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Several weddings, and a city agog. Calcutta over the weekend resembled one big shaadi bari, with the large Marwari community leading from the front. As star hotels and big bungalows host some high-voltage weddings, Goodlife takes a trek through few of the biggest bashes around.
Wedding No. 1
Who: Vasusri Birla weds Bharat Jhawar.
Claim to fame: Vasusri is granddaughter of S.K. Birla.
Where: Sunderbans, ITC Sonar Bangla; then Taj Bengal.
When: Sangeet at the Sunderbans on January 30, the reception at Taj Bengal on January 31.
Guest glitz: Around 700 guests ?family friends and business associates from across the globe ? enjoyed the song and dance ceremony in the run up to the mega marriage at the Bypass hotel. While there was no live show at the Monday evening?s function at Alipore, the glamour quotient was equally high. It was a roll call for the city?s movers and shakers. From business biggies to diplomatic officials, the wedding in the country?s first business family was a celebrity-spangled affair.
Food flavour: Multi-cuisine was the all-vegetarian norm with a mix of Continental and Oriental delicacies, after the Sangeet. Footfall was also high at the counters serving tandoori, chaat and Amritsari kulcha.
For the Taj reception, the food basket was broadened by including the best of Indian, Burmese, Swiss and Continental delicacies.
D?cor delight: For the Sangeet, the theme was Rajasthani as the lawn off the Bypass was all decked up in desert style. The show ended with fireworks that mesmerised the guests.
With the families preferring a Roman theme for the marriage reception, the hosts created a perfect ambience with the use of multi-coloured flowers, dominated by white.
Culture call: As is the rule in the Marwari community, the families took the stage for the Sangeet first before vacating it for the evening?s star performer Ila Arun. Ila, accompanied by her daughter and troupe, belted out Bollywood numbers (Choli ke peechhe prompted the most vigorous impromptu performances from the audience) and some Rajasthani folk songs. No song-and-dance on D-Day, though.
Wedding No. 2
Who: Anshul Jain weds Prerna Sethia.
Claim to fame: The groom?s ties with the (Apeejay) Pauls.
Where: On January 29, the cars rolled into the Paul residence on Alipore Road while the marriage party was hosted at Hyatt Regency on January 30. The evening started with high tea at the Hyatt poolside. Dinner was served on the Salt Lake hotel?s lawns and in the ballroom.
When: Pre-marriage party on Saturday, and the marriage ceremony on Sunday.
Guest glitz: Family friends and a select set from the city?s business community attended the pre-marriage party. On January 30, around 300 attended the high tea, while the numbers rose to 500 for dinner.
Food flavour: The platter, all vegetarian, included Lebanese, Indian, Chinese and Continental.
D?cor delight: Subtle, but with lots of lights. Flowers were few but tastefully used.
Wedding No. 3
Who: Mansi Poddar weds Ambrish Modi.
Claim to fame: Mansi is the daughter of Mayank Poddar of Magma Leasing.
Where: Poddar Niket at 2 Gurusaday Road. Both the wedding and the reception took place on the same day, at the same venue.
When: The marriage vows were exchanged on January 30.
Guest glitz: The city?s rich and powerful ? especially those from the world of finance ? were there in full strength. Mayor Subrata Mukherjee, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterrjee, minister Subhash Chakraborty, industrialists R.P. Goenka and S.K. Roy of Peerless, were also there.
Food flavour: The choice set for the main course had a mix of Indian, Chinese and Italian delicacies. Various ornate counters were set up for snacks, kulfi and dry fruits.
D?cor delight: The palatial bungalow was done up with flowers, lights and intricate patterns, though there was no particular theme.
Wedding No. 4
Who: Vivek Goenka weds Neha Todi.
Claim to fame: The groom is the son of Vinay Goenka of Warren Tea.
Where: Marriage ceremony and reception at Taj Bengal.
When: On January 29.
Guest glitz: The city?s business families were all there ? the Neotias, the Khaitans, the Jhawars?
Food flavour: Going with the season?s trend, mixed cuisine was on offer and the list included the best from Indian (special focus on tandoori) and Italian kitchens. Chaat counters were a major draw.
D?cor delight: No particular theme. But with a variety of flowers and the use of bright lights, the place was regally decked up for the occasion.
Culture call: Remix king Nitin Bali kept the audience jiving by blending memorable Bollywood tunes with the latest pop picks.
Wedding No. 5
Who: Sakshi Mittal weds Amit Agarwal.
Claim to fame: K.N. Mittal?s daughter.
Where: PC Chandra Park (opposite Science City).
When: Monday evening was the wedding reception.
Guest glitz: Subhash Chakraborty, Basudeb Acharya and a host of businessmen.
Food flavour: The all-vegetarian fare was wide-ranging.
D?cor delight: Colourful shamianas all over.
Culture call: Dance troupe from Delhi performed Bollywood songs.
