Scene1: Hotel Fort House, Fort Kochi.
It is drizzling yet all cameramen are ready to capture the Superbike journey of the just-married Dr Rishi George and Euphie Paul, whose wedding ceremony happened at Santacruz Basilica Church, Fort Kochi, on June 3. Dr Rishi George, an avid motorcyclist, stands near his Indian Vintage Superbike. His eight friends, crazy about bikes like him, vroom their superbikes to kick off the journey to the reception venue. A few minutes later, Euphie, the bride, wearing a golden colour dress comes out and mounts on Rishi’s bike. And, their ‘Vintage Wedding’ journey begins, accompanied by rain. The onlookers are excited to see the couple riding in the rain.
Scene 2: Xandari Harbour Resort, Mattancherry.
At the entrance, the title of the reception is written as ‘Euphorish’, perhaps a portmanteau of Euphie and Rishi. The venue is decked up with lights and candles in sync with the scenic monsoon landscape of Fort Kochi. It takes a few minutes for the couple and guests to settle. And then, the eight friends walk to the lawn in their riding costume — helmets, gloves, jackets and shoes. Music starts and they start dancing moto dance (funny dance with bikes on the background). The jubilant couple joins them taking their motorcyclist-themed wedding to a higher level.
As soon as the dance ends, the couple comes for a quick chat. Rishi, who has been a superbike lover since his teen days, begins the conversation. “We wanted to hold a destination wedding with our friends and family. Then, we thought how we can make it different and thus zeroed in on the motorcycle theme,” he says.
A native of Kollam, Rishi was brought up in Madhya Pradesh. Euphie is an MBA graduate. Rishi’s parents love Kerala and instilled in him a fondness for the homeland, which encouraged Rishi to return to Kerala last year. He was working at a private hospital in Kochi. The couple now plans to start a new diabetic and cardiac centre in Kochi.
Rishi and Euphie’s is a motorcycle love story. Both are members of the Kerala Riders Club, a club of superbike lovers. “We are family friends. Euphie and I first met in Kochi, interestingly, on a motorcycle,” Rishi says. “Initially, she was not a big motorcycle fan because she had a negative image about motorcycle riders,” he laughs. However, gradually, Euphie started loving bikes and now she proudly confesses, ‘I love bikes’. “She used to ride only scooter. One day, she surprised me by riding my motorcycle. I think that was the moment I fell in love with her,” says Rishi.
About the evolution of the motorcycle theme, Rishi says, “It was a gift from our friends. The moto dance was their idea and they did it beautifully.” Bike riding is a passion for the friends who go for weekend rides. “I bought my bike as soon as I came to Kerala. Riding, for me, is a stress-buster,” says Rishi. It was during one such journey the whole motorcycle idea evolved. “We were in a café and I asked them what we could do for the wedding. Then they suggested: ‘why can’t we take our bikes and give a grand entry?” One of his friends says, “We wanted to make the wedding memorable.” Rishi adds, “In North India, the groom comes in Barat mounted on a horse. Here, we chose our horse - bike,” he says and they all burst into laughter.
Euphie, who is overwhelmed by the journey, believes that rain, in fact, beautified their journey. “I never expected this,” she says and adds that she is grateful to Rishi’s friends for making their wedding day memorable. “It is good that it rained. We had a monsoon wedding in mind. When we presented this, everybody was against this idea. First of all, we have to ride the bike, then there would be rain and the makeup would be ruined. But, for us, the priority was the feeling such a journey would give. I am so happy,” she says.
