Gen Z’s last party trend in India

What comes to mind when you think of a big Indian wedding?

Dazzling lights, shiny outfits, Bollywood hits, lavish spread of food and an atmosphere soaked in celebration. Everything feels extravagant, emotionally and more than life.

And now imagine all this without the bride and groom. No Ferra (a ritual of Hindu marriage, in which the couple takes seven circles around sacred fire), without relatives, without tear goodbyes. Just the party.

Welcome to the world of fake weddings – a growing trend in Indian cities, where people gather to enjoy the wedding party, minus the actual marriage.

These torn events, organized by hotels, clubs and companies, are designed for fun and promise to offer the full experience of a wedding party without stress, rituals or responsibilities. To put it simply, this is a wedding party party.

In the last few weeks, fake weddings have been spraying in big cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Participants are usually young people who want to enjoy the evening with friends, indulge in the drama and have fun at a traditional Indian wedding without the accompanying pressure.

Last week we attended such a cure event in Delhi – a fake Sangeet (Sangeet is a night of music and dancing, usually held a few days before the wedding).

During the event held at a plush club, the vibration was electric: women spin in Sari and legend (long skirts and blouses), the men appeared in adapted jackets and ethnic jackets. The traditional DHOL drummer led the crowd to the dance floor and the Gol Gapas -filled Tequila (popular Indian street breakfast) made the circles.

Shivaghi Saryen, who was present at such an event for the first time, found him “incredible”.

“There is so much pressure at family weddings – the rules surrounding the dress, the decision (from relatives). But behold, it’s just fun,” she said. “Especially because we have to do it all with our friends. We decided our outfits the previous day and we got ready together.”

Ticket prices usually start from about 1500 rupees ($ 17; £ 13) and can reach up to 15,000 rupees or more, depending on the place and facilities. Shivgi and her friends paid 10,000 rupees per couple to attend.

“I wouldn’t mind spending this once a month. All the experience was well worth it.”

Sharad Madan, the owner of a restaurant that hosts the event, says the trend emphasizes that novelty is key in the hospitality sector.

“We have to continue to do something new to our patrons,” he said.

It cost them about a million rupees to plan and organize the event, says G -n Madan, and the team is expected to do double through ticket sales. But it’s not just about profits, he says.

“It’s about engagement. Even if I didn’t give me the same kind of return, I would still do it because our patrons want something different.”

Kaushal Chanani, co -founder of 8Club Events, who hosted a false wedding celebration, which last month attended 2000 people in Bengaluru, says the inspiration for fake weddings comes from young Indians living abroad.

“The people of the diaspora would gather and dance to Bollywood music, dress in ethnic (traditional) clothes and enjoy the evening,” he said. “This is also the idea we followed.”

The reaction of the Bengaluru event, held at a five -star hotel, was “prevalent,” he says. This encouraged them to plan such an event in Delhi – which was sold out – and they began to receive inquiries from the organizers of events in other cities such as Jaipur, Kolka and Laknau.

“We are now giving away our standard operating procedure (SOP) to people who are interested,” he says. “This is a guide to how to create the experience, put it on the market and make it profitable.”

However, not all fake weddings follow the same script.

Third place, start -ups based on experience, recently hosted a sober Sangeet In Bengaluru – no alcohol, just a themed holiday.

“We divided the Groom and Bride teams and organized games like Charades and knowing who the relative of stereotype is,” said Executive Director Anurg Pand.

There were drums Dhol, a great welcome for all guests and even games with astrology. Alcohol was deliberately abandoned.

“Sometimes the drink takes away from the experience,” said G -N Pang. “We wanted to do more than just a pub or regular ingestion. We wanted to show the spirit of Indian weddings.”

Commentators say that the popularity of these events reflects the growing desire of young people to find reasons to celebrate.

“People need some hook … An occasion to celebrate. And there is no better wedding environment that brings together all the elements of fun,” says writer and social commentator Santos Deza.

“This is the peak of pleasure – especially when it is free from the stress that accompanies real weddings.”

He also points out that these events give people a reason to bring records of expensive wedding outfits purchased in the past.

So are there any events here?

Event -planning Vijay Arora, founder of Delhwood -based events at Touchwood, believes that 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 change of game, as the scale will increase – which ultimately enhances business opportunities for the whole industry.”

The Indian wedding industry is estimated at about $ 130 billionAccording to the investment advisory company, Wright Research.

While the sector is flourishing, there are restrictions. Most weddings are held in the more cool months – usually between November and March – and often in favorable times, while the monsoon season (June to August) is considered out of the season.

With free places, available suppliers and people are constantly pursuing experiences, fake weddings can intervene to fill the gap if the trend is held.

ARORA says he was surprised by the rise of fake weddings.

“But it also helps to understand that such events are something we want to celebrate or be part.

However, not every guest goes away.

Srishti Sharma, a 23-year-old marketing specialist based in Bengaluru, said she was subjected to the only fake wedding she was present.

“I have lived away from home for several years and I really missed attending a wedding,” she said.

“The biggest plus was that you have no bushing relatives to tell you,” You’re next to get married. “

D -ja Sharma and her friends spent hours choosing outfits, but the event fell.

“They started with EDM and moved to Bollywood only two hours later,” she said.

“We were expecting wedding food, but received pizza and fried potatoes – without dessert, only alcohol. The decor was the main and felt lazy.”

Some criticize events, saying that they can come across trivialization of traditional Indian events and values.

But the appearance of Kapour, who is present on the false Sangeet in Delhi, does not agree.

“It may have been offensive if people were asked to dress like a bride or groom, but here it’s just a party, we have to take it with a high spirit,” she said.

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