Changing wedding trends

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Through history, marriage is considered one of the foundations of one's life, weddings not only seal the bond between two souls, but also unite two families, especially in this part of the world. Even a decade ago, on rare occasions one could find couples who had locked eyes in the streets and span out their own love stories, most traditional marriages were arranged by the elders of the family. After an intense long search of Mr or Miss Right for their beloved daughters and sons, the whereabouts of the one was often found through the help of mutual friends and relatives. 

The groom's family members were welcomed to the girl's humble abode, where the elders of both the families met each other and discuss wedding dates. This first meeting was often a small one, where the would-be weds hardly talked and only stole glances when the elders were 'not looking.' Once the marriage was finalised, the bride was presented with a ring or a nose pin as a token from the groom's mother, along with a Tk 1 coin as a sign of good luck. 

Once the wedding preparations began, the festive vibe drew in neighbours and relatives who help out by providing cutlery, shopping, and cooking.

Although there were only three events, the workload was massive, as everything had to be done by the loved ones. The houses were decorated with colourful papers, and vibrant alponas were drawn in the verandas for the neighbourhood to see. The bride and the groom thankfully, had no part in the stressful event management. They merely sat back, smiling shyly, as grown-ups teased and gave them advice about their new journey in life.

Bound by traditions and rituals, the first event was the holud, limited to a simple event in the house where the bride was dressed in a yellow saree and relatives fed her homemade sweets and pithas and put haldi on her face. She was then adorned with mehendi. Meanwhile, the groom would go through a similar process, but separately.

Forget beauty parlours! It was the closest friends and family members that dressed the bride on the wedding day. Makeup was carefully applied and she was then adorned in a bright red katan sari and gold jewellery.

As soon as the flower-decorated car of the groom would honk, the younger cohort would rush to the gate, demanding money from the groom. With no bargaining power, the groom finally caved in and soon, the ceremony began.

Perhaps it was the younger ones who had the most fun at wedding. As per ritual, the groom, who was not allowed to remove the napkin from his mouth, was naturally prone to plenty of pranks such as 'juta churi'.

Once the ceremony had ended, it was time for a teary-eyed goodbye as the bride leaves for her new home. Promises are made and their new journey together begins.

TRENDY WEDDINGS 2017

Whether one is tying the knot with their long term high-school or college sweetheart, or met their soulmate through mutual friends or family members, or even theatrically bumped into each other at a coffee shop, there is no doubt that every single modern love story is unique. And this is why, each 2017 wedding has its own set of specialties that makes it distinct.

For starters, weddings are now an elaborate series of events that reunites families and friends. Often caught up in their own worlds, what's a better excuse to rekindle old relationships with loved ones than a wedding? Bengalis love a good feast, and this is why the modern wedding consists of a pre-engagement shoot, engagement, holud, mehendi, rong khela, bridal shower, bachelor's party, and finally the wedding reception.

If the massive to-do list pile is making your head spin, stress no more! The modern wedding has its own superman or event planners as they are called. Thanks to their services, your dream wedding is now a reality without you having to turn into bridezilla. You and your loved ones can now sit back and enjoy instead of constantly worrying over the nitty-gritty details.

Preparations for weddings can now take years since so much planning is needed. Your extensive research will include spending hours scrolling through Facebook makeup artist profiles, stalking Instagram wedding photographers and pining every decor you like on Pinterest. When that's done, it's time to make the bookings — no, not for the next month of course! Venue slots are hardly free unless you advance a year ahead!

The idea of the pre-engagement shoot is to allow couples to have exquisite shots of themselves which they will cherish forever. You can choose exactly what kind of photos you want — the props, the dresses, and even the location. Ideally, one picks a theme around which the photographer works. Cute couple pictures for Instagram? Check!

Speaking of themes, in fact, each and every event is now themed. From Mughal inspired to modern contemporary vibes, the options are endless. Imagine walking into a classy engagement where everyone is colour coordinated with the bride who's wearing a beautiful pink gown.

The holud, held a day after, occurs outdoors, with fresh vibrant flowers as decor. Finally, there is the wedding reception, where the red and gold grandeur instantly reminds you of the traditional sultans of our land.

But, it's hardly all pre-planned rituals. Enter the bridal showers, mehendi parties, bachelor parties, and colour fests where you can let loose and have fun with your buddies or gal pals (or both!) one last time. DJs, band music, choreographed dance moves to even innovative games, they have it all!

With all the wedding hassle, these will be the perfect breather to appreciate just how lucky you are to have so many loved ones celebrating your special moments!

No matter how many changes one sees through the decades, one thing remains the same, and that is our love for kachchi. With all the polishing weddings have gone through, the one constant that stood the test of time is the wedding food. So, brace yourselves.

Wedding Season Twenty17 has already begun and the chilling winter can only be compensated for once your stomach is filled with the warm goodness of the wonderful food!

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Model: Abdullah Al Mafuz and Mysha

Wardrobe: Chondon (Panjabi) Tangail Saree Kutir (Sari)

Jewellery: Sparkle

Makeup: Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon

Blouse: Jahin Khan

Styling: Sonia Yeasmin Isha