Weddings get a royal makeover with vintage cars

Riding on the wheels of a dream, couples today are setting their weddings in magnificent medieval castles, antique palazzos or elegant villas of a foreign countryside. Those who aren’t, by choice or the dearth of it, are opting for dream on wheels — adding to their big day a royal touch of grandeur. In a bid to be unique, more and more Kolkatans are picking vintage cars that are both classy and smart for their special day.From Ford 1946 to Chevrolet Phaeton, the choices are as endless as the highway.
THE START
In Zoya Akhtar’s 2011 road film, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Imran (Farhan Akhtar) was seen pleading with his friends to rent a sky-blue 1949 Buick Super Convertible. Wedding planners and car rentals suggest it unknowingly gave birth to the trend of renting vintage cars for weddings. What began in Delhi and Mumbai around seven years back, has now travelled to Kolkata. What with renting expensive cars like Audi and Merc becoming passé, couples are going for a royal makeover. “Those who go for extravagant weddings also own expensive cars. But these do not have the royal appeal of vintage cars,” said Namrata Agarwal, an event and wedding planner, who has arranged for as many as 11 vintage cars in the past two years.
Swagata and Vishal, who took the vows last November, hired a 1930 Chevrolet for their wedding. Vishal, a speed junkie and one with great interest in cars, said despite his two vehicles, he would love to own a vintage car. “For various reasons that was not possible. So, I planned to rent such a car for my wedding,” he explained. For Lake Town-based Ratul Maitra, riding a vintage car for his wedding in January last year was special because of the regal feeling it exuded. “At first I was not very interested. But my girlfriend and now wife, Ankita, convinced me to rent a Ford 1946. Now I thank her for that. While riding to the wedding venue almost every passer-by paused to take a look, some even stopped their cars to take photographs. It was a very special feeling,” said Ratul.
SAY NO TO ANIMAL CRUELTY
Apart from the special feeling that the vintage cars bring with them, certain Indian communities have the tradition of taking the groom to the wedding venue in a hoodless vehicle. “Many Bihari families ask for hoodless vintage cars to carry out the wedding rituals,” said Saswata Ghosh, a wedding planner. Besides, many are choosing vintage cars over horses for the baraat procession out of sheer love for the animals. “There are communities that follow the tradition of the groom reaching the bride’s house on a white mare. With such loud noise around, I felt it’s torture for the animal. So, I had to think of another way to keep things equally royal and hired a vintage car,” reasoned Richa Bagla, who got married last March.
A COSTLY AFFAIR
Every wedding has a budget and Kolkatans don’t seem to mind shelling out extra bucks for cars that sometimes boast of a royal lineage. While the rent depends on its availability and condition, it’s usually between `35,000 and `45,000 for one evening (six hours). Suprit Kaur, co-owner of an event management company, said most clients ask for vintage cars without specifying a model. “For them, all are the same and we get the first available model. Rarely do we get customers who ask for specific brands like Rolls-Royce or Cadillac. Then it becomes more expensive. But even then, the cost should not go beyond `50,000,” she said. This cost, however, only covers the rent of the car with fuel. “Decoration is a separate department,” said Md Asif, the owner of a Park Circus-based car rental service.
WHAT’S IN DEMAND
The vintage cars most in demand include Chrysler, vintage Merc, Morris and the vintage Beetle. Different models of Ford and Cadillac are also very popular. “A wedding is a one-time affair and every couple wants to stand out from the rest. Limos and vintage cars are a class apart, but BMWs, Mercs and Audis are fast losing their popularity as far as weddings are concerned,” said Suprit. In comparison to other cities, vintage cars are also easier to get in Kolkata. For long, Kolkata had remained the capital of British India, and back then, grand cars were in vogue. “Many of these are still functional and used for different purposes,” said Namrata. Reason, the rent is cheaper here in comparison to other cities. “In Delhi or Mumbai, getting a vintage car for a wedding is no mean feat. The owners are usually sceptical about renting out their prized possessions,” said Saswata, adding that Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also have a range of vintage cars.
A WIN-WIN SITUATION
Though wedding planners and car rentals arrange vintage vehicles for the end users, they are not the owners. There are several collectors of old cars and also families that own them for generations. Bhawanipur-based Subrata Chatterjee owns two such cars and is a regular at different vintage cars shows in the city. “Maintaining vintage cars is a costly affair and renting them out helps earn some extra bucks. But I don’t like to do it, as people do not handle them with care,” he said, adding that his cars were damaged several times. The earnings, however, help owners of vintage cars tide over such crises. And then, when the classic car parades through the city roads shining like a new bride, it makes memories that last a lifetime.