How To Plan Your Sangeet?!

According to my official reports, Sangeet and Mehendi are no longer a North Indian pre-wedding ceremony. You heard it right! Now, that's an exciting shift in the South Indian wedding scene as well. I mean, who does not want reasons to celebrate? Especially when there's lot of dancing, singing, partying and dollops of fun involved? So, if you want your wedding ceremony to last more than a day, plan the fun... your way! And if you are not sure about the A,B,C's of planning a Sangeet ceremony, tune in... We are here to help you plan your Sangeet to the tee.

Just so you know what I am talking about, Sangeet refers to the pre-wedding ceremony that is conducted amongst the females to bless the bride. It is celebrated on the bride side mostly, though in most cases, groom's side is also on the invite list, depending. Teasing, singing, dancing and enjoying as well as partying makes it a brilliant way to bond and send the bride happily towards her wedded bliss! So here are a few tips to make your Sangeet memorable both for you as well as your guests:

1.Venue: Of course, venue tops everybody's list on the to-do's, so deciding between your home as a venue or somewhere more interesting, actually depends on how many guests you are planning to invite! While having the party at your grounds can help keep everything well under the budget, it can also mean a lot of extra preparations for you and your parents, on top of the marriage arrangements. If the venue is elsewhere, hiring a professional help will take the burden off your shoulders and make sure that you have all the fun without worrying about the guests, the food, the decor and a hundred other things!

2. Music: Which celebration is complete without music? Definitely not Sangeet! The whole idea of sangeet is to have fun. It's a musical night and with so many guests waiting to let their hair loose, it would be a bummer to have some slow melodies playing on the tape and spoiling the fun! Choose your music well. Make sure that the music gets everybody into the groove and have their feet tapping to the music in no time... And of course, remember to keep the tempo high throughout!

3.Choreographer: The high energy crackling sangeet celebrations calls for great foot tapping numbers and perfect choreography to match. So if your brigade is a bit shy to let their hair down, call a professional choreographer to help with the steps. Not only will it make the shy wallflowers more confident of their moves, it will also ensure that the output is far more professional. Isn't there a little pride in getting things right, a little happiness that warms your insides and makes you glow? Watch your entire troupe glow in that warmth.

4. Food: Now, how can I ever forget the food? After all, every celebration comes along with the promise of gastronomical delights and it is important to make sure that the feast is at par with the expectations of the night! Believe it or not, food is the only thing that makes and breaks a celebration because it is the only thing people tend to talk about or remember, days later! (Especially, if they are anything like me! Ummm... Did I tell you I was a die-hard foodie?)

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5. Attire and makeup: Yes, of course! You must and I mean, absolutely-must... look your best every time. You are the spotlight of attention so make sure your outfits, styles, hairdos and jewelleries stand out. If you get creative about your looks, you can make sure that your looks are different each day and suit your personality while bringing out the best in you. And don't forget that you are going to dance, so wear something that does not compromise your comfort level.

6. Entertainment: Keeping Sangeet short, maybe a couple of hours, is a good idea just in case, people start getting restless and bored. You must wrap up before people start to leave! Besides, you need your beauty rest and Sangeet snacks up on a lot of energy. Now, you do not want baggy eyes on your wedding or do you? The best thing to do is: involve others, even the kids. Plan skits, spoofs, slideshows, games etc. to keep the momentum going! Since both bride's side as well as the groom's side get involved, make sure the time is divided well for the performance so that both sides feel fairly involved and equally important. Find a perfect anchor to make sure that things go smoothly. Make sure everybody has practised hard for the performances otherwise the whole evening might end up being a wasted effort... And I am sure you don't want that happening!

Always plan ahead to save yourself last-minute frustrations! The venue, the budget, music, professional entertainment must be booked early on, to avoid disappointments. Sangeet can be an expensive and time taking affair but if planned in advance and judiciously, you could have the best sangeet ever. Remember there is just one rule full-on fun! And of course, don't forget the dholak!