Indian weddings are a vibe. Grand proposal gestures, bespoke invites, larger-than-life sets, designer trousseaus, celebrities in attendance, popular music acts on stage and the vow of happily ever after under a starry sky.
These are big fat celebrations and, believe it or not, in a post-pandemic world, they are just getting fatter.
The Ambanis’ pre-nuptials in Jamnagar, Gujarat, earlier this month was an ultimate A-List event – with the likes of Rihanna, Ivanka Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Shah Rukh Khan, Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar included in the 2,000 guest list.
Of course, the price tag of more than US$150 million ($201 million), was small change, as the groom-to-be Anant Ambani is the youngest child of Mukesh Ambani, one of the richest men in Asia with a net worth of US$114 billion.
According to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), many young affluent Indians are redefining wedding extravagance: From helicopters to haute couture, private jets for guests to feasts fit for royalty.
CAIT said that, between Nov 23 and Dec 15 last year, about 3.5 million couples tied the knot in India, leading to spending that totalled around Rs4.25 trillion (US$76.5 billion).
That’s a lot of spending in just 23 days, and includes everything from venue bookings to catering to decorations and elaborate pre-wedding shoots.
Wedding designer Devika Narain told The New York Times that lavish Indian weddings could cost anywhere from US$1 million to US$5 million for about 250 to 500 guests. “Decor, jewellery and guest entertainment tend to be the larger spends,” she said.
The Economic Times reported that a two-day destination wedding in a five-star hotel at a top-tier Indian location for 200 guests can cost between US$350,000 and US$600,000.
Ms Khushnooma Kapadia, senior director of marketing for South Asia at Marriott International, which has 137 properties in India and half of which cater to weddings, has seen a jump in demand for wedding bookings. “There is no impact of inflation on the wedding segment with regards to size or scale,” she said, adding that Marriotts’ weddings revenue increased 25 per cent in 2023.
Some wedding industry experts refer to the growth as pandemic revenge. “Couples are excited to celebrate, and they are not apologetic about it,” said Ms Vandana Mohan, who is the founder of New Delhi-based Wedding Design Company and Backstage Productions.
Once considered a luxury reserved for the wealthy, destination weddings are also gaining popularity.
India’s ultra-rich are flocking to Thailand, UAE and even European hotspots as Indian weddings are now more than just a few days of celebrations; they’re about extended stays, shopping sprees and exploration.
“We host about 500 Indian weddings each year,” said the director of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s New Delhi office, Mr Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol. “The scheme that allows Indians to enter Thailand without a visa until May 2024 has helped.”
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Indian citizens to “wed in India”, promoting domestic destinations versus overseas locations.
In recent months, celebrity couples like Alia Bhatt-Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif-Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani-Sidharth Malhotra have hosted their weddings in India.
“Travelling with 350 guests is not unusual for an Indian wedding,” said Mr Siddharth Sharma, founder of House on the Clouds, a wedding photography and filmmaking company based in Bengaluru. “Some couples travel with 500 to 600 guests, Two hundred is considered an intimate guest list.”
Families are no longer the main driving force in wedding decision-making. “Every detail is personalised according to the bride and groom – their favourite colours, songs, designers, food,” said Ms Mohan. “It has to be relevant to them.”
Mr Ketan Sawant, founder of A New Knot, a wedding and event planning company in Mumbai, pointed out: “The focus is not on showing the world how much you’re spending, it’s about detailing at a micro level. Families are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to hospitality and guest experiences.”
Couples are also keeping in mind that the real meaning of a wedding rests in the love and commitment the couple shares. “As destination wedding planners, it is our job to help them strike a balance between grandeur and intimacy, and create a truly unforgettable celebration of their love,” Mr Sawant said.
Indo-Asian News Service
