| Indian weddings are huge celebrations involving music, | | | | audience would not want to sit still for two hours or |
| bright colours, multiple feasts, staying up late and | | | | more, if the whole plot was given away in the first |
| dancing. In many ways they are not unlike British | | | | twenty minutes. Likewise with a novel. And a chef |
| music festivals. It might be a little far fetched to | | | | would certainly never serve his richest, heaviest and |
| compare a wedding to Glastonbury, for example (we | | | | most filling dish as an entree. The heaviest and |
| Indians like to think "the more the merrier", and to | | | | richest music should also not be served right at the |
| invite large number to our weddings, but 30,000, | | | | start. Music needs to build up in intensity, so that the |
| even by our standards, might be stretching it a bit), | | | | wedding guests or festival-goers can keep up their |
| but in terms of the experiences of a festival-goer | | | | levels of both stamina and enjoyment for the whole |
| and an Indian Wedding-guest, I think there are | | | | evening or week. |
| definite similarities. Music festivals can last up to a | | | | Music festivals sometimes break this rule by having |
| week nowadays, and Indian weddings can sometimes | | | | raucous bands play during afternoon slots. The only |
| last longer than a week. Indian weddings often take | | | | reason they do this, is practicality, I'm sure. They |
| place in large tents, and sometimes the younger | | | | have to fit so many bands into as little as two days. |
| guests will sleep in tents. | | | | However they do tend to save the more famous |
| But the biggest thing British Music festivals and Indian | | | | bands or musicians for the prime-time evening slots. |
| Weddings have in common, is music. Try to imagine | | | | Weddings, happily are not about fitting as many |
| Glastonbury or an Indian Wedding without music. | | | | bands in as possible. Weddings may not have the |
| Have you ever been to a party where the sound | | | | luxury of choice, but they have the luxury of |
| system fails for a moment? Did it feel someone had | | | | simplicity and good pacing. So how do you choose |
| pressed the pause button on the whole party? And | | | | the right music for the different stages of a |
| on a way to a large celebration of some sort, what | | | | wedding? Professional wedding planners have learned |
| is it that announces you have found the right place? | | | | a lot through study, observation and experience. Ask |
| Is it the smell of food or the sound of laughter? If it | | | | your wedding planner what musicians or bands he or |
| is a small dinner party, maybe, but if it is a large | | | | she would recommend for the different stages of |
| celebration, music is the first thing we hear. Music is | | | | the celebration. During the afternoon it is important |
| the thing that signifies that the party has started, | | | | that the music will be gentle and atmospheric so that |
| and when the music is turned off, we know that the | | | | it doesn't interfere with conversation, while still |
| party has ended for the night. | | | | providing a mood of celebration. As people who work |
| The music has to be appropriate to the occasion too. | | | | in the wedding business, we believe that Indian |
| Vera Lynn might not go down too well at a death | | | | Weddings can benefit greatly from multi-culturalism, |
| metal concert, nor would Rage Against the Machine | | | | so we often suggest solo piano players or harpists |
| be right at a ladies coffee morning. Extreme | | | | playing western jazz or classical music for this part of |
| examples, of course, but there are more subtle ways | | | | the day. |
| in which the choice of music can be wrong. As with a | | | | If you would like to know more about our wedding |
| performance, a film, a book or even a meal, pacing is | | | | planning, please visit our website. |
| of the utmost importance. In a film or play, the | | | | |