OH COLOMBO! By Koluu

We are into 2013 and I have already attended two weddings; this is rare for me as I usually find excuses not to go to them unless the couple are near or dear to me. I have to admit that I enjoyed both weddings as they were special. What I mean by special here is that they were low key events and not the usual tamasha of the weddings that Colombo is reputed for, where everything is so over the top that one cannot spot the bride at times as the flower arrangements and the table centers are so tall and the cascading flowers dominate the entire reception hall, making the guests seem like a scene from Gulliver’s travels.

One wedding was on the private beach of the Mt Lavinia hotel.  The wedding orchestrated by Taru was absolutely elegantly done. The guest list was around two hundred people, all of who the bride and groom knew and wanted to share their special day with. The dress code was casual. The ladies especially liked this since they did not have to struggle on their stilettos in the sand.

They were all so elegantly dressed, not having to wear those contraptions that are passed off as sari jackets these days,  and had a great time enjoying themselves. All the guests know each other and the conversation flowed freely.  Like all weddings there was plenty of song, wine and dance and the celebrations went on till the wee hours of the morning.

he other wedding was a luncheon affair at a beautiful setting by the Bolgoda Lake in Piliyandala. The dress code for the guests was denims and white shirts.  I am sure everyone was happy about this as all the guests did turn come for this special occasion in the dress code which suited the cool weather on that particular January morning. Following the poruwa ceremony and the other formalities, the Bride, Groom and retinue changed into their denims and white tops and had a most enjoyable time with lots of dancing and dining on plenty of food and drink.

One thing I noticed and which was most pleasant at both these functions was that there was no bragging and the showing off, mainly because both weddings had only guests who were close and meant something to them and also because everyone knew one another and did not have to keep up appearances and impress anyone.

The other very noticeable factor was that there was no criticizing at these functions,  which is a norm at these tamashas where most of the guests are tearing the wedding apart while celebrating the event.  Sad but true.

From what I recall of the weddings I have been to over the year, it has been the weddings which have had the near and dear and without too much of pomp and pageantry that  have lasted in my mind and I really wish that more couples would insist on inviting people who mean something to them than have these affairs that look like a rent-a- crowd has come to a theatrical stage set.