East by North-East (From The Northern Echo)

East by North-East

8:47am Tuesday 31st August 2010 in

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WEDDING guests from as far as Hong Kong and Malaysia visited a North-East museum for its first traditional Indian wedding.

Rajan Jerath and bride Neena Choundhury chose Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, as their dream wedding venue.

So many guests attended the wedding of the Newcastle couple, both 25, that three marquees had to be set up in the grounds of the building, which was transformed by an exclusive events agency and where most of the ceremony took place.

Rajnee Jerath, mother of the groom, said: “The couple chose it because it is prestigious and because of the whole look of the place.

“And because it was something new having never been used by anyone from the Indian community for a wedding.

“It went extremely well and we had 400 guests, there will be an extended family holiday in Goa where there will be a smaller ceremony with about 80 close friends and family.

“But after the ceremony on Sunday, we have had lots of people telling us they want to come over for it, which is great. It’s the people who make the party.”

The traditional ceremony saw Mr Jerath, who runs a clothing business, enjoy a Sagem ceremony where he met and received gifts from the brides’ family.

Mrs Jerath, a teacher, arrived afterwards and the couple sat together as they underwent a Chunni ceremony in which they both received gifts.

The couple then exchanged vows during a civil ceremony, which was the only part to take place inside the museum itself, but the entire ceremony will last several more days.

Mrs Jerath said on Sunday: “What has happened today is more akin to an engagement celebration.

“We have had the civil ceremony here today as well, just to get the legal aspect of things sorted.

“We are heading out to Goa in a few weeks to have an Indian ceremony which will cover the religious side of things.

“It will be a week-long celebration and we will be married on the beach.”