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Things will be like heaven in 2007.
Harry Holleywood



How did it get to be September so quickly? It is first day of spring and Sydney looks like a bride ... So I am again sticking my neck out ... Ach, this exotic Wedding day is not to be forgotten The past and future of a radical price: A turtle travels only when it sticks its neck out – Slavic proverb

Live Love of Monsoon Wedding Underrated I LOVE YOU: The Huge Indian Wedding in September
Emo Philips said: When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way, so I stole one and asked for forgiveness …

Engagement in Bronte Park, sangeet in Iceberg, hens party at Mykanos, ancient bohemian Bucks party at Iceberg, henna at Matriville and wedding all over the places down under … The big fat Indian wedding is headed towards the largest island in the world.

Elephants, swans, and a very fancy and exotic wedding that will surprise guests is all on offer ;-)

At an exotic, Sikh Indian wedding, the wedding ambiance is set a week before the wedding. Just ask Steve, Patrick, Christopher or Kevin ;-) Jenny or Wendy ... Julie, Begonia, Masiji or Pabiji ... There are various rituals, which are followed before and after the wedding. Shagun or engagement is the first ceremony to mark the beginning of the wedding celebration. On this occasion the two families exchange gifts to conform the engagement. Among the pre wedding rituals engagement is the occasion where both the families meet and the bride's father takes care of all the ceremonial activities on this day. Various auspicious items are required on this day that includes coconut, dry dates, sugar and money and these are sent to the groom's family. It is also called the Tilak ceremony, which is performed by a bhaiji or preacher from the Gurudwara who first reads the hymn, offers a date to the groom and applies tilak on his forehead, marking the engagement. After the tilak ceremony, the groom's father sends gifts of clothes, sugar, coconut, rice, jewelry and henna to the bride. Similarly the bride's father also offers gifts to the groom and his family members. Another important pre wedding ritual involves the bangle ceremony or the choora ceremony, which is held at the bride's place where the maternal uncle and aunt of the bride put white and red bangles on the bride's wrists. Light ornaments of beaten silver and gold called kalira are tied to the bangles.

Maiya is a pre wedding Sikh custom followed by the bride and the groom where both are not allowed to leave their house for few days before the wedding. Gana is another such ritual where an auspicious red thread is tied to the right wrist of the groom and the left wrist of the bride. It is regarded as a good omen for the bride and the groom and it protects them from ill omen. Vatna is a ritual celebrated a few days before the wedding ceremony where vatna a scented powder consisting of barley flour, turmeric and mustard oil is applied to their bodies to be followed by a ritual bath. On the eve of the wedding, mehndi ceremony is celebrated when henna is applied on the hands and feet of the bride. Gharoli is another such pre wedding ritual, which is celebrated in the morning of the wedding day at groom's place in which the groom's sister-in law accompanied by other female relatives go to a nearby well or Gurudwara to fill an earthen pitcher or gharoli with water which is later used to bath the bridegroom.

The main day wedding ritual or ceremony includes Milni ceremony, which is celebrated at the groom's place where his sisters tie a sehera or floral veil to the boy's forehead and a garland of currency notes adorn his neck. On reaching the bride's house the milni ceremony is held with the elders of both families embracing and wishing each other. Shabads are sung and the ardaas recited as the procession enters the Gurudwara breakfast is served to the guests.

On the main wedding function the bride and the groom sit together to attend the Guru Granth Sahib Kirtan. The groom drapes a chunni draped by the bride's father one end held by groom, which is usually red, pink and orange in color around his neck, the other end of which is held by the bride throughout the ceremony. The bhaiji of the Gurudwara recites the hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, which are then sung and the bride and groom circle the Guru Granth Sahib. The bridegroom walks ahead of the bride with a sword in his hand. Relatives and friends garland the newly wedded couple and the marriage ceremony concludes with a grand feast.

Among the post wedding rituals the vidaai or doli ceremony marks the end of the wedding celebration. It is a very emotional affair for the bride's family as she departs from her parent's house she throws back handful of rice over her shoulder, thereby wishing prosperity for her parents and family she leaves behind to start a new life with new dreams and aspirations.

• George Sand... On fire with desire There is only one true happiness in life: to love and be loved; Wedding day is not to be forgotten Exotic Locations under Mount Everest Five Rivers [Billu at Parravilla While many families decamp to exotic locations for the ceremony, others prefer urban venues for the enormous parties; Think what a strange thing a wedding dress is. In a style utterly unsuited to any other use, it is fashioned at vast cost and, once the tears are shed and the vows uttered, consigned to dark imprisonment for life among the attic mothballs. Six weddings and a dress; As far as I'm concerned, there was never any question that the wedding favor would be a mix CD RSVP - So many choices ]