Even as the entire country is voyeuristically hooked to the Ambani pre-wedding festivities this weekend, where global celebrities have converged, pop star Rihanna performed, and reportedly 2,500 dishes will be served in three days, novel wedding experiences are not the domain of the rich alone.
Take the example of a couple from Gujarat who recently tied the knot at minus 25 degrees C amid snowfall in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley in the name of novelty, with the video going viral.
“In recent years, there has been a noticeable surge in unconventional wedding trends driven by social media exposure. Couples are increasingly seeking unique experiences to differentiate their weddings, often inspired by viral sensations and internet trends, earmarking significant sums for Instagram-worthy experiences and novel acts that can make their weddings go viral,” said Devanshi Patel, founder of Shreem Events, who planned the wedding of cricketer Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic.
Patel goes on to add that such acts “are no longer just for entertainment” but “are integral to crafting a unique and special experience for the wedding”.
And that experience comes at a price, which the couples are willing to pay.
“For this, budgets earmarked are significantly variable, typically ranging from `50,000 to several lakhs or more, depending on the scale of the performances. However, on average, within the overall wedding budget, around 20% is designated for entertainment and novel acts,” he said.
While the couples, and their families, go above and beyond to make their day a distinct affair, some acts can border the bizzare. For example, in a viral clip, women in angel-like attire were suspended from the ceiling at a couple’s heaven-themed engagement ceremony, aiming to showcase the belief that the match is made in heaven. That clip received a searing response online over the “inhuman” act of “treating a human as a show piece”.
Here, wedding planners undertake a careful approach, walking the couple through their demand and what it would look like in reality.
“When there is such a huge demand for novelty, like the one from our customer in Mumbai planning a wedding at Rambagh in Jaipur that requires us to replicate Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand wedding sets with a moonrise and angels flying, our initial response is always one of careful thought,” said Himish Agarwal, CEO and creative director of Konark Events, a Jaipur-based wedding planning firm. “We identified that it was necessary for the client to experience how their vision will look like once translated into real life. To do this, we employed cutting edge technologies as 3D walkthroughs to give the client a holistic view on how the final décor would appear on the day of event,” he added.
Social media, especially Instagram, and the possibility of going viral is playing a major role here. “In today’s social media era, many couples are excited about the possibility of their weddings being showcased on major platforms, often trying innovative approaches or adhering to various strategies such as investing additional funds in wedding portals for exposure or incorporating unconventional elements with the ultimate goal of achieving viral status online,” said Apoorv Mohan Shrivastava and Sanyogita Sao, founders of the photography firm Plush Affairs. However, the ‘influence’ of Instagram goes beyond photographs, “as couples often request unique videos, such as transition videos of outfits for each wedding function or recreations of viral performances,” they added.
In a unique trend, “some clients even want guests to receive their instant pictures through a scan code placed at the wedding”, said Jayant Chhabra, founder of Cupcake Productions, a photography firm.
With opulent décor, stunning attire, and acts that break the internet, Bollywood weddings, too, have fuelled the desire of making one’s wedding a similar affair. From actors Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra’s iconic entry, to actor Parineeti Chopra’s wedding songs, to the nuptials of cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma, all serve as an inspiration for couples to emulate and recreate. “We frequently receive references of such high-profile weddings, which we try to incorporate from our end,” said Shrivastava and Sao.
While food, gifts and attire had long been the wedding elements one would spend the most on, the novel acts are the new additions steering India’s huge wedding market, already pegged at around $46 crore. As a result, the Ambani wedding might be the biggest but no longer the most talked-about wedding. A simple scroll on Instagram serve as a testimony.
