2009 Wedding Trends as Observed by Yours Truly

Well, 2 weddings don't define a trend but they certainly contribute to giving a shape to the forthcoming trends...

1. It's not necessary that only the baraati dance in the baraat. Even the bride's side people can go and dance in the incoming baraat. Afterall it's a free country. Ace dancers ought not be stopped from dancing.
2. The bride is escorted under a flower chaadar carried by the brothers. Since the whole thing is very pretty and heartening, it is very important that the bride's escorts also be present for the sake of the photograph/ video. So ensure that you happen to take a position beside the bride but most certainly not behind the giant brother. You will be lost behind the brother's frame and will not be visible in the photograph.
3. Now you know about the accepted frequency of waiters coming to you- the highest would be the potato wafers, then veggies, followed by french fries, followed by paneer, then mushroom, then chicken, fish and mutton. So one way to buck this trend is to grab the chicken/ meat/fish wallah whenever he comes and take lots in one go saying loudly that it is for the kids. Offcourse who is watching how much you are giving to the kids out of that. Another important hint -the trend nowadays is to tip the waiters even in wedding parties for specialised service- translates to high frequency of meat coming your way or to your table- but this is not for the chicken hearted like me when it comes to throwing money away. I rely on my crib-quotient by and large.
4. The event manager organises a sit down dinner for close family and starts serving the veggies- Honestly this is done so that the diners have no stomach for the real meat that comes later. Buck the trend, use your muscle / clout to get the best food in first. I recommend survey the offering before you sit down, so that you know what to ask for rather than let them str1p tease for you.
5. No, it's no longer about stealing the groom's shoes. It is about robbing. Straight from the groom at an unexpected moment. It's about interrogating where the shoes are straight from the boy's side. It's about a tussle over the shoe hidden by the boy side. Pure haatha pai. It's about spying / inside information. It's strategy and muscle/ weight / women power combined. Cheating is definitely allowed here.
6. Beware- the new trend is stealing the bride's sandals instead of allowing for negotiations. Buck the trend. Be ready with a spare pair.
7. The premise is that all of us have spare chillar paisa in our purses. Big money is involved nowadays. It's expected that a huge sum be doled out leaving no room for further negotiation.
8. The new trend is that the brothers/ brother in law decorates the bridal suite. The sisters/ SILs are busy watching the marriage proceedings.
9. As always inter and intra groups co-exist in weddings. But it is important for intra-groups to unite in the larger scheme of things.
10. The past trends of not wearing woolens in the name of fashion is still there. Only difference is that it now holds true for men also.
11. The trend now is that the photographers not only takes photos of your full plates, cross-eyes, fat frame, nose wiping. They also focus on other aesthetics like the hair should not be shielding your face while doing a ritual so as not to spoil the photo or many ladies should not clamour together to do a particular ritual as it neither allows a clear view of the ritual nor allows individual photos for posterity. Afterall it's all about marketing. A photograph will be worth a 1000 ads about your service. Infact they will be the overall Gods of the proceedings. They may ask you to repeat the rituals for the sake of capturing the moment properly. Sometimes they may vanish from the scene. Don't worry - chances are they are accompanying the baraat for the sake of the photo opportunity.