Wedding alterations

After three days of intensive "wedding fashion" research, Reem Nafie tells brides-to-be the latest do's and dont's

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Glistening diamonds and expensive chocolate continue to be the bride's best friend even when wedding traditions and fashion change

The importance of the wedding party to a bride and groom -- not to mention their parents -- cannot be stressed enough. The phrase, "it's a once in a lifetime night" has become extremely common, as parents extend their budgets to try to please their children on their special night. The practice of spending thousands of Egyptian pounds on the spectacular, breath-taking night has not gone unnoticed by entrepreneurs, leading to a booming industry of "wedding necessities".

A traditional wedding has obvious, predictable elements: a white dress, nicely decorated tables, food, music and guests having a good time. However, during the past five years, the wedding tradition has been slightly altered with the introduction of new ideas to the market. Now, all a bride has to do is dream of a particular type of wedding, and the new entrepreneurs will make her dream come true.

With brides-to-be realising the massive efforts necessary to put a wedding party together, the lavish surroundings of the Four Seasons Nile Plaza swarmed with young women last Sunday attending the three-day "Wedding Fair" held there. The fair gathered nearly 70 wedding vendors and professionals, providing services such as bridal attire, beauty care products, wedding rings and jewellery, wedding planning services, flowers, candles, wedding invitations, photography and videography, honeymoon packages, wedding gifts, makeup and hairstyling.

The stairs adjacent to the wedding fair entrance are decorated with tall crimson red candles and cloth -- marking a departure from the white traditional bridal staircase. Upon entering, you are dazzled to your left by diamonds that, due to their size and shine, could leave you temporarily blinded for several seconds. Choosing a wedding ring is not a process to take lightly. You are first shocked with a somewhat strange question by the seller, "where would you like to wear it, on your ring finger or middle finger?" This is not a trick question. A recent discovery has shown that ancient Greeks used to wear their wedding rings on the middle finger because it is connected to the "vein of love" leading to the heart. However, thankfully, most brides still prefer the ring finger.

Al-Ahram Weekly observed that the "twin-set diamond rings" (a wedding band and one-stone ring that match) are not in-fashion anymore, rather, many to-be-brides are shifting back to the traditional "Western" single-stoned diamond ring that has proven to be more elegant and much more practical price-wise. If a bride insists on buying a diamond wedding band, then the four or five-stoned ones are definitely "in" and will match any single-stoned ring you buy.

Moving on, chocolate vendors pile their fancy chocolate neatly on silver trays offering passers-by a taste of their merchandise. With the chocolate wrapped in silver, decorated with a little purple flower, many visitors eat the chocolate and keep the elegant wrapping. The new trend in chocolate is only to distribute it on a tray during the katb ketab (marriage contract ceremony), otherwise, chocolate is placed either in a crystal bowl on each wedding table or a chocolate is tied around the folded napkin of every attendee. The colours of course are furnished upon the bride's request, however, in weddings silver or gold are usually favourites.

In the wedding planning process, the couple must first decide on the place. Amongst the vendors were several clubs that promised to provide couples with an unforgettable open-air wedding, at very reasonable prices. Although the weather in Egypt is unpredictable, the booming industry has also introduced companies that specialise in "American-style wedding tents" that could be fitted with fans or portable ACs for the comfort of the guests.

In the entrance to the main hall, decorated round tables with square chairs immediately grab your attention. It is very obvious that these tables are different from the ones any of us have seen. The trend has been to use a white or beige satin cloth to cover the tables as a base and then place a lighter toile of any colour on it, while the chairs are also covered in the same manner with the toile tied in a ribbon style. No longer. According to Shereen, one of the vendors, "satin table covers are out and organza is in". Examining her display, you can see that the traditional light pastel colours are also "out", and the new trend is dark colours that contrast with lighter napkins or beige with colourful flower engravings. Round chairs are also suddenly "over-used" and the new chairs are square with matching organza covers. However, these chairs might prove expensive to some as they are not available at hotels and have to be rented for a hefty price.

What you place on your tables is also very important. The small flower centre-pieces are definitely "old news", and tall vase displays or candles decorated with flowers are much more "stylish". However, a tall vase display could cost up to LE300 each, so beware. Recently, many new table accessories have flooded the market, including golden bracelets to tie around napkins, beaded bracelets placed under water glasses and small silver mint boxes. Although they might seem to be tiny accessories, their prices range from LE8-LE12 each, which can add up to a huge sum of money.

Amongst the wedding day's unforgettable memories are the photographs. A huge poster displayed in front of one of the vendors showed a couple pictured together as part of the famous movie Mr and Mrs Smith. According to the photographer, "these posters come in all sizes to accommodate all budgets and are usually placed at the entrance to the hall." Another vendor hung several shots of a couple dressed in the oriental galabeya with a shisha. These are pre-marriage shots that are taken upon the couple's request, with any attire they chose. Any pictures, of course, are accompanied with the traditional wedding gown photos that are still a must at all weddings.

In the new and booming wedding business, there are also wedding planners, who promise to fulfil all your dreams and do the tedious planning work for you. However, when the Weekly interviewed several couples, most agreed that the fun of planning a wedding is "doing it yourself" and that "you will end up going to the wedding planner as many times as you need to go to everyone else to decide on every detail." Nevertheless, Karim, one of the wedding planners at the fair believes that the couple shouldn't have to witness every step, "all they need to do is tell me their vision and style and I will take care of the rest."

Unfortunately, the fair was not satisfying when it came to attire. Many brides-to-be were keen on attending the fashion shows, under the assumption that wedding gowns would be on display. Instead, attendees were shocked by unfashionable evening gowns that many described as "over and ugly". Tunisian designer Soucha, who was one of the much- anticipated displayers, stunned attendees with "very unoriental, unpractical clothing" as described by the audience surrounding the Weekly. To add insult to injury, he displayed a black wedding gown, which was described as "horrendous". When asked by the Weekly why his gowns did not reflect the oriental, Egyptian tradition, Soucha said he believed "no one will become famous on an international level if they stuck to oriental designs, and what is oriental anyway?"

Nevertheless, the models' make-up and hairstyles were enjoyable, giving those interested a glimpse of the colours and styles in fashion. It was evident that light make-up, preserving the bride's original look, is what girls should be looking for now, while the hairstyles remain unchanged, with the simple Spanish tie still the best look a bride can get. Several girls interviewed by the Weekly were disappointed that there were no free live hair and makeup demos and that the displays were mostly of actresses on a screen. However, the attendees were satisfied in general, knowing that nothing is perfect, except of course, your very expensive wedding day.