I do. Or do I?

For most of us, our wedding is the biggest and the most memorable event of our lives.

The turmoil in the city has taken away the exhilaration from wedding celebrations that were scheduled for this week

For most of us, our wedding is the biggest and the most memorable event of our lives. But what happens when the shadow of terrorism clouds this auspicious celebration? Can we carry on with our plans as usual, keeping in view the city8217;s morale? Or should we carry on, unwilling to let the terrorists succeed in killing our spirits? This may sound like a nightmare no one wants to live, but there are couples in Mumbai facing this dilemma.

Twenty-six-year-old Preeti Swamy may be readying for her sangeet ceremony, but her heart isn8217;t in it. Due to marry on December 1 in a suburban wedding lawn, this soft-spoken bride-to-be is hardly looking forward to

D-Day. 8220;Besides the gloomy mood that8217;s in the air right now, we feel responsible as hosts towards guests who will attend the wedding. It8217;s too much responsibility to shoulder in such testing times,8221; she rues. The Swamy family has requested most outstation guests to skip the functions in the wake of the attacks.

The worst hit, of course, are those who were to have the celebrations at The Oberoi-Trident and Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, the locations where terror attacks were concentrated. Aditya Motwane, COO of Percept D8217;Mark8217;s wedding management services division, has been on his toes ever since the terror struck. 8220;There were weddings and pre-wedding functions planned over the weekend. Now, we are looking for alternate venues,8221; he reveals. Motwane was organising a large-scale wedding at the Taj, scheduled to take place on November 29. Post the attack, the wedding took place in a temple. 8220;The wedding has been scaled down and the guest list has been reduced from over a 1,000 people to only close family members. The only redeeming factor is the fact that the couple now plans to donate the money they will save,8221; he notes.

No one doubts that Mumbai is a tough city to beat. And 26-year-old Neha Chaddha, who has celebrations planned throughout the week before her wedding on December 7, wants to prove that. She may not be as enthusiastic anymore, but can8217;t help but carry on. 8220;My fianceacute; is based in the US and we can8217;t change plans at the last moment,8221; she sighs and adds that being a Mumbaikar, it just isn8217;t in her element to give up so soon. 8220;Life goes on and Mumbai will bounce back.8221; Amen.