Shahina Kasak reports from the Asian Bride Show 2003 which was held at the Cafe Royale in London.

The event promised to be an "all you need" guide to the perfect Asian nuptial, enough glitter and pizzaz to fill any community hall and impress the Jones's or the Shah's in your local indian neighbourhood..

And it certainly didn't disappoint, 6 floors of stalls, displays, catering, salespersons, mehndi designers, cake decorators, jeweller's, shoes...and the list goes on! Everything you had not thought of, had certainly thought of you!

If you thought organising an Indian wedding was a doddle then think again.

The rituals aside the emphasis was certainly on less not being the best, we have very much moved away from the community hall..a few chairs...5000 guests..and one course meal!

This exhibition gave you 5 star hotels as venues, 5 course meals including table arrangments, name cards, stage decorations that took over an entire venue and outfits that weighed more than you! an indian wedding is very much about the bling bling and the ching ching!

As every young girls knows your outfit is the first thing to be analysed and criticised by your neighbourhood auntie Jee, as a once in a lifetime outfit you want to remembered for you want to pull out all the stops! and the catwalk show did just that!

Fantastically exquisite designs, colour and details that put any Oscar outfit to shame, the collective Asian desginers are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Designs by RCKC, BX , Payal and Variety Silk House made you swoon and dazzled the gooey eyed audience...we all made a dash home to start saving right now!!!