An essential guide to planning a South Asian wedding in the Washington Metropolitan area was released by Rahul and Punita Arora earlier this year. Despite a burgeoning population of the South Asian community, the DreamShaadi 2004 Wedding Guide is the first of its kind in the DC area. Last summer, the Aroras, the co-founders of the planner and the accompanying www.dreamshaadi.com website, announced they were planning to release a novel wedding guide that would list all DC area businesses which provide fashion, dining, lodging and other auxiliary products and services for a traditional South Asian wedding. “We figured that young couples often had no idea where to begin when it came to planning their own wedding, so we wanted to publish a guide that would help them make their wedding unforgettable.” The 200-page guide is divided into two sections; the first part is a comprehensive resource directory with advertisements from DJ's, musicians, videographers, photographers, jewelers, clothing designers, caterers, hotels, beauty parlors, and all other essential businesses that contribute to South Asian weddings. The second half of the guide contains informative articles on men's formal wear, mehndi, the benefits of hiring a wedding coordinator, and a suggestive chronological guideline that gives organizational tips on what to do the year leading up to your wedding. There are also helpful tips on how to plan your menu, lists detailing which shots generally make up a wedding album, and informative videography and transportation guides. The planner, priced at $5, is available at many local Indian grocery and retail stores.