Youngsters in the city opt for smaller, intimate weddings

Youngsters in the city opt for smaller, intimate weddings





While the big budget Bollywood-style weddings are what the mainstream culture promotes, a number of city couples are choosing to tie the knot on their own terms -in a more personal and intimate setting. 

CHANNEL RESOURCES BETTER A wedding is not just about the ceremony; it's also about feasting and merry-making. Needless to say , budget expands to epic proportions in this scenario. While many don't mind incurring the expenditure, there are those who would rather spend on themselves or just their near and dear ones. Thirtyyear-old Zack Virani, who opted for an intimate wedding, says he only called about 50 guests, and although they had the ceremony at a five-star hotel, the expense came to only a quarter of what he had originally planned. He used the rest of the money to invest on jewellery and other useful things. “If I would count all my relatives, colleagues and friends, they come to around 300 people. I had the choice of hosting a wedding where the menu would be regular, the venue, a three-star, but I didn't want that. Instead, my wife and I spoke to our parents, who readily agreed to have a small, but tasteful affair. My close friends and colleagues were in attendance, and even with that, we figured that it was only a list of 30 to 40 people whom I really wanted to be with me on my big day .“ He adds that he took those who left out of the list to a nice dinner.“I've seen my friends' lavish weddings and it's a pain. Stand for hours together and constantly smiling was definitely not our idea of a wedding.“

A MORE PERSONAL AFFAIR
While a lot of wedding venues are the usual five star hotels or elaborate marriage halls, a lot of people often chose a venue of their convenience.Mumbai-based photographer-couple Andrea Fernandes and Philippe Kala had their wedding at an art gallery, where they also displayed pictures of the special moments in their relationship. “We only called about 100 people -our close friends and family. The food was prepared by my grandmother that added a personal touch to the whole thing. Also, our friends carried their own roll-cameras and clicked us because we wanted memories of how they see us. Wedding photographers would have very clichéd shots, but our friends, who know us so well, would give us a unique perspective about everything,“ says Andrea about her wedding that ended up being truly a unique experience for the couple as well as the guests.

KEEPING IT BARE MINIMUM
When it's an intimate ceremony , you're stepping out of the mainstream set-up. Geraldine Menezes, a professional photographer, says she has shot a wedding attended by only a han ful of people and it was a wonderful thing to capture for her.“This was the wedding of a French girl and an Indian guy.When I saw the way their wed When I saw the way their ding was conducted, I felt that all you need are two people who are madly in love.“ The ceremony was held at a temple in the city and the reception was an affair consisting of 80 people. Another instance Menezes give is of a couple who didn't want to have a big wed ding ceremony because of their lean budget.
However, there were some things they didn't want to compromise on, “They were ready to spend on a photographer, since this is a once in-a-lifetime event for them and they wanted the memories to be captured forever.“ he memories to be captured forever.“
So, the next time you want to make it offi cial and put a ring on it, make sure that the big budget wedding you've thought of doesn't affect the quality of the ring, because smaller intimate weddings can be just as beautiful.