Shopping for the Shaddi

April  to Oct 2012...Clothes Shopping

Folks who have met or known Ashwini, know that she is such a enterprising and vivacious individual. So when the respective parents were getting to know each other, Ashwini had browsed some sites on the internet (some!! no...it was practically the entire Internet - that is why I call her an enthu cutlet!) for the wedding clothes, jewelry, décor, menu…

One morning I get a call from her;
Ashu: Anpu Akka, we have tons to talk. I checked out some sites (I know, she means the internet!), and checked out these real pretty outfits. It has to be elegant, stylish, have loads of BLING as we have to fit into the Punju crowd,... (now we southies don’t wear bling! The only bling is the Jari on our Kanjeevarams and in our gold ornaments!). So I am coming to your home this evening and lets go over the outfits and the sarees for the wedding. Have to get the stuff for Mom, Dad, Purni, Sanju, Sahana, me, you, jay...

Me: sure...come home...lets checkout everything. Dinner is Aloo paratas and saag paneer...

What followed was an evening of fun! Very soon, Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra became houshold names to the family, actors - Kareena and Priyanka's sarees were the hot favorite!...every Bollywood do was checked out...be it on Sify or Desi Masala or the Desi soaps!
And not to forget the south Indian sites for the Kanjeevarams and jewelry.
Gmail and iphone messages were clogged with pictures...extended family, friends and their moms...(who are our moms too...) pitched in. Chiffon sarees, kanjeevarams were checked out, beaten to death by the time it went through all the reviews...Finally, we had short listed the styles, colors and what to wear at the wedding.

Shyla was to travel to Mumbai and Bangalore to pick up the chudidhar kurtas, sarees, jewelry, silver, gifts. Mumbai is great for shopping...Shyla and my mom probably visited every store in Santacruz and Bandra and checked out outfits and sarees. My mom swears, she didnt have as much fun as she had shopping for Purni's wedding... Purni was to travel to Mumbai for a week and pick up the wedding outfits!

Talking about the Bling factor, Purni and Ashu:

Purni is the quiet, understated, less is more, very elegant types...
Ashu is the elegant but BLING BLING types and has the panache to carry off anything under the sun and look awesome. But when you are the bride, and need to standout amongst the rest at the wedding and parties, some amount of Bling had to be infused into Purni's trousseau...
Enter Pushpa aunty (Ashu’s friend Bindhya's mom from Pune), who is the designer behind all Bindhya’s beautiful clothes (with some and lots of bling). Aunty being such darling, promised to come to Mumbai and help Purni with the outfits…and ensure (secret conversation with Ashu & Bindi), the BLING factor would be present in Purni’scollection. Sure Hansa Aunty (Raja's mom) is smiling...
Adithi's (another friend) designer Anjali in Delhi was recruited to make Ashu’s outfits…gorgeous ones, and befitting for the sister of the bride…
Sandhya, my cousin introduced us to her jewelry friends leading to the jewelry gifts...
Family and friends traveling back to Tampa/NJ from India, were recruited to carry some luggage…and everyone obliged…Aren’t all sweet...

Bombay Shopping - the trousseau was purchased at Bandra ; the wedding Lehenga and Sangeet outfits at ‘Friendship’ in Santacruz; Lots of elegant chiffon sarees and jewelry was purchased at Ghatkopar and Sion, Mumbai…Jewelry for gifts from Crawford…
Bangalore shopping – Kalanjali in Mantri Mall; Mr. Sareewala at home, Rajajinagar