Flights from SYD to BOM/BANG

I thought I'd send out a final update on flights: seats on flights departing 30 Nov onwards are quite expensive. For these dates, you're now looking at about $1550 round trip. If you were able to fly around the 27th Nov or earlier, Malaysian Airline tickets at $1150 are still available. Cathay and Singapore also have options but Malaysian appears to be the cheapest. You'll need to book quickly, though.

Dress code for the Hindu ceremonies

Dress codes for the Haldi and the Muhurtham ceremonies are similar but the Muhurtham is the main event, so save your best for this! Formal Indian-wear would leave you most comfortable to fit in with the locals, however, formal western-wear is also fine. 

• Formal Western-wear for Women:  Trousers and a Dressy Top; a dress could pass but is uncommon in Hindu Weddings
• Formal Western-wear for Men: Trousers & a Shirt with / without a Jacket; or Full Suit with no tie (if you like) 
• Formal Indian-wear for Women: A Salwar Kameez; or Sari & Blouse; or Lehenga & Choli 
• Formal Indian-wear for Men: A Kurta-Pyjama or Sherwani

Formal Indian-wear for Women:

a) Salwar Kameez

b) Sari & Blouse

c) Lehenga & Choli

Formal Indian-wear for Men

a) Kurta & Pyjama

Marriage Prep

So, Swathi and I have to be "prepared" for the challenges, shenanigans, and general nastiness accompanying a lifetime of togetherness. Or so thinks the Catholic Church. If you didn't know, a prerequisite to being married by the church is the completion of a marriage preparation course by a church nominated authority. It's not so much a religious exercise as it is a pragmatic, this-is-the-way-the-world-works one.

Our counselor is the lovely Clare, recommended by friends (thank you L & S)who'd embarked on afore-mentioned path o' nastiness recently, and we met with her yesterday for our first session.

The high point was a 180-odd question test (which we had to take individually) that poked around areas ranging from the obvious ("have you discussed the consolidation of financial assets with your future spouse?") to the uncomfortable ("are there any conditions under which you would consider taking back your spouse if he/she cheated on you?") to the absolutely bizarre ("do you harbor sexual feelings of any kind towards persons of the same sex ?").

All in all it was a hugely entertaining and reasonably beneficial session, accompanied by many sniggers and meaningful glances. In a few weeks we go back to learn the results of our test. Now, *that's* gonna be fun!

WeddingWire's up

We felt we had so much to share (what's in store, what to wear, who not to talk to at the wedding, etc.) that we thought a website would be a fun and convenient way to keep in touch with those of you travelling to India for the wedding (okay, weddingS). We're also going to try and to put in place a bit of support here and there, to help you plan your trip, so watch out for those pieces of information as they drop. 

But deciding on putting up something up is one thing and actually doing so's another. After a more-than-reasonable quantum of research on Bombay Bridegroom's part, we've landed on WeddingWire.

A wedlog

Yay, our wedlog's up. The general plan is to jot down progress, vent out frustration, record for posterity, and thus on. 

So here goes: first post up.