(Picture Credit: Canva)
The Big Fat Indian Wedding Season is upon us. According to a survey conducted by CAIT Research & Trade Development Society, in the period between November 23 and December 15, around 3.5 million weddings are expected to be held. And, if you still haven’t secured an invite, you can simply pay your way into attending one. Picture yourself immersed in traditional rituals, surrounded by dazzling displays of cultural richness, and sharing in the exuberance of families and friends gathered for the wedding . Well, a platform called ‘Join My Wedding’ makes this possible.
Founder and CEO of Join My Wedding, Orsi Parkanyi, said, “It started in 2016 out of my own need to attend weddings around the world! I thought it would be a great way to connect with the locals in a unique and meaningful way and to be exposed and learn about the culture firsthand when we travel. The concept is simple — Airbnb of weddings — in a nutshell. We provide the platform where travelers and couples that are about to get married can connect.”
To invite outsiders to their wedding, couples need to register on the platform, with a mandatory requirement of a Facebook account. Orsi said, “It will take them 10-15 minutes to complete the registration. An image of the couple also needs to be attached, and they need to nominate a ceremony guide who will be the first point of contact for the travelers during the wedding.”
Potential guests can browse through featured weddings on the website and choose the one they wish to attend. Join My Wedding customers can opt to attend one day of wedding events for $150 (₹12,474) or two or more days for $250 (₹20,790) per person. Concerns may arise for both guests and hosts, and Orsi addressed them and said, “People often wonder, is this real? How can I make sure someone is not ruining my wedding day? Things like that. However, we do all we can to validate the couples and travellers. We actually do a lot of work in the background to make sure that it is a great experience for all involved. Moreover, there is no incentive to cheat, as we only release the money the traveler paid after the wedding if there are no complaints.”