Punjabis are lovers of fun, parties, dance, songs and delicacies. They are excellent hosts as well which is fairly reflected in the famous Big Fat Punjabi Weddings.
Kaala shah Kaala...mera kaala hai sardar goriyan nu daffa karo."..... stepped into the hall of the hotel, where my friend's marriage was taking place. An array of colourfully dressed ladies was sitting in the floor singing this. Every corner of the venue was oozing with mirth and the thunderous laughter audible everywhere. While rolling my eyes to see the glitzy avenue, I was thinking how difficult it will be to convince a Punjabi- “No band, no baaja, no baraat".
Punjabis are lovers of fun, parties, dances, songs and delicacies. They are excellent hosts as well which is fairly reflected in the famous Big Fat Punjabi Weddings. Punjab being a rich state, weddings here are lavish affairs with several interesting traditions, as well as exclusivity in the way weddings are hosted. Wedding celebrations are a status symbol for them and for the same reason they want their weddings to be talked about. The rich splurge excessively for making weddings exclusive. You might have read about the Mohalite who hired a private helicopter for 6 lakhs for just a 15 minutes ride from bride's house to groom's house on the wedding day, the Chandigarhians who designed fancy edible cards and jeweled cards, the Sardar who had put up a set worth nearly 10 million rupees for a single day event, and others who have gifted luxury cars to all baratis. Yes, these are things happening in Punjab and it happens only in' Punjab Lets have a sneak-peak into the ways Punjabis celebrate their weddings.
Food, Music and Extravaganzas
Loud music at the venue, a wide array of delicacies and a few gunshots in the air are common features of a high profile Punjabi wedding celebration. The wedding menus of Punjabis unlike others are not restricted to a particular cuisine, but the best time to see a large display of their best items.
But the music will be restricted to Punjabi onlyanything Punjabi from those traditional songs or the latest peppy numbers. Bollywood singers are often hired to perform while budding stars are hired to mingle with the guests. Entertainments also go from Bhangras to anywhere like Spanish flamenco dancers, Russian belly dancers, or performances by Bollywood stars.
Wedding Venues
Zirakpur, a village in the outskirts of Chandigarh is the unofficial wedding capital of Punjab. It houses over 50 huge wedding venues including marriage resorts for lavish marriages. A wedding resort concept is very popular here and many farm houses with 3 to 10 acres of land are turning to massive wedding resorts.
Umrao, Tivoli Gardens & Grand, Uppal Orchids are a few, best known for their grand set ups to make the special day unforgettable. Similarly, the highways of Punjab also have similar upmarket farm houses and resorts. The trend of weddings in the comfort of a five star hotel is also prominent.
Wedding Themes
People here usually make huge structures resembling the palaces of Jaipur, Taj mahal or Bollywood style sets in farmhouses. These structures takes a month to be prepared and will be used for around 2-3 weddings. Cost of such structure with decorations start from 35 lakhs and can go up to 70 lakhs or even more. As they mark the beginning of a new life of the bride and the groom, Punjabis always want it to be in style.
Where to Shop and What to Shop:
Trousseau:
Punjabis are known for their traditional colours and handlooms. Fulkari, a beautiful thread work is available all over the state in different forms and prices. Patiala is known for its traditional footwear-jutti. It is a unisex footwear available in different forms.
For Traditional dresses, Patiala and Amritsar are places to shop and for modern attire, people prefer Ambala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, New Delhi and Chandigarh.
If you are looking for something ultimately exclusive and have enough budgets to invest, you can visit the designers in Shahpur Jat or Hauz Khas Village in Delhi which have an array right from top designers. Chandani Chowk is the hub for wedding trousseaus. This famous old age market of Delhi sells copies of the original designer wear at affordable prices. Chandani Chowk is also a place to shop for other decoration items to add up glamour to your wedding trousseaus. Giveaways for relatives can also be bought in a budgeted price from here.
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