a wedding and a toast

Since I have been harping non-stop on this friend’s wedding and the pre-wedding events for some time to come, figured I’d go ahead and spend a few minutes on the cutesy stuff.. Also, a few “kids” have been complaining on the rated stuff Ive been posting of late, figured this raconte would do us all a world of good.

So the friend’s wedding over last weekend, was a simple, cozy, closed affair. Everyone knew almost everyone, not crowded and enough room for everyone to co-mingle and enjoy the day. And what a day that turned out to be?! Gorgeous sunny, with a light breeze, blue skies, pleasant late 60’s – perfect.

The baraat was just plain enjoyable for all of the above reasons included.

The backdrop colors the bride picked were beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. The mandap was a bright orange and fuschia with off-white and gold work, just simple 4 panels framing the centerstage. The same setting transformed magically for the evening with the lights, colors, chandeliers, the orange and fuschia tablecloths with lilies and lotuses as centerpieces. Placed strategically at the entrances were a group of high kuthuvizhakkus [long kerala style brass lamps] with lotus stems swirling around them set on a complicated pieces of rangoli.

An elegant blend of her malabar and his punjabi heritage.

Just realized that the photographer – Regeti – has posted the snaps on his blog, so here you go. I know Regeti since a few years now and he’s helped me with putting together portfolios, fashion shoots of all the girls [and few more] you see in the pictures during fashion shows I’ve organised around the area. He’s a creative arty guy with an eye for latent beauty and creates bewitching frames, and his wife’s so much fun – that when we get together, it’s like a little laugh riot! So yes, it was nice to know that he was the official photographer for her wedding. She was once his (my) model and that surely shows in the pictures. Beautiful aren’t they? 🙂

So, anyways, on how my day went.

For starters – the munchkin dressed in all her finery in silk skirt, bangles and right down to the paper jasmines on her extra long false braid and little kuppelu/kunjalam/parandi at the end, ran all around the place happily getting into people’s ways and spreading more cheer and laughter to all around.

At opportune moments she would decide to visit the restroom – 5 times to be precise in 2 hours. How do I know it’s 5? Coz I counted. Coz there were 5 stalls and each time she used a different one. That’s how I know.

..and there she’d be fascinated with the fluffy white towels, the fragrant soap “smells soo good mommy, here, smell. Smellll, I said Smell!everytime! Insist on standing on the counter so she could check herself out, and make sure her choker was around her neck tight, and her papidibilla/tikka sat in place, insist on some more lipstick [read chapstick], switch bangles between hands each time coz she has learnt to count and by freak luck, i could manage only 11 on one side and 12 on the other. So each of her hand got to play turns in sharing the single odd one!

In between tending to diva and her divaness, I managed to get hired to do a ‘joote de do’ loot! The original bridesmaid for the job had to do something else and I was next in line. So I stealthily walked up to the mandap and draped my beautiful moss green pallu over the pair and thought I’d make a smooth exit, when bam! I run into this huge old man. He was standing watching me and was waiting to trap me by blocking off the entrance. His wife or someone who could fit that role, runs up and starts ribbing me in an attempt to tickle [?] me perhaps so i’d drop the pair?!!

excuse me?!
Seriously did she really think a grown woman would get tickled in the middle of all the noise and people? So, after I managed to actually stand there unfazed while I stared right back at her waddly frame, and gave her and her 3 other helps who’d formed a barricade, the slip [I mean, I don’t dance for nothing, gotta help me somewhere!] scuttle off through a hidden door, the jutis were safely deposited in a pram for the time being with a strong guard of various sizes of women around, and due $ were collected later on. Mission Accomplished!

Evening was fun and magical. Yes, that’s the right word. Magical.
The ambience, the mood, the sentiment in various forms, it was an evening to remember for a long time. I am not even going to get into the details and try putting it all in words as am pretty sure I won’t find the right words, or worse yet I’d spoil it.

Maybe it was the fact that she’s a good friend, maybe it is the fact that am at a vulnerable moment in my life when romance and love does mean a thing, maybe it was the mood, or maybe it was my personal creation of the toast, as I read it along with a friend, my hand shook, and my voice quivered for an instant.

As the spotlight fell on me standing in front of the bride and her beau, and while words rang in the hushed audience, my voice came out soft yet clear. Their eyes conveyed what I wanted to hear and that was in my way a meaningful gift I could ever give them.

Here is what I composed and read:

As the glistening lights fade
The music comes down to a sway
Flowers from your braid
Have done their job for the day

It will be just you and he
A moment in time
A whirlwind quite sublime

Step hand in hand
As you walk towards your sacred land
A shine in your eye
A whisper on your lips
A bond beyond all highs

A friend
A partner
A husband and a wife
Names do differ
The knot yet remains the same

Our girl is a fine doll
Eyes bright and wide
A smile beaming with pride
As she becomes one with you
In mind body and soul

Walk forth dear lovers at heart
The magic has just begun
A passion that’s sure to shame the sun

As we gather to wish this young couple
Raise your glass with a smile
For this is the day they become one in Style.

:

Written By
More from Rads
belated gift
Who said birthday gifts don’t come year long? Archana sent me these...
Read More
21 replies on “a wedding and a toast”
  1. says: rads
    WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.