And they lived happily ever after
Showbiz Desk

New Delhi—There are two births; the one when light first strikes the new awakened sense; the other when two souls unite, and we must count our life from thence: when you loved me and I loved you then both of us were born anew.
William Cartwright (1611-1643)
Every little girl grows up imagining herself to be a princess waiting for her prince charming to carry her away to lead a ‘happily-ever-after’ life. Girls knit their dreams around that special day when they would step into the most anticipated period of their lives.
These days girls have developed a certain way of perceiving what their weddings ought to be like. Every aspect from the invitation cards to wedding feast and from gifts to shaddi ka jora is planned out in detail. Fashion and beauty industry plays a very important part in these wedding plans. Over the years fashion designers have come up with their own bridal line. Bridal shows are now commonplace in Subcontinent and one such event caught our eye in India.
The International Trade & Exhibition (ITE) India, Pvt. Ltd. outdid itself in organising the annual wedding extravaganza - Bride & Groom Exhibition 2005, at the Hotel Taj Palace recently in New Delhi. It was a joint collaboration between Indian and Pakistani designers, each showcasing designs and styles that herald the Subcontinental beauty of wedding finery.
The Bride & Groom 2004 Exhibition was based on the theme Dosti and was inaugurated during the fashion show, Jashan-e-Aman. The fashion show was aptly titled keeping in tune with the revived terms between Pakistan and India. The fashion show, choreographed by Rashmi Virmani, featured top-of the-line Indian models, including reigning Miss India Tanushree Dutta, along with Vidisha Pavate, Indrani Das Gupta, Deepti Gujral, Tinu Verghese, Poonam Nath, etc.
Bennu Sehgall, Cy, Anshu Modi, Monia Farooqui, Resham-o- Revaj, Asman Khan, unbeatable, Beejee, Lajwanti and Angali & Anjum Kappor were the big names joining forces in producing this memorable event. Interestingly, Nighat Imtiaz’s exhibition of designer khussas, from Lahore, caught the attention of the audiences. Indians seemed impressed by our fine craftsmanship. The fashion show was followed by a 3-day wedding exhibition. This offered a complete nuptial extravaganza with answers to all photography, trosseau, makeup, accessories, gifts and honeymoon queries.
Mrs. Kiran Sharma, managing director, ITE, was thrilled over the Pakistani presence. According to her it was their presence that brought festivity to the ITE event. She also voiced hopes that this would be the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship wherein both countries could exchange ideas and work.For next year’s event, she intends to get more Pakistani designers, models and guests to make it a truly neighbour-friendly event.
The best aspect of the event remained the public’s response: an exuberant public thronged the exhibition, visiting stalls and making purchases. The price range set down by the ITE made it possible for people to not only appreciate the workmanship put in the outfits, but also to buy them. The Bride & Groom 2004 Exhibition brought to focuss the vibrant and joyous occasion of marriages in our Subcontinent, turning it into a complete family affair and highlighted the tradition of East in the celebration of one of life’s most important events.