Calling brides and grooms to-be

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Rich colours, soft brocades and plush velvets combined with the glitter of bridal gold and the lilt of happy laughter lights up this bridal extravaganza. Wedding cake makers carve designs and make stunning structures and express their views about the trends of the season.

Hoteliers dished hints on how to compile the perfect wedding package and photographers shared their opinions about the best means of capturing the images of the most important day of a couple’s life. All this and more are in store for all those who watch Derana’s Vivaha nuptial programme.

With the dawn of 2013 the team has taken one step further to bring Vivaha closer to its viewers by hosting a bridal exhibition in town. Brides and grooms to-be, get ready to indulge in the complete wedding experience. Now bigger and better than ever before, giving you all the tools you need for your special day, Vivaha 200 is will take over Colombo today. Vivaha , the wedding magazine, is a concept of Sampath Priyantha and Nirosha Priyadharshani. The duo incepted Event Media as a means of discovering something new and thinking out of the box.

Vivaha is their maiden programme. It strives to give tips to couple on how to stage a perfect wedding. Telecasting from 2009, Vivaha had made successful strides in the sector and had earned a large fan following. The programme had included weddings of some of the most popular faces in the country as well as some extraordinary nuptials to be staged in the modern setup.

Many of the experts in the field have been a part of the programme from the beginning and many more have gathered together to share their expertise about the sector with their viewers.

The programme marked its 100th milestone in 2011. To celebrate this special occasion the team got together with the Ranaviru Seva Authority and Tharunyata Hetak and organized an enthralling wedding for a war hero.This too provided yet another unique experience for Vivaha fans.

The 100th programme celebrations began with a three-day exhibition titled Nidahase Mangalaya from February 4 to 6 2011. The war hero’s wedding was held to begin the celebrations.

The team also held the Duruthu Mahe Maha Mangalyae exhibition in 2012 to coincide with their 150th programme.

This was the first bridal exhibition to be held last year and masses thronged to the BMICH to be a part of the event. A specialty about Duruthu Mahe Mangalyae was that a couple who had visited the exhibition was selected out of a raffle draw for Event Media to fund their wedding. Yashodha and Sanjeewa of Kaluthara won this opportunity and were able to stage a glamorous wedding in May 2012.

This year Vivaha celebrates its 200th programme. A three-day wedding exhibition had been organized to celebrate the occasion. The event will unfurl at the BMICH from January 11 to 13. Bridal competitions and evening fashion shows will be a part of the schedule. Visitors will be able to get special offers and discounts when they visit Vivaha 200.

A raffle draw will take place and five lucky couples will get the opportunity to win tickets to fly to and return from Bangkok for their honeymoon. ANCL is the print media sponsor of Vivaha 200.

Motivated by Vivaha ‘s success Event Media also launched a programme advising its viewers on how to build the perfect home. This programme is titled Sihina Mandira . Other programmes introduced by them are Manalee which relates how to prepare yourself to become a beautiful bride and a Poya drama series named Sithuvili.