Recently I attended the wedding of an associate’s daughter,
while we were seated in the main hall awaiting the arrival of the couple, a
germ of an idea took root.
Let me retrace my steps a bit to explain the reason this idea
came to mind. A few days before the wedding, my wife and daughter categorically
announced that they both needed new clothes, as the ones in their wardrobe had
been worn earlier for a similar function.
This is one incomprehensible factor for any male, we repeat
our clothes unabashedly for any type of function without a second thought.
However this is not the case with the ladies, who apparently seem to have a
stunning memory as to what each wore for a function, and therefore cannot be
seen again in the same outfit. So I had to loosen my purse strings for two sets
of clothes, including matching footwear.
If this was all to it then I was sadly mistaken. Next came
the visit to the parlour for a hair set, pedicure, manicure, facial and what
not. One would imagine that they were in direct competition with the bride.
Since I was outnumbered, and to maintain peace, I meekly succumbed once again.
Came the day of the wedding, I was asked as to what gift I
had planned to give the newlyweds and was cautioned to keep in mind our status
and relationship with the bride, and had to cough up a substantial amount as a
suitable gift.
Finally all was done, I had to patiently wait for a good two
hours before the mother and daughter decided to make an appearance from their
respective bedrooms all dressed up. We made it in time to the church and had to
squeeze past a few in the pew before finding place. Thankfully the ceremony
wasn’t too long, though we had to endure a sermon on purity of marriage
highlighting the role of husband and wife. I looked around at the other
invitees, almost all had a bored and impatient look, especially the men.
After the ceremony, there was a rush to congratulate the
couple and click photos with them. This was again beyond my understanding, on
most occasions we never got to see those pics, but still the craze for posing
with the couple never seemed to diminish.
Now the next part was to reach the venue for the reception, a
drive through snarling traffic, and then the arduous task of finding suitable
and safe parking.
We reached the hall and then had to wait once again for the
couple to arrive, which took a while. After their grand arrival, we were
welcomed by an MC who laboriously went through the motions of introducing the
couple and close relatives, followed by a few speeches which never seemed to
end.
I tapped my feet impatiently and got a dig in the ribs from
my wife. ‘How much longer?’ I whispered to her. I only got a glare in response
and sunk lower into my chair. My mind wandered into oblivion, before I was
brought back rather abruptly by another dig. Apparently the introduction
ceremony was over, and all invitees had already queued up to wish the couple on
stage and handover the gift.
It was a dreary, slow walk and after an eternity we reached the
stage. We wished the couple and posed for a round of photographs. Finally all
was done and then we proceeded to the dining hall for another long wait, before
we got to eat.
While we were driving home, I noticed that almost half a day
had been lost and there were still a few more weddings to attend during the
course of the month. It was then the idea which had briefly come to my mind in
the reception hall, was now a full-fledged concept. I drove home quickly,
rushed to my study room and jotted down whatever came to mind. My proposal was
simple, economical for the host as well as guests. An online marriage ceremony
could be a path-breaking concept.
The actual marriage attended by immediate family members and
very close friends is beamed live, a link is given in each wedding invitation,
and at the appropriate time, guests can log on to view the ceremony. Option to
pass comments, express feelings also given. You can even view it later, if
unable to do so live. Bank account of the bride or bridegroom is given
depending from which side you are invited, to send money as a gift, purely
optional though.
Next, each guest who confirms, furnishes his address, and
food is delivered directly to his residence by a caterer contracted by the
host.
This eliminates wedding hall charges which are colossal. A
guest can even sit in his pyjamas and witness the wedding, no driving in
traffic, no new outfits and can work simultaneously too if necessary. He could
use his smartphone in office to watch the proceedings and gets a delicious meal
too.
This would result in phenomenal savings for both sides and a
relieved father could divert that money for the child instead. As far as the
couple is concerned, they will of course be relieved in not having to greet
hundreds of people, an extremely tiring and stressful exercise.
Of course some will argue that marriages are an opportunity
to meet and mingle, no dispute there, but if you are a close relative or friend
you will be invited to make a personal appearance. My concept is basically for
those who have to attend just for a formality.
Another plus is eliminating excess expenditure incurred on
gate crashers. Has anyone cared to even ponder for a moment about those
uninvited pests, which is so rampant in all marriage functions that we can even
brand them as ‘Professional Gate-Crashers.’
When I showed my proposal to the wife, she read through with
a look of horror on her face and throwing her hands in the air blurted, ‘If you
show this to anyone, I will ……………….!’
I am still contemplating the risks involved in sharing my
idea.
