Last week i attended a wedding reception in North Gujrat. Now wedding reception is well planned event in most of the places. These days as most of the work is outsourced or handed over to Event Manager, Host need not worry about most of the preparations. Scenes from Film like "Monsoon Wedding" are passe. BBB would be more like it. In Gujrat, wedding receptions are usually held in open spaces called " Party Plots" and in most Towns,these are close to, rather adjoining one another so if one has to attend 3-4 wedding receptions,then there is no need to rush from one venue to another,find parking space( in Mumbai Valet parking has become 'Must' these days),stand in the queue to wish newly Wed and ensure that your presence is noted by the host- with "Blessings Only" this is first thing one has to do. But in Gujrat this hassle is absent. You can just walk across to another reception. If newly wed are still in Beauty Parlour, you need not fret and fume. Have dinner,walk across to next reception and have desert there. May be stroll in Dining area and decide where the spread is to ones liking and partake as per our personal choice.

One characteristic of Wedding in Gujrat is presence of a small Band and Singers. They sing Gujrati songs, Wedding songs suitable to the ritual taking place, Bollywood songs,Gazals-both Gujrati and Urdu. This practice is absent in receptions in south of Gujrat especially in Mumbai. We have our "Sangeet" on one evening but in reception there is no Band or Singing. Usually it is recorded Shehnai music. I have come across Instrumental music or Live Shehnai once in a while but dont remember singing part. Ofcourse Christian & Parsi weddings have the band and the dance. Here i am talking about Hindu wedding.

I think in Mumbai we must adopt this and have small band and couple of singers singing nice songs during wedding receptions. It has soothing effect and more people will seat in reception area enjoying music rather than rushing off to Dining area. These days more time is spent in Dining area then in reception area. With huge spread that we have it is but natural. It takes lot of time visiting 6-7 counters!! But good music and singing will make the mahol more interesting.