Srinagar, July 21: Mesmerised by the beauty of Kashmir, a Polish couple hosted their wedding reception at the banks of river Jhelum according to the traditions of the Valley.
The bride and the groom — Bata and Wlodek — were dressed in the traditional wedding attire for the function. “We were inspired by the culture and the cuisine of the Valley,” they said.
The arrangements for the reception were facilitated by a Kashmiri family the couple was friends with.
I was inspired by the culture and the food here, so I decided to have the celebration here.
We wanted to look like Kashmiris. We choose the attire. I love everything about Kashmir, Bata, who has been coming to the Valley as a tourist for the last three years, said.
Some family members of the couple were also present at the occasion.
Local chefs, known as ‘wazas’, cooked traditional ‘wazwaan’ dishes for the reception on the demand of the couple.
We have all the local preparations. I have been eating it for long now. I make it at home also, Bata said.
Owais Ahmad, who belongs to the family which facilitated their reception, said the couple were inspired by the wedding of one of his cousins recently and that is when they decided to have a reception in a traditional Kashmiri manner.
They loved the celebration, the food and everything of a Kashmiri wedding. So, they decided to have their own reception here, he said.
The couple would be travelling to Ladakh for their honeymoon.