Rajasthan a hit for celebrity weddings

Rajasthan, the land of kings, is the quintessential Indian state. Its walled cities, Forts & Palaces are a dramatic reminder of the rich cultural heritage & history of the region. One can choose from the fairy tale cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur & Jaisalmer. While exploring the lesser known palaces & forts of Bundi, Chittorgarh & Nimaj can be equally enchanting.

Its royal Rajasthan at its best for a fairy tale wedding! These medieval forts & palaces provide an ambiance that is difficult to match. From Rich & famous, Non Resident Indians, Politicians & Industrialists; everyone is flocking to Rajasthan for a celebration that capture colors & pageantry of its past. But not just the Indians alone, foreign tourists who come here are also captivated by the glamor & romance of Rajasthan. Many tourists celebrate their wedding anniversaries by organizing mock weddings, where they take their wedding vows again in traditional style.

Rajasthan has a lot to offer. There is color, music, beautiful dances and beautiful historic monuments. It is a complete package! its not just the venues, even the wedding processions are organized here in grand style- with elephants, horses, camels, oxens, buggies & even vintage cars thrown in.Apart from the main wedding ceremony, Rajasthan offers great & unique concepts for pre wedding festivities.

From Elizabeth Hurley to Raveena Tondon and the Chatwal wedding, Rajasthan is quite the favorite destination for crème Del crème weddings. Rajasthan's rich cultural heritage lends glamour and color to any wedding and is one of the most favorite destination for those looking for a truly royal wedding.

All about a great Royal Palace wedding:

Imagine a wedding amidst architectural marvels built centuries ago. Imagine celebrating the biggest occasion of your life inside splendid structures from the past that stand strong even today. Taking your vows in scenic settings that exhibit magnificent charm and exuberance could be quite a thing.

Let me describe a typical Indian Royal Palace wedding to all you to be married couples. A typical Indian Royal Palace wedding starts with the Baraat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraat). Its not a regular Baraat that we are talking about. The Groom sits in an elaborately decorated elephant and following him are friends and family in a Royal Procession. The procession is a very elaborate display and in order for you to understand it better, below is a brief description of the various items in the procession.

1. The Groom’s Elephant: The elephant with the Groom heralds the official start of the Royal Procession.
2. Pahalwan Ka Hathi : Elephant with the Royal Wrestler- It is symbolic of Hanuman (Monkey God-Chief of the Army of Lord Rama).
3. Royal Band: Now comes the Royal Band.
4. Top Gadi : The Royal Cannon with cart is carried by a pair of oxen.
5. Decorated Elephants: There are two decorated elephants with exquisite cloth hangings.
6. Camel with Jujurba (Camel Guns)
7. Victoria Buggy : The horse driven Victoria.
8. Decorated Camels : These camels are decorated with gorband (Jeweled Fixtures).
9. Goda Sawar : Horses decorated with saddles, harnesses bids etc.
10. Chob Dars : Silver staff bearers. These foot soldiers announce the Royal Message.
11. Mahadol : Covered Palanquin with a single bar.
12. Pinjas : Palanquin with a single bar with the seat having movable sliding doors.
13. Palki : Palanquin with two parallel bars used with no veil.
14. Rath (Roshan Chowki): Oxen driven carriage caring musicians.

Once the Baraat arrives the wedding venue, (A Palace/Fort) comes the Reception of Baraat. Exquisitely dressed women showering flowers and ittar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ittar) receive all the guests. Post this, traditionally dressed men & women garland the guests and offer welcome drinks.

Men with burning torches line up the walkway, there are folk performers and exotic dancers wooing your guests all evening. To enhance the evening a full-blown laser show with fireworks is a common element. The Palaces are mostly decorated for weddings using flowers, drapes and lights and to enhance the look a lot of antique furniture and decorative items are used.

The highlight of Royal Palace weddings is the variety and number of dishes served and the way food is served by Royal service members. It is mostly a sit down dinner arrangement and food is served in silverware.

Do you still have second thoughts about choosing a Royal Palace Wedding?