While waiting at Delhi airport for our flight home after a wonderful wedding weekend, the Maharashtra state election commentary was on the TV.

I had a flashback to the Indian national elections in April 2014 and an unexpected impact on another friend’s wedding.

The planning

For the April wedding, it was a 2nd marriage for both and they opted for what they thought would be a simple civil ceremony to be followed by a gathering of close friends and family at home.

The 1st indication all may not be quite so straight forward was the myriad of hoops and hurdles to get paperwork prepared for the fateful deed! Finally, all was in order and they applied to the court a month in advance to receive the date of 23 April 2014. Great!

The duly appointed date arrived, they got all gussed up ready for the momentus moment of tying the knot… to be greeted by a shut door with a note stating that the magistrate’s office was closed for the elections (to be held the next day).

Now… to someone from India that seems perfectly reasonable.

You see, living in the world’s largest democracy means the machinery to pull off an election with over 800 million eligible voters is not to be taken lightly. Naturally the day before the elections, all public offices shut as the workforce is redeployed to the massive effort of running the election.

However… to someone from Canada that seems rather impolite without notice.

In this case, it was an Indo-Canadian marriage so initial shock and outrage dissolved from angst into amusement as there was no choice but to go with the flow…

So they got all gussed up – again – the day after the elections to queue up with 3 days of hopefuls wanting to wed. Chaos, heat, brides, grooms, family and friends sprawled in their wedding finery on three floors ardently praying for a chance to wed before the office shut for the weekend.

After six hot miserable sweaty hours it looked fruitless til a heartfelt emotional appeal was made for mercy as the mother of the groom had come all the way from Canada… how could she go home to Toronto without seeing her precious son wed??

Emotional blackmail worked!

Getting the deed done – at last!

The best was their coming home immediately afterwards for bubbly – I was still in my cast and walker stage so was such a delight to be the 1st to toast the happy couple!

Paperwork for both options India (PIO) and Canada (PR) were initiated and now another wait begins… hopefully with fewer unexpected hurdles.

Can’t help but wonder… which will come through first and which nation will become their ultimate home?

Check out the plastic office chairs next to the marital throne – really fancy, eh?  (Photo: Brian Kissoon)

Related posts:

• Tis the season to get “marry”-ed… again
• NOTA vote for Maharashtra
• Losing the right to vote?