It is hot news, everybody seems to be talking about it — Shahid Kapoor may have broken a thousand hearts by marrying Mira Rajput, but we’re all going gaga over it! However, noticed something else about the wedding, other than the fact that the couple looked stunning? Through the entire planning and preparation, it was not just the ladki waale (girl’s side) who pitched in, but the Kapoors too got involved in everything. Right from designing the invitations, to what gifts were sent along with it, Shahid’s family played an important role.
For instance, an exotic blend of tea and honey was sent to all the guests along with the invite — the reason behind this is Pankaj Kapoor’s love for tea. Similarly, personalised chocolate bars from Smitten Bakery & Patisserie in New Delhi, with flavours like almond, currant and seasalt or pumpkin seed and candied chilli were also arranged by the groom’s family to be given to the guests at the wedding.
It’s not just in this starry wedding, but even those down south are along the same lines. There is an increase in the number of weddings where the maapillai and his family pitch in, instead of leaving all the planning to the girl’s side. Says Vidya Singh, a wedding planner and partner at Sumyog, “In our days, only the girl’s parents decided how a wedding should be. The couple didn’t even have a say in it. But today, the youngsters I meet have a clear idea of what they want. In fact I’ve seen some very enthusiastic grooms come to me about how they want their wedding to be. In one such case, the boy loved bikes so much that the bride decided to gift him one. After the main muhurtam, the couple, decked in all their finery, actually rode off on the bike to the groom’s house! It was such a funny yet cute thing to see,” she laughs.
For designer Mohammed Anaikar, his wedding was all about being classy yet simple. “Being a designer, I have a sharp eye for colour and detail, but I detest loud colours or patterns. I was in charge of planning our outfits at the wedding, the décor, hair and make-up,” he says adding, “Even though the wedding had a colour coordinated theme, when it came to outfits, I made sure I designed or picked up what suited us as individuals.” In fact the couple wanted to be eco-friendly so they decided not to print too many invitations (other than for close relatives) but just sent e-mail invites to all their friends. “This was an idea my wife and I came up with. My friends were really happy and liked the idea a lot. I guess at the end of it, it’s all about working as a team with your partner to make your big day special, right?” he puts forth.For Radha N, a home-based entrepreneur her wedding was a dream come true. “My husband’s name is Krishna, so we actually had a ‘Radha Krishna’ theme for the wedding,” she says. The groom decided to wear a peacock feather on his turban during the main ceremony, and even carried a little flute with him. “The entire theme was based on peacock feathers and colours, and none of this would have been possible without my husband’s presence of mind, involvement in the wedding and of course, wanting to see me happy!”
“The boy and his family these day play a major role in planning wedding, be it deciding a venue or decor,” says the owner of Rina’s Venue, a wedding planner herself. “What’s nicer is that the groom shares half the cost of the wedding with the bride, and does not burden the parents at all,” she adds. This way, the boys are conscious of how much money is being spent, and that gives them a chance to prioritise their
expenses better.
