Monday 7 May 2012

I Hear Wedding Bells

Not ours of cause but Mr. L's friend, Rajeev's wedding and another was his youngest uncle, Jensen's wedding. It was a privilege to have witnessed two very different wedding ceremonies just a week apart from each other and I'm very much looking forward to attending another great wedding in July.

The happy couple, Rajeev and Manali tied the knot on the 28th. It was my first time attending an Indian wedding and immediately the entrance which was beautifully set up with a long red carpet leading up to the main ceremonial room drew my attention as though I was entering an Indian palace. Loud beats of the tabla together with other instruments i.e. the sarangi, shehnai and zither made some rather catchy sounds that unknowingly my foot was tapping to the ground, synchronizing to the beat of the music as well. The Indian wedding is very much a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds, flavors and flowers which was inviting.


Speaking of colors, the outfits especially the sarees the women wore were all so rich and bright in color. I simply adored one that a little girl was wearing; the different beautiful prints and embroideries enhanced the beauty of her saree, showing its exclusivity.
 
Not for long, the ceremony began. If am not wrong there are 13 steps to the  usual Indian wedding ceremony but because it was all in Hindu, all we did was watch from a distance and followed the crowd as groups of them slowly headed downstairs for lunch.

Have always loved attending engagement parties and/or wedding luncheons and dinners, not only because you get to dress up and put on your best but what truly makes me love these blissful occasions is being able to see the smiles off everyones' faces, the love between the couple sharing their joyous moments with loved ones.

Last Saturday, Jensen and Amanda exchanged their vows at the Church of The Holy Cross and held their dinner banquet at Mandarin Orchard Hotel. Food wise, it wasn't the best but I must say both the bride and groom together with the bridesmaids and groomsmen were all very enthusiastic. The groomsmen and the groom himself were especially enthusiastic during the gate-crashing torture games set by the bridesmaids and I think just for fun & laughter, that should be the way.


Personally, though setting such games are tests for the groom to see if he is willing to go through them all because after all his goal is to get his bride, it clearly reflects on real life situations that the couple may face in the future and whether your husband-to-be is willing to face obstacles and overcome hard times together with you.


I must also take my hat off to both the groom and groomsmen when they performed two dance routines specially for the bride which certainly brought much attention to the entire ballroom. I love their wedding shots photographed by the talented Lindy Truter. Her works are truly amazing! Their shoot was taken in South Africa and it amazes me how magnificent South Africa is; the richness in color from its landscapes, the old houses, the friendly smiles of the locals - it's just BEAUTIFUL! I love the scrapbook they did up of the trip as well.


I admire their commitment in planning their wedding perfectly. It certainly is one of the most fun and worth remembering weddings I've ever attended. For whatever the future holds for them, I wish the loving couple a happy and blessed marriage!

Even though marriage is still quite a long way more for us, sometimes we do still wonder how ours would turn out to be like. We wonder whether our bridesmaids and groomsmen would be as enthusiastic or even more? Would our wedding be, simple or grand? The food be Chinese or fusion? The venue be the usual hotel banquet setting or outdoor setting?

Almost everyone was asking how we are going to better/outshine that. Honestly, our (or at least my) 'Wedding List' is still blank and the paper is as white as snow. But, I foresee the days, months we'll be stressed out planning our big day; from which bridal boutique to settle with, the wedding theme, flowers, wedding shots, programme planning, caterer for church wedding, guest list(s), etc.

I once came across a quote saying, "It seems like people put more effort into their wedding than they do in their marriage." That got me thinking that it is in fact rather true but yet we still go ahead and try to outshine from the rest.

As for me, our marriage journey together is still a blank canvas waiting to be painted. We won't know how/what our future as husband and wife would be like but we certainly hope that we would and can always be there for each other in good times and especially in bad times and never to forsake each other. Never to go back on our vows, and to be the best parents for our children.

Yours truly,
Ashley.

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