ZARA HAT KE WEDDING...!!!

THE bride resplendant in red and gold, the groom sober in a cream sherwani. Shehnai tunes at the jaimala, and the reception at the swankiest hotel in town. Hasn't this wedding story been done many times till now? All those flowers at the soiree, the silks and shararas, the paneer tikka masala and gajar ka halwa _ they somehow contrive to make every marriage a repeat of the one you attended just last week.

But what about that couple who exchanged vows underwater? And those who decided to do it _ with family and friends _ on board an aircraft? Lest you forget, let's remind you of the intrepid duo who went rock-climbing and then took a breather mid-way to exchange their vows? Like them, if you are hankering for a ``zara hat ke'' wedding, then there's lots that you can do to make your W-Day special. With organisers and planners aiming to design a difference into your ceremonies, you can go in for what they call a ``theme-based'' wedding. And as far as ideas go, the sky's your limit: so go in for a skydiving event (the bride and groom exchange varmalas while leaping off even as the relatives look on), a beach wedding (smart casual's the mantra, so lots of beer, casual clothes and a salad buffet), a wine party shindig (this could be a little tough to tackle in aapnu Amdavad, but you could always move _ en family _ to a resort in a small town like Mahabaleshwar or so), a flower-based affair (think lots of gajras, fresh flower jewellery for the bride, loads of flowers at the buffet table and venue) or a fairy tale wedding (the bride and groom dressed up ``Englis-wedding style'', a huge wedding cake, lots of candles and satin bows on the backs of chairs). By now, you must be getting the idea: doing away with the traditions of yore, and setting your own.

``I quite like the idea of getting married in a different way. May be we could all take off to a beach resort in Diu and we could take the saat pheras on the beach. That would be so romantic,'' says 21-year-old Dimple Bakshi. ``But getting your family convinced to tread a different path will be really difficult. They won't budge or see the sense in this new-fangled method. But my fiance is backing me, and may be we could use the `this will keep expenses low as guests will be few' theory,'' she says with a smile.

The whole idea of a theme wedding is sticking to the theme. So if you're going for a classy do, let every thing be that way: the mehndi party, the sangeet, the cocktail, the pre-wedding dinner as well as the wedding and reception. The tone, decor, lighting, venue and clothing _ it's important that all these elements are harmonious or else your theme could look, well, a little lop-sided.

You could also provide little touches to make the wedding truly memorable. For instance, if the theme's wild and wacky, a tattoo artist to draw up designs on backs, shoulders and who-knows-where is a good idea. So's a nail artist who can provide nail art and extensions to all the women of the house and a few select guests. If it's a sari soiree, then how about someone who helps guests drape their six yards of silk in more than six different ways: traditional, Gujarati, Bengali, Maharashtrian and myriad fusion styles.

Sounds good? It will sound even better when you realise that event management firms and wedding planners are the ones who'll sit down with pen and paper to make the whole shindig happen. You just have to float your idea, and watch it come alive. ``A beach party's not for me, but I have been thinking of going in for an old-fashioned wedding. Where everything's from the 1950s: the ambience, the clothes, the hairstyles, the food. That shouldn't be too difficult, and it will be a wedding that people will talk about,'' said 30-year-old Manish Rathod, who's planning to tie the knot late next year. That's something to say cheers to! - Perfectshaadi Team Give your feedback or views for this article at articles@perfectshaadi.com

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