The fact that Indian weddings are among the most colourful social gatherings was proved again last month when Pravina Chavda and Ritesh Parbhu exchanged their marriage vows in the presence of a large number of families and friends in the Capital.
For the two Wellingtonians a childhood fantasy came true.
An excited Pravina, who was our Model of the Fortnight last year (Indian Newslink, February 15, 2010), said Ritesh had admired her from afar for several years but was too shy to pop up the question.
“Our families have been friends since our formative years, and I remember having played with Ritesh as children. Although we did not see each other (even in a ‘small’ place like Wellington) for many years, our lives crossed path again when we met recently,” she said.
Pravina and Ritesh had of course changed for the better. She had blossomed into a beautiful young model, launching her professional career as a Management Accountant, while he established a music equipment hire company.
Their date at a movie theatre became the turning point in their lives. Ironically, the film that they saw was Déjà vu, Hollywood blockbuster.
This time, Ritesh mustered enough courage to ask.
“Yes, I will,” was her instant reply.
He is adept in playing drums and to keep up the beat, Pravina has begun to learn how to play the instrument.
Exquisite Setting
Their wedding was like a Bollywood setting, complete with music, dance, costumes, sweets, fun and laughter, punctuated by a number of emotional scenes at parties, lunches and dinners that led up to the Big Day in their lives.
Pravina said the ‘Garba and Dandiya Rass Night’ held a week before the Wedding was an occasion that helped both families engage themselves in nostalgia, simultaneously providing entertainment for guests.
“But the Wedding ceremony held at Bharat Bhavan was excitement personified, with more than 400 men, women and children present. As in every marriage, the arrival of the groom marks an important moment. Ritesh took my earlier light-hearted suggestion to arrive astride an elephant. It was not real of course but the designers had made an excellent job.
Ritesh, decked as the bridegroom on the ‘Elephant float,’ was a traffic stopper. As the procession moved towards the venue with a large circle of family and friends dancing to the Bhangra music, a number of Wellingtonians got a taste of a well-organised Indian wedding. Bharat Bhavan, a rendezvous for community events, had a festive look, complete with decorations and light fittings.
“Green and Gold were the theme colours for the Mandap specially constructed for our wedding. I believe it was one of a kind. A three-tiered cake added to the taste of the occasion,” Pravina said.
With five professional cameramen and four television screen beaming the proceedings, which included Hindu and Civil ceremonies.
As you read this report, Pravina and Ritesh would be in the US on their honeymoon.
“As well as a shopping spree in New York City and other places of tourist interest, we plan to relax for a while in Honolulu,” Pravina said.
Indian Newslink wishes the newlywed couple a healthy, happy and prosperous married life.
