bond of body, mind, and spirit.
The couple joyfully showers each other, invoking blessings of abundance and joy.
Betel nuts, coins, and turmeric are tied into the couple's garments, representing the union of both families.
They press toes together to declare mutual equality, exchanging vows for nourishment, strength, family care, and enduring friendship.
The groom points out the twin stars orbiting in sync, Arundhati and Vashishtha, reflecting lifelong equality and devotion.
05 · Stay
We're arranging separate Airbnbs for friends and family coming into town.
A comfortable shared home for loved ones traveling in to celebrate the occasion.
Please text for location
A comfortable shared home for loved ones traveling in to celebrate the occasion.
Please text for location
06 · Registry
If you'd like to celebrate us with a gift, we've included a few links below.
07 · Good to Know
A few helpful answers before the celebrations begin.
9:02 AM is our sumuhurtham, the specific auspicious moment calculated by our priest for our primary wedding ritual. Early rituals will begin around 7:00 AM, leading up to this special moment. Because traditional Hindu ceremonies span several hours, the atmosphere is open and relaxed—please feel free to arrive at your convenience, eat, mingle, and come and go as you wish!
If you want to raid your own closet, Western cocktail attire is great! However, if you’d like to join in the South Indian tradition, colorful Indian festive wear is warmly welcomed. For Women: A silk saree, silk-blend saree, Lehenga, or a dressy Anarkali / Salwar Suit. For Men: A tailored Silk or Cotton Kurta set (paired with traditional fitted trousers or dress slacks). If you prefer Western attire, a suit or a dress shirt with slacks works perfectly. If you don’t want to purchase an outfit specifically for the event, we’ve partnered with Boomie, the largest peer-to-peer South Asian fashion rental and resale app, to give our guests 10% off their first rental. Use code: BECCAMANI Download the app here: Boomie Here’s how it works: 1. Download the Boomie app. 2. Pick your outfit + rental dates. 3. Choose shipping or pickup + Enter our promo code. 4. Wear it to our event! 5. Return it and repeat. No matter what you decide to wear, we can’t wait to see what you pick for our day!
Your presence at our celebration is truly the greatest gift of all! However, for guests who have inquired about gift ideas or wish to honor us with a gift, we’ve put together a few ideas on our registry page
Hindu weddings are rich with vibrant traditions, rituals, and meaning! Our ceremony will be a traditional Telugu service, and we’ve outlined the key highlights here to help you follow along. If you’d like to dive deeper into the significance behind each custom, we invite you to explore this guide.
We have reserved a few guest Airbnbs! Space is limited, so please text the couple directly to check availability. If you prefer a hotel, these options are located close to the venue: Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago/Aurora Holiday Inn Express & Suites Aurora - Naperville Comfort Inn & Suites North Aurora - Naperville
We’ve got you covered! There will be plenty of variety to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets. If you have a severe food allergy, please text us ahead of time so we can ensure you are taken care of!
08 · RSVP
Please let us know if you'll be celebrating with us.