Wedding preparations

Finally!!! The search for my brother's bride is over. I'll tell you it has been a long search almost heading towards a confirmed brideseeker title for my brother but all the stars have lined up or more importantly, the family is in consensus! Yup, Indian arranged weddings are a family affair. My dad wanted an influential and well-to-do family, my mom wanted a cultured family and an educated daughter-in-law, my sisters wanted a girl up on style and looks, my brother didn't say much other than go to all the arranged meetings, and me, the oldest wanted it all to have a light hearted feel than the heavy cloying setups. Anyways, I hear mom is happy because the girl is young and a working engineer. The girl's parent's share the same last name as my mother's maiden name which she is kicked about because it means similar food habits! So the preparations are on...my brother has decided to get the whole house painted all-new for the wedding (mostly on my mother's insistence). Then there will be a special entry way design installed at the gate with coconut leaves and flowers that will mark it as a 'wedding house' and lights to outdo any christmas show!
The cooks have been lined up, the invitations are still in the printing press and my sister, Roopa is fretting about all the trips she will have to make to invite people. It is taken very personally if you don't invite people in person and just mailed them the card. And o'course, you can't leave anybody out, near and distant relatives, the friends and acquaintances, the politicos and gurus (sometimes they dictate the wedding date!) Anyway, excitement seems to be running high. Plans are on for the wedding shopping...clothes and jewellery. The groom's family buys the sari for the reception and the bride's family the one for the ceremony. So the family has to plan a time to take the bride-to-be on her evening wear shopping. Nerve-wracking, undoubtedly! The engagement party just got over a month ago and mom say's that I would have enjoyed it had I been there...yeah, right!

That's it so far...stay tuned for upcoming news on the event...