Exquisite Exuberance in Extravagance!

Weddings of our modern times.

- Maharaaj K. Koul

Life, weddings, relationships, road trips, gardening, making out, haircuts: few of the fun things in life always go as expected. – Ariel Meadow Stallings (blogger).

May it be the global meltdown or steep recession, the big fat Indian wedding is getting even fatter. Even the middle class is coming ahead shellving out more than their budget to give a good show. Gone are the days when marriages were limited to welcoming of the Baraat at the doorsteps and feasting at the nearby community centre.

Today, it has become an institution in itself with an estimated market of a whooping 26-billion-dollars annually, which is growing at the rate of 25 per cent. Around 30,000 marriages solemnise each year. People have started hiring event organisers to make their marriages look unique from others. In Delhi itself, there are around 4,000 event management companies working on marriages only. A wedding creates jobs for people in several industries, from florists to caterers. It boosts the local economy. There are support activities like photographers and bridal fairs, which depend on weddings to make a living.

As per Dev Pachori, event manager with one such company says, “There has been a big change in the psyche of people and budget too, when it comes to marriage. People are ready to shell out from ₹50 lakh to ₹5 crore and in some special cases far more than this. The latest trend has been destination marriages.” Top preference goes to Rajasthan for those who prefer royal wedding and Goa for those who want it on beaches. Those who prefer abroad, they go to Thailand and Bali or to other South-East Asian countries. In summer, hill stations like Shimla, Dalhousie, Munnar and Ooty are preferred. A lot of theme marriages are also on the pick. Wedding themes like