Toast to the generous host!

London-based NRI couple, Pamela and Kimi Grover’s son is getting married at Cannes soon. The invites have been sent out. Guests have been politely asked to take care of travel and hotel expenses. Now, internationally, this is the norm, but in India it has generated shocked reactions. Wedding planner, Vandana Mohan, who is organising the Grover wedding says, “Abroad, when guests are invited to weddings, they take care of all their expenses. Hosts are not expected to pay for air tickets and hotel rooms. What, most hosts do is that they ensure that guests get a good discount for tickets and hotels too. But, Indians are traditionally hospitable and treat guests with respect. So in many Indian-based wealthy families, the trend is to take care of all expenses. Though, when it comes to youngsters, who host bashes, their friends pay for their own tickets. But even in such instances, all other sundry expenses including food etc are taken care of by the hosts.” So it comes as no surprise that Bollywood’s top families like the Roshans and Khans, will fly to the South of France at their own expense. In fact, Gauri Khan, Shah Rukh’s wife, does not like taking favours and always foots her own bills. When industrialist Vijay Mallya’s daughter Laila got married in Bali last year, guests were only expected to pay for flight tickets; all other expenses were borne by the large-hearted liquor baron. In yet another high profile wedding that will take place next month, the guests will be a pampered lot. Mumbai-based Rita and Raja Dhody’s pretty daughter, Nadine is getting married to her fiancé, Niraj Jiwrajka in Abu Dhabi in November. The Jiwrajkas are industrialists from UK and will be flying down 350 guests on an all-expense paid three-day wedding extravaganza to Abu Dhabi. Hyderabad-based businessman and owner of Country Club, Rajeev Reddy’s daughter Nikita is getting married in Dubai this month. Guests are only paying for flight tickets. Says the groom Harsha’s sister, Priyanka Chigrupati, “We wanted our close friends to take time out and attend the wedding. When they are already playing for flight tickets, it would be unfair to expect them to bear hotel and other expenses too. Also, the bride’s family is extremely generous and we value the relationships we share with our close friends. So, right from the time they land in Dubai, every detail has been taken care of and we are so happy to have them with us, they want our friends to have a super time.” Businessman Gaurav Sanghi, who hails from the Varta family in Hyderabad got engaged to his fiancé Ankita in Pattaya. His friends were flown down and hosted by the family as Gaurav believes, “This is the only way to show your affection for people you love. I will be getting married in Delhi on December 10 and we will be hosting our guests as part of our baraat in Delhi too.”