Jalal Salahuddin traces the history of the modern Pakistani wedding
Perhaps it was fate or simply an accident that got me into the event managing business. Luck came in the form of a new year’s eve party that most of my friends were too lazy, or disinterested in, to organise. I wasn’t and thus J&S was born. I left the boring and staid world of banking to pursue a career in something more exciting and creative: design, fashion and the opulent world of restaurants.
But that’s not exactly true. Twelve years on I’ve been involved with so many other projects and creative pursuits—some successful and some not—that I never thought I’d be doing. One of them has been the redefinition of the modern Pakistani wedding.
Weddings were traditionally family affairs where aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and close friends got together to organise week-long festivities and celebrations for the bride and groom. Dholkis were evenings leading up to the main event where a cousin or aunt who was an expert dholki player took centre-stage and everyone else sang along without a microphone and pre-recorded lyrics. The repertoire of songs ranged from nostalgic melodies about the bride leaving her home to lyrical love ballads about the new couple finding happiness in marriage. Nothing much changed for decades. Then came satellite TV, Bollywood, the internet, Facebook, Instagram as well as the enormous global creation of wealth—for a small group of people—from the 1990s onwards. Wedding events were popularised via social media by celebrities who looked to host more and more glamorous and theatrically produced extravaganzas to boost their brand value. Thus the event manager was born. Managers like Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie outdid one another for clients like Donald Trump, the Cruises and the Kardashians. Taste suffered and business soared. The world watched and everyone wanted to have a wedding to remember.
Event managers like Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie outdid one another for clients like Donald Trump, the Cruises and the Kardashians. Taste suffered and business soared
I still remember the first time J&S was asked to do a wedding. I was a bit shocked: this was the early 2000s and nobody blindly handed over the management of their entire wedding to anyone but family members. My friend Sadia, a working woman who runs a large industry, was wonderfully matter-of-fact about it. “You know what has to be done. I want the best. And you are the best. I leave it you.” Carte blanche, or letting the event manager do what he wants, is the smartest way forward. It avoids confusion, the themes cohere, and everyone is happy. We used a ruby-colored velvet canopy which we extended and elaborated by hanging a stupendous handmade Napoleon III chandelier from it. The trend of velvet canopies and chandeliers started from here. We used no catering chairs as all the seating consisted of specially-made lounges, divans and chaises. Classic European floral arrangements and twinkling candles in crystal votives adorned the cocktail tables. Casablanca lillies, tulips, hydrangeas and phylanopsis were flown in by the truckload from Holland, Paris and Thailand. Smoked salmon blini canapés were served to 1000 guests as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole wafted through the marquee. Guests were transported to another time and place. For the Mehndi, a 200-foot scalloped metal walkway of roses and marigolds delighted everyone as they walked under it to enter the enchanted evening. There was a palpable feeling that night that something different was happening; we were giving people a chance to do things in a novel way on one of the most traditional days of their lives. Phone calls followed and the next day we were in the wedding business.
From then on J&S has done some of the biggest and most extravagant weddings in the country. We’ve introduced innovative decor, food and entertainment to create a new style of wedding events in Pakistan. Many companies have followed suit. I’m happy as it gives more and more people employment, and it keeps the environment energized and competitive.
But now things are changing again. A whole new group of young professionals and a growing urban middle class want the J&S style but at a budgeted price. They want to see beautifully-produced themes and moodboards from which they can chose. People don’t want to spend months designing and redesigning their events. Hence we have moved forward and launched a new series of intricately-designed themes which include Mughal Splendour, French Provencal, Morrocan, Italian Rennaissance, Modern White, Truck Art, Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Colourful Desi, Art Deco and one inspired by Ancient Hanging Gardens. We have also added a new set of services which include destination management, professional photography and videography, traditional rasms, present and bid selection, sourcing venues, selecting choreographers, organising guest-relation officers and making appointments with designers, make-up artists and hairdressers amongst other things. These are coupled with round-the-clock client servicing for an increasingly demanding and discerning clientele. Our catering company Zaffron has created delicious and affordable menus and romantic table-settings, much sought after by brides and grooms.
There was a palpable feeling that night that something different was happening; we were giving people a chance to do things in a novel way on one of the most traditional days of their lives
As the global economy develops and new tastes and conventions trickle into Pakistan, the modern Pakistani wedding will no doubt change again. Though I am in the business of making each event unique and individualised, I can’t help but think of simpler days when brides didn’t wear makeup on their mehndis, when all you needed was a spoon and a dholak and an energetic khala to get the show going.
Comments are closed.