The big fat 'fake' Indian wedding - Gen Z's latest party trend
What comes to mind when you think of a big fat Indian wedding?
Dazzling lights, glittering outfits, Bollywood hits, a lavish spread of food and an atmosphere soaked in celebration. Everything feels extravagant, emotional and larger than life.
Now imagine all of that without the bride and groom. No pheras (a Hindu marriage ritual where the couple takes seven rounds around a sacred fire), no relatives, no tearful farewells. Just the party.
Welcome to the world of fake weddings - a rising trend in Indian cities where people gather to enjoy the wedding party, minus the actual marriage.
These ticketed events, organised by hotels, clubs and companies, are designed purely for fun and promise to offer the full experience of a wedding party without any stress, rituals or responsibilities. Simply put, it's a wedding-themed party night.
Over the past few weeks, fake weddings have been making a splash in big cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The attendees are usually young people looking to enjoy a night out with friends, indulging in the drama and fun of a traditional Indian wedding without the attendant pressures.
Last week, we attended one such curated event in Delhi - a fake sangeet (a sangeet is a night of music and dance usually held a few days before the wedding).
At the event, held at a plush club, the vibe was electric: women twirled in sequinned saris and lehengas (long skirts and blouses), men showed up in tailored kurtas and ethnic jackets. A traditional dhol drummer led the crowd to the dance floor and tequila-filled gol gappas (a popular Indian street snack) made the rounds.
Shivangi Sareen, who attended an event like this for the first time, found it "amazing".
"At family weddings, there's so much pressure - the rules around dressing up, the judgement [from relatives]. But here, it's just fun," she said. "Especially because we got to do it all with our friends. We decided our outfits the day before and got ready together."
Ticket prices typically start at around 1,500 rupees ($17; £13) and can go up to 15,000 rupees or more, depending on the venue and facilities. Shivangi and her friends paid 10,000 rupees per couple to attend.
"I wouldn't mind spending this once a month. The whole experience was totally worth it."
Sharad Madan, owner of a restaurant which hosted the event, says the trend underscores that novelty is key in the hospitality sector.
"We have to keep doing something new for our patrons," he said.
It cost them around a million rupees to plan and organise the event, Mr Madan says, and the team expected to make double that through ticket sales. But it's not just about profits, he says.
"It's about engagement. Even if it doesn't give me the same kind of returns, I would still do it because our patrons want something different."
Kaushal Chanani, co-founder of 8Club events which hosted a fake wedding party attended by 2,000 people in Bengaluru last month, says that the inspiration for fake weddings came from young Indians living abroad.
"People from the diaspora would gather and dance to Bollywood music, dress in ethnic [traditional] clothes and enjoy the evening," he said. "This is the idea we followed as well."
The response to the Bengaluru event, held at a five-star hotel, was "overwhelming", he says. It encouraged them to plan a similar event in Delhi - which was sold out - and they started getting queries from event organisers in other cities such as Jaipur, Kolkata and Lucknow.
"We now give out our standard operating procedure (SOP) to people who are interested," he says. "It is a guide on how to create the experience, market it and make it profitable."
However, not all fake weddings follow the same script.
Trippy Tequila
Third Place, an experience-based start-up, recently hosted a sober sangeet in Bengaluru - no alcohol, just a themed celebration.
"We divided attendees into groom and bride's teams and organised games like charades and guessing who the relative is from a stereotype," said CEO Anurag Pandey.
There were dhol drums, a grand welcome for all guests and even astrology-themed games. Alcohol was deliberately left out.
"Sometimes booze takes away from the experience," Mr Pandey said. "We wanted to do more than just a pub night or a regular takeover. We wanted to showcase the spirit of Indian weddings."
Commentators say the popularity of these events reflects young people's growing desire to find reasons to celebrate.
"People need a hook of some kind… an occasion to celebrate. And there's no better setting than a wedding, which brings together all the elements of fun," says writer and social commentator Santosh Desai.
"It's the pinnacle of enjoyment - especially when it's free from the stress that accompanies real weddings."
He also points out that these events give people a reason to re-wear expensive wedding outfits bought in the past.
So, are such events here to stay?
Event planner Vijay Arora, founder of Delhi-based Touchwood Events, believes fake weddings are currently a fad - but one with potential.
"Gen Z definitely wants to be part of such celebrations," he said.
"If it emerges as a new market category then it can be a major game changer since the scale will increase - which eventually amps up business opportunities for the entire industry."
India's wedding industry is estimated to be worth around $130bn, according to investment advisory firm Wright Research.
While the sector is booming, there are constraints. Most weddings take place during the cooler months - typically between November and March - and often at auspicious times, while the monsoon season (June to August) is considered off-season.
With venues free, vendors available and people constantly chasing experiences, fake weddings could step in to fill the gap if the trend holds.
Mr Arora says he was surprised by the rise of fake weddings.
"But it also helps in understanding that such events are something that we want to celebrate or be a part of. Even if we can't attend the real events our friends or family host, we still want to experience them by joining these fake ones."
However, not every guest walks away thrilled.
Third Place
Srishti Sharma, a 23-year-old Bengaluru-based marketing professional, said she was underwhelmed by the only fake wedding she attended.
"I've lived away from home for a few years now and I really missed attending a wedding," she said.
"The biggest plus was not having nagging relatives telling you 'you're next in line to get married'."
Ms Sharma and her friends spent hours picking outfits, but the event fell short.
"They began with EDM and switched to Bollywood only after two hours," she said.
"We expected wedding food but got pizza and fries - no dessert, just alcohol. The decor was basic and felt lazy."
Some have criticised the events, saying they could come across as trivialising traditional Indian events and values.
But Vidhi Kapoor, who attended the fake sangeet in Delhi, disagrees.
"It might have been offensive had people been asked to dress up like a bride or groom but here it's just a party, we should take it in high spirits," she said.
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