4 Feb 10, Thursday: the big fat Indian wedding.

Dressed in my finery, en route to one of our of big fat Indian wedding functions, I was struck by a thought! Why on earth is a simple and beautiful union of two people celebrated in this loud, insane and over-the-top manner? There was only one logical answer ‘it’s a conspiracy!’
Think about it, all the paraphernalia associated with weddings (such as the shopping, pre-wedding preparations and revelry) is a ploy to take the attention away from the actual purpose – that of two people of different backgrounds coming together to (hopefully) spend the rest of their lives together.  Look around you: today, you have coaching classes for every conceivable activity under the sun: from something as mundane as saree draping to those that are life-shaping, such as coaching for MBA or medical entrance exams.
Why then are there no coaching classes to prepare couples for life’s most critical choice or decision?

After all, getting and staying married is as challenging, if not more, than getting into a good business school, engineering or medical college.
Yet, there is no preparation for this life-altering step.

On a serious note; marriage is a complex union and in India it is often not merely a matter of two people coming together to build a life, it is in fact two families coming together and the young, unprepared couple are often unable to handle the initial teething issues, pressure and changing dynamics that come with marriage.

Pre-marriage counselling is thus critical for couples getting married; some communities already encourage and conduct such workshops which help the couple understand and prepare itself for the joys and trials of marriage.
We all will agree that a little preparation can go a long way in avoiding the obvious mistakes and pitfalls.

So, the next time you are confused about buying a wedding present for a loved one, think of gifting the couple-to-be a workshop in pre-marriage counselling.