Shantanu & Nikhil: To Die For

Charming and dapper young design duo, Shantanu & Nikhil presented their couture collection titled ‘To Die For’ aiming to capture the decadent renaissance in its most contemporary form with an emphasis on the different shades of gold.  The sheer strength and buying power in the Indian bridal market renders it irresistible

The Perfect Bride

An aunt recently lamented her mission to find her son a wife and the perfect daughter-in-law for herself.  The pair had hopped on a plane for a trip to Pakistan where her British-born and educated son was introduced to suitable young women but alas none would do.  She recalled

RSVP

It is quite normal to respondez s’il vous plait to invites but there still seems to be resistance to this very polite etiquette by elder members of our South Asian community. Especially to wedding invites.

I recall in my youth attending weddings that I hadn’t been invited to because I was spending the weekend with an aunt or so. Not something I would even consider doing today…. But this was normal. Weddings were a festival that anyone remotely related could attend. Huge buffets were laid on. What was a handful of extra guests going to matter?

Dial 555-TOILET

India is now digesting the data from its most recent census tracking the changes of the last decade.    Some of the data is dull like who is using what cooking fuel but an interesting statistic is that more Indians have access to telephones than toilets.  Ten years ago

Bring A Bottle

I have just been to my first “Bring a Bottle” wedding and I am not so sure if the idea really works or is even acceptable at a wedding.

Usually, you would bring a bottle when you go to someone’s house for dinner or maybe a party, but does this translate to a wedding where you have already paid for flights, accomodation, presents etc…?

Clash of the Titans

Recently, I have been listening to peers talk about their ill fated relationships with their mother-in-laws. In each circumstance, I am speaking to modern, educated brides who have quite traditional mother-in-laws. Their worlds are clashing and they are struggling to keep hold of and impart their values.

My Big Fat Fake Wedding

Yesterday, the news reported that fake marriages have risen by 66% in the UK. Brent council in London experience 5 to 6 fake marriages a week. A high proportion of fake marriages involve South Asians. Many fake marriages are coordinated by gangs involved in people trafficking, drugs and prostitution. BBC Panorama this week covered a story and followed a couple’s fake marriage.

Jilted by a Period

A year ago I was told of a bride who had to cancel her wedding because she was on her period. A year long preparation had to be called off at the last minute. The poor groom was left standing. The brides family were extremely religious and believed that a girl could not go under the Mandap (Hindu wedding alter) when she was menstruating, it was bad luck and the marriage would be doomed.

Dealing with Diabetes

Dear Diary,

I was astounded to read that a new bride was being coerced into eating Indian sweets by her mother-in-law even though she is Diabetic.