Couple ties the knot underwater off Thengaithittu coast

Couple weds underwater to promote ocean conservation, exchanging vows surrounded by marine life at 50 feet depth.

A couple tied the knot underwater off Thengaithittu coast on Wednesday morning. Clad in their wedding finery, a gown and a suit, the duo took a dive to spread the message of ocean and marine life conservation.

The couple — Deepika, a hair stylist and John De Prito, an IT employee, hailing from Murungapakkam — had planned an underwater wedding to spread the message.

Deepika is a certified scuba diver while John underwent scuba diving sessions for five days to take the plunge. The duo convinced their families and finalised the date.

John De Prito had earlier proposed to Deepika while on a paramotor in the sky in Chennai in February last year. The two waited for a year and decided to tie the knot underwater to spread awareness on the need for protecting the oceans.

According to Deepika, “Plastic pollution is posing a grave threat to the ocean’s ecosystem. I have seen several forms of plastic debris during diving sessions and wanted to raise awareness about underwater pollution. It was an exhilarating experience, and we were thrilled to exchange our wedding vows surrounded by fishes.”

S.B. Aravind Tharunsri, Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) master instructor, said the two dived to a depth of about 50 feet to reach the seabed at a distance of 5 km from the shore.

They spent around 40 minutes and were accompanied by Aravind and three others.