KNOTTY AFFAIRS OF CELEBRITIES
The life of celebrities is one big spectacle. No matter what they do, they make headlines. Even if they sneeze or change the upholstery in their homes! So the hullabaloo around their wedding comes as no surprise. Speculations are rife about everything; from the wedding date, the venue, wedding outfits to the guest list. Some have the grandest of celebrations while some prefer quieter unions, away from the paparazzi with only family and close friends in attendance. In any case, they tie the knot in style. And whether we get a ceremony-by-ceremony update on their social media handles or through media coverage, we all love to know what our favourite celebrity’s big day was like.
Love has been generous in 2016 and quite a few celebrities have happily swapped their single status for matrimonial bliss.
The year opened with a big celebratory bang when the pretty Asin, Southern film and Bollywood actress, married Rahul Sharma, the dapper founder of Micromax on January 19. Two lavish ceremonies at a Delhi resort marked their union - one was a dreamy white Christian affair, the other as per the Hindu rituals. It was a private, well-guarded wedding with select invitees only. Of course, they followed it up with a grand reception party in Mumbai for Asin’s B-town buddies on January 23. While the wedding outfits, venue and arrangements were all astounding, it was the 6-crore solitaire ring that Rahul proposed Asin with that took everyone’s breath away.
January 23 was a big day for another couple as well - Abish Mathew, stand-up comedian of AIB and Son of Abish! fame, and Archana Kavi, the multilingual actress who has shown her acting chops in Tamil, Malayalam and Telegu films. This real life story of childhood friends turning into a couple was jointly scripted by their families. The couple had their wedding in Kochi with a cosy reception at the Bolgatty Palace. The bride was glowing in a white gown and funny man Mathew looked smart in a blue tuxedo. Archana’s colleagues from the Malayalam film industry joined in, in her big moment of joy.
Far from the prying media eyes, the ever-perky Preity Zinta married long-time US-based beau, Gene Goodenough. The hush-hush ceremony took place in Los Angeles on February 29 with only the nearest and dearest ones making it to the guest list. A grand reception was held on May 13 at a South Bombay five star hotel and was attended by most of the Bollywood A-listers. Preity looked striking in a red gown and churras (the red wedding bangles) as she happily posed for the shutterbugs with her handsome hubby.
February witnessed another star wedding. The dashing all rounder from team India, Irfan Pathan tied the knot with model Safa Baig in an intimate ceremony in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on February 4. Later in March, a grand reception was hosted in Vadodara which was attended by cricketing legends and Irfan’s teammates.
March came in with a big surprise as Rangeela girl, Urmila Matondkar, announced that she had married her boyfriend Mohsin Akhtar Mir, a Kashmiri businessman and ex-ramp model and fleeting actor, on March 3. Just like her relationship was a best kept secret, even her wedding was an extremely low-key affair with only Manish Malhotra representing Bollywood. She wore a traditional red bridal creation by the ace designer and matched the beauty of her dress with the joyous blush on her cheeks.
Inseparable lovebirds, Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover, who had created a furore on social media with their incessant vacation pictures, took their relationship to the altar on April 30. Their wedding took place at a swish 5-star hotel in Lower Parel and was attended by the blue-blooded Bollywood brigade. The groom ditched the horse and made a super cool entry on a Segway. The wedding which was solemnised as per the Bengali rituals had the bride and groom dressed in traditional Bengali attire. The reception that followed was equally grand, and the couple couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear as they posed for endless pictures with their celebrity guests.
The extremely successful Managing Director of Vasanth TV, Vasant Kumar married the pretty Sindhu in a traditional ceremony in May. The reception was a grand affair that was well attended.
Across the Indian shores, Hollywood actress Eva Longoria married José Antonio Bastón at the romantic lakeside town of Valle de Bravo in Mexico. It was a lavish event organized at a private home, with all the frills and fireworks. The couple exchanged their vows in front of a dramatic, giant cross under a canopy of white flowers. The wedding was graced by famous Hollywood actors and pop stars.
Despite a leg injury which kept him off-field, premiership football star Stephen Ireland married his love of nine years, Jessica Lawlor. The wedding ceremony took place in the Church of St Mary Magdalene inside Stapleford Park country house hotel in Leicestershire earlier in June. The joy that reflected on their faces was priceless.
Celebrity weddings are an ode to glamour and pique everyone’s interest. It remains to be seen how many eligible celebrities bite the marital bait before time downs the curtain on this year.
