What does the future of Indian weddings look like?

We reach out to those in the business of designing dreamy nuptials to find out whether we’re likely to see more extravagant weddings or intimate ones in the future

The big fat Indian wedding needs no introduction. The larger-than-life affair, which typically spans several days, has been a subject of endless fascination not only for the number of days it can extend to but also for its expansive guest lists, lavish décor, elaborate outfits, meticulously-made menus and entertainment that is sometimes sourced from across the world. However, like much else, Indian weddings weren’t immune to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several couples were forced to eschew extravagance in favour of celebrations that were smaller in size and toned down.

Today, as the world is slowly opening up, many are eager to go back to the grandeur around weddings that they’ve seen growing up. But there are also many (actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor included) who have come to enjoy the idea of keeping things intimate. This ambiguous, oscillatory situation gives rise to a few questions: Will we, as a country, come to eventually prefer one form of festivities over the other? Is either at the risk of extinction? Is there room for a hybrid approach? To better understand where Indian nuptials stand today and the direction that they are likely to take in the future, we reach out to four sought-after names who are in the business of crafting custom-made weddings and here’s what they had to say.

The return of the big fat Indian wedding?

The last few years have irrevocably altered the way we view many things but are weddings one of them too? According to Bhavnesh Sawhney, co-founder of FB Celebrations (the company behind Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Anand Ahuja’s much-talked-about nuptials), the pandemic merely pressed pause on large-scale weddings but they are now back, and maybe even bigger than before.

“Things are back to pre-COVID levels. People are not afraid anymore and are going for large-scale local and destination celebrations,” says Sawhney, who recently planned a wedding at Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah which drew in close to 500 guests from across the globe, had unique themes for each event and saw multiple performances from the likes of Sukhbir and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Monil Shah, founder of KKing Events, confirms this observation. “As soon as [pandemic] restrictions were lifted, we were seeing weddings with as many as 2000 people again,” he shares.

However, while the big fat Indian wedding is here to stay, the difference, today, Shah explains, is that people don’t look at it as the only option. “The pandemic introduced us to the idea that intimate weddings are also enjoyable. It’s not so much a shift but a new category that has emerged which empowers many more to celebrate in their own small way. People no longer feel pressured or stretch themselves thin to have grand celebrations,” he says.

The best of both worlds

For those who don’t gravitate towards either extreme, there’s also a new middle ground which combines the best of both worlds. “The idea of a big wedding isn’t outdated but we’ve been given a new perspective. While most celebrations are still grand, the style is more intimate. Over-the-top décor has now been replaced by décor that’s more customised or detailed and there’s a focus on immediate family and close friends,” says Jueta Hemdev, co-founder and director of Yolo Entertainment & Weddings, a Mumbai-based event and wedding planning company.

One such recent example is fashion influencer Sonam Babani’s wedding. Earlier this year, Babani tied the knot against Switzerland’s snow-capped mountain peaks and wore a custom Atelier Versace lehenga for her rehearsal dinner. The lean guest list, however, primarily comprised her immediate family. Hybrid celebrations like these retain the opulence and majesty that Indian weddings are famous for but strip back the excess with either a smaller, more meaningful group of people in attendance or fewer functions. “We will increasingly find solace in intimate settings but there will always be a sense of royalty to everything we do,” says Tina Tharwani, co-founder of Shaadi Squad which organised Shibani Dandekar and Farhan Akhtar’s wedding.

Celebrations with a conscience

In recent times, however, there’s also something else that many weddings, irrespective of their scale, have in common–they are now becoming more mindful and eco-friendly affairs. “Couples are having conversations about how they can reduce expenses. Additionally, they are supporting local craftspersons by integrating their work in their nuptials, tying up with NGOs to donate excess food and using sustainable materials like clay, wood or straw. Physical invitations are also being replaced by digital invites and the concept of recycling and reusing is gaining more popularity than ever before,” says Hemdev.

Tharwani shares similar insights. “People now want greener venues with sustainable décor and some are even considering their homes [as the venue]. They are doing away with big gifts and ditching conventional rituals to reduce the impact on the ecosystem. Government bodies and national forums are also invested in ensuring that we change how the industry works in a way,” says Tharwani. Her point of view is evidenced in a wedding that her company orchestrated in Chennai where a handpan artist performed at the sundowner, gifts made by an NGO were given to the guests and the help of a waste-management company was enlisted to ensure that all the waste at the end of the celebrations was recycled. This change in mindset, Tharwani adds, can be attributed, in part, to a shift in decision-making power–it’s not the families but the bride and groom that now tend to take charge. Shah elaborates on this. “The younger generation is now more involved. Their thought process and the things they stand up for often include sustainability and giving back,” he says.

The forecast

Other than sustainability being at the core of both the planning process and the celebrations, couples also have other requirements that would take centre stage in the coming years. There will, for example, be a focus on flexibility and comfort. “One trend which we’re propagating and our clients are very happy with is that destination weddings no longer squeeze four to five functions in just a few days. We now do only one event a day. This ensures that the guests aren’t tired and are really able to enjoy the functions,” says Shah.

Additionally, the demands of the digital age will also continue to shape festivities in the future. There will be an increased emphasis on the “Instagrammability” of weddings. “How the wedding will look on Instagram is one of the main discussions we have with our clients these days,” says Sawhney, predicting the rise and rise of the social media wedding.

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