When Louise Brew turned 60 this November, she treated herself to something unusual – gatecrashing an Indian wedding. Except she didn’t exactly sneak in. The Australian expat, who works as a music teacher at an international school in Dubai, actually paid to attend one.
After years of hearing friends rave about the extravagance of Indian weddings – their colour, drama, music and marathon celebrations – the mother-of-two decided it was finally her turn.
So she packed a regal sari and opulent jewellery and flew to Jaipur. There, she got her hair and make-up done, dressed to the nines and blended into the festivities of a couple she didn’t know. Guests, intrigued by her presence, stopped her for chats and selfies.
"I wanted to go to an Indian wedding for a long time," Brew tells The National. "I have lived in Australia and now in the UAE, and everybody speaks favourably about the wonderful time they had at an Indian wedding.
"It was not just the wedding, I was actually celebrating my 60th birthday. I took considerable time choosing my sari, finally wearing jewellery I never had the occasion to use. Everybody was fascinated to see us – a stream of people came up to us and talked to us. I came clean and told them that we paid for the experience and they were surprised. But it was six hours of pure entertainment."
Big fat weddings
Dubai resident Louise Brew recently paid to attend an Indian wedding in Jaipur.
Continue Reading on The National UAE
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.