The Big, Phat Fake Wedding

TNIE takes a look at the quirky party trend that's catching on among the youth in Kerala cities

- PARVANA K B

Colours, lights, and beats set the scene, as guests, draped in their finest ethnic attire, are ready to let the night take over. It looks like a wedding, feels like a wedding, but there is no bride or groom, no mandaps, no rituals, no family drama, no tearful goodbyes. Just chilling.

Across India's cities, a new kind of celebration is taking over — fake weddings. The trend emerged as a fresh escape for the younger generation of party-goers, offering the thrill and grandeur of a wedding celebration without the commitments, formalities, or social pressures tied to a real ceremony.

What started as a quirky trend in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru has now arrived in Kerala as well, with events already making waves in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

Designed purely for entertainment, these events organised by hotels and event management firms bring together all the vibrancy of a wedding to a shared space.

"We hosted Kerala's first-ever ticketed fake wedding party in Kochi," says Sarat Sadhanandhan of Silver Lining Party, an entertainment firm. "We have been in the event management industry here for almost 16 years, focusing mainly on nightlife. When we saw wedding-themed parties going viral on social media, we decided to try it out in Kerala."

According to Sarat, theme-based parties have been rare in the state. "Through social media, people have been exposed to such events for a while and were waiting for something similar to happen here," he adds.

The event, held in July at a star hotel, was designed like a north Indian wedding. To recreate the 'baraat vibe' — the traditional groom's procession — the organisers built a truck model with a DJ playing live from the top.