One Fine Day
One day that is dreamt about, planned and celebrated over weeks, months, maybe even decades. One moment that must be perfect, memorable, and most important of all, must go on forever. We are talking of the ‘Wedding Day’.
Today, and now more than ever before, the entire concept of a wedding is much more than a simple ceremony shared with those closest to the couples. Today, the ‘big day’ is all about how big it really can get, how entertaining, awesome and truly unforgettable it can be – not only for the couple, but also for their guests!
Enter the ‘most exclusive of wedding themes’. An idea that flies high on the wingspan of a bank balance; for with enough pocket depth, there’s no end to pulling out all the stops.
The King of your Castle
Royal Weddings have gained tremendous popularity over the last few decades. From Princess Diana’s fairytale years ago, to Kate Middleton’s or the Duchess of Cambridge as she now titled, more modern day happy ending, the charm and fascination of royalty in all its regal finery is probably most alluring. And when budgets are no constraint, the palaces and chateaux are all up for bidding.
The majestic castles of Ireland or the French countryside whose stonewalls have their romances to tell of, the palaces and mahals of Rajasthan with their own love stories – they can all be lit up with the glow of enough green. Everything, right from the carpets and décor to the food that is served, everything can be tailor-made to be fit for a King, and his Queen to be.
On an Island of your Own
You may not be Sir Richard Branson, but you could be Sir Richard Branson for a day, or maybe a week; it’s all about the money, honey! And why settle for a little bit of shore when you can get the entire coast to toast you! Yes, beachside weddings and wedding themes are a hit indeed, and when you can celebrate all over a mini-country, the bells are about to chime like they never have before.
Shell out about $1.2 million for three days and you can rent the One & Only Reethi Rah Resort – 109-acre island in the North Male' Atoll, where more than 200 guests can stay in one of 130 beach, over-water or duplex villas. Or if you willing to go where few have gone before, there’s the 74-acre island in the British Virgin Islands owned by billionaire Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group – that can be reserved for about $47,000 a day, with a five-day minimum stay.
With one-of-a-kind ceremonies that promise never to be repeated and an offer that takes care of every thing that could be possibly related to the big day, Necker Island is that ‘Kohinoor’ that you can buy! Other such ‘Kohinoors’ include Turtle Island in Fiji and the private islands of French Polynesia’s Bora Bora – and they all feature luxurious lodging, ultimate privacy and top-notch amenities.
The Big Fat Indian Wedding
India is shining alright; and everything Indian is a world favourite hands-down. Now, it’s the time of the Indian wedding – decked out in all its glory. It’s where flamboyant meets flair, extravagant marries elegant and where ‘I do’ also means ‘I do indeed!’
But the real reason the Indian-themed wedding is increasingly becoming an ‘I must’, is that it doesn’t really need a place! Pitch a shamiana on a couple of lush acres, or build an exotic, to-scale palace mock-up, throw in a few regally adorned elephants and horses and there’s no going back. Of course, there’s nothing quite like renting out the real palace, and money doesn’t only make the world go round, it also builds it – just the way you want it. But the new piece-de-resistance of every ‘Indian’ wedding is getting the biggest of Bollywood, India’s very own Hollywood, to shake a hip and twist a leg in an elaborate let’s-do-it-exactly-like-they-did-in the movie sequel. Get your guests outfits to match and you’ve got yourself a show that’s all khushi and no gham! It’s a song and dance that comes with the promise of proclaiming your betrothal worldwide; the quintessential much ado about ‘I do’.
More Themes for a Dream…
Where and how you choose to marry is sometimes as important as who you choose to marry! After all, wedded bliss is not always the fairytale it’s made out to be – at least not all the time! It’s actually an adventure, one that can be as exotic and adventurous as you think you make it.
And so you have cruise-ship weddings, under-water weddings, snow-peak and water-fall themes, weddings at a casino, reflecting the great gamble it really is, and the one idea that’ll take you higher than the feeling of being in love does – the aeroplane wedding! So if you’ve got what it takes (apart from your soul mate), then, a la the famous song, “ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low, ain’t no river wide enough baby…”