Ok, I procrastinated blogging about this event. I actually attended the reception on August 28th, 2005. It was definitely an evening to remember! I regard Robin as a kindred spirit because him and I think alike in terms of business, entrepreneurship, finance and other such issues. I felt very honored to be invited his wedding reception.

I went stag to the reception but offered to give Dennis a ride. Having Dennis in the car made for some good company and good conversation as we got lost on the way, and also forgetting to bring the address for the reception. I knew Firas and Sherry were showing up as well, so a quick call to their cellphone got us to the reception with time to spare.

This is my first Indian wedding, and the wedding is between Robin (Indian) and his bride Dekyi (Tibetan). Dennis served as a perfect bridge for me because he is also Indian, born and raised, but he is Hakka chinese as well. It was also very nice to chat more with Sherry and Firas is always fun to hang out with.

I enjoyed the appetizers and dinners very much. There wasn’t a dish I did not enjoy. The appetizers were available as soon as we walked in. It was also an open bar – typical of Robin’s generous nature. The bar tender was pretty cute, however she did not know many of the basic drinks, which made for some interesting exchanges ordering drinks.

When the time came for the bride and groom to be introduced, there was a lot of fan fare. The door opened and the parents were walked in. As the main event came through the door, they were heralded by ladies in sari carrying lamps for symbolic display. Next a loud drummer preceded the new couple. The drumming was constant, loud and very exciting. What an entrance!

Being an Indian wedding, I was expecting the usual bollywood fanfare with lots of songs and dances. There were 4 dances all in all! 2 songs, and centerpiece contest that culminated with all the winners coming up for a group Macarena dance! It was a lot of fun… well maybe except for Robin’s overzealous cousin (whom I’m sure will pursue a Bollywood career!) who in my opinion overdid the celebrations a little bit with his dancing, singing and playing the piano.

I was enthralled with the costumes and dresses. The bride and groom were in exquisite traditional indian attire. Many of the guests and performers were also beautifully decked out. I find the Indian culture to be very bold with colours, in any variety of shades and hue. This is very refreshing indeed, compared to other cultures who are less educated about the use of colour fabrics in their fashion.

Finally, I got to practice my Bhangra dancing! Moves that were taught to me before the wedding (I didn’t want to be too out of place!) were put to practice. Bhangra dancing is simple! Moves like “screw-in the light bulb”, “pat the dog”, “fly the kite” are simple ones that you can do. The moves look just like they sound! It’s all very enjoyable!

Robin & Dekyi, thank you for inviting me to your wedding. I wish for your journey to meet with everlasting friendship, love and success!