Planning done (that’s for another blog I’m working on 😂).I thought i’d share my observations of the event that we organised. Too many names to mention all but it was great to see everyone and meet new friends! No really it was 😉. And by now you know how obsessed I am with lists so I’ve done it chronologically -why wouldn’t you ?
11.30 Hair in curlers.
15:00 Henna on right hand – why not. It will make me sit still for an hour. And it’s a novelty for my American friend.
16:00What to wear yaar?
Lengha, sari or a cocktail dress.
Let’s go sari- Black net with lots of gold and red embellishments on palla -worn Gujarathi style to hide the belly!👍🏽. Poor things are either left hanging in the cupboard or stuffed in a suitcase for months. Let’s have a sari amnesty during 2019??It’s on, just about and in the rush I forget my bindi but not my spare comfy sandals (planning and prep ladies).Looking like a poodle with the curls now the pins are out. Oh well !!
17:15 Arrive to find there’s a party to be had. Mindi and his NRI crew are blasting the music and the catering team are in full swing of setting up. The Park Inn have done us proud.
17:30 The event planning team are all looking glam – Suman in electric blue sari, Sati in her silk pattered number, Deepali was the lady in red,Manasi in shimmery black, Parvati in her sharara and Preethi looking classy with her hair up in 60s stylie. Don’t worry we did have the obligatory visit to the ladies’ toilets with pins to adjust various saris – Suman’s and mine!!Ive said it before no Indian function is complete without it.
18:20 Welcome everybody – no we don’t have a red carpet !! How much can we give for £35!! Jeez what the hell has happened- all these guests are turning up early (Tejal!!) or on time. Don’t they know it’s an Indian function Luckily we are ready for them with the welcome drink of bubbles and for the teetotallers there is Shloer. Hmm there would be if I hadn’t left it in the boot of my 🚙. Emergency phone call to base – “bring Shloer now, over and out”.Holding measures agreed with caterer- orange juice quick ! And relax. Think we should have had clipboards? Cash was exchanged for last minute guests (they owe you Aparna 😉).
Hello .. welcome … please do help yourself to a drink, check your table plan (I insist you look at it and admire it – all those hours of-cutting and pasting need to be acknowledged 😂. I now recall how crap Prit Stick is- bring in the heavy duty glue ladies !) and move through. Thankyou.
Hello … no I don’t have you on our list. I understand there are other parties within the hotel tonight🤦🏽♀️
Hello .. no sorry sir I don’t have you on our list. In understand there are other parties within the hotel tonight. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
Hello.. no sorry think you’re at the wrong party. This is an Indian event. 5 minutes pass and Mrs Ramona Rodenas returns and I let her in as she is in fact at the right party 🙏🏽🤷🏽♀️ because she’s booked “one with Indian food”. Apologies accepted and I remember they booked through me 😂. The cutest granddad checking when dinner would be served as he has to leave early.
And Devinder Gabri arrives looking fabulous with her hubby … yes he has a camera. Our saviour for the evening. All the auntijis arrive in style. The unclejis have scrubbed up pretty well too. Must give a special shout out to Mayaji and Shabana who are always supportive.
Everyone is looking fabulous darling – saris, suits, dresses, jumpsuits and the men looked ok too. The volume of hairspray is tangible so watch those naked flames. Thank goodness for the no smoking policy.
The children are here. No, I don’t think you can have the bubbles how about some orange juice? Phew -a near incident with licensing laws. 🤫
19:30 We have a schedule… yes we do!
Suman and I get the party started. We welcome our guests, Mr Yasin, our MP and the BABA boys with their more important halves.We have a room full of elders,adults, teenagers, young kids, under 5s, Indians, non-Indians. dancers. Wannabe dancers , vegetarians, gluten free, vegans, don’t do spice 😂, drinkers, teetotallers and so many more.
Infact people had come from all over England (Leicester, Birmingham, Cheshire, Oxford..)and some as far off as San Francisco because they’d heard there was a party in town. The government has even sent the local MP to keep a close eye on the shenanigans.
19:45 Mindi – the crooner. Sing whilst we eat our starters we’d said, something gentle whilst we eat we’d agreed. Well that didn’t go to plan! Who could resist dancing to the lovely Hindi songs. My partners on the dance floor- Parvati, Manasi,Nicky,Monica and Arun. My hubby commented … “does everyone know the words to every Hindu Bollywood song “? Obviously 🙄.
20:15 Performances to entertain the crowd
⁃ Shreya first with her Bollywood numbers, jhatkas and matkas deserved a waah waah.She’s no Leila! She more … (if you know you know)
⁃ The dance group from Milton Keynes were just awesome. We thought the lead man would dislocate something with all frenetic moves.Their kaale chashme (Black glasses)were cool 😎!! Rashmi Diwadkar you guys were great.
⁃ And the ever classic Jitendra was doing fine . Then some woman insisted on joining him and not only singing but playing a giant rattle?!?
The flash mob just turned into a dance off between the guys and girls! Proper wedding style behaviour.
21:30 to midnight
Just a period of eating and dancing. What DJ wouldn’t want a crowd like this. Jumping from Hindi Bollywood numbers to Bhangra to a bit of pop. I have videos people – just remember this!I think I even saw Abhay,Deepali,Vinita and Sanjeev keeping up with the youngsters. 
Think we needed a bigger dance floor so Gigi and her sister don’t have to dance on the carpet and Simon Grantham & Phil Naylor can really show their grooves – and not just the lightbulb and door knob moves! All the help from Sujatha on the dance floor was welcome. I looked around the room at one point to see family photos being taken by Sati’s clan – nearly half the room!😂. Others used the photo booth area set up which looked like a Princess’s throne – pretty and pink (in this new PC world – I would like to say it could be a throne for anyone).
22:30 Raffle
Manasi and Deepali carried this off with aplomb after Deepali and crew had sold tickets all evening. Happy winners were caught on camera.
Food glorious food
The catering staff led by Dal; small in stature but big in impact . A chair here , a chair there, a place setting somewhere else, more rice , more naans, more this, more that …. smiles all round and nothing was too much trouble. But Suman has briefed them well. If only I had a wedding party to book. There’s not even a special birthday in sight. 🤷🏽♀️
And let’s not forget the sweet table organised by Sati – enjoyed by both the kids and the adults. Am sure her dentist daughter did not approve.
Childminder Raksha
Where did the children go?? Oh yes that rooom we asked for – far as possible 🤫😉. So all the mums and dads could party.
Time to say goodbye
The security guard strolls in at 1am. Time to stop the revelry.The catering team are doing selfies, not without me they don’t !😉The DJs seem to be starting a private party…
I leave with my feet intact and a car full of dress-up materials, booze not drunk, stationery, boards, disposable cups and other random bits. I note that other members of the team and their families have quietly cleared up everything else.
See you next time (Parvati you may have been first on the dance BUT I was the last, did someone say I was competitive?)
🙏🏽
Seema
Seemaontheedge 