ANDY WEDS VIKKI!

As I come to terms with the returning home from another terrific family wedding, the renewed gush of sentimentality and attachment that I’m feeling towards my family has spurred me to contribute to our family website for the first time in over a year.

Readers will no doubt note the irony that the recent nuptials were of two family members featured in the article below. Well, luck would have it that Aerial Andy’s height didn’t prove a barrier to Lost Cause in London’s heart; she was able to overlook the increased risk of chronic neck arthritis that she is undoubtedly now in danger of. And he was able to keep her in one place long enough to court her, propose to her, and plan a wedding...which, if you know Vikki like I do, takes some doing. That Wadh has done more air time than a terrorist in flight school.

The wedding itself was a simply sumptuous affair. First things first, the venue was unbelievably grand – a gargantuan five-star resort on the Las Vegas strip with all the trimmings you would expect from the masterpiece of a bravura hotelier like Steve Wynn. Soon after entering the Wynn, you realise here that nothing is done in half measures and no expenses have been spared in its development; testament to this is an extravagantly beautiful golf course that no-one ever uses (it sure does look pretty from the Panoramic View rooms though!). With this kind of expense behind it, you almost forgive the Wynn for charging $750 for a round of golf, $25 dollars a day to use the gym, and the $15 we paid to get 3 empty plates + cutlery in our room.

Regardless, the importance of the hotel and other incidentals pales in comparison to the event we’d all come for and the people we'd come to meet. The turnout was fantastic. Various family members told me that although around 150 people were expected to attend, ultimately it was closer to 250. Impressively, 53 of 82 Wadh family members turned out (survey conducted by Hiru chacha, August 2007). We haven’t been tracking statistics for turnouts at family weddings (somebody get on that), but this has surely got to be close to a record. Beyond family, many of our old friends from New York – some of whom have been in hiding since Nitin’s wedding, apparently convinced they’d never experience a wedding as good as a Wadhwani one – graced us with their presence, to add yet further spice to the potent broth that is any Wadhwani gathering. Aarty, Shalina, Aneela, Shobna, Serena, Sara, Priya, the fun, the dancefloor and the flirtation at the bar wouldn’t have been the same without you! Assorted other new faces joined the fray to really get things going. Pirate-haircutted Mohit Tolani mixed seamlessly with the Wadh lads and played his part in making the event memorable; and Anup soon learned that “mo’ Mani, mo’ problems”.

The arrival of Shaan, Neil and Jay on any scene never fails to make an impact, and Vegas was no exception. The Georgia boys have a knack for livening things up with their energy and humour, which pleasingly can also be self-deprecating (Shaan: “I’m about due for one of my ‘walks’ anytime now”). Guna and Raina bring charm, elegance and fun to any occasion – they also bring out the protective streak in Wadh boys who have to fend off the advances of numerous foreign parties who get a little too interested.

For many, the wedding festivities really kicked off at the Sangeet (although for most family members, it kicked off at welcoming dinner & Pure the night before). Ravina’s incredible choreography skills meant that she was able to turn a group of 5 no-hopers – Gaurav, Dino, Lavish, Mohnish and Karan – into a competent outfit with the confidence to take on anyone. There was no “Take the Lead” or “Honey”-style ending with the 5 of us winning some national dance contest, but we were able to take the stage at the Sangeet with verve and enthusiasm. As late as 3pm that day, the 5 of us were looking dejectedly at the floor in Sanjana’s room, all certain we had no hope of combining in any coherent way.

Of course, no Wadhwani wedding is complete without a performance by the maestro herself, Ravina, and her gifted sisters Sanjana and Karina. Although they didn’t get centre stage this time because their dance was shared with many others, they duly performed superbly, as is their trademark.

Vikki’s effort was fantastic. She certainly keeps this talent quiet, and she is not the first to volunteer for desi-style dances; indeed, my last memory of her doing anything like this was Ravina’s wedding in 1989 when she pulled out a snake-dance number that routinely prompts me into fits of laughter. But things have clearly developed in the intervening 18 years, and her talent for dance has burgeoned into stratospheric levels. Well done Vik – everyone agreed you were mesmerizing.

The joy that the young ones bring to these weddings – Hamit, Yezi, Miheer, Kabir, Pravir, Henna, Rohan, Shaan, Sameera, Rianna, Rahul, Brittany, Alec – is priceless. Alec’s karate-inspired dance was highly original and showed precocious talent; Brittany’s excellent performance shows she’s following in Vikki’s footsteps; and Shaan’s vast charisma is evident both on stage and off… plus I just can’t help but think he looks more like Joey from Friends every time I see him. Kabir and Pravir just needed a little prompting to go wild on the dancefloor, and when they did they both proved they have what it takes – and more – to succeed at the highest level (i.e. a Wadhwani wedding). Youngster's party at Ghostbar? Forget it, these guys were happy to have their own youngster's party at Wynn well into the wee hours of the night.

The wedding night itself was at once emotional and energetic. We all laughed during Girish’s witty intro, started welling up when Anil and Bubble took the stage, and then finally let the tears fall during Lavish’s excellent speech when he spoke heart-warmingly of his love for his sister and his respect for Andy. Kleenex would have done well to sponsor this event, such were the number of tissues being passed around. Before the ballroom could be overrun with flooding, however, Andy’s best friend’s inspired speech soon had us laughing again. As the speeches made way for the music, Wadhwani’s again showed why they are unmatched when it comes to taking a dancefloor by storm and sustaining a party for hours on end. Andy was lifted up (God knows how), Vikki was lifted up, Milu was lifted up, Vikki was danced around, Andy was danced around, the pair of them were danced around, and more dance jig circles were formed than at an Irish wedding. Lavish, Mohnish and Gaurav even reprised their Shakkalakka boom-boom dance from the night before. All the while, the Wadh’s off the dancefloor were taking the opportunity to chat up the talent at the bar. Things were still pumping at 2am, and it needed the DJ to lower the volume for people to get the hint that the sun was setting on this particular wedding, as much as we didn’t want it to…

To see our beloved Vikki on her last day as a Wadhwani was indeed poignant; but uplifting at the same time, because we all know, love and respect Andy so much. Their wedding was as good as we could have hoped; the perfect first step of what will hopefully be a wonderfully happy journey together.

-- Gaurav


As you are no doubt aware, my take on the wedding is very much one angle only. My memories are also hazy thanks to the bountiful supply of alcohol on offer. We would all love to hear your thoughts on the wedding and how it was for you. Pls email any thoughts to gghw@aol.com and I’ll publish them. Also feel free to leave comments!