You have decided about the perfect white dress and the cutest
flower girl outfit, right to the minutest details of the tablepiece, everything
is well planned. However, did you ever think about what time your guests will
make it to the venue? One crucial aspect of the modern Goan weddings is
following traditions and yet maintaining the 10 pm deadline which is turning
into quite a whole roller coaster ride for most couples
Godfrey Gomes from Assagao has over 20
years of experience of managing weddings as a master of ceremonies. Even though
he tries his best to convince couples to inform their family and friends to
reach the venue on time, he says that there are many aspects to focus on.
Looking at the expense for the couple for a single three hour event, the couple
still has to pay a minimum of Rs 20,000 for an emcee and Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000
for a band besides the hall, catering and other expenses. “Weddings are now
become like a movie, you get comedy, suspense and tragedy all rolled into an
evening which is supposed to be a joyous occasion to celebrate. The most recent
wedding I was the emcee at, they tried their best to start the wedding at 6.30
pm but it got delayed till 8.10 pm. The whole evening was rushed and then the
band had to play the sets in quick succession and suddenly the tempo had to be
dropped to accommodate the last slow set. The last, ‘He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’
was out and the music had to be stopped. The photographers are confused and if
not controlled well, it is a state of chaos,” says Godfrey, whose few funny
lines have also changed to just situational humour.
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However, managing these weddings is no
laughing matter. “At a recent wedding at Penha De France, I started the wedding
at 8 pm when there were around 100-200 people present for the cake cutting
which is a critical aspect of the wedding. I also ask the party if they are
sure of expecting guests travelling in a bus or not to further delay the
wedding. The number of guests is an unpredictable variable and I don’t
recommend delaying the wedding for a few guests who can join the remainder of
the wedding. The situation is even more critical if it is a weekday. Starting
early on weekdays is wishful thinking. For the working crowd, to go back home
from home, fresh up an put on their best formal look itself, requires a minimum
of one hour. You also have to look at the traffic factor and how far one has to
travel for the wedding. I do have to change the format if we know for sure that
the bus from the village is delayed and by what approximate time it will make
it to the hall. Even the bands have changed their sets. Thy no longer follow
the break between sets and some weddings depending on time, they have to play
continuous sets. Weddings are no longer fun business, it is all serious and
very look the traditional flavour will no longer exist,” says Godfrey.
Joywin Ferandes has been photographing weddings at different
locations in Goa. But lately with weddings ending at 10 pm, he has noticed how
delayed weddings often ends with abuse to the emcees and bands. “Planning
weddings is very important and as a photographer I have to now focus on how to
get a proper wedding photo shoot within at least 45 minutes. “There is so much
pressure on the emcee and the band to play the full sets. You can’t blame
anyone in this new arrangement. If people come on time, then the wedding can go
on peacefully. The emcee has to keep the crowd under control. I feel it is very
important that at least the families should be at the venue on time. Now with
the whole shuffle of the schedule, wishing the couple takes place after 10 pm
and then the family portraits in which the make up is all gone, the guests are
tired and everyone is looking exhausted in the photos. The whole experience of
the wedding remains only in these memories of the photographs and though the
time limit till 10 pm doesn’t affect our work timings, it is not good for the
photographs,” says Joywin.
“I attended a wedding on December 28. The reception was
scheduled to begin at 5.30 pm but since it was a workday, guests arrived later
and the wedding ended up starting at 7.30 pm. There were also fewer guests
invited for the wedding. The reception followed the normal chain of events, but
the music was stopped before 10 pm. The hall was located in Taleigao,
surrounded by residential areas, so it seems reasonable to stop the music in
accordance with the prevailing guidelines,” says Jacifa Fernandes.
Christopher D’Souza says, “The wedding I went for was held at a
hall in Chopdem, with residential houses around. They were using smaller
speakers than usual, and fewer speakers too, just two on the stage near the DJ.
Because it was held on a workday, people reached late and the wedding began
after 8 pm. The music was played even when snacks were served and the buffet
was open, because there wouldn’t be much time for people to dance otherwise.
The music was turned off by 10 pm, so people got less than two hours to dance.”
Inacio Noronha from Raia recently had his son’s wedding at Our
Lady of Snows Church, Raia while the bride was from Arambol and the hall was
based in St Cruz. “I believe it is all God’s plan. We didn’t get an earlier
time for the nuptials and the mass commenced at 5 pm. We had to follow our
traditions and so by the time we winded up from church after the guests wished
the couple followed by prayers at home, the distance was quite far which made
us reach the hall at 9 pm. It was just one hour of the wedding,” says Inacio.
Another couple got caught up in the traffic during the whole
Zuari bridge selfie mayhem and reached their hall at 9.30 pm. It is even more
saddening for the couple and the family who puts in years of hard earned money
just to celebrate one important day of their life. “Very soon weddings will be
just intimate ceremonies with a select few family and friends to reduce the
cost of weddings,” adds Godfrey.
Few weddings are now shuffling the format by starting off with
the wedding March and first set while the caterers serve snacks at the tables.
When it’s time for the cake cutting and raising of the toast, it is optional
for the guests either to stand close to the dance floor or enjoy the snacks and
drinks followed by the up-tempo dance set.
Joaquim Derrick from Margao has been an emcee for over two
decades and feels that the whole wedding system is going haywire. “There has to
be proper management and how the government is changing and ordinances which
the common man is following but those with influence can change the rules. We
have to now start weddings with lacklustre as there is a fewer crowd and
overall the duration is very short. The time limit should be extended to at
least 10.45 pm. The culturally followed weddings are getting changed completely,”
says Joaquim.
Savio
Roy has been an emcee for numerous weddings over two decades and is completely
on pulse with the feelings of the couples that he has catered to. “This wedding
community is a soft target and very soon we will see the losses as couples who
used to travel from across India and abroad will now prefer for a more intimate
wedding at their own space of comfort. The pattern of wedding has changed
completely. As an emcee I have to see the situation and change the schedule
accordingly. Ultimately, it’s the couple who is at loss and the emcee and bands
have to face the wrath of the guests and bridal family,” says Savio Roy.
