Jai Ho... Castle goes Bollywood!

 

But a taste of Asia came to Welshpool when a spectacular Indian wedding was held in the National Trust property’s grounds, featuring hundreds of guests clad in traditional attire.

 

Former Forden girl Gauri Verma arrived at Powis Castle wearing an intricate Punjabi wedding gown and was received by her dashing groom Jai Seth who arrived on a white mare, surrounded by drums and dancing groomsmen bedecked in traditional Punjabi silks and jewels.

 

Alison Dyer of the National Trust said: “Gauri approached Powis Castle just four months before the big day and although weddings are usually of a smaller scale at Powis, the opportunity to hold such a spectacle was too exciting to resist.”

 

After the service in the Ballroom and Clive Museum, Gauri and Jai moved down to the Italianate terraces for celebratory drinks and Indian cuisine by Karma Foods of Manchester. A traditional Mandap fire ceremony was organised and finally the party itself was held in a giant marquee on the Great Lawn.

 

Gauri explained: “I grew up in Forden with my brothers and it’s a special location for me in my heart. Every weekend my dad and I would go on long walks around Forden/Leighton and at times Powis Castle. I remember the surroundings of the castle, seeing them through the eyes of a little girl, the deer, peacocks, stunning views and magnificently elegant red bricks of the castle itself.

 

“Coming back here as a 27 year-old struck a chord that was impossible to ignore. It is, by far, the most impressive venue we saw in the Shropshire/Birmingham area. I showed Jai and it took zero convincing and he loved it too.

 

“This was an incredible place to get married I am one lucky girl!”

 

Guests travelled in from London, Bristol, Liverpool, Southampton, Melbourne, Zurich and Delhi and the event was also enjoyed by the local National Trust volunteers who shared the couple’s big day. Ben Walker described it as a “carnival”.

 

Gauri is a former head girl of Shrewsbury High School and Psychiatry trainee at the Maudsley/Institute of Psychiatry in London, while her husband is a urology surgeon in London and currently doing a PHD.

 

Shane Logan, Property Manager said: “We are delighted to have held such a momentous event at Powis Castle. The feedback from staff, visitors and wedding guests has been phenomenal. Let’s do it again!”