Move over Wills & Kate, because this month our very own Natasha Lockwood, self titled ‘Royalty of Conferencing’ (see what we did there?) will be getting married to her fiancé Deepak Rahanu.
In a double ceremony, which involves two dresses and (more importantly) two cakes, Natasha will have a traditional English ‘White Wedding’ on 19th May followed by an Indian ceremony on May 21st.
So was it difficult to organise an event and keep true to both cultures involved?
In a way it was, there are some elements which are so different between the two cultures, the dress is a perfect example.
As a little girl growing up I had dreamed of having the ‘Princess Diana’ big white dress and, though puffed shoulders are less fashionable and my train is not quite 25 feet, I was still adamant about holding onto that!
In Indian culture however, the traditional bridal colour is red, and the outfits (known as lenghas) are very heavy with intricate decoration. To add to this the jewellery is just as big and ornate. Wearing everything together is not only a test of my strength but it seems very over the top for me, as it’s not like anything I have worn previously.
I do feel really lucky though to have the opportunity to spread my wedding over three days and have two different bridal outfits as well!
Other issues are more easily solved however: you can’t go far wrong mixing Indian meals with English cake for afters, and no one is going to complain about Banghra & Bacardi!
Are you nervous or excited?
Because I’m an Event Organiser myself I’ve felt for quite a while that I’ve been planning this for somebody else! It’s often the case, as with a lot of the larger conferences we hold, that when you've been working on an event for so long, it feels strange when it actually happens.
I have had many well wishes from all my colleagues though, so I’m very grateful for that – I’m sure I’ll be excited very soon!
I will return to work on 6th June as Natasha Rahanu (n.rahanu@adm.leeds.ac.uk) with more ideas on how we can bring the best out of your event!
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We’ll be posting pictures of Natasha’s dresses on this blog so check back soon and let us know which one you prefer in the comments!
