Fairy ‘GodMeher’ conjures up her magic weddings

chandigarh: the only thing left for her to do now is to join the movies, for her larger-than-life sets and dreamlike wedding decor would make a picture perfect setting for ostentatious screen weddings that bollywood seems to specialise in. it's also her secret desire. says wedding planner meher sarid, i would like to work in the movies. in fact, talks are on with a channel to design some sets for their shows, but if i switch it will be big.sarid, one of india's new breed of entrepreneurs who's cashed in on the 'have money will show' syndrome, churns out anything from a hawaiian do to a moroccan affair, a qawali night to an abstract theme, complete with tents, lights, djs, decorations, flowers, food. nobody offers a turnkey operations like us, she says. you have to believe this 31-year-old, who's absorbed cultures as an air stewardess with cathay pacific (so she can recreate them in her theme parties) and armed herself with a specialisation in wedding planning from austria. take one look at the preparations for a wedding reception she organised on monday night at north park. (the party was thrown by sameer thapar - of the industrialist thapar clan - for a friend). then you'll know that this is the stuff dreams are made of. a blue-and-yellow extravaganza, complete with dyed orchids flown in from bangkok, flowers cut out of tin sheets, a tent with reams of blue and yellow fabric floating around, and a team of 80, especially brought in from delhi to manage the affair. plus, nine truckloads (two of flowers, one of dj sound and lighting and the rest of tables, chairs, materials)... last year i did 58 weddings (four functions each), and business is growing. there is much more space for people like me; competition hardly exists. sarid has handled weddings in dubai, london, jakarta, mumbai, kanpur... she even charters planes, hands over baggage passes, allots rooms in hotels to guests. a one-stop shop you might say. this, incidentally, is her first wedding in chandigarh, though she's handled one in jalandhar before. personally, sarid loves travelling and going anywhere with ace dj husband sunny sarid (in fact she works under his company name, sound of music, of which she heads the themes & concepts division).i don't even mind going to the garage to get the car fixed with sunny as we hardly get any time with each other, she says. creating a dreamland, even if it's temporary, always seems to beckon....