The big, fat Punjabi wedding

Wedding planners are cashing in on the trend of designer weddings in the heart of Punjab.

The recent trend of designer weddings, set by Raveena Tandon, SS Chatwal (for his son) and Arun Nayyar, is being taken forward by none other than the affluent section of Punjab.

Wedding planner Gursimran Bhullar, a non-resident Indian from Canada, has organised many a concept wedding in the past few months across Punjab. According to him, the budget was not a constraint for most of the people.

Bhullar, who started his business of organising weddings in collaboration with his Canadian partner Julia Hughes in Canada in 2002, has organised over 100 weddings for various communities in the last five years.

"We did a couple of weddings for non-resident Punjabis. I came to know about the Indian wedding market through my clients, and decided to float The Flick "" Wedding and Corporate Event Planners in India to cater to the Punjabi population," says Bhullar.

Bhullar plans to expand to other parts of India after consolidating his business in Punjab and Delhi. An MBA Finance from Clarkson University, New York, Bhullar had long decided to run his own enterprise. "I have a team of craftsmen and decorators, as I like to create an exclusive ambiance for each client," he adds.

According to him, India has a bigger wedding market than Canada. "In Canada, wedding is a one-day affair, whereas in India, it can stretch from three to seven days. In Canada, the stress is on fine dining, and tables are demarcated only after the guests have confirmed their names," he says.

Bhullar also plans to diversify into corporate event management like nation-wide tours of fashion brands and liquor companies.

Rakesh Harjai is another wedding planner who is witness to opulent ceremonies and gala receptions preferred by the rich Punjabi community.

"In a recent wedding, we designed a set to depict the moon and the sun. The idea was to show the bride descending from the moon and the bridegroom from the sun. People in Punjab believe in ostentatious weddings and appreciate our efforts," says Harjai, owner of Indian Wedding Planners.

His Delhi-based company has organised more than 10 weddings in Nawashahar, a prominent NRI belt of Punjab.

Rakesh Harjai is a frequent visitor to Punjab. He says, "People from the interiors of Punjab are also showing keen interest in flamboyant weddings. They prefer Delhi and Chandigarh for celebrations and want a dream wedding."