Weddings in Bangladesh are all about color, music, dance and celebration. There are a thousand small details to be taken care of, such as the design of the wedding invitations sent out to friends and family, the decoration at the venue, the clothes that the bride and groom must wear, the food to be served to the assembled guests, and so on and so forth. At a Bangladeshi wedding, everything has to be the best, of course, and must meet the approval of both the families.
How does one go about planning the three to four day function? Should the wedding be set according to a theme? Must the venue match the theme of the wedding? In today’s world, where everything is conducted on a grand scale, Bangladeshi brides and grooms and their families seem to agree that no expenses must be spared to make this beautiful day a memorable one and a grand success.
Okay, let us start at the beginning. I will tell you about a Bangladeshi wedding I attended recently. My friend was the bride, and she was naturally tensed and worried about the wedding that would take place the next day. I spotted her parents, however, strolling around with beautiful smiles writ large about their faces. Naturally, they were not worried about their daughter’s impending wedding; they had arranged for a wedding planner who would take care of all the details.
I asked the wedding planner to give me a few details on how his agency went about planning a Bangladeshi wedding, and this is what he told me:
- The key is to start your wedding planning early. After the date has been fixed, the next step is to decide on the venue depending on your planned budget. Also, make sure you maintain a file of everything right from the very beginning, as this will provide you with a ready reference guide at any time.
- Decide on the clothes you will be wearing for the wedding, and take your time to go shopping and to decide on what suits you best.
- Decide at this time if you will have a theme for your wedding, and if your clothes will be coordinated with the colors used to decorate the venue.
- You will need to appoint these people: a florist and decorator for the venue, a venue manager, an excellent caterer, a group of musicians or a DJ, a photographer and a henna artist, to name just a few. You will also need to find out about hiring a horse for the Baraat.
- Don’t forget to spend some time designing your wedding invitation, and include a map if you think it is necessary.
- Start buying the gifts to be given to your relatives, and make sure you mark and label each one immediately.
- Book a good hotel room for your wedding night.
- Make your plans for your honeymoon destination, and make your bookings as required.
If you have appointed a wedding planner, all your wedding plans would be taken care of by them. However, you can do it yourself, with a little foresight and preparation.
Enjoy your wedding; this is the best day of your life, and it is your time to bask in the attention of all the guests present.
All the best!
