REVIEW: Asian Wedding Exhibition in Birmingham

The Asian Wedding Exhibition at the Pavilions shopping centre was the place to be this weekend. Even if you are not interested in marriage, this could entice you into entertaining the idea of marriage.

If it doesn’t make you run all the way up the aisle, it would at least have you purchasing marriage accessories like sarees, jewellery, food, mehndi, make-up and special photography packages. But it wasn’t just women, men too flocked to the city mall to check out gifts for their girlfriends. For those who were not able to make it, here’s the best of what was on offer.

Stalls like Walsall-based Hargun’s specialise in sweets and savouries. The best sweets that you might want to pick up are the mouth-watering Motichur Ladoo which, according to company owner Suky Hargun, come in at a tempting £10 per kilogram. With such an array of sweet bite-size desserts catching your eye, it’s hard to say no to the tiny treats even if you didn’t walk in with a sweet tooth.

If you are the type who can’t choose between the many shapes and colours of Asian confectionery, you might want to lay your hands on the dry Jamuns; a sphere-shaped sickly delight for all sweet lovers.

If, on the other hand, your taste buds crave more for a savoury snack, then the traditional Pakora will suit any spice lovers. As all of these finger foods were displayed for sampling and buying, any foodie would be naturally drawn in whether they are interested in the wedding theme or not.

The venue itself was a crowd puller which housed close to 130 vibrantly different and unique stalls. These stalls are the place curious women and potential brides want to be. Mehndi (henna) is always a popular draw while colourful Sari displays were put on show by Zarissa, a designer for Asian wear.

Their Sarees are specially imported from the Gujarat region in the Subcontinent. A fancy Lehenga Sari, complete with tailoring, was going for £325 – which, in terms of elaborate Asian bridal wear, is a bargain buy.  Also worth having a look at are the designer brands which are breathtakingly stunning without any additional accessories but will have you digging deep in your purse as they come with an average price tag of £750.

After finding the right bridal attire, your next stop will definitely be the jewellery. Women, be spoilt for choice as when it comes to earrings, necklaces, bracelets, wedding jewellery sets – you name it, they have it!

Entice jewellery displayed eye-catching, intricately designed pieces with sparkling American diamonds ranging from £30- £150.  They have more collections for viewing and purchasing online.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a wedding without a photographer. Oehlers Photography specialise in wedding photos which tell the story from the early Asian pre-wedding rituals right up until the big exchange of vows.

Their well-presented albums range from £95 to £375, depending on size and content.  A 10-hour photography charge amounts to around £1,550 but don’t let that put you off as they really are good value for money.

Oh, and if much of this has made you somewhat more serious about marriage, why not fix a superbly economical but impressive venue for the big day? I’d recommend the Warwickshire County Cricket Ground in Edgbaston who were on hand to demonstrate the convenience and appeal of their rich facilities.

These are by no means the only options out there for city dwellers wishing to exchange nuptials but as far as giving future couples and curious cultural connoisseurs an insight into what’s out there for the perfect Anglo-Indian wedding, the Asian Wedding Exhibition does the trick.

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Sivagami Ramanathan

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