{"id":39928,"date":"2016-08-01T05:49:56","date_gmt":"2016-07-31T19:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/au\/articles\/magic-bollywood-wedding-steal-style\/"},"modified":"2021-11-10T05:06:17","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T18:06:17","slug":"magic-bollywood-wedding-steal-style","status":"publish","type":"au-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/articles\/magic-bollywood-wedding-steal-style\/","title":{"rendered":"The magic of a Bollywood wedding \u2026 and how to steal its style"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bollywood<\/a><\/p>\n

Bollywood weddings are a masterclass in how to throw a joyful and extravagant celebration. Just think of the ones we\u2019ve seen featured in movies such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel<\/em>, or even Bride and Prejudice<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Coming to vivid life on the big screen, we\u2019re talking wow factor to the nth degree, with bold and vibrant colours, gorgeous textures, endless dancing, irresistible music and more people than you\u2019ve ever seen in one room.<\/p>\n

And when you consider that this spirit plays right into the real thing, you can understand why they\u2019re so much fun \u2013 and increasingly popular.<\/p>\n

Fiona Scanlon, leading wedding consultant at Melbourne-based Peter Rowland Catering, <\/a>helps to organise authentic\u00a0Indian weddings – as well as an increasing number of\u00a0Bollywood-themed -weddings – through the company\u2019s partnership with the team behind\u00a0Melbourne\u00a0Jai Ho Indian restaurants.<\/p>\n

And the role offers an insight into another culture that she thoroughly enjoys.<\/p>\n

\"Bollywood<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Western weddings that we do are often quite formal and classic, and there\u2019s a real beauty and poise to that,\u201d Fiona says<\/a>. However, Bollywood-themed weddings, while they share the same lovely focus on tradition, tend to ramp things up.<\/p>\n

For starters, these, often, Hindu celebrations typically last between five days and a week and can incorporate up to four or five different dinners and other events, even down to a function at home where Mum and Dad do all the cooking.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these events won\u2019t even have a reference to a wedding,\u201d explains Fiona<\/a>, who can create tailor-made packages to suit. \u201cIt\u2019s just about celebrating which is something they know how to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

With these weddings often offering a rare chance for everyone to be together under one roof, Fiona notes the idea of a kind of wedding festival, rather than a single day, is a wonderful idea for all couples to draw on, especially if they also have a lot of guests travelling from interstate or overseas to attend their big day.<\/p>\n

\"Bollywood<\/a><\/p>\n

You could organise sightseeing activities, throw a getting-to-know-you dinner so everyone can meet and mingle or maybe even host a gorgeous brunch the morning after the night before. As with everything Bollywood related, it\u2019s all about bringing family and friends together to celebrate.<\/p>\n

According to Fiona, a raft of other lovely themes and ideas underpin traditional Indian\u00a0weddings <\/a>and help make them so heartfelt, as well as high-energy. One of the most notable, of course, is the colour scheme, which tends to tap into the wider rainbow of shades.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith a Bollywood-themed wedding, couples will almost always go for colour, rather than sticking with things such as plain white linen,\u201d she says. Think eye-catching jewel tones, rich shades of night and mystery, and metallic accents that evoke a gorgeous sense of Indian culture. These come together in a stunning kaleidoscope, and again, there\u2019s a wonderful chance for other couples to tap into the spirit, even to a small degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had one wedding at the National Gallery, where the couple went beautifully bright with their table centerpieces,\u201d explains Fiona.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey used bright flowers, such as yellow and orange gerberas, and yellow roses, which were very bright and made a stunning focal point for guests. So, couples are always encouraged to use colour if they love it; it\u2019s such a mood lifter for guests and something a little bit different to the soft shades that are in vogue.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about that instant impact.<\/p>\n

\"Indian<\/a><\/p>\n

Fiona explains that Peter Rowland Catering\u2019s partnership <\/a>with Jai Ho \u2013 named Melbourne\u2019s best Indian restaurant in 2015 – evolved quite organically. Jai Ho had the authenticity, culinary experience, contacts and demand to host weddings, but not the space, since the guest list at a Bollywood wedding can number at least 150-200 \u2013 and that\u2019s not even considered huge.<\/p>\n

Peter Rowland Catering,<\/a> meanwhile, not only had the planning expertise, but also exclusive access to some of Victoria\u2019s most beautiful venues in Rippon Lea, Mt Duneed Estate, NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) and Port Melbourne Yacht Club, with the Australian Events Centre coming on board in a few months.<\/p>\n

It was a match made in Bollywood heaven.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we found was that people were wanting an authentic Indian experience,\u201d says Fiona. Not just the basics such as menus and styling, but the full package, with inclusions such as entertainment experiences, dancers, a show and even drumming.<\/p>\n

Underpinning it all, of course, was the food, and a lot of thought went into curating options that truly captured the heart of Indian cuisine. <\/a>That dedication crystallises in an emphasis on shared dishes that offer not only sustenance but also a sense of conviviality.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe style of menu we serve is very traditional Indian, which means a shared style of dining at the table,\u201d says Fiona, who notes that drinks packages are specially tailored to situations ranging from dry weddings to ones more focused on spirits than wine<\/a>. \u201cWhat\u2019s great about this is that you create an incredibly social atmosphere and encourage the idea of feasting with the family, which is huge in the Indian community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Indian<\/a>
\nAs befits modern guest lists, offerings range from well-known favourites, such as curries, to dishes especially designed to ensure those with special needs, such as vegetarians and people on dairy-free diets, don\u2019t miss out.<\/p>\n

Again, it comes back to that sense of inclusivity.<\/p>\n

To give an example, a typical Bollywood-themed wedding\u00a0reception <\/a>might begin with a selection of canap\u00e9s and finger food, incorporating bite-sized recipes such as mini aloo tikki (mashed potatoes filled with spiced green peas), tandoori mini rolls or reshmi seekh boti (minced chicken, mint and freshly ground spices on skewers and cooked in a tandoor).<\/p>\n

For entr\u00e9es, more substantial offerings may encompass paneer tikka (skewers of marinated cottage cheese, capsicum and onions cooked in a tandoor) or fish amritsari (basa, trevally or rockling fillets marinated in spiced chickpea flour and deep fried, with a lemon wedge).<\/p>\n

For the main meal, the sky is the limit for flavour, be it a taste of bhuna gosht (spring goat slow roasted, herbs and spices, fresh coriander) or well-known curries such as vindaloo, madras and rogan josh, accompanied by classics such as dahl, biryani rice and naan.<\/p>\n

The finishing touch is a variety of sweet treats, such as gulab jamun (dumplings deep fried and soaked in sugar syrup) or a traditional kulfi ice cream in varieties ranging from pistachio to mango and rose.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s more than enough to ensure a full belly for everyone. But then comes the chance to work it all off.<\/p>\n

\"Indian<\/a>
\nAs Fiona knows all too well, there\u2019s much more to a Bollywood wedding <\/a>than just having a live band or DJ encouraging guests to take a spin on the floor.<\/p>\n

More exotic options include a traditional Bollywood greeting with a \u2018thali\u2019 that holds an Indian prayer candle, flowers and \u2018tikka\u2019, live dancers, a professional sitar and tablar duo or a live Bollywood show.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the chance to make it a learning experience, with couples able to host workshops in everything from Bollywood dancing to Dhol drumming.<\/p>\n

Again, it\u2019s an innovation with broader appeal, since many couples are looking for that little extra to make their ceremony stand out from the crowd. It\u2019s ultimately about making sure that guests get as much out of the day as you do.<\/p>\n

Fiona \u2013 who loves the emphasis on bringing two sides, not just two people together \u2013 explains family is often heavily involved in planning a Bollywood wedding, especially given the celebrations will stretch across multiple days. \u201cThis adds to the fun,\u201d she says \u201cas everyone can bring their own ideas and perspective to the table. It really is so much fun to be a part of\u201d.<\/p>\n

And something people may not have considered is that a Bollywood wedding<\/a> can also bring more flexibility in terms of availability. \u201cBecause you\u2019re looking at a week-long celebration, these weddings often feature more mid-week events, which obviously don\u2019t book up as far in advance,\u201d says Fiona, who offers a wedding concierge service for couples looking for a bit more attention.<\/p>\n

\"Indian<\/a>
\nIn a similar vein, the cooler months are also popular in Australia, when it\u2019s summer in India. \u201cI have one client who is getting married at the NGV in August and she has two other friends getting married around the same time in India, so she worked around them so people can fly out for her celebration,\u201d Fiona says.<\/a><\/p>\n

The takeaway point here for other couples is that if you go off-peak Bollywood style, you may buy yourselves the potential to arrange a wedding in a faster turnaround time since you\u2019re not waiting for your venue to free up on a busy Friday or Saturday.<\/p>\n

But ultimately, no matter how and where you tie the knot, there\u2019s one final thing to take away from a Bollywood wedding. And it\u2019s this, says Fiona: <\/a>\u201cAt heart, an Indian or Bollywood-themed wedding is about celebrating with family and friends.\u201d And really, no matter how big or small your own wedding is, that\u2019s exactly what it should be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39929,"template":"","au_article_tag":[579],"class_list":["post-39928","au-article","type-au-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","au_article_category-weddingcaterers","au_article_tag-catering"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article\/39928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/au-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article\/39928\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"au_article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au_article_tag?post=39928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}