Sangeet means “sung together” in Sanskrit. The pre-wedding ceremony called Sangeet originated as a way for the bride and her family members to unwind from the stress of marriage preparations. In earlier days, the Sangeet would take place at the bride’s house with her female family members in attendance, singing and dancing to traditional songs; a kind of Indian bachelorette party. The ceremony quickly grew in folds, inviting the groom’s female family members to join the song and dance event. The current Sangeet as we know it, is a grand spectacle including friends and relatives, both men and women, from both the bride’s and groom’s sides. And, wedding halls or banquet halls are hired to accommodate the crowd. While Sangeet is largely a North Indian concept, it has trickled down into other cultures. South Indian weddings now include Sangeets that are no less in pomp and glamour compared to what their North Indian counterparts have. And Chennai wedding halls have also grown to accommodate the newer and fancier ceremonies that are getting attached to the otherwise austere ceremonies South Indian weddings are known for.
What are the essentials to making your Sangeet one to remember?
As the sangeet ceremony is the focal point of the pre-wedding celebrations, the venue takes precedence. It would be easier and ideal to book the same wedding hall or banquet hall for the Sangeet as you have for the rest of the wedding ceremonies. Dancing forms the core of any Sangeet ceremony. So, make sure your venue has room for your entire big fat Indian family to hit the dance floor.
If you want your Sangeet to be pure fun, you need to handover the arrangements and responsibilities to an outsider. Choose a Wedding/Event Planner who can co-ordinate everything – the DJ, the music, the food, the theme décor, the bar and bartenders, celebrity invitees and their management… all within your budget.
Sangeet has moved on from being a traditional event to a full-blown culture-centered fun extravaganza. So as with any party, constructing the Sangeet around themes have become a rage. Your theme could range from Las Vegas to Bollywood to Princess. Talk to your decorator or event planner to get the themed décor right.
Do a little bit of research and find a DJ who can understand your taste in music and bring it together that evening. Make a fat list of all the music you love and discuss it with your DJ. DJs also know the trend at events like these and are a good bet. Good DJs make way for an open dance floor, making anyone and everyone to just get out there and dance.
Since there will be group performances, it would be classier and more put together if you will simply hire a good choreographer. Sangeet Choreographers usually teach cool dance steps to people based on their age. That way you can have several stunning performances beginning with kids to cousins to bride and groom, bride and bridesmaids, groom and his friends, uncles, aunties and even the grandparents.
Make sure to capture all the fun moments so that you can relive them over and over. Engage some candid photographers and good videographers to tape all the action as it happens.
All the crazy dancing requires tonnes of energy. So, plan the eats accordingly. Plan short eats that are light and don’t make people feel full.
Sangeets are meant to be fun, so bring in a live mocktail bar and surprise your guests with some fancy mocktail drinks.
Extend the fun of Sangeet by adding games which can involve people from both sides and also a karaoke, a flair bartender and so on.
Sangeet is the ceremony you can dress up as you please and involve clothing styles that probably can’t be in your wedding trousseau. So go for cuts, colours and fabrics that show off your best features, and jewellery that is light, easy and spectacular all at once. Remember, the Sangeet is second only to the wedding ceremony in extravagance, so give it your best and just chill.