They also include a short write-up of their ‘relationship story’, whether it is an arranged marriage or a love match. Most Indian couples who register tend to be in their 20s, and from less conservative families. The going rate is between £120 and £250 per head to attend one or more days. The majority of the fee is retained by the couple.
The website is full of breathless testimonials from both the paying guests and hosts. ‘It was the coolest thing I did in India. The food, the people, the culture—you get everything!’ says an Austrian guest.
Urvi Ambavat and Paras Sah, a wedding couple from Mumbai, write: ‘My family couldn’t wait to meet our special guests on the big day and explain all the beautiful Indian wedding traditions to them.’ Any takers?
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London versus New York
The famous rivalry between London and Paris is now passe. It’s now London versus New York, with many New Yorkers moving across the pond to settle in the British capital, apparently drawn by its cultural vibrancy, green spaces and good schools, apart from better job opportunities.
Lately, a number of American celebrities have moved to London. This represents a reversal of the 1990s trend that saw several high-profile figures such as Salman Rushdie move to New York complaining of London’s ‘bitchy’ literary scene.
The latest New York celebrity shifting to London is Canada-born writer and former Vanity Fair editor, Graydon Carter. “London has both energy and civility. New York still has energy but less civility. I know you all think it’s dirty, but I would eat off the streets here compared with New York, which is just filthy. This city (London) is now more glamorous,” he told a British newspaper.
