The 5th Delhi International Jewellery and Watch Exhibition 2000, organised October 13-16 by the International Trade & Exhibitions (ITE) group, showcased not just a wide range of designer jewellery and watches, but also brought together under one roof all the items you would consider imperative for an Indian wedding, from jewellery and designer trousseaus to honeymoon packages.

But the highlight of the event was the completely sponsored live marriage, which has been covered by The Limca Book of Records as a first of its kind.

The groom, Mr Rohit Goel, an advocate, and the bride, Ms Sarika Gupta, a school-teacher, met through the wedding portal, ABCmatrimonials.com; the site sponsored the wedding, too. Mr Goel's outfit was sponsored by designer Neelam Saxena and Ms Gupta's exquisite red bridal ensemble by another designer, Jyoti Gupta. Shahnaaz Hussain Cosmetics sponsored the bridal make-up, and Sarover Park Plaza, Hoteling and Resorts provided the newly weds with a honeymoon package in Kerala. How's that for new age marketing?

The theme of the exhibition was `Bride & Groom Show'. The traditional Indian wedding, with its pomp and splendour, has obviously not been able to escape the businesswala, who stands ready to package it and sell it in all its glitter. And why not? The stakes, after all, are exceedingly high. A recent article in The Economist stated that Indians worldwide spend over US$ 11 billion on weddings a year!

Over 200 elite exhibitors participated in the exhibition from all over India and a few from abroad. These included the renowned jewellers of Calcutta, P C Chandra and B C Sen, as well as celebrated fashion designers like Ritu Beri, Ritu Kumar, J J Vallaya, who exhibited their latest clothing lines.

Another highlight was De Beers' breathtaking `Millennium Diamond Jewellery', which was being aired for the first time in India.

The target market the exhibitors were aiming at was well evident in the pricing of the products. About half a million pieces of jewellery and over 1,50,000 designs were exhibited, the prices of which ranged from Rs 1,000 to several lakhs of rupees.

The J D Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, displayed a collection of eye-catching silver pendants depicting zodiac signs. It also showed wedding accessories designed by its students ranging in price between Rs 500 and Rs 11,000.

Shree Nath Diamond House of Karol Bagh, New Delhi, displayed an amazing range of diamond jewellery priced at Rs 2,500-Rs 2 lakhs. Frontline Jewellery from Mumbai began its range at Rs 30,000; it ends in several lakhs of rupees.

As Ms Kavita Bagla of The Bentels remarked, "Jewellery is not about gold and silver, it is about what you can afford and look good in. As all stones are bautiful, so are all women. It is how you perceive jewellery that matters."

In keeping with its theme, the exhibition also featured bridal wear. Consequently, you could feast your eyes on lachas and lehengas and intricately woven sarees, all ranging in price between Rs 5,000 and Rs 50,000. The predominant colours for this marriage season were hot pink, several shades of maroon and peach and lavender.

For the grooms, there were lots of designerwear Sherwanis, Pathani suits and Bandgalas, embellished with Zardozi, Resham and traditional Dabka work. But the men's outfits were more expensive. Gaurav Chhabra's men's collection started at Rs 7,000 and went up to Rs 1 lakh. Men's accessories like turbans cost around Rs 500 for plain, simple variety and Rs 10,000 for the more exquisite ones that had gold and Resham work on Bandhni.

Calcutta jeweller P C Chandra offered the groom diamond tie-pins for Rs 10,000 and cufflinks for Rs 8,000. Plus, there was a designer sword with gold embroidery on it for a mere Rs 1,500.

And for the bride to take with her to her marital home, there were designer beds, mattresses, silk bedspreads and hand-embroidered cushions. The wedding bed collection by The Original Bedstead Company Ltd, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, started from Rs 19,000 and went right up till Rs 26,000. It was an exhausting collection, from mehndi to magazines for the bride to honeymoon packages all under one roof.