Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Tribune-Chatterati-Feb.14th.2011

"The invite that shocks and cheers"
Gate crashers dressed in their finery at the big fat weddings in Delhi have always been a problem. Recently, for the wedding of the daughter of a well-known industrialist, the invited got a real mobile phone which was fed with information about the ceremonies and also had a unique code, which had to be scanned at the venue to allow entry. Well, guests just had to carry the phone to the function as an entry to the festivities. Paper invites can be duplicated, a phone was unique and created a talking point to Delhi evening socializers. The people who received this rather innovative invite were shocked and yet pleased as they could use the phone later.
Not everyone can afford to give away a phone to all guests but there are options. Swipe card invites, a credit card size invite with a magnetic strip that is scanned at the venue. Swipe cards are very popular now at city parties, especially those with Bollywood stars, as they attract maximum crazy gatecrashers. So now at Bollywood weddings, the invite usually has a small security card with a unique number that has to be matched with a computerized list at the entrance.
At the wedding of tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi to actor Lara Dutta; the invite has a security card. After all, international tennis player will be attending. A lot of plush weddings now have exclusive ideas of entertaining their guests. They offer different zones--spa, a bar, a wine cellar and sit down dinner areas for different cuisines. As they are luxurious, these access cards allow guests entry into specific areas. They also prevent staff of one area to sneak into the other. These cards are the flavour of the season. You save on hiring bouncers and need just 1 or 2 security personnel enough to make the venue hassle-free and exclusive making the guest feel important.

"A glittering affair"
Last week it was all bling and more bling at the Ashok Hotel in the Capital. After all, it was a jewellery exhibition called the "Abhushan" where all the wives of top industrialists from south and north India got together. The exhibition was inaugurated by Sheila Dikshit. Philanthropist Tina Ambani and her mother-in-law Kokilaben Ambani were very much a part of the exhibition. Women laden with heavy bags full of cash and cheque books thronged the exhibition. There was a three-day seminar with interacting sessions. One could also learn about new techniques, ideas, designs and material. But it was clear from the shoppers here that there is no dearth of cash around.

"Jewellery and art"
Somehow jewellery and the art seem to be the flavour in the winter season of the Capital.
Recently there was a party with an artistic twist. The "jewel-d-art" had Farooq Abdullah as the chief guest. Jewellery designer Nitin Vijay and Anjanna Kuthiala got together and painted live on the canvas. It was one of a kind show which has never happened in the Capital before. Romola Bachchan and several other socialites in the town were present there. For both the artists, it was creativity at its best live.

No comments:

Post a Comment