A show for brides and grooms

Wedding time in the family! Tired of running all over town looking for the perfect wedding ensemble, cuisine, decor and finalising other vexing details for the ``event''! Here is some good news. It need not be such a harrowing experience anymore.

The International Trade and Exhibitions Group has brought for Delhiites the ultimate wedding show. Anything a bride would want -- from invitation cards to honeymoon destinations -- are all there under one roof at ``The Bride and Groom Show'' at Le Meridien. The three-day show, inaugurated on Friday, drew large crowds the very first day. ``Most people come to check out the latest bridal Indo-Western lehengas,'' says Alpana, one of the exhibitors.

The Napoleon Hall at Meridien is decked with exhibits from Kolkata, Mumbai, Ludhiana, Delhi and even Pakistan. The Bege's, a label by Lahore-based Najeeba Zulfiqar, is a popular stop for many people. ``The response from the crowd was overwhelming. We have been getting many orders,'' says a beaming Najeeba.

Other stalls have on display jewellery, bed linen, wedding cards, floral arrangements and photo studios. And if you have a wedding coming up in the family, there is a contest too. Shadi Online, an internet-based wedding management agency, has the ``Get Carried Away'' contest. All you have to do is fill a form and the prospective bride and groom might win a honeymoon package worth Rs 25,000. Wedding consultants, Sound of Music, who specialise in theme weddings were also there. Xpress Holidays, a tour agency, offered various honeymoon packages. The most popular destination, of course, is Mauritius.

Also doing their bit for charity is the ``Gees'' jewellery stall. Divya, an exhibitor there, says: ``A percentage of our sales from the show will go to the People for Animals Society.''

With the wedding season round the corner, most people are grabbing the opportunity to get their wedding shopping done.

Geeta, from Ashok Vihar, who is getting married in October, says: ``I picked up some interesting samples of wedding cards. There is a lot to look at here. It's so much more easier than having to travel from Chandni Chowk to Greater Kailash to find what you want.''

But not everyone has wedding on their minds. Nupur from Modern School has come to help her sister pick a sari for her farewell. Payal, another student, wants to get some new mehendi designs tattooed on her hands. And then there are those who have just been dragged along like Stuti, a resident of Moti Bagh, who can be heard grumbling, ``My parents sent me here hoping all this wedding excitement would rub off on me.''

This wedding show which ends on Sunday, moves later this year to Ludhiana. And people from the Indian Trade and Exhibition Group promise to bring the show back next year.

By Our Staff Reporter

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