Tweet

Is this a wedding house or the sets of a Bollywood blockbuster? Hardly. Just another flamboyant wedding. Theatrical, mega-scale, utterly mind-boggling! The stuff dreams are made of. Now, enter the dream-weavers. An organised multi-crore industry, making hay ..or rather spinning straw into gold.

We are not joking here. This is a respectable new industry. A corporate system with suave consultants and well-groomed executives - their laptops and diaries full of concepts, POAs and deadlines. Often looking dead beat too. This is no small matter. Nothing is small in scale. In fact, `mega` and `larger than life` are the keywords here.

Let`s take a look at the various components that go into this melee we call marriage.

First, the wedding organiser. He is the guy who "plans" with a capital P. So that your family function is a capital success. So, just what does he plan? Thankfully, not the trousseau - we have the fashion designer stepping in to do that. So ..check out the checklist.

• Wrap up in style - pouches to hold anything - priceless jewellery to the humble coconut. All designer. All new and very different. Made of jute, crushed tissue ..

• Pandals. Those traditional palm leaf ones are extinct now. It`s forts, temples, filmy sets and all. More bizarre, the better.

• The cards.. we are not always on fast forward. We rewind to the days of the palm leaf scrolls too. We have parchment scrolls, parched scrolls - anything that goes under "creativity" and "novelty".

• Web weddings are in. Cater to in-laws and out- laws all over the world. Those who miss "the event" can see it all on the Net.

• Flowers. No. Not plain ol` mogra malas. It`s peach rose buds for the reception and orchids for the muhurat. And flowers all over. Not from the bazaar. Straight from the hothouse.

• Limousines. You don`t need to own one. Just hire and bedeck them. Drive to your destiny in style.

• Lighting. No. Not tubes and lanterns. Where are you? It`s candles, aroma candles, floating diyas..the sky is the limit. Yes. Starlit weddings are in too. If not the heavenly ones, the ones that walk the earth are available as guests- for a price.

• The rites themselves. Mixed up in a medley of happy happenings, who`s to know right from wrong? Anyway, have fun. Plan fun. It`s the multi- ceremony bash era.

• The Feast. Feast your eyes too. It`s not seven-course anymore. It`s more like seven -cuisine delights. With imported dry fruit and chocolates thrown in for variety.

With all this happening, it`s quite likely that universities may soon offer courses on wedding management and consultancy!