FINDING ART IN EXCESS

From superfluous setups to tasteful, personalised expression, maximalism has come a long way in Indian weddings, with refined luxury finding its way into every succeeding iteration. Brides Today delves into how the idea of OTT décor has evolved with nuance over time.

- By HUNAR BHATIA

The great Indian royal wedding — a title, a notion and a cultural spectacle — all in one. Drawing from the centuries-long lineage of subcontinental grandeur, the Indian wedding industry has long stood as the epitome of celebration, one that pushes people above and beyond, both in metric and measure. Equal parts legacy and social theatre, it is this juncture where heritage and hospitality converge with flamboyance, making maximalism the currency of the Indian wedding industry.

DOWN THE LINE

For decades, each generation has had its own interpretation of maximalism. Setting the precedent for scale and social prestige, the boomers celebrated weddings as sprawling community affairs that were characterised through guest lists that spanned kin, ceremonies that spread across weeks and buffets that we now remember as nostalgic smörgåsbords of multiple regional cuisines. Then came the millennials, who did not relegate the sentiment of regalia, but rather reengineered it into curated, experience-led economies. Spendings shifted towards immersive décor, meticulously crafted venues, personalised entertainment — moving the narrative around maximalism from merely copious gestures to individual storytelling. Adding digital storytelling and hyper-personalised aesthetics to the savoir fair, Gen Z has recast the discourse with their penchant for the eclectic.

“Ornamentation and abundance have always been embedded in our cultural vocabulary; what has changed now is the scale and creativity with which they’re being interpreted today. Couples are no longer interested in simply grand décor; they want immersive worlds, layered storytelling, and dramatic visual moments that feel theatrical and experiential,” says Kinjal Adodra, Wedding Designer and Founder of DesignHQ.